Commercial building market
Portland, ME holds about 4,495 serviceable commercial buildings. That is about 13.0 buildings for every competing plumbing and HVAC location.
Fewer captured buildings per location, above-median employment change
Local plumbing and HVAC employment had a published-count difference of +28.5%, above the metro comparison median (boundary changes can affect this), but this metro has fewer captured buildings per contractor location than typical.
Plotted metro medians: 26.7 captured buildings per location and 17.2% employment change (2018-2023). Small differences around a median do not establish materially different markets.
This comparison uses captured structure coverage, which is uneven by metro and building type. A sparse category can indicate a classification or coverage gap, not few actual customers. Validate the local address population before interpreting the ratio or this quadrant as market opportunity. Interpretation reviewed October 7, 2026; source observation dates are unchanged.
We count about 4,495 commercial buildings over 4,000 square feet. This building stock is relevant to HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, and fire protection.
We count individual buildings, rather than land parcels. The records do not cover every building in every area. The property calculator uses a separate method for each trade, explains which work is included, and lets you change the assumptions.
Serviceable buildings
4,495
commercial structures over 4,000 sqft
Largest building segment
1,902
multifamily
Plumbing and HVAC context
13.0
buildings per NAICS 238220 location, not an all-trade rival count
| Building type | Buildings | Share of counted stock |
|---|---|---|
| Multifamily | 1,902 | 42.3% |
| Office | 762 | 17.0% |
| Education | 663 | 14.7% |
| Government | 621 | 13.8% |
| Worship | 228 | 5.1% |
| Hospitality | 182 | 4.0% |
| Healthcare | 122 | 2.7% |
| Industrial / manufacturingFew buildings appear in these records. Check local coverage before assuming there are few customers. | 8 | 0.2% |
| Warehouse / distributionFew buildings appear in these records. Check local coverage before assuming there are few customers. | 7 | 0.2% |
Buildings are counted per structure inside Portland, ME, from FEMA/ORNL USA Structures, filtered to commercial occupancies over 4,000 square feet and excluding structures under 3.2 meters tall. Coverage varies by place, so these records do not count every building. USA Structures source catalog. We flag categories with fewer than 25 recorded buildings or less than 0.5% of the counted total. The flag asks you to check coverage; it does not tell us how many buildings are missing.
Competitor counts and employment are Census County Business Patterns for NAICS 238220, plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors. These counts describe plumbing and HVAC businesses only. They do not count roofing, electrical or fire-protection competitors. Census CBP methodology. Source observations remain available in the full geographic dataset.
Property opportunity by trade
Compare example revenue across 15 trades in Portland, ME. For yearly services, we also show what the included buildings could represent together. For one-time projects, we show a per-property amount unless we know how often the work happens.
HVAC / mechanical
$26,232
per example property, per year
about $6,322 example gross profit at 24.1%
This assumes the margin shown. You can change it and see the source in the calculator.
$117.9M a year if every included property or location bought this service
Based on 4,495 buildings in the records used for this trade.
Edit the assumptions →Electrical
Total annual account revenue
$19,045
per example property, per year
about $4,856 example gross profit at 25.5%
This assumes the margin shown. You can change it and see the source in the calculator.
$85.6M a year if every included property or location bought this service
Based on 4,495 buildings in the records used for this trade.
Edit the assumptions →Plumbing
Typical permitted plumbing upgrade, when it occurs
$13,723
per example property, if the project goes ahead
about $3,033 example gross profit at 22.1%
This assumes the margin shown. You can change it and see the source in the calculator.
No area-wide total: we do not know how often these projects happen.
Edit the assumptions →Roofing
Public-award scope reference
$19,855
per example property, if the project goes ahead
about $7,525 example gross profit at 37.9%
This assumes the margin shown. You can change it and see the source in the calculator.
No area-wide total: we do not know how often these projects happen.
Edit the assumptions →Elevator service
Modeled annual revenue per service location; equipment units are a separate input
$9,995
per estimated service location, per year
about $3,028 example gross profit at 30.3%
This assumes the margin shown. You can change it and see the source in the calculator.
$4.1M a year if every included property or location bought this service
Based on 2,585 buildings in the records used for this trade; about 409 estimated service locations and 1,071 estimated equipment units.
Edit the assumptions →Commercial refrigeration
Modeled annual revenue per service location; equipment units are a separate input
$1,491
per estimated service location, per year
about $565 example gross profit at 37.9%
This assumes the margin shown. You can change it and see the source in the calculator.
$3.2M a year if every included property or location bought this service
Based on 2,585 buildings in the records used for this trade; plus 1,624 Census food establishments; about 2,138 estimated service locations and 11,304 estimated equipment units.
Edit the assumptions →Fire protection
Sprinkler inspection floor only
$658
per example property, per year
about $207 example gross profit at 31.4%
This assumes the margin shown. You can change it and see the source in the calculator.
$3M a year if every included property or location bought this service
Based on 4,495 buildings in the records used for this trade.
Edit the assumptions →Cleaning / janitorial
Modeled annual cleaning revenue per standard property, calculated from cleanable square footage
$41,500
per example property, per year
about $5,105 example gross profit at 12.3%
This assumes the margin shown. You can change it and see the source in the calculator.
$186.5M a year if every included property or location bought this service
Based on 4,495 buildings in the records used for this trade.
Edit the assumptions →Landscaping / grounds
Modeled annual landscaping revenue per standard property, calculated from maintained acreage
$1,174
per example property, per year
about $274 example gross profit at 23.3%
This assumes the margin shown. You can change it and see the source in the calculator.
$5.3M a year if every included property or location bought this service
Based on 4,495 buildings in the records used for this trade.
Edit the assumptions →Pest control
Routine recurring general IPM comparison
$291
per example property, per year
about $153 example gross profit at 52.7%
This assumes the margin shown. You can change it and see the source in the calculator.
$1.3M a year if every included property or location bought this service
Based on 4,495 buildings in the records used for this trade.
Edit the assumptions →Solar service
Commercial solar installation project, when it occurs
$71,635
per example property, if the project goes ahead
about $27,436 example gross profit at 38.3%
This assumes the margin shown. You can change it and see the source in the calculator.
No area-wide total: we do not know how often these projects happen.
Edit the assumptions →Controls / building automation
Planned BAS labor only
$3,360
per example property, per year
about $1,273 example gross profit at 37.9%
This assumes the margin shown. You can change it and see the source in the calculator.
$15.1M a year if every included property or location bought this service
Based on 4,495 buildings in the records used for this trade.
Edit the assumptions →General contracting
Interior-renovation contract, when this scope exists
$2,303,000
per example property, if the project goes ahead
about $320,117 example gross profit at 13.9%
This assumes the margin shown. You can change it and see the source in the calculator.
No area-wide total: we do not know how often these projects happen.
Edit the assumptions →Restoration
Restoration project reference, when work occurs
$35,358
per example property, if the project goes ahead
about $11,951 example gross profit at 33.8%
This assumes the margin shown. You can change it and see the source in the calculator.
No area-wide total: we do not know how often these projects happen.
Edit the assumptions →Commercial doors / docks
Scheduled maintenance for an example property with 8 covered doors or gates
$1,130
per example property, per year
about $428 example gross profit at 37.9%
This assumes the margin shown. You can change it and see the source in the calculator.
$5.1M a year if every included property or location bought this service, with 8 covered doors or gates per property
Based on 4,495 buildings in the records used for this trade.
Edit the assumptions →These examples help with planning. They are not quotes or sales forecasts. The area-wide total assumes every included building buys the selected service, including any multifamily buildings in the count. It is not a realistic sales target. Do not add it to the separate market-demand estimate elsewhere on the page; they use different groups and methods. Check which addresses are covered and how many customers you could actually reach, then change the calculator inputs. We use the same price assumptions across regions, but the mix of building types changes the average. When project timing is unknown, the download leaves the area-wide total blank (null), rather than showing zero.
Buildings per competing location against the difference between published 2018 and 2023 plumbing and HVAC employment counts; metro boundary changes can affect this. Portland, ME is outlined.
Vertical axis: Plumbing/HVAC employment growth, 2018 to 2023
Top right: more buildings per rival, with faster local trade employment growth.
Top left: fewer buildings per rival, with faster local trade employment growth.
Bottom right: more buildings per rival, with slower local trade employment growth.
Bottom left: fewer buildings per rival, with slower local trade employment growth.
Quadrant lines are the medians of the places plotted, not fixed thresholds, so a position means "compared with everywhere else measured here" rather than passing some absolute bar. The y-axis is CBSA-level plumbing and HVAC contractor employment from Census County Business Patterns, measured directly for 2018 and 2023.
Closest to Portland, ME by serviceable building count, which makes them the fairest comparison for a contractor weighing an expansion.
Baton Rouge, LA
4,428 serviceable buildings
15.7 buildings per rival location
Provo, UT
4,230 serviceable buildings
16.6 buildings per rival location
New Haven, CT
4,124 serviceable buildings
21.0 buildings per rival location
Asheville, NC
5,146 serviceable buildings
25.1 buildings per rival location
Wilmington, NC
5,191 serviceable buildings
22.4 buildings per rival location
Atlantic City, NJ
3,707 serviceable buildings
19.7 buildings per rival location
How many serviceable commercial buildings are in Portland, ME?
About 4,495 in the Portland-South Portland, ME Metro Area: structures with a commercial occupancy, over 4,000 square feet, and meeting the building-height filter described in the methodology. That count is a floor rather than a census, because national structure coverage is uneven by metro.
How many competitors are there in Portland, ME?
347 plumbing and HVAC contractor locations (US Census County Business Patterns, NAICS 238220, 2023), which works out to about 13.0 serviceable buildings per location. Read that as an average over a very uneven field: most locations in a typical metro have fewer than five employees and are not competing for a portfolio of commercial service contracts.
Is the mechanical trade workforce growing in Portland, ME?
Published Census CBP plumbing and HVAC employment counts (NAICS 238220) were 28.5% higher in 2023 than 2018. Metro boundary changes can affect this difference; confirm the same county composition before interpreting it as economic growth or decline. These counts measure trade employment, not construction demand.
Does a building in Portland, ME bill more than the same building elsewhere?
This model applies no regional price multiplier. That is a modeling choice, not proof that local prices or revenue per building are identical. Local dollar scenarios vary with the number and mix of building types. State labor-rate references describe a different quantity and cannot be substituted for annual revenue per building. Use a verified local scope and price when evaluating a particular customer.
This page covers the Portland-South Portland, ME Metro Area, Census CBSA 38860, 5,391 square kilometres of land area. Buildings are counted per structure inside that boundary polygon rather than by any address field, because the national structure dataset leaves its ZIP, state and city fields empty across whole regions: keying on them reports near-zero for real places.
Building counts: FEMA/ORNL USA Structures (CC BY 4.0). Competitor counts and employment: US Census County Business Patterns, NAICS 238220, 2023 with 2018 as the trend baseline and the same industry vintage across both. Construction growth: US Bureau of Economic Analysis state GDP by industry, NAICS 23. Population, education and income: American Community Survey 5-year. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Building counts are useful across trades. The competitor and employment figures on this page are limited to NAICS 238220, plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors, and should not be read as electrical, roofing, or fire-protection density.
Machine-readable, free to cite with attribution under CC BY 4.0: geo-building-stock.json, version 1.0.2.
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