You’ve spent the last few years honing your skills and learning the ropes of the construction industry. Now, you’re ready to strike out on your own.
Before launching your construction business, there’s a lot to do — from choosing what services to offer to opening a business bank account and credit card to separate your business and personal finances.
With so much to manage, it’s important that you don’t overlook one very important detail of your business — your construction company's name.
The name you choose should reflect your business’s brand and make it easy for customers to understand what you do.
Check out our tips for coming up with construction company name ideas that are right for your business.
Choose a construction company name that reflects what you do
Don't try to be clever or cute. Apple might have worked for Steve Jobs, but you're not selling fruit. Good construction company names make it clear what you do, and if possible, who you serve.
For example, let's say you work with homeowners to install new roofs and repair existing ones. Here are three examples of company names you might consider and the pros and cons of each.
Jim’s Roofing Company
This name makes it clear what services you provide, and it also lets potential customers know who the owner is, creating a personal touch. It’s short, to the point and easy to remember, but it doesn’t tell people what types of clients you serve.
Jim's Residential Roofing Company
This option improves on the first name by letting homeowners know that Jim can help them if they need to patch a leak or replace their existing roof.
It also tells business owners they don’t need to waste their time contacting Jim because he offers residential, not commercial, roofing services.
Dallas Residential Roofing Repairs and Installation
This final example is a bit of a mouthful, but it includes everything you need to know about the company — services provided, customers served and area of operation.
If you can get all of these details in your construction company’s name without making it too long, this is the way to go. If including all this information would make your company’s name too long, stick with something shorter and consider adding a tagline to provide more details.
For example, your business’s name could be Jim’s Residential Roofing Company, and your tagline could be “serving Dallas and surrounding areas.”
Keep it short and simple
No one should need a degree in linguistics to decipher your company’s name. It should be short, easy to say and simple to remember. Keeping it short and catchy increases the likelihood people will remember it.
Make your construction company's name unique
You'll need to do a little homework before finalizing your construction company’s name to make sure it’s unique. There are a couple of reasons for this.
First, you want to choose a name that isn’t too similar to other businesses serving the same market. You don't want prospective clients inadvertently stumbling across the competition when they Google your company's name after seeing it on the side of your truck.
Second, you don't want anyone to confuse you with a business that has a similar-sounding name and a bad reputation.
You can help avoid both of these scenarios by doing a Google search or checking your state's Secretary of State database for a list of businesses in your area.
Don't choose the first name that comes to mind
Selecting a construction company name is a big deal, and it's worth investing some time to get it right. You don’t necessarily want to go with the first thing that pops into your head.
Take some time to brainstorm. Generate a list of keywords related to your services, such as construction, concrete, roofing, remodeling, residential, commercial, builders, home, etc.
Play with different combinations of words until you come up with something that sounds good. Consider different combinations that include your name or the geographic area you serve.
Write down all possible ideas. Don't self-edit while you're brainstorming. Once you've run out of possibilities, narrow your list down to your top three to five choices.
Research those names to make sure no one else has already taken them before making your final decision.
Check your domain name
You're planning to have a website, right? Before deciding on a business name, check to see if the domain names of your top contenders are available to buy.
For example, if you decide to name your company Smith Home Remodeling, check if “www.smithhomeremodeling.com” or a similar domain is available before finalizing your construction company name.
While your domain name doesn't have to be an exact match to your company name, it makes life easier for potential clients who are looking for more information about your company on the internet.
Ask for help
You know that opinionated friend or family member who always insists on telling you what they think even though you didn't ask or want to know? This may be one time you want to ask them or others you trust what they think about potential business names.
See what they think about your top choices and ask if they have other suggestions. They may have some ideas you hadn't thought of.
Getting an outside opinion can help spark new ideas or provide insight you hadn't thought of that may have you rethinking your construction company's name or provide confirmation that you chose wisely.
Your company’s name isn’t something you typically change, so you want to make sure you get it right the first time.
How NEXT helps construction companies
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It only takes about 10 minutes to complete our online application, see coverage options, get a quote and purchase a policy. As soon as your purchase is complete, you'll get access to your live certificate of coverage.
Get started with a free online quote today.
