U.S. construction contractor market segmentation 2017

Of the total revenue generated by design firms in 2017, the largest shares were held by firms operating in the building and transportation markets. The two markets held a joint share of around 50 percent of the total revenue, highlighting the importance of design services in the process of building, maintaining, and modernizing infrastructure.

Why are these sectors so important?

Accessible public sector buildings and safe transport links are vital for the day-to-day running of all towns and cities. Frequent improvements to infrastructure must be made to ensure the most efficient operation of society, but this can result in huge bills being paid at local and national levels – costs are projected to reach over one billion U.S. dollars for many infrastructure projects in the United States in 2019. Major transportation projects, for example, must be designed not only to meet current needs, but to also anticipate long-term demands. Challenging projects requiring changes to roads, railroads, or airports need experienced design teams to create innovative solutions. One of the largest design firms in the United States based on revenue was the firm, Jacobs, in 2017 with a revenue of around 9.7 million U.S. dollars.

What are contractors responsible for?

Construction contractors are in charge of the day-to-day coordination of a project, but they only join the process after the client and design team – including architects and engineers – have finalized proposals. With plans in place, different contractors are often approached by the client to discuss each stage of the project and costs can be calculated. All tasks on a construction site, no matter how big or small, need to be carried out by a specialist. Many big construction companies will have their own specialized departments; if not, then subcontractors can join the project to work on a range of jobs including painting, plumbing, and electrical installation. A shortage of subcontractors was ranked highly among the top challenges facing construction contractors in 2018 .