Short answer
Rhode Island had 3,528 construction establishments with paid employees in 2023, 43rd among the states, employing 22,240 people with $1.74 billion in annual payroll, according to Census County Business Patterns. They average 6.3 employees, and Providence County has 1,912 of them. Every contractor, remodeler and most subcontractors working on residential or commercial structures must register with the Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board; electricians and plumbers are licensed separately.
- 3,528 construction establishments and 22,240 employees in Rhode Island in 2023, 43rd among the states by establishments.
- Average firm size is 6.3 employees; only five states average fewer.
- Providence County has 54% of establishments; Kent and Washington counties follow.
- Residential remodelers (779) and specialty trades (2,277) make up most of the market.
- RIDOT's bid board shows plan holder lists for active bids, a live view of who is bidding state work.
On this page
- Rhode Island construction in numbers
- Small firms, even for New England
- By county
- Trades and builders
- Registration and licensing
- Who is bidding public work
- What's being permitted
- How to vet a Rhode Island contractor
- Public companies
- Selling to Rhode Island construction companies
- Where to find names
- Sources
- Questions people ask
This report is for homeowners and businesses hiring a contractor in Rhode Island, firms looking for subcontractors, job seekers, and B2B sellers covering the state. It covers the Census count, how registration and licensing work, where to find active bidders and a prospecting plan.
Rhode Island construction in numbers
US Census Bureau County Business Patterns (CBP) 2023, construction sector (NAICS 23), State of Rhode Island:
| Measure | Rhode Island, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Construction establishments | 3,528 |
| Employees | 22,240 |
| Annual payroll | $1,739,688,000 |
| Average employees per establishment | 6.3 |
| Average annual pay | $78,223 |
| Share of US construction establishments | 0.43% (of 814,557) |
| Rank among states by establishments | 43rd |
How Rhode Island compares with its neighbors in the same CBP file:
| State | Establishments | Employees | Employees per establishment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 21,631 | 163,600 | 7.6 |
| Connecticut | 8,152 | 61,816 | 7.6 |
| Rhode Island | 3,528 | 22,240 | 6.3 |
Across all states the average is 9.4 employees per construction establishment; only Montana, Vermont, Maine, Wyoming and Idaho average fewer than Rhode Island. Average pay is about $1,600 above the national construction figure of $76,580.
Small firms, even for New England
| Employees per establishment | Establishments |
|---|---|
| 1 to 4 | 2,571 |
| 5 to 9 | 522 |
| 10 to 19 | 245 |
| 20 to 49 | 126 |
| 50 to 99 | 39 |
| 100 to 249 | 20 |
| 250 to 499 | 3 |
| 500 or more | Not published |
That's 3,338 establishments (94.6%) with 1 to 19 employees, 165 with 20 to 99 and 25 with 100 or more. The Census Bureau doesn't publish the two largest classes; by subtraction, 2 establishments have 500 or more.
By county
| County | Establishments | Employees | Employees per establishment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Providence County | 1,912 | 13,278 | 6.9 |
| Kent County | 551 | 3,874 | 7.0 |
| Washington County | 528 | 2,465 | 4.7 |
| Newport County | 344 | 1,732 | 5.0 |
| Bristol County | 189 | 796 | 4.2 |
Four more establishments are classed as statewide, with no single county; their employment was published with a high-noise flag (the confidentiality noise changed it by 5% or more), so we don't report it. Washington County (South County), Newport and Bristol average five or fewer employees per establishment.
Trades and builders
| Type of work (NAICS) | Establishments | Employees |
|---|---|---|
| Specialty trade contractors (238) | 2,277 | 14,778 |
| Building finishing (2383) | 634 | 3,625 |
| Plumbing, heating and air conditioning (238220) | 494 | 4,410 |
| Electrical contractors (238210) | 383 | 2,602 |
| Site preparation (238910) | 197 | 1,140 |
| Masonry (238140) | 113 | 492 |
| Roofing (238160) | 79 | 353 |
| Building construction (236) | 1,155 | 5,991 |
| Residential remodelers (236118) | 779 | 2,346 |
| New single-family general contractors (236115) | 211 | 1,123 |
| Commercial and institutional builders (236220) | 120 | 2,106 |
| Heavy and civil engineering (237) | 96 | 1,471 |
Remodelers are 22.1% of all construction establishments and average 3.0 employees. The larger employers are commercial builders (17.6 employees on average) and highway contractors (29 establishments with 702 employees).
What CBP counts: establishments (locations) with paid employees, not companies. It excludes self-employed contractors with no payroll, a large group in a state of small firms, and employment is for the pay period including March 12, 2023. Massachusetts and Connecticut contractors working in Rhode Island are counted in their home states.
Registration and licensing
| Who | Regulator | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Contractors, remodelers and most subcontractors on residential or commercial structures | Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board (CRLB): registration | The board hears and settles claims filed against registered contractors; registrations last two years |
| Commercial roofers, underground utility contractors, well drillers and home inspectors | CRLB: licenses with their own rules | Check the license, not just the registration |
| Electricians, plumbers, pipefitters, refrigeration technicians, sprinklerfitters, sheet metal workers, oil heat contractors and hoisting engineers | Department of Labor and Training, Professional Regulation | Trade licenses for the people doing the work |
The CRLB's rules say the Contractors' Registration Law requires registration "so that claims filed against them can be heard and settled," which is the practical reason a homeowner should never hire an unregistered contractor.
Who is bidding public work
RIDOT runs a bid board for state transportation contracts, and plan holder lists for every active bid are public. A plan holder list is the most current list of contractors preparing to bid a specific job, which makes it useful for subcontractors, suppliers and anyone selling to heavy civil firms.
What's being permitted
The Census Bureau's Building Permits Survey counted 1,738 new housing units authorized statewide in 2025, against 1,757 in 2024. Single-family units fell from 825 to 730, while units in two- to four-unit buildings rose from 374 to 498 and those in buildings of five or more were 510. Two- to four-unit buildings were 28.7% of the state's new housing units in 2025, the highest share of any state in the survey.
How to vet a Rhode Island contractor
- Check the CRLB registration and its expiry date; for commercial roofing or underground utility work, check the license too.
- Check trade licenses with the Department of Labor and Training for the electricians and plumbers on the job.
- Ask the town building official for the firm's recent permits in that town.
- Get insurance certificates and three references from jobs in the same county.
- Put everything in a written contract, including the start date, the payment schedule and the registration number.
Public companies
None of the listed construction companies in SEC records has a Rhode Island business address, so there's no published revenue to rank the state's contractors by.
Selling to Rhode Island construction companies
| Size band | Establishments | Who usually decides |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 19 employees | 3,338 | The owner |
| 20 to 99 employees | 165 | Owner with an office manager, estimator or project manager |
| 100 or more | 25 | Operations, safety and procurement leaders |
This is a market of owner-operators. Short, specific messages about a current job work better than long sequences; see the guide to selling to small businesses.
Illustrative example. The company and its assumptions are invented; the counts are from CBP 2023.
Narragansett Roll-Off (nroll.example) rents dumpsters to contractors. Its targets are residential remodelers (779 establishments), roofers (79) and site preparation contractors (197): 1,055 in all. If 40% order at least one container a month, that's 422 regular users. At an average of $5,400 a year per account, winning 15% (63 accounts) is $340,200 in annual revenue. Which firms have open permits in Providence and Kent counties tells it where to start; Bebop finds contractors that match a description like this and researches each one.
Where to find names
| Source | What it gives you |
|---|---|
| CRLB rules for contractors | Who must register with the Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board |
| CRLB general rules | Registration terms, licenses and claims procedures |
| DLT professional regulation rules | Licensing rules for electricians, plumbers, pipefitters and other trades |
| RIDOT bid board | Active transportation bids with plan holder lists |
| Rhode Island Builders Association | Builders and remodelers since 1945 |
| ABC Rhode Island | Merit shop commercial contractors |
| Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce | Business network and member companies |
Next step: use the construction companies industry guide to build the list, or compare the statewide picture with Massachusetts.
Sources
- County Business Patterns 2023, US Census Bureau, accessed 30 October 2026
- 440-RICR-10-00-2, Rules and Regulations for Contractors, Rhode Island Department of State, Code of Regulations, accessed 30 October 2026
- 440-RICR-10-00-1, General Rules and Regulations for Applications, Registration, Licensing, Claims, Violations, and Administrative Hearings, Rhode Island Department of State, Code of Regulations, accessed 30 October 2026
- 260-RICR-30-15, Professional Regulation, Rhode Island Department of State, Code of Regulations, accessed 30 October 2026
- RIDOT Bidding Opportunities, Rhode Island Department of Transportation, accessed 30 October 2026
- Building Permits Survey, annual state data 2024 and 2025, US Census Bureau, accessed 30 October 2026
Written by the Bebop team at Blackpearl Group. Published .
Questions people ask
How many construction companies are in Rhode Island?
The US Census Bureau counted 3,528 construction establishments with paid employees in Rhode Island in 2023, 43rd among the states, employing 22,240 people. Providence County had 1,912, Kent 551, Washington 528, Newport 344 and Bristol 189. Establishments are locations rather than companies, and self-employed contractors with no employees aren't counted, so the number of active businesses is higher.
Do contractors need to be registered in Rhode Island?
Yes. Rhode Island's Contractors' Registration Law requires every contractor, remodeler and most subcontractors in the business of building or repairing residential or commercial structures to register with the Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board, so that claims filed against them can be heard and settled. Registrations last two years. Electricians and plumbers also need trade licenses from the Department of Labor and Training.
How do I check a contractor in Rhode Island?
Check the contractor's registration with the Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board, and confirm it hasn't expired. For commercial roofing or underground utility work, check the board's license for that work too, and check electricians' and plumbers' licenses with the Department of Labor and Training. Ask the town building official about the firm's permits and get insurance certificates.
How big are Rhode Island construction companies?
Small. Rhode Island's construction establishments averaged 6.3 employees in 2023, against 9.4 across all states, and 94.6% had fewer than 20 employees. Residential remodelers alone number 779, averaging 3.0 employees. Only Montana, Vermont, Maine, Wyoming and Idaho have smaller average construction establishments, according to Census County Business Patterns.
How can I see which contractors bid on Rhode Island state projects?
RIDOT's bid board lists active transportation bids and publishes a plan holder list for each one, showing the contractors that have obtained the plans and are likely to bid. For subcontractors and suppliers, those lists are the most current view of who is pursuing a specific job. Check them alongside the bid due dates.