Nevada vs Utah: contractor markets, side by side
Nevada has 15,178 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Utah has 4,281 — about 4× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the Nevada State Contractors Board (NSCB) and the Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL); market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Nevada | Utah | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 15,178 | 4,281 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 40.4 | 13.0 |
| Residents | 3,752,362 | 3,282,203 |
| Households | 1,578,064 | 1,160,621 |
| Median household income | $71,790 | $90,304 |
| Building permits (2025) | 18,628 | 26,775 |
| Top city by licenses | Las Vegas | Salt Lake City |
Nevada is the denser market: 40.4 active licenses per 10k residents against 13.0 in Utah. Density cuts both ways — more contractors to sell to per square mile, and more competition per job for the contractors themselves.
Household income runs higher in Utah — $90,304 median against $71,790 in Nevada — which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Nevada | Utah |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 2,207 | 251 |
| Plumbers | 1,019 | 214 |
| HVAC Contractors | 1,217 | 440 |
| General Contractors | 4,047 | 2,708 |
| Roofing Contractors | 420 | 142 |
| Solar Contractors | 24 | 24 |
| Landscape Contractors | 742 | — |
| Pool Contractors | 214 | — |
| Fire-Protection Contractors | 142 | — |
| Carpenters | 1,482 | 584 |
| Concrete Contractors | 730 | 362 |
| Masons | 376 | 392 |
| Drywall Contractors | 327 | 457 |
| Tile Contractors | 407 | 392 |
| Excavating Contractors | 368 | 236 |
| Painters | 985 | 457 |
| Flooring Contractors | 678 | 584 |
Counts are active licenses only, from each state's license board. A “—” means that board doesn't issue a statewide license for the trade, not that the trade doesn't exist there.