# What is NAICS code? Definition and examples · Leadraft

URL: https://leadraft.co/glossary/naics-code
Summary: A NAICS code is a 2- to 6-digit number from the North American Industry Classification System that identifies a business's industry.

Glossary · Lead generation · Last updated October 31, 2026

# NAICS code

A NAICS code is a 2- to 6-digit number from the North American Industry Classification System that identifies a business's industry.

**Also called:** North American Industry Classification System.

NAICS was developed jointly by the US, Canada and Mexico and replaced the older SIC system in the US starting in 1997. Codes run from 2 digits (sector) to 6 digits (national industry). For example, 238220 is Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors, and 621210 is Offices of Dentists. The Census Bureau publishes the current version and revises it every five years.

Government statistics use NAICS, which makes it useful for sizing markets. The Census Bureau's County Business Patterns gives establishment counts by NAICS code and county, so you can estimate how many businesses of a type exist before you build a list.

For list building, NAICS is coarse. 238220 lumps plumbers and HVAC contractors together, and a business's code is assigned for statistical or tax purposes, not chosen to describe what customers search for. Google Maps categories are usually more specific and more current for local businesses.

Use NAICS to size and to match against other datasets; use categories and keywords to find and filter actual businesses.

## Example

A distributor checks County Business Patterns for NAICS 722513 (Limited-Service Restaurants) in its region to size the market, then builds the actual contact list from Google Maps using categories like "Fast food restaurant" and "Sandwich shop."

## Sources

1.  1.[US Census Bureau, North American Industry Classification System](https://www.census.gov/naics/)
2.  2.[US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns](https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp.html)

## Related terms

-   [SIC codeA SIC code is a 4-digit Standard Industrial Classification number for a business's industry, an older US system largely replaced by NAICS.](https://leadraft.co/glossary/sic-code)
-   [FirmographicsFirmographics are descriptive facts about a business, such as industry, location, size and age, used to segment and qualify B2B leads.](https://leadraft.co/glossary/firmographics)
-   [Google Maps categoriesGoogle Maps categories are the fixed labels businesses choose to describe what they do, such as "Plumber" or "Dental clinic," one primary plus extras.](https://leadraft.co/glossary/google-maps-categories)
-   [Total addressable marketTotal addressable market (TAM) is the total number of potential customers for an offer, or the revenue they represent, in the markets you can serve.](https://leadraft.co/glossary/total-addressable-market)

## Further reading

-   [Industry lead lists](https://leadraft.co/leads)
-   [Leadraft for data teams](https://leadraft.co/solutions/data-teams)

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Last built: 2026-11-09