the trades and professions concerned with the creation and finishing of buildings, such as carpenters, plasterers, masons, electricians, etc.
building trades in American English
plural noun
those trades, as carpentry, masonry, and plastering, that are primarily concerned with the construction and finishing of buildings
Word origin
[1885–90]This word is first recorded in the period 1885–90. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: booster, lineup, scrum, seminar, zoom
Examples of 'building trades' in a sentence
building trades
There were pickup trucks with the insignias of a dozen construction and building trades companies parked alongside.
Wood, Ted FOOLS GOLD
Nor are they all plumbers or other artisans of the building trades.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
His father went back and taught building trades.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The survey gauged activity among plumbing, electrical, carpentry and wider building trades.
The Sun (2016)
And they're going to do engineering and the building trades, bricklaying and all that.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The men in these units were recruited from the building trades, had an average age of 37, and eventually swelled to a strength of 325,000.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
I can imagine people starting up building trades in their houses that would drive their neighbours around the bend with the noise.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
There are courses in plumbing, and other building trades, at colleges all over the country.