NAICS Codes Explained: How to Find Yours and Use It to Find Government Contracts

NAICS stands for North American Industry Classification System. That is a long name for a simple idea: a number that says what kind of work a business does.

Every type of business has a six-digit number. A plumbing company has one number. A landscaping company has a different one. A cleaning company has another. The number tells you what industry the business belongs to.

The federal government uses these numbers to sort businesses. When a government office needs to hire someone for a job, it picks a NAICS code for that job. That way, the right businesses can find the job — and businesses that do totally different work do not waste their time.

Think of it like the aisles in a hardware store. If you need paint, you go to the paint aisle. If you need pipes, you go to the plumbing aisle. NAICS codes work the same way — they help the government and businesses find each other.

Finding your NAICS code takes a few minutes. Here is how to do it:

1. Write down what your company does. Use plain words. For example: "We clean office buildings" or "We fix roofs on houses."
2. Search the official Census Bureau NAICS directory. The Census Bureau keeps a free list of every NAICS code. You can search it using ordinary business words — no special terms needed.
3. Read the descriptions, not just the titles. The title of a code might say "Building Services." But the description tells you exactly what counts. Read it to make sure it fits your business.
4. Pick the codes that match what you really do. Choose the code that best describes your main work. You can pick more than one if your business does several different things.

Yes. Most businesses can have more than one NAICS code.

You pick one primary code for your main type of work. Then you can add additional codes for other things your business does.

Here is an example. Say you run a company that does three things: you clean buildings, you do landscaping, and you plow snow in the winter. Each of those jobs has its own NAICS code. You could list all three. That way, when the government posts a job for any of those, your business shows up as a match.

But adding a code does not mean you are automatically qualified for every job with that code. You still need to be able to do the work and meet the requirements. The codes just help you find the right opportunities.

When a government office posts a job, it assigns a NAICS code to that job. The code tells you what kind of work the job involves.

You can search for government jobs using your NAICS code. If your code matches the code on the job, that job is probably a good fit for your business. You can also search using plain words — like "cleaning" or "roofing" — and the results will include jobs that match.

EZeeSAM lets subscribers search for federal jobs using NAICS codes, industries, and plain-English keywords. When you find a job that interests you, EZeeSAM explains what the government wants in clear, everyday language — so you can decide whether to go after it.

You need a subscription to see the full opportunity listings and the plain-English analysis. But knowing your NAICS code is the first step to finding the right work.

It plays a part — but it is not the whole story.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) has rules for what counts as a "small business." The rules are different for different industries. For some industries, a small business is one with fewer than a certain number of employees. For others, it is one that earns less than a certain amount of money per year.

The SBA ties these rules to NAICS codes. So your NAICS code helps determine which size rule applies to your business. But whether you qualify as a small business depends on the actual rule for your industry and the specific contract you are pursuing.

You can check the current size rules for your industry using the SBA's free tool:

When you register your business on SAM.gov, you list the kinds of work your business does. NAICS codes are part of that. They help the government know what you sell or what services you provide.

SAM.gov registration is free through the federal government. You do not need to pay anyone to register for you.

EZeeSAM includes guided SAM.gov registration help with a paid subscription. We walk you through the steps, explain common mistakes, and send renewal reminders so your registration stays active. You can also learn more on our SAM Registration page.