NAICS 115113 Quarterly Industry Report
Crop Harvesting, Primarily by Machine
Comprehensive industry research for valuation professionals, business owners, buyers, and lenders
NAICS Code: 115113Sector: Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting (11)Updated: Q1 2026
About This Report
This Fair Market Value industry report for NAICS 115113 provides valuation-focused intelligence for professionals assessing custom crop harvesting and combining businesses. Additional data is drawn from Bureau of Labor Statistics[7], U.S. Census Bureau[8].. Data is sourced from USDA NASS[5] custom harvesting rate surveys, USDA ERS[6] harvest cost analysis, and SBA size standards[9] to support business appraisals, acquisition due diligence, lending decisions, and investment analysis for custom harvesting enterprises.
Industry Snapshot
Key metrics for the crop harvesting, primarily by machine industry.
Industry Definition & Overview
Crop Harvesting, Primarily by Machine (NAICS 115113) encompasses establishments primarily engaged in mechanical harvesting of crops, including custom combining of grain, oilseed, and specialty crops using combine harvesters and other mechanized harvesting equipment operated on a contract or fee basis. Custom harvest operations travel regional circuits following crop maturity patterns from south to north across the Great Plains, Midwest, and other major grain producing regions. The U.S. Census Bureau[4] distinguishes machine harvesting services from hand harvesting labor activities, recognizing the capital-intensive equipment-based business model that defines this industry.
Custom combining operations play a vital role in U.S. grain production by providing harvest capacity to farmers who lack sufficient equipment for timely crop removal during narrow harvest windows when weather risk is highest. The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service[5] tracks custom harvesting rates and crop production timelines that define seasonal demand patterns. Industry wheat harvest circuit, running from Texas through Oklahoma, Kansas, and into the Northern Plains from May through September, represents the most iconic custom harvesting model, though custom corn, soybean, and specialty crop harvesting services also operate regionally.
Business valuations for custom harvesting operations focus on combine harvester fleet composition, age, hours, and condition, support equipment including grain carts, header trailers, and service trucks, established customer relationships along harvest circuit routes, and experienced operator workforces. Appraisers evaluate equipment replacement cost and depreciation alongside operating metrics including acres per day, bushels per hour, fuel cost per acre, and seasonal use rates. The USDA Economic Research Service[6] custom rate surveys and regional harvest cost data inform income projection models for custom harvesting enterprise valuations.
What's Included in This Industry
- Sector-specific valuation multiples and financial benchmarks for custom crop harvesting and combining operations
- Revenue and profitability analysis across wheat, corn, soybean, grain sorghum, and specialty crop harvesting segments
- SBA size standard classification and lending threshold data for NAICS 115113
- Comparable transaction data from recent custom harvesting business sales, combine fleet transfers, and route contract assignments
- Regional market analysis covering Great Plains wheat circuit, Midwest corn and soybean, and specialty crop harvest markets
- Workforce and labor cost benchmarking for combine operators, grain cart drivers, header transport drivers, and equipment mechanics
- Industry risk assessment including weather delays, equipment breakdown, crop abandonment, fuel cost volatility, and labor shortages
- Regulatory compliance overview covering farm equipment road transport permits, interstate commerce licensing, and fuel tax requirements
- Capital expenditure profiles for combine harvesters, grain headers, draper platforms, grain carts, and service vehicle fleets
- Production metrics including acres per day, bushels per hour, fuel per acre, seasonal use rates, and custom rate trend analysis
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 | Crop Harvesting, Primarily by Machine | 115113 |
Related NAICS Codes
| Code | Description | Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| 115112 | Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating | Soil preparation, planting, and cultivating service providers that share seasonal custom farming business models and farm operator client bases with harvest operations |
| 115114 | Postharvest Crop Activities (except Cotton Ginning) | Postharvest crop activity providers including grain drying and storage services that receive harvested grain directly from custom combining operations |
| 423820 | Farm and Garden Machinery and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers | Farm and garden machinery merchant wholesalers supplying combine harvesters, grain headers, and support equipment to custom harvesting service providers |
| 115116 | Farm Management Services | Farm management services coordinating harvest timing and custom combiner scheduling for absentee landowners and institutional farmland investment portfolios |
| 484220 | Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Local | Specialized freight trucking operations hauling harvested grain from field to elevator and providing grain transportation services that complement custom harvesting |
| 493130 | Farm Product Warehousing and Storage | Farm product warehousing and storage facilities including grain elevators that receive harvested grain from custom combining operations for drying and storage |
Geographic Concentration
Top states by share of national establishments.
| # | State | % Est. | Total Est. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 20.4% | 74 |
| 2 | Minnesota | 7.2% | 26 |
| 3 | Kansas | 6.1% | 22 |
| 4 | Florida | 6.1% | 22 |
| 5 | Texas | 5.2% | 19 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | 4.7% | 17 |
| 7 | Oregon | 4.7% | 17 |
| 8 | Wisconsin | 4.4% | 16 |
| 9 | Idaho | 4.4% | 16 |
| 10 | Nebraska | 3.9% | 14 |
% Of Establishments
0%
20%
Source: County Business Patterns, U.S. Census Bureau[3]
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this industry.
What is the NAICS code for custom crop harvesting?
Crop Harvesting, Primarily by Machine is classified under NAICS code 115113, covering establishments providing mechanical harvesting services on a contract basis per the U.S. Census Bureau[4] industry classification system.
What is the SBA size standard for crop harvesting services?
The SBA[10] sets the size standard for NAICS 115113 at $10.0 million in average annual receipts, qualifying eligible custom harvesting operations for small business lending and equipment financing programs.
What is the custom wheat harvest circuit?
The wheat harvest circuit runs from south Texas through Oklahoma and Kansas to the Northern Plains from May through September, with custom harvesters following crop maturity northward per USDA NASS[5] crop progress and harvest timing reports.
How are custom harvesting businesses valued?
Valuations focus on combine fleet age, condition, and hours, support equipment inventory, established customer relationships and route contracts, operator workforce, and seasonal revenue patterns per USDA ERS[6] custom harvest rate data.
What equipment do custom harvesters use?
Operations require combine harvesters with crop-specific headers, grain carts for field-to-truck transfer, header transport trailers, service trucks, and fuel tenders, with a single production unit costing over one million dollars in combined equipment investment.
What drives demand for custom harvesting services?
Demand is driven by farm operations needing additional harvest capacity during tight weather windows, rising combine costs that discourage individual ownership, and the time-sensitive nature of grain harvesting per USDA NASS[5] crop harvest timing data.
What risks affect custom harvesting businesses?
Major risks include weather delays that compress or cancel harvest windows, combine breakdown requiring expensive repair or replacement, crop abandonment in poor years, labor shortages for operators, fuel cost volatility, and road transport regulations for oversized equipment.
How do custom harvesting rates compare across crops?
Custom rates vary by crop and region, with corn and soybean combining rates typically higher than wheat due to equipment requirements and yield volumes per USDA ERS[6] custom rate survey data and state extension service benchmarks.
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. Census Bureau census.gov
- [5]USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service nass.usda.gov
- [6]USDA Economic Research Service ers.usda.gov
- [7]Bureau of Labor Statistics bls.gov
- [8]U.S. Census Bureau census.gov
- [9]SBA size standards sba.gov
- [10]SBA sba.gov
- [11]SBA-backed lending sba.gov
- [12]Farm Service Agency fsa.usda.gov
- [13]SBA 7(a) loans sba.gov
- [14]504 loans sba.gov
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