Trades Marketing in St. Louis
St. Louis keeps tradespeople busy. Most of the city's housing went up before 1940, the inner suburbs are full of 1950s and 1960s houses on their second or third round of mechanicals, and the weather swings from 90-degree afternoons to freezing nights. For heating, plumbing, electrical, roofing and remodeling firms around the region, our job is converting that steady demand into scheduled, profitable jobs.
Contractor counts and housing
Contractors by county
Census business counts for 2023 show 58 plumbing and HVAC contractors in the city, 265 in St. Louis County and 105 in St. Charles County, with electrical contractors at 32, 167 and 81. Roofers numbered 24, 90 and 40. Most are small shops: 50 of St. Louis County's 90 roofing firms had fewer than five employees, so the owner is usually the one answering the phone.
Licenses depend on location
Missouri leaves most contractor licensing to local governments; its statewide license, issued through the Office of Statewide Electrical Contractors, covers electrical contracting. St. Louis County issues mechanical, electrical and plumbing permits only to contractors holding active County licenses, while the City of St. Louis requires every contractor and subcontractor to carry a graduated contractor business license. Your marketing should show which ones you hold.
Three eras of housing
Median construction years from the 2020 to 2024 Census survey tell the story: 1939 or earlier for the city, 1969 for St. Louis County and 1994 for St. Charles County. That points to old wiring and boiler work in the city, furnace and panel replacements in the inner suburbs, and first-time roof and HVAC replacements in the newer western subdivisions.
What wins trade jobs
Picking up the first call
A homeowner with no heat or a dripping ceiling calls two or three companies. Whoever answers, or texts back within minutes, usually gets in the door.
Visible local credentials
Showing your St. Louis County license numbers, city business license and proof of insurance on the site reassures homeowners comparing bids from several contractors at once.
Work between the peaks
Service agreements, safety inspections and off-season promotions keep crews productive once the heat waves and storm rushes have passed, which smooths payroll through the slower months.
Marketing for local contractors
Areas we serve
Campaigns for contractors can reach homes and businesses in:
- Downtown St. Louis
- Clayton
- Central West End
- Soulard
- The Hill
- Kirkwood
- Webster Groves
- Chesterfield
- St. Charles
- University City
Questions and answers
Usually not from the state. Missouri's one statewide contractor license is for electrical contractors, while cities and counties handle most other licensing. St. Louis County licenses mechanical, electrical and plumbing contractors, and the City of St. Louis requires a contractor business license, so the answer depends on where each job sits.
HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, siding, remodeling, general contracting and home building. Each trade gets campaigns built around its own seasons and search terms, because a no-heat call in January and a kitchen remodel inquiry in April follow completely different paths.
Storm pages, ads and customer messages are prepared before spring, then switched on for the affected ZIP codes when hail or high wind hits. The National Weather Service's St. Louis climatology says the region usually sees a few severe thunderstorms every year, with large hail and damaging winds.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 County Business Patterns: St. Louis city, St. Louis County and St. Charles County, MO (all sectors, manufacturing, trades, dental, therapy, salons)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 County Business Patterns: St. Louis area counties (aerospace, home builders, electricians, siding, physician offices)
- Missouri Division of Professional Registration: Office of Statewide Electrical Contractors
- Missouri Revisor of Statutes: RSMo 287.061, city and county licenses for construction contractors
- St. Louis County Department of Transportation and Public Works: mechanical, electrical and plumbing permit guide
- City of St. Louis License Collector: Contractor business license application
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024, Table B25034: year structure built, St. Louis area
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024, Table B25035: median year structure built, St. Louis area
- National Weather Service St. Louis: monthly climate report, July 2026
- National Weather Service St. Louis: The climatology of the St. Louis area
Checked 2026-10-31.