The IAFST has long argued that without federal recognition of mortgage field services as a defined industry under its own NAICS code, technicians will remain invisible to regulators even as the corporations that exploit them grow too large to fail. For decades the professionals who handle occupancy inspections, property securing, lock changes, debris removal, winterizations and maintenance for foreclosed properties have operated without proper classification under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The IAFST formally filed for a dedicated industry code—proposed as NAICS 238360 — “Mortgage Field Services & Foreclosure Property Preservation.” This filing reflects the association’s effort to bring recognition, structure and labor protections to a historically hidden trade.
This lack of recognition has led to unfair pay structures, an absence of reliable industry data, and restricted competition—allowing large national firms to dominate the marketplace while sidelining independent contractors and small businesses. When technicians are lumped under unrelated codes like landscaping, facilities management or generic construction, the ability to track median wages, working hours, business ownership patterns and vendor concentration collapses. The result is, the big players stay in control and labor stays under-valued.
A dedicated NAICS code would enable wage standardization by providing meaningful economic data to support fair labor rates. It would allow tracking cost-of-living adjustments, improve contractor reporting, and offer small businesses greater access to federal procurement programs. But even more fundamentally, it would validate field service technicians and inspectors as professionals in their own right—not “debris removal subcontractors” or “lock-change vendors” without voice or industry identity.
Creating this classification also would help level the playing field: letting small businesses compete for direct contracts instead of being forced into low-pay subcontracting; enabling industry-specific certifications and business registrations to help independents win work; and encouraging new entrants to challenge the monopoly of large consolidators. In short, the IAFST sees this as one of the most direct levers available to reverse the structural imbalance favoring labor-suppressing consolidation.
The mortgage field services industry has existed in the shadows for far too long. The lack of a proper NAICS code has resulted in stagnant wages, hidden industry data, and restricted competition—all of which harm the workers and small businesses that sustain the industry. Creating NAICS 238360 – Mortgage Field Services & Foreclosure Property Preservation is the logical step toward:
✅ Fair Pay – Wage tracking and industry-wide pay standards.
✅ Transparent Data – Proper classification of economic contributions and labor statistics.
✅ Open Competition – Breaking monopolies and allowing small businesses to thrive.
It’s time for the U.S. Census Bureau and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to recognize mortgage field services as a distinct, essential industry and grant it the classification it deserves. Workers, business owners, and policymakers must unite to push for this change — because fair pay, transparency, and competition benefit everyone.
The NAICS Petition Filed by the IAFST
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Open in new tab Substantiating Documents Filed by the IAFST
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