Short answer
The Boise City metro had 4,134 construction establishments with paid employees in 2023, employing 30,684 people with $1.93 billion in annual payroll, according to Census County Business Patterns. Ada County had 2,214 and Canyon County 1,678. They average 7.4 employees, against 9.4 nationally, and 3,833 have fewer than 20. Single-family homes were 84% of the 9,438 housing units the metro permitted in 2025.
- 4,134 construction establishments and 30,684 employees in the Boise metro in 2023, averaging 7.4 employees and $62,854 in pay.
- Canyon County has 40.6% of the metro's construction establishments; Ada County has 53.6%.
- Structure and finishing trades (1,806 establishments) outnumber building contractors and heavy civil firms combined (1,204).
- Units permitted in buildings of five or more nearly doubled, from 610 in 2024 to 1,218 in 2025.
- The Idaho Transportation Department had 12 major highway projects out to bid on 30 October 2026.
On this page
This page is for homeowners and businesses looking for a contractor in Boise, Meridian, Nampa and the rest of the Treasure Valley, contractors and suppliers looking for partners, job seekers and B2B sellers. It uses Census counts and housing permits and the public bid and permit tools that were reachable when we checked.
Treasure Valley construction in numbers
County Business Patterns (CBP) 2023, construction sector (NAICS 23), Boise City, ID Metro Area (CBSA 14260):
| Measure | Boise metro, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Construction establishments | 4,134 |
| Employees | 30,684 |
| Annual payroll | $1,928,600,000 |
| Average employees per establishment | 7.4 |
| Average annual pay | $62,854 |
| Share of US construction establishments | 0.51% (of 814,557) |
| County | Establishments | Employees | Employees per establishment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ada County, Idaho | 2,214 | 19,082 | 8.6 |
| Canyon County, Idaho | 1,678 | 10,722 | 6.4 |
| Gem County, Idaho | 134 | 493 | 3.7 |
| Owyhee County, Idaho | 55 | 264 | 4.8 |
| Boise County, Idaho | 53 | 123 | 2.3 |
Canyon County has 40.6% of the metro's construction establishments but 34.9% of its construction jobs. Average pay of $62,854 is 18% below the US construction average of $76,580.
Size
| Employees per establishment | Establishments |
|---|---|
| 1 to 4 | 2,822 |
| 5 to 9 | 669 |
| 10 to 19 | 342 |
| 20 to 49 | 197 |
| 50 to 99 | 65 |
| 100 to 249 | 33 |
| 250 to 499 | 5 |
| 500 or more | 1 (derived) |
The Census Bureau doesn't publish the 500 to 999 and 1,000-or-more cells for the Boise metro. The published classes add up to 4,133, one short of the total, so one establishment has 500 or more employees. In bands, 3,833 (92.7%) have 1 to 19 employees, 262 have 20 to 99 and 39 have 100 or more.
What the count covers. Establishments (locations) with paid employees in the pay period including March 12, 2023, not companies. Owner-operators with no payroll aren't counted, and a Utah or Washington contractor working on a Boise job is counted where it's based.
Framers, finishers and foundations
| Type of work (NAICS) | Establishments | Employees |
|---|---|---|
| Specialty trade contractors (238) | 2,930 | 22,009 |
| Foundation, structure and exterior: concrete, framing, masonry, roofing (2381) | 940 | 5,533 |
| Building finishing: drywall, painting, flooring, tile (2383) | 866 | 4,374 |
| Electrical, plumbing and HVAC (2382) | 679 | 9,049 |
| Site preparation (238910) | 176 | 1,436 |
| Building construction (236) | 1,031 | 5,825 |
| Residential remodelers (236118) | 464 | 1,430 |
| New single-family general contractors (236115) | 271 | 896 |
| For-sale homebuilders (236117) | 113 | 645 |
| Commercial and institutional building (236220) | 149 | 2,443 |
| Heavy and civil engineering (237) | 173 | 2,850 |
The structure and finishing trades number 1,806 establishments but average 5.5 employees: crews working subdivision by subdivision. The mechanical and electrical contractors are larger (13.3 on average), and commercial builders average 16.4. One small heavy civil category (NAICS 2379, 10 establishments) has an employee figure the Census Bureau flags as high-noise, so it isn't reported here.
What's being built
| Units authorized (Building Permits Survey) | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Single-family | 8,252 | 7,970 |
| 2 to 4 units | 201 | 250 |
| 5 or more units | 610 | 1,218 |
| Total | 9,063 | 9,438 |
Single-family homes were 84% of 2025's units. Apartment permits doubled, but from a low base; the trades that live on production homebuilding saw 3.4% fewer single-family starts.
Licenses, permits and bids
Idaho regulates contractors at the state level through its Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, which handles contractor registration and the public works contractor license. Its website and the Idaho Code site didn't respond when we checked on 30 October 2026, so we haven't restated the thresholds and exemptions here; confirm them with the division before you rely on a registration.
What we could check:
- City of Boise permits. The city's Planning and Development Services handles building permits online, with a public permit search, so you can look up a contractor's recent jobs inside the city. Outside Boise, ask the city or county where the job is.
- State highway bids. The Idaho Transportation Department lists advertised highway projects, bid results with bid abstracts and look-ahead schedules. On 30 October 2026 it showed 12 active major highway projects (15 listed, 3 postponed). Plan holders are listed through QuestCDN, and ITD links bidders to the Idaho Public Works License.
How to vet a Treasure Valley contractor
- Ask for the state registration or license number and confirm it with the state.
- Look up recent permits in the jurisdiction where your job is; in Boise, use the city's permit search.
- For a new home, ask which subdivisions the builder has worked in and talk to two recent buyers.
- For trade work, confirm the electrician, plumber or HVAC contractor holds the state trade license.
- Get a written contract, insurance certificates and lien releases as you pay.
Selling to Boise construction companies
| Size band | Establishments | Who usually decides |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 19 employees | 3,833 | The owner, often on the job site |
| 20 to 99 employees | 262 | Owner plus an office or operations manager |
| 100 or more | 39 | Purchasing, safety and operations leaders |
With so many small firms, sell simply: a short trial, a phone number that answers, and pricing per crew rather than per seat. For the 113 for-sale homebuilders, timing follows subdivision approvals and phase starts.
Illustrative example. The company, its share and its price are invented; the permit count is from the Building Permits Survey.
Owyhee Truss (owyheetruss.example) builds roof trusses. The metro permitted 7,970 single-family homes in 2025. If it supplies 10% of them at an average of $9,500 a house, that's 797 homes and $7.57 million a year, most of it from a few dozen builders and framers. Finding which builders are opening new phases is the research that matters; Bebop researches each account on a list like this and suggests the opening angle.
Sources for names
| Source | What it gives you |
|---|---|
| City of Boise Planning and Development Services | Building permits and the online permit search |
| ITD contractor bidding and results | Advertised highway projects, bid abstracts and plan holders |
| Idaho AGC | Idaho's construction trade association since 1934 |
| Boise Metro Chamber | The regional business chamber |
| Boise Valley Economic Partnership | Regional economic development and company relocations |
| Census Building Permits Survey | Housing units authorized by metro, county and city |
Next step: build your list with the construction companies industry guide, or see how a fast-growing desert metro compares in the Phoenix construction companies report.
Sources
- County Business Patterns 2023, US Census Bureau, accessed 30 October 2026
- Building Permits Survey, annual CBSA data for 2024 and 2025, US Census Bureau, accessed 30 October 2026
- Planning and Development Services, City of Boise, accessed 30 October 2026
- Advertised Highways Projects & Bid Results, Idaho Transportation Department, accessed 30 October 2026
Written by the Bebop team at Blackpearl Group. Published .
Questions people ask
How many construction companies are in Boise?
Census County Business Patterns counted 4,134 construction establishments with paid employees in the Boise City metro in 2023: 2,214 in Ada County, 1,678 in Canyon County and the rest in Gem, Owyhee and Boise counties. They employed 30,684 people. The count is of locations, not companies, and leaves out owner-operators with no employees.
How big are construction companies in Boise?
Mostly small. In 2023 the metro's construction establishments averaged 7.4 employees, against 9.4 nationally, and 3,833 of the 4,134 had fewer than 20. Only 39 had 100 or more, and the Census figures imply just one has 500 or more. Average pay was $62,854 per employee, 18% below the US construction average.
What is being built in the Boise area?
Mainly single-family homes. The Census Bureau's Building Permits Survey shows 9,438 housing units authorized in the Boise metro in 2025, of which 7,970 were single-family homes. Units in buildings of five or more nearly doubled, from 610 to 1,218. On the highway side, ITD listed 12 active major highway projects out to bid on 30 October 2026.
How do I find highway construction bids in Idaho?
The Idaho Transportation Department's contractor bidding page lists currently advertised highway projects, past bid openings with bid abstracts, look-ahead schedules and forms. Plan holders are listed through QuestCDN, the bidding platform ITD links to, which helps subcontractors and suppliers find the primes bidding each job. ITD also links bidders to the Idaho Public Works License.