Short answer
Wisconsin had 14,679 construction establishments with paid employees in 2023, 20th among the states, employing 133,159 people with $11.12 billion in annual payroll, according to Census County Business Patterns. Metro Milwaukee has 3,262 and Madison 1,668. Average pay is $83,519. To pull permits for work on one- and two-family homes, a business needs a state dwelling contractor credential and a certified qualifier; commercial work has no state contractor license, though local rules can apply.
- 14,679 construction establishments and 133,159 employees in Wisconsin in 2023: 1.80% of the US total, 20th among states.
- Waukesha County has the most establishments (1,374), ahead of Dane (1,263) and Milwaukee (1,164).
- Industrial building contractors average 82 employees and power and communication line contractors 47.
- 160 establishments have 100 or more employees, and 5 have 1,000 or more.
- New housing units authorized rose 7.3% in 2025, to 25,569.
On this page
This report is for property owners, developers and manufacturers hiring a contractor in Wisconsin, firms looking for subcontractors or acquisitions, job seekers, and B2B sellers planning a Wisconsin territory. It covers the statewide Census count, the metros and counties, the trades, the state's credential rules and a prospecting plan.
Wisconsin construction in numbers
US Census Bureau County Business Patterns (CBP) 2023, construction sector (NAICS 23), State of Wisconsin:
| Measure | Wisconsin, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Construction establishments | 14,679 |
| Employees | 133,159 |
| Annual payroll | $11,121,366,000 |
| Average employees per establishment | 9.1 |
| Average annual pay | $83,519 |
| Share of US construction establishments | 1.80% (of 814,557) |
| Rank among states by establishments | 20th |
How Wisconsin compares with its neighbors in the same CBP file:
| State | Establishments | Employees | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 29,457 | 229,716 | $90,240 |
| Michigan | 21,298 | 181,952 | $80,972 |
| Minnesota | 17,568 | 144,692 | $91,833 |
| Wisconsin | 14,679 | 133,159 | $83,519 |
| Iowa | 9,067 | 74,180 | $75,623 |
Wisconsin construction pay averages about $6,900 more than the national figure of $76,580.
Metro areas
| Metro area | Establishments | Employees | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | 3,262 | 33,916 | $84,052 |
| Madison | 1,668 | 19,816 | $83,062 |
| Green Bay | 873 | 8,927 | $79,417 |
| Appleton | 758 | 10,499 | $82,566 |
| Eau Claire | 434 | 3,954 | $90,621 |
| Racine-Mount Pleasant | 411 | 3,036 | $78,473 |
| Wausau | 365 | 2,860 | $78,812 |
| Janesville-Beloit | 356 | 2,872 | $100,904 |
| Oshkosh-Neenah | 348 | 5,230 | $84,617 |
Milwaukee and Madison together hold 33.6% of the state's construction establishments and 40.4% of its construction jobs, so most of the market is outside the two largest metros. Appleton and Oshkosh-Neenah contractors are unusually large, averaging 13.9 and 15.0 employees; Janesville-Beloit has the highest average pay. See the Madison construction companies report for more on the capital region.
| County | Establishments | Employees |
|---|---|---|
| Waukesha County | 1,374 | 17,715 |
| Dane County | 1,263 | 17,824 |
| Milwaukee County | 1,164 | 11,994 |
| Brown County | 680 | 8,066 |
| Outagamie County | 632 | 9,645 |
| Washington County | 470 | 2,759 |
| Racine County | 411 | 3,036 |
| Marathon County | 365 | 2,860 |
Firm size
| Employees per establishment | Establishments |
|---|---|
| 1 to 4 | 9,664 |
| 5 to 9 | 2,354 |
| 10 to 19 | 1,408 |
| 20 to 49 | 844 |
| 50 to 99 | 249 |
| 100 to 249 | 114 |
| 250 to 499 | 32 |
| 500 to 999 | 9 |
| 1,000 or more | 5 |
In broader bands: 13,426 establishments (91.5%) have 1 to 19 employees, 1,093 have 20 to 99 and 160 have 100 or more.
Trades and builders
| Type of work (NAICS) | Establishments | Employees |
|---|---|---|
| Specialty trade contractors (238) | 10,100 | 86,893 |
| Plumbing, heating and air conditioning (238220) | 1,944 | 23,507 |
| Electrical contractors (238210) | 1,459 | 17,594 |
| Site preparation (238910) | 927 | 7,830 |
| Poured concrete (238110) | 716 | 4,256 |
| Roofing (238160) | 499 | 3,753 |
| Building construction (236) | 3,923 | 30,047 |
| Residential remodelers (236118) | 2,142 | 8,173 |
| New single-family general contractors (236115) | 1,001 | 3,539 |
| Commercial and institutional builders (236220) | 509 | 12,482 |
| Industrial building (236210) | 42 | 3,457 |
| Heavy and civil engineering (237) | 656 | 16,219 |
| Power and communication line (237130) | 123 | 5,829 |
| Highway, street and bridge (2373) | 154 | 3,441 |
Nonresidential builders (551 establishments) employ more people than all 3,372 residential builders combined, 15,939 against 14,108. The 42 industrial building contractors average 82 employees, and power and communication line contractors average 47. Those few large firms are where equipment, safety, fleet and staffing purchases concentrate.
What CBP counts: establishments (locations) with paid employees, not companies; a contractor with offices in Green Bay and Madison counts twice. Self-employed people without employees aren't included; employment counts are for the pay period containing March 12, 2023.
Wisconsin's contractor credentials
Wisconsin's contractor credentials are issued by the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS). As the Wisconsin Builders Association summarizes them:
| Credential | Who needs it | Main requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Dwelling contractor | Businesses pulling permits for work on one- and two-family homes | Workers' compensation and unemployment insurance compliance, plus a bond or liability insurance |
| Dwelling contractor qualifier | At least one person at the business | 12 hours of an approved dwelling construction course within a year before applying |
| Dwelling contractor restricted | A restricted version of the business credential | Bond required |
For other work, including commercial building, the association notes that the state doesn't require a contractor license, but local license requirements may still apply. DSPS issues and renews the credentials, so confirm current requirements with it before you rely on them.
What's being permitted
The Census Bureau's Building Permits Survey counted 25,569 new housing units authorized in Wisconsin in 2025, up 7.3% from 23,826 in 2024. Single-family units rose from 12,879 to 13,405 and units in buildings of five or more from 9,326 to 10,536.
How to vet a Wisconsin contractor
- For a house or duplex, confirm the business holds a dwelling contractor credential and has a certified qualifier, since both are needed to pull the permit.
- For commercial or industrial work, ask the municipality what local licensing applies and check the trade credentials of the electrical and plumbing subcontractors.
- Get certificates of insurance, including workers' compensation.
- Ask for references and permit numbers from similar jobs in the last two years.
- Use a written contract with scope, schedule, payment terms and lien waivers at each payment.
Public companies
No SEC-registered listed construction company has its business address in Wisconsin, so the state's contractors can't be ranked by published revenue. Association directories and the employment figures above are the best public guides to the larger firms.
Selling to Wisconsin construction companies
| Size band | Establishments | Who usually decides |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 19 employees | 13,426 | The owner, often the dwelling contractor qualifier |
| 20 to 99 employees | 1,093 | Owner with an operations manager, estimator or controller |
| 100 or more | 160 | Operations, safety, fleet, procurement and preconstruction leaders |
Split the state into territories by metro: Milwaukee-Waukesha and Madison for commercial and institutional work, the Fox Valley (Appleton, Oshkosh-Neenah and Green Bay) for industrial and mechanical contractors, and the rest of the state for residential and site work. For segment-by-segment list building, see how to build a prospect list.
Illustrative example. The company and its assumptions are invented; the counts are from CBP 2023.
Badger Ready-Mix (badgermix.example) supplies concrete. Its targets are poured concrete contractors (716 establishments), site preparation contractors (927) and masonry contractors (399) statewide: 2,042. It covers only southeastern and south-central Wisconsin and assumes 45% of the targets are there, about 919. If 30% buy enough to set up an account, that's 276 accounts; at $85,000 a year each, winning 8% (22 accounts) is $1.87 million in annual sales. The useful research is which of the 276 have large jobs starting this season; Bebop researches each account on a list like this and suggests the opening angle.
Where to find names
| Source | What it gives you |
|---|---|
| Wisconsin Builders Association certification guide | Dwelling contractor credential types and requirements |
| AGC of Wisconsin | Commercial and industrial contractors, with a Find a Contractor tool and member directory |
| ABC of Wisconsin | Merit shop contractors, with a construction users' guide |
| Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association | Highway and transportation contractors, with a member directory |
| Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation | Statewide economic development, sites and key industries |
| Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce | The state chamber of commerce |
Next step: use the construction companies industry guide to build the list.
Sources
- County Business Patterns 2023, US Census Bureau, accessed 30 October 2026
- County Business Patterns methodology, US Census Bureau, accessed 30 October 2026
- Certification: license types, Wisconsin Builders Association, accessed 30 October 2026
- Building Permits Survey, annual state data 2024 and 2025, US Census Bureau, accessed 30 October 2026
- AGC of Wisconsin, Associated General Contractors of Wisconsin, accessed 30 October 2026
Written by the Bebop team at Blackpearl Group. Published .
Questions people ask
How many construction companies are in Wisconsin?
The US Census Bureau counted 14,679 construction establishments with paid employees in Wisconsin in 2023, 20th among the states, employing 133,159 people. Waukesha County had the most (1,374), followed by Dane (1,263) and Milwaukee (1,164). 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 you need a contractor license in Wisconsin?
For permitted work on one- and two-family homes, yes: the Wisconsin Builders Association explains that the business needs a dwelling contractor credential from the Department of Safety and Professional Services and at least one person needs a dwelling contractor qualifier certification. For other work, including commercial building, the state doesn't require a contractor license, but local requirements may apply.
What is a dwelling contractor qualifier in Wisconsin?
It's the individual credential that goes with a business's dwelling contractor certification. According to the Wisconsin Builders Association, at least one person at a business pulling permits for one- or two-family homes must hold it, and applicants must complete at least 12 hours of an approved initial qualifier course in dwelling construction within a year before applying.
Which Wisconsin metro has the most construction companies?
Milwaukee-Waukesha, with 3,262 construction establishments and 33,916 employees in 2023, followed by Madison with 1,668 and 19,816. Green Bay (873) and Appleton (758) come next. The two largest metros together hold only about a third of the state's construction establishments, so most contractors are in smaller metros and rural counties.
What are the largest construction companies in Wisconsin?
No listed construction company has its business address in Wisconsin, so there are no public revenue figures to rank the state's contractors. Census data shows 160 construction establishments with 100 or more employees and 5 with 1,000 or more. Industrial building contractors are the largest by average size, with 42 establishments employing 3,457 people.