Utah vs Washington: contractor markets, side by side
Utah has 4,281 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Washington has 70,774 — about 17× fewer licensed contractors. Counts come from the Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) and the Washington Labor & Industries (L&I); market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Utah | Washington | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 4,281 | 70,774 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 13.0 | 84.0 |
| Residents | 3,282,203 | 8,422,710 |
| Households | 1,160,621 | 3,540,228 |
| Median household income | $90,304 | $95,237 |
| Building permits (2025) | 26,775 | 34,913 |
| Top city by licenses | Salt Lake City | Seattle |
Washington is the denser market: 84.0 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 Washington — $95,237 median against $90,304 in Utah — which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Utah | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 251 | — |
| Plumbers | 214 | 539 |
| HVAC Contractors | 440 | 821 |
| General Contractors | 2,708 | 57,282 |
| Roofing Contractors | 142 | 639 |
| Solar Contractors | 24 | — |
| Landscape Contractors | — | 1,739 |
| Pool Contractors | — | 71 |
| Fire-Protection Contractors | — | 117 |
| Carpenters | 584 | 1,371 |
| Concrete Contractors | 362 | 870 |
| Masons | 392 | 364 |
| Drywall Contractors | 457 | 437 |
| Tile Contractors | 392 | 1,209 |
| Excavating Contractors | 236 | 409 |
| Painters | 457 | 2,702 |
| Flooring Contractors | 584 | 2,256 |
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.