NAICS 115112 Quarterly Industry Report
Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating
Comprehensive industry research for valuation professionals, business owners, buyers, and lenders
NAICS Code: 115112Sector: Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting (11)Updated: Q1 2026
About This Report
This Fair Market Value industry report for NAICS 115112 provides valuation-focused intelligence for professionals assessing custom soil preparation, planting, and cultivating service businesses. Additional data is drawn from Bureau of Labor Statistics[8], U.S. Census Bureau[9].. Data is sourced from USDA NASS[6] custom farm service rate surveys, USDA ERS[7] farm input cost analysis, and SBA size standards[10] to support business appraisals, acquisition due diligence, lending decisions, and investment analysis for custom farming service enterprises.
Industry Snapshot
Key metrics for the soil preparation, planting, and cultivating industry.
Industry Definition & Overview
Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating (NAICS 115112) encompasses establishments primarily engaged in performing soil preparation activities and crop production services such as plowing, fertilizing, seed bed preparation, planting, cultivating, and crop protecting services on a contract or fee basis. These custom farming service providers operate specialized equipment fleets and serve crop farmers who need supplemental field capacity during peak seasons or lack the equipment for specific tillage and planting operations. The U.S. Census Bureau[5] classifies these support services separately from the farming operations themselves, recognizing the specialized contract service business model.
Custom soil preparation and planting services have expanded as farm operations grow larger and seek to improve equipment investment by outsourcing specific field tasks to specialized service providers. The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service[6] tracks custom farm service rates and use across major crop production regions. Precision agriculture technologies including GPS-guided auto-steer systems, variable-rate planting and fertilizer application, and soil mapping services have increased the technical sophistication and capital requirements for competitive service providers in this sector.
Business valuations for soil preparation and planting operations focus on equipment fleet composition, age, and condition, customer contract portfolios and geographic service territories, operator skill levels in precision agriculture technology, and seasonal revenue patterns tied to spring planting and fall tillage windows. Appraisers evaluate equipment replacement cost, maintenance records, and remaining useful life alongside customer concentration risk, competitive positioning in local service markets, and the transferability of grower relationships to new ownership. The USDA Economic Research Service[7] custom rate survey data and regional farm input cost benchmarks inform profitability analysis for custom farming service enterprises.
What's Included in This Industry
- Sector-specific valuation multiples and financial benchmarks for custom soil preparation and planting service operations
- Revenue and profitability analysis across tillage, planting, fertilizer application, and crop protection service segments
- SBA size standard classification and lending threshold data for NAICS 115112
- Comparable transaction data from recent custom farming service business sales, equipment fleet transfers, and customer list acquisitions
- Regional market analysis covering custom service rates, equipment use, and demand across major crop production areas
- Workforce and labor cost benchmarking for equipment operators, precision agriculture technicians, and seasonal field crew members
- Industry risk assessment including weather delays, equipment breakdown, customer concentration, and crop price impacts on service demand
- Regulatory compliance overview covering pesticide applicator licensing, fertilizer handling permits, and farm equipment road transport rules
- Capital expenditure profiles for tractors, tillage implements, planters, sprayers, and precision agriculture guidance systems
- Production metrics including acres per hour, seasonal use rates, custom service rates per acre, and equipment cost per acre benchmarks
NAICS Classification Hierarchy
| Level | Description | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Sector | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 11 |
| Subsector | Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry | 115 |
| Industry Group | Support Activities for Crop Production | 1151 |
| NAICS Industry | Support Activities for Crop Production | 11511 |
| National Industry | Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating | 115112 |
Related NAICS Codes
| Code | Description | Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| 115113 | Crop Harvesting, Primarily by Machine | Crop harvesting service providers that share seasonal custom farming service models, equipment fleets, and farm operator client relationships with planting services |
| 115114 | Postharvest Crop Activities (except Cotton Ginning) | Postharvest crop activities including grain drying and storage services that complement soil preparation and planting services in full-season custom farming packages |
| 423820 | Farm and Garden Machinery and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers | Farm and garden machinery merchant wholesalers supplying tractors, tillage equipment, planters, and precision agriculture systems to custom farming service providers |
| 115116 | Farm Management Services | Farm management service providers that coordinate custom farming activities including soil preparation and planting scheduling for absentee farmland owners |
| 325320 | Pesticide and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing | Pesticide and agricultural chemical manufacturers supplying herbicides, fungicides, and crop protection products applied by custom farming service operators |
| 111110 | Soybean Farming | Soybean farming operations that contract with custom service providers for soil preparation, planting, and crop protection application during peak seasonal periods |
Geographic Concentration
Top states by share of national establishments.
| # | State | % Est. | Total Est. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 14.8% | 324 |
| 2 | Texas | 7.1% | 155 |
| 3 | Iowa | 6.4% | 140 |
| 4 | Arkansas | 5.3% | 117 |
| 5 | Minnesota | 4.7% | 103 |
| 6 | Florida | 4.1% | 89 |
| 7 | Nebraska | 3.8% | 83 |
| 8 | Kansas | 3.5% | 77 |
| 9 | Washington | 3.3% | 73 |
| 10 | Mississippi | 3.1% | 68 |
% Of Establishments
0%
15%
Source: County Business Patterns, U.S. Census Bureau[3]
SBA Lending Summary
176
Total SBA Loans
$80.3M
Total Loan Volume
$456K
Average Loan Size
9 yrs
Average Loan Term
9.46%
Average Interest Rate
664
Jobs Supported
Source: SBA 7(a) Program Data, U.S. Small Business Administration — FY 2025[4]
Key Insight: The SBA[11] classifies Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating (NAICS 115112) with a size standard of $10.0 million in average annual receipts. Most custom farming service providers are small operations that qualify for SBA-backed lending[12], equipment financing programs, and USDA agricultural support available through the Farm Service Agency[13]. Eligible businesses can access SBA 7(a) loans[14] for working capital, equipment, and acquisition financing, while 504 loans[15] support major fixed-asset purchases including real estate and heavy machinery.
Top SBA Lenders
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Avg Loan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The First National Bank of Carmi | 8 | $28.0M | $3.5M |
| 2 | American Bank and Trust | 16 | $24.8M | $1.6M |
| 3 | RiverBank | 16 | $4.0M | $250K |
| 4 | Southern Bancorp Bank | 16 | $3.6M | $226K |
| 5 | Dogwood State Bank | 8 | $3.4M | $427K |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this industry.
What is the NAICS code for custom soil preparation and planting?
Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating is classified under NAICS code 115112, covering establishments performing these services on a contract or fee basis per the U.S. Census Bureau[5] industry classification system.
What is the SBA size standard for soil preparation services?
The SBA[11] sets the size standard for NAICS 115112 at $10.0 million in average annual receipts, qualifying eligible custom farming service providers for small business lending and equipment financing programs.
What services do NAICS 115112 businesses provide?
Services include plowing, disking, chisel plowing, seed bed preparation, planting, cultivating, fertilizer application, and crop protection spraying on a custom or contract basis per USDA NASS[6] custom rate survey definitions.
How are custom farming service businesses valued?
Valuations focus on equipment fleet age and condition, customer contract portfolios, geographic service territory, precision agriculture capabilities, and seasonal revenue patterns per USDA ERS[7] custom farm service rate and cost data.
What drives demand for custom soil preparation services?
Growing farm sizes, equipment cost escalation, precision agriculture technology adoption, and the need for specialized field capacity during narrow planting windows drive demand per USDA NASS[6] farm structure and custom rate survey data.
What equipment is used in custom farming services?
Operations use high-horsepower tractors, large-frame tillage implements, multi-row planters with precision placement, GPS auto-steer guidance, variable-rate application controllers, and self-propelled sprayers for crop protection services.
What risks affect custom farming service operations?
Major risks include weather-driven seasonal delays compressing work windows, equipment breakdown during peak demand, customer concentration among a few large farm operations, crop price declines reducing farmer willingness to pay for services, and capital equipment depreciation.
How has precision agriculture changed custom farming?
GPS guidance, variable-rate technology, and soil mapping have increased capital requirements and technical expertise needed to compete, creating barriers to entry that benefit established operators with trained staff and modern equipment investments per USDA ERS[7] technology adoption data.
Sources & References
Government datasets and editorial sources used in this report.
- [1]U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages bls.gov
- [2]U.S. Census Bureau, Economic Census census.gov
- [3]U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns census.gov
- [4]U.S. Small Business Administration, SBA 7(a) Loan Program Data data.sba.gov
- [5]U.S. Census Bureau census.gov
- [6]USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service nass.usda.gov
- [7]USDA Economic Research Service ers.usda.gov
- [8]Bureau of Labor Statistics bls.gov
- [9]U.S. Census Bureau census.gov
- [10]SBA size standards sba.gov
- [11]SBA sba.gov
- [12]SBA-backed lending sba.gov
- [13]Farm Service Agency fsa.usda.gov
- [14]SBA 7(a) loans sba.gov
- [15]504 loans sba.gov
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