The construction industry is a significant and growing part of the economy of the United States. America is in the midst of a construction boom. With all the new construction, and the repair and maintenance of existing structures, there is a tremendous need for skilled workers in the various construction trades, and that includes plumbers. While construction is certainly a necessary part of our lives, it is also a highly changeable industry, adapting constantly due to the development and introduction of new technology and more efficient products.

If you want to make money in construction, you need to keep on top of the changes and how they apply to your business. The good news is that the construction industry as a whole is dominated by small and middle-sized contractors. This makes the outlook quite promising for anyone wanting to embark on a career as a self-employed plumber or plumbing contractor. The subcontracting system is very prevalent in the United States. It is a network of small individual business entrepreneurs who work for larger firms on a per project basis, and its advantages include division of labor, diversification of responsibility and freedom from the need to buy and store huge quantities of materials in a single warehouse.

Private construction accounts for the lion's share of total construction, over 75%. Half of that is residential, and the other half commercial. The rest is public construction - highways, streets, sewer systems and educational buildings. Experts predict that in the near future, plumbers will comprise over 10% of total construction workers.