Reference
SIC codes explained
A SIC code records the nature of a company's business on the register. Official descriptions appear as published; our reading is labelled separately.
Explainers
15 codes chosen because they raise distinct, recurring questions.
- 62012
Business and domestic software development
Writing software to order, or building and maintaining a software product, for business or consumer use. This is the usual choice for development work where the deliverable is the software itself.
- 62020
Information technology consultancy activities
Advisory technology work: recommending systems, planning migrations, reviewing security or architecture, and guiding delivery. Many IT contractors and consultants use this code.
- 47910
Retail sale via mail order houses or via Internet
Selling goods to customers online or by mail order, where you hold or arrange the stock and there is no shop.
- 70229
Management consultancy activities other than financial management
Broad business advice: operations, strategy, marketing planning, HR, change and project management, where the work is not financial management and not covered by a more specific code.
- 68209
Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate
Letting property the company owns or leases, including residential buy-to-let and commercial letting, where no more specific letting code applies.
- 69202
Bookkeeping activities
Recording and reconciling transactions, running payroll and preparing records for accounts, without carrying out statutory audit work.
- 43210
Electrical installation
Installing electrical systems in buildings and structures, including wiring, lighting, alarms and EV charging points.
- 56101
Licensed restaurants
A restaurant with a licence to sell alcohol, where table service of meals is the main activity.
- 41202
Construction of domestic buildings
Building new homes, or carrying out substantial domestic construction such as extensions.
- 96020
Hairdressing and other beauty treatment
Hairdressing, barbering, beauty and related personal treatments.
- 82990
Other business support service activities n.e.c.
A catch-all for business support work that has no closer code: back-office services, outsourced processes and mixed service offerings.
- 74100
Specialised design activities
Design work as a service: graphic and brand design, product and industrial design, interior design and digital product design.
- 85590
Other education n.e.c.
Teaching and training that is not part of the school, further or higher education system.
- 98000
Residents property management
A company set up by leaseholders or residents to manage their own building or estate, often holding the freehold or a right-to-manage role.
- 99999
Dormant Company
Recorded where a company is dormant. It signals that the company reports no significant accounting transactions, not that it has been closed.
Searchable code list
Open the SIC code finderEvery code below is searchable in the finder. We publish a page only where we have something useful to add, rather than generating an empty page for each code.
Agriculture
- 01110Growing of cereals (except rice), leguminous crops and oil seeds
- 01410Raising of dairy cattle
Manufacturing
- 10710Manufacture of bread; manufacture of fresh pastry goods and cakes
- 11010Distilling, rectifying and blending of spirits
- 11050Manufacture of beer
- 14131Manufacture of men's outerwear
- 16290Manufacture of other products of wood; manufacture of articles of cork, straw and plaiting materials
- 18129Printing (other than printing of newspapers and printing on labels and tags)
- 25620Machining
- 32990Other manufacturing n.e.c.
- 33200Installation of industrial machinery and equipment
Energy
- 35110Production of electricity
Construction
- 41100Development of building projects
- 41201Construction of commercial buildings
- 41202Construction of domestic buildings
- 43210Electrical installation
- 43220Plumbing, heat and air-conditioning installation
- 43310Plastering
- 43320Joinery installation
- 43330Floor and wall covering
- 43341Painting
- 43342Glazing
- 43999Other specialised construction activities n.e.c.
Motor trade
- 45111Sale of new cars and light motor vehicles
- 45200Maintenance and repair of motor vehicles
Wholesale
- 46900Non-specialised wholesale trade
Retail
- 47110Retail sale in non-specialised stores with food, beverages or tobacco predominating
- 47190Other retail sale in non-specialised stores
- 47710Retail sale of clothing in specialised stores
- 47910Retail sale via mail order houses or via Internet
- 47990Other retail sale not in stores, stalls or markets
Transport
- 49320Taxi operation
- 49410Freight transport by road
- 52102Operation of warehousing and storage facilities for land transport activities
Hospitality
- 55100Hotels and similar accommodation
- 55209Other holiday and other collective accommodation
- 56101Licensed restaurants
- 56102Unlicensed restaurants and cafes
- 56103Take-away food shops and mobile food stands
- 56210Event catering activities
- 56302Public houses and bars
Information
- 58110Book publishing
- 58210Publishing of computer games
- 58290Other software publishing
- 59112Video production activities
- 59200Sound recording and music publishing activities
- 62011Ready-made interactive leisure and entertainment software development
- 62012Business and domestic software development
- 62020Information technology consultancy activities
- 62030Computer facilities management activities
- 62090Other information technology service activities
- 63110Data processing, hosting and related activities
- 63120Web portals
- 63990Other information service activities n.e.c.
Finance
- 64209Activities of other holding companies n.e.c.
- 64301Activities of investment trusts
- 64999Financial intermediation not elsewhere classified
- 66190Activities auxiliary to financial intermediation n.e.c.
- 66220Activities of insurance agents and brokers
Property
- 68100Buying and selling of own real estate
- 68209Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate
- 68310Real estate agencies
- 68320Management of real estate on a fee or contract basis
- 98000Residents property management
Professional
- 69102Solicitors
- 69109Activities of patent and copyright agents; other legal activities (other than those of solicitors, barristers and patent and copyright agents) n.e.c.
- 69201Accounting and auditing activities
- 69202Bookkeeping activities
- 69203Tax consultancy
- 70100Activities of head offices
- 70210Public relations and communications activities
- 70221Financial management
- 70229Management consultancy activities other than financial management
- 71111Architectural activities
- 71129Other engineering activities
- 71200Technical testing and analysis
- 72190Other research and experimental development on natural sciences and engineering
- 74901Environmental consulting activities
- 74902Quantity surveying activities
- 74909Other professional, scientific and technical activities n.e.c.
Marketing
- 73110Advertising agencies
- 73120Media representation services
- 73200Market research and public opinion polling
Creative
- 74100Specialised design activities
- 74201Portrait photographic activities
- 74209Photographic activities not elsewhere classified
- 74300Translation and interpretation activities
- 90010Performing arts
Rental
- 77110Renting and leasing of cars and light motor vehicles
Employment
- 78109Other activities of employment placement agencies
- 78200Temporary employment agency activities
Travel
- 79110Travel agency activities
Facilities
- 81210General cleaning of buildings
- 81222Specialised cleaning services
- 81300Landscape service activities
Business support
- 82110Combined office administrative service activities
- 82990Other business support service activities n.e.c.
Education
- 85590Other education n.e.c.
- 85600Educational support services
Health
- 86210General medical practice activities
- 86230Dental practice activities
- 86900Other human health activities
Care
- 87900Other residential care activities
- 88100Social work activities without accommodation for the elderly and disabled
- 88910Child day-care activities
Sport
- 93110Operation of sports facilities
- 93120Activities of sport clubs
- 93130Fitness facilities
Personal services
- 96020Hairdressing and other beauty treatment
- 96090Other service activities n.e.c.
Other
- 99999Dormant Company
Source and dataset date
Descriptions come from the Companies House condensed SIC code list (SIC 2007), published at resources.companieshouse.gov.uk/sic. This subset was transcribed and checked by our editor on 2026-09-17. Where a company records a code that is not in our subset, we show the code and say that we do not hold a description for it.
What a SIC code does not tell you
It does not describe a company's current products, its size or its performance. A broad code such as "other business support service activities" is legitimate but tells a reader very little. Never read a SIC code as a statement of what a company sells today.