Office renovations require attending to several company-specific needs; conference rooms and idiosyncratic specialty spaces are just the beginning. Big, recognizable brands often need highly specific custom finishes that demand only the best contractors. This list features 15 of the best tenant improvement contractors in the San Francisco Bay area.
BCCI Construction Company
1160 Battery St., Suite #250, San Francisco, CA 94111
With over three decades of experience, BCCI provides a full range of commercial construction and renovation services and is best known for its tenant improvements, new construction, historic restorations, and seismic retrofits. It is privately owned and has been recognized as one of the Greater Bay Area’s largest and best contractors. Engineering News-Record recognized BCCI as one of the country’s Top 100 green building contractors and California’s best contractors in 2018. The firm’s multifaceted experience has enabled it to become an expert in structures, interiors, and sustainability projects. The BCCI portfolio is a gallery of projects from multiple market sectors. The firm is affiliated with several prestigious organizations, most notably with the American Institute of Architects and several other green building organizations. Moreover, given its expertise, the firm has worked with numerous noteworthy clients throughout its years in services. These include Adobe, Forbes Media, and Accenture.
The featured project best embodies the firm’s craft and style. The firm’s team was tasked with working on a high-performing office concept. It is located in San Francisco’s tallest skyscraper, the Salesforce Tower, and features open workspaces, executive boardrooms, and a variety of conference rooms. It also has several focus rooms, lounges, and a pantry. And, to top it all off, it was crafted with sustainable practices and makes use of a wood theme.
Cahill Contractors
425 California St., Suite #2200, San Francisco, CA 94104
From small tenant improvements to the ground-up construction of high-rise buildings and large-scale commercial projects, Cahill extends its services throughout the Bay Area and has worked with a wide variety of market sectors. The firm is manned by a team of expert builders and uses a design-build approach, rendering it equipped to handle every phase of construction. The firm offers its clients over a hundred years of experience and has secured itself as one of the area’s best commercial and tenant improvement contractors. The firm collaborates with some of the area’s best architects and engineers. The firm also employs its own highly streamlined process which enables it to come up with the best, most cost-effective solutions and designs. With the aid of the latest Building Information Modeling (BIM), the firm uses 3D models to give clients a better idea of their new project and for logistics and planning purposes. The Cahill portfolio showcases a variety of projects completed for not only the corporate sector, but also the education, housing, and healthcare markets.
For the following project, Cahill first had to demolish over 140,000 square feet of offices and then complete approximately 100,000 square feet of tenant improvements. Those improvements included self-performing doors, frames, and hardware in addition to a waiting area, reception, and several exam spaces.
DPR Construction
945 Front St., San Francisco, CA 94111
Consistently named among the country’s best 50 general contractors for the past decade, DPR Construction specializes in complex and sustainable projects for an extensive range of markets. In addition to its commercial and corporate work, the firm also provides services to the healthcare, advanced technology, life sciences, and higher education sectors. DPR is affiliated with the US Green Building Council and currently holds the distinction of having the highest number of LEED-accredited professionals on its team. Throughout its two decades in the industry, the firm has been recognized for its excellent work multiple times both by award-giving bodies and several publications. Some of these accolades include several features on the Engineering News-Record and awards from the NAIOP for its stellar interiors. The firm primarily focuses on complex and sustainable projects and has worked with some of the world’s most recognizable names from a wide spectrum of market sectors.
The project above was completed for the Watson Land Company whose history dates back roughly 200 years. Formerly dated and obsolete, the building is now a two-story corporate office building. It spans 24,800 square feet and was crafted with various green elements in mind.
Field Construction
490 Second St., Suite #100, San Francisco, CA 94107
Field Construction is a boutique commercial general contracting firm that offers site selection, pre-construction, design, construction, and post-construction services. It works around the entirety of the San Francisco Bay Area. The Field Construction team creates an accurate timeline of each of its projects to provide better projections and cost estimates. The team also handles the procurement phase of a project and uses only the latest technology. Given the firm’s LEED certification, clients can expect the firm’s team to infuse several sustainability practices into their new space along with high-efficiency products and elements. All of Field’s projects undergo a 30-day project closeout and are provided with a one-year warranty. Clients may also expect heavy owner involvement, with several of the firm’s principals personally overseeing all of Field’s projects.
The featured project above is the fourth project located that the firm has completed with the talented professionals at ASD Architecture. For this improvement project, the firm was tasked with the demolition of hidden vaults and the floor preparation of 12 different substrates.
Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Company
275 Battery St., San Francisco, CA 9411
With features in publications such as STRUCTURE Magazine, the Los Angeles Business Journal, and the Engineering News-Record California, Hathaway Dinwiddie is one of California’s most respected construction companies. For the past hundred years, the firm has been providing the area with some of its most defining skyscrapers, historic cathedrals, and state-of-the-art facilities. The firm has also worked with some of the country’s biggest corporations and institutions and was the firm behind the development of several of California’s landmark buildings. Noted for its award-winning safety practices, Hathaway provides precision planning and a process that emphasizes the importance of using the latest technology on each of its projects. Clients will experience a very communicative and interactive partnership with the firm.
Hathaway has also been recognized with multiple accolades. Most notably and most recently, the firm was distinguished with an award from the International Interior Design Association. Showcased above is some of the firm’s best work. The project was completed for animation mogul Pixar Animation and spans roughly around 155,200 square feet. Dubbed as the “Pixar Phase 2,” project, this tenant improvement is located in the Pixar Animation Studios campus in Emeryville. It houses the company’s digital animation production and amenities which include a common atrium, a café, game areas, volleyball and basketball courts, and a soccer field.
Herrero Builders
2100 Oakdale Ave., San Francisco, CA 94124
With features in publications like Construction Equipment Guide and Construction Today and over six decades of experience, Herrero Builders is a great choice for your tenant improvement project. The firm extends its services throughout San Francisco and the Greater Bay area. It is known for its excellent commercial contracting services and has worked on the renovation, updating, and seismic upgrading of several noteworthy buildings in a number of markets, including the healthcare, education, industrial, and corporate sectors. The firm employs several sustainability practices, rendering its structures energy efficient. The firm also makes use of the Lean Methodology first developed by Toyota: all of its projects are created with a holistic approach which involves all members of a team—from the owners and the firm’s architects to its trade partners, builders, and engineer: everyone works closely together to achieve the best possible outcome.
Completed with the talented professionals of Michael Guthrie & Co. Architects, the featured project above showcases one of the firm’s best pieces of work. The project was completed for Crunchyroll, an anime and manga empire. It was finished in just six weeks and now features an inviting floor plan which includes work stations for roughly 175 employees, a gym, kitchen, conference rooms, and several game areas.
Level 10 Construction
49 Stevenson St., Suite #200, San Francisco, CA 94105
Although relatively young, Level 10 Construction has proven to be one of the fastest-growing firms on this list. Founded by eight industry veterans in 2011, the firm was established in hopes of creating a construction company with a highly client-centered approach. By 2016 the firm was named the second-largest general contractor in Northern California by the Engineering News-Record and earned a spot on Building Design + Construction’s Giants 300. The Level 10 staff continually updates their knowledge, striving to learn the latest construction techniques through the use of the latest industry technology. With the help of BIM, 3D goggles, and other electronic media, you can expect a highly streamlined process that keeps clients in the loop. The firm is also a privately held company, which makes it more flexible and free from long-standing corporate constraints. And it can assist its clients with accounting, finance, and several other management systems.
Depicted above is one of the firm’s best pieces of work. Located in Sunnyvale, this project is the Level 10 Headquarters. It is a 10,000 square foot tenant improvement located in Moffett Towers Campus. It features closed offices, open cubicle space, a kitchen, three conference rooms, a production room, and a reception area.
Matarozzi Pelsinger Builders
355 11th St., Suite #200, San Francisco, CA 94103
Matarozzi Pelsinger Builders was the brainchild of its two founders—better known as “The Dans”— in 1986. Together, the Dans bring over three decades of building experience and several vital fields of expertise that have shaped the firm into the company that it is today. Prior to the firm’s establishment, Matarozzi worked as a journeyman and carpenter. Pelsinger, on the other hand, started off his career with one of California’s first green building firms. Through this experience, he would gain an extensive background in passive solar design and construction. As a result, the firm has been infusing numerous sustainability practices into its work and has since secured a solid reputation for itself when it comes to green building. The firm uses only the latest eco-friendly techniques and adheres to Pelsinger’s philosophy that quality green buildings need not compromise a project’s budget or style.
Depicted above is one of the firm’s best pieces of work. This tenant improvement was completed for Giant Pixel and was featured on the pages of Dwell Magazine and Home+Design. Inside, it has a full bar with kegerators, built-in cabanas, glass conference rooms with acoustical ceilings, and five bathrooms. Its most unique custom feature, however, is a binary transcription of the Star Wars Intro on the metal entry canopy. It also has several other personalized and milled elements inspired by popular franchises including concrete desks inspired by the Starship Enterprise.
McCarthy Building Companies
1265 Battery St., San Francisco, CA 94111
Founded by an Irish immigrant named Timothy McCarthy, McCarthy Building Companies started out as a small farmhouse and barn contractor before growing into one of the nation’s largest commercial builders. Over 155 years after its establishment, the firm now works on manufacturing plants, aviation projects, educational institutions, government buildings, healthcare facilities, hotels and entertainment venues, parking areas, and research laboratories. Its work has been featured in Forbes and in the Engineering News-Record. The firm has also been recognized with numerous awards, including several Awards of Excellence from the Associated Builders and Contractors of Georgia, project awards from the Engineering News-Record, and distinctions from CEO Magazine. One of McCarthy’s most recent and notable features comes from Training Magazine, which inducted the firm into its Hall of Fame.
The featured project above depicts its work for the Bay Area Headquarters Authority. For this tenant improvement, the team was tasked with the building’s seismic retrofit and large-scale renovation. The firm crafted 180,000 square feet of new office space for multiple government tenants while not disturbing the Drug Enforcement Agency’s on-going operations in the building’s top floor.
Nibbi Brothers General Contractors
1000 Brannan St., Suite #102, San Francisco, CA 94103
Since 1950, Nibbi Brothers General Contractors has been constructing some of the Bay Area’s most technologically complex and iconic structures. The firm provides a full range of general contracting services, including a thorough pre-construction package, several collaborative building methods—including design-build—and high-performance green building methods. Nibbi Brothers also uses BIM alongside several other Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) methods to construct a project and create working models of existing conditions before actually breaking ground. This process greatly diminishes inaccuracies in dimensions as well as problems that may arise with coordination in terms of pre-existing structures and systems around a particular tenant improvement. From large-scale buildouts to small renovations, the firm has been recognized multiple times for its excellent work and services. The firm has been featured on multiple occasions in the Engineering News-Record and the San Francisco Business Time. It has also been awarded several distinctions from prestigious organizations including the American Institute of Architects.
Our editorial team was especially taken with this project, located in the City’s Central Waterfront in an area between Mariposa and 22nd Street. According to its contracts, this improvement cost the company approximately $27 million. It featured a variety of updates: installing new electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems. The firm was also tasked with working on landscaping and several other utility details.
Plant Construction Co.
300 Newhall St., San Francisco, CA 94124
Plant Construction has been in the industry for seven decades and has established itself as one of Northern California’s leading construction experts. The firm specializes in office projects and tenant improvements in addition to hospitality, residential multi-family, retail, commercial, and education work. It offers complete construction and renovation packages, with its team handling preconstruction and logistics. The firm also actively seeks out projects with multiple phases and challenging sites and has holistically provided solutions for everything it has taken on so far. As a result of its hard work, the firm has secured a reputation for itself for its innovative projects and unique architectural vision. From BIM and virtual design to various Autodesk programs, clients can be assured of a highly technical, streamlined process that is monitored by an assigned project superintendent who oversees each operation with the aid of the firm’s quality control software.
The project showcased above was completed in collaboration with a developer giant and spans over 45,000 square feet. It encompasses four floors in an office building at 500 Pine Street. The finished product features a combination of open spaces, conference rooms, focus areas, phone rooms, and game rooms. It also includes several other common areas and coffee bars on each floor, as well as reception desks.
Skyline Construction
505 Sansome St., 7th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94111
Servicing the greater San Francisco Bay area, Skyline Construction is a completely employee-owned firm that specializes in working on corporate office interiors. The firm is a part of a family of construction companies that have serviced a variety of areas throughout the country and is noted for its team’s excellent talents and expertise. The Skyline team has transformed various spaces into dynamic and unique offices for which it has been repeatedly recognized. As a matter of fact, the Silicon Valley Business Journal recently named it the area’s top contractor. The firm has been in the industry since 1996 and is proud to be a woman-led enterprise. Sifting through its portfolio, you may notice that aside from its corporate offices, it has also completed several challenging and highly specific improvements that require skill and specialized attention. These include projects in the healthcare, financial, and retail industries. It has also, most notably, worked on a variety of headquarters.
The featured project above includes 291,000 square feet and was completed for Internet radio mogul, Pandora. It features customized workspaces, innovative areas, voice recording studios, and several themed collaboration rooms.
Swinerton
260 Townsend St., San Francisco, CA 94107
Swinerton Builders traces its origins all the way back to 1888; the firm was founded in Los Angeles, at the height of the California Gold Rush as a brick masonry and general contracting firm. The firm has since taken on landmark projects and has employed over 3,500 skilled craftspeople. Swinerton Builders is 100% employee-owned and offers a full range of general contracting services, from project management to safety administration. In addition to commercial buildings, the firm also offers its services to a wide range of markets, including aviation, high-end multi-family homes, higher education, government, and healthcare facilities. The firm’s work has been recognized by several award-giving bodies and numerous publications including the Sacramento Business Journal. And the San Francisco Business Times named the firm’s principal as one of its most admired CEOs.
Completed in partnership with the architects of HGA and Habitech, the featured project displays the firm’s work for Paypal: the firm created several workspaces, courtyards, an amphitheater, and a gaming area.
Truebeck Construction
64 Townsend St., San Francisco, CA 94107
A proven trailblazer in the commercial construction industry, Truebeck Construction is a full-service general contractor that specializes in highly technical and complex projects and interiors. The firm provides not only building and renovation services, but also preconstruction, construction management, and safety management work. It is also well-known for its progressive and highly advanced methods. The firm has a history with challenging projects, and delivers in a variety of methods from design-build to Integrated Project Delivery and also has expertise in a wide variety of mechanical and electrical systems. In terms of design, the firm’s interiors team specializes in designing offices equipped for living, working, and playing. The Trubeck portfolio showcases a variety of tenant improvements that reflect the firm’s excellent infusion of functionality with creativity.
The firm has been featured multiple times in the Engineering News-Record which has also consistently named the firm on its annual list of the country’s leading firms. Truebeck has also been lauded by several other award-giving bodies, including the American Institute of Architects.
Located in San Francisco, the featured project was completed for the corporate headquarters of MemSQL. It spans over 13,000 square feet and was completed with the help of the talented professionals over at Fennie+Mehl Architects. For this space, the firm was tasked with its brick and timber elements. Inside, it features several shared spaces and unique areas ideal for collaborative and creative work.
Turner Construction Company
100 Bush St., Suite 510, San Francisco, CA 94104
Turner Construction annually completes over 1,500 projects worth $12 billion and is best known for its design-build and BIM services. It works for a vast range of markets, including the commercial sector, aviation, higher education, government, entertainment venues, and cultural facilities. The firm has also worked on a number of healthcare institutes, industrial buildings, and hospitality developments. With a staff of over 6,000 people, the firm offers the support and accessibility one might often find in a small local firm but also has the capacity, skills, and expertise of a multinational. Turner has been decorated numerous times. Most notably and most recently, it was named by the Engineering News-Record as the number one green builder in the country. And Building Design + Construction named it the number one general contractor in the nation in terms of healthcare, higher education, offices, and hotel construction.
The firm’s portfolio contains a grand gallery of important buildings and structures. There is also a remarkable list of clientele filled with several recognizable names from a wide variety of markets. The project above is a 230,000 square foot interior build-out completed for the WPP Group. The interior features innovative work environments best suited to foster creativity. The building also includes boardrooms, conference rooms, receptions areas, and other open spaces.
