California is far and away the most economically productive U.S. state, with a GDP of nearly $3 trillion. Even individual sectors within the state’s economy are gargantuan; construction, for example, is a $44 billion industry in California.
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It should come as no surprise, then, that the top construction companies in California are also among the world’s largest. Keep reading as we take a closer look at the top general contractors in California based on data from Engineering News-Record.
Top construction companies in California
Swinerton
Regional headquarters: San Francisco
Regional revenue (2019) in millions: 3,018.64
Atop our list of the top general contractors in California is Swinerton – a firm that has existed for more than 130 years and is 100% employee-owned. Swinerton employs over 4,000 workers and serves several sectors, including:
- affordable housing
- education
- civic
- aviation
- corporate
- life science
- industrial
- hospitality
Swinerton’s areas of expertise include:
- technology
- self-perform
- safety consulting
- construction management
As you might expect from the top construction company in California, Swinerton has received numerous awards, including:
- multiple Best Place to Work awards, such as:
- #16 in Orange County Business Journal’s Large Employer 250+ category
- #10 in Los Angeles Business Journal’s Large Employer 250+ category
- #3 in San Francisco Business Times’ and Silicon Valley Business Journal’s Largest 500+ category
- AGC of CA #1 Safety Award of Excellence
- Top Bay Area Company for Supplier Diversity
Webcor
Regional headquarters: San Francisco
Regional revenue (2019) in millions: 2,116.95
Webcor is a San Francisco-based firm offering project management, preconstruction, construction, and self-perform, among other services.
The company’s areas of focus include:
- health
- science
- transportation
- hospitality
- infrastructure
- mixed use
- residential
- education
- retail
- government
Webcor was founded in 1971 by Bill Wilson, Ross Edwards, Dave Boyd, and Miller Ream. It has since grown into nothing short of an industry giant, with locations throughout California, including Los Angeles and San Diego.
Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Company
Regional headquarters: San Francisco
Regional revenue (2019) in millions: 2,041.17
Hathaway Dinwiddie is the result of an alliance between Hathaway and Dinwiddie that was formed in 1985. The elements that comprise this joint venture, however, trace back to 1912.
While Hathaway Dinwiddie is headquartered in San Francisco, the firm is also recognized among the best general contractors in Los Angeles and Silicon Valley. It’s a true backbone of The Golden State’s construction industry.
Hathaway Dinwiddie’s services include:
- preconstruction
- construction management
- tenant improvement
- design-build
- general construction
Turner Construction Company
Regional headquarters: Anaheim
Regional revenue (2019) in millions: 1,908.00
Turner Construction is a global giant that employs more than 10,000 workers and completes $12 billion in projects every year. It’s recognized within the industry as a forward thinking enterprise (i.e. in this Construction Dive article, which highlights Turner Construction’s social awareness).
Turner Construction’s areas of expertise include:
- transportation
- commercial
- entertainment
- data center
- education
- government
- healthcare
- infrastructure
- interiors
- pharmaceutical
- research and development
- residential
- hospitality
- retail
The company’s services, meanwhile, include:
- engineering
- design-build
- supply chain management
- building information modeling
- lean construction
Devcon Construction Incorporated
Regional headquarters: Milpitas
Regional revenue (2019) in millions: 1,814.50
Devcon Construction Incorporated is next on our list of the top construction companies in California. The firm was founded as a developer-contractor in Silicon Valley in 1976 and has since grown to offer a list of services that includes:
- building information modeling
- design-build
- estimating
- general contracting
- tenant improvement
- project closeout
- pre-construction
Devcon Construction’s range of projects worked on includes:
- corporate campuses
- data centers
- educational facilities
- infrastructure
- residential buildings
- retail facilities
- senior living facilities
Hensel Phelps
Regional headquarters: Irvine
Regional revenue (2019) in millions: 1,806.00
Hensel Phelps is an Irving-based construction company that got its start in 1937. Today, Hensel Phelps’ services fall under the following pillars:
- development
- construction
- facility management
The firm services these sectors:
- aviation
- commercial
- education
- healthcare
- hospitality
- infrastructure
- science
- technology
- government
- justice
Hensel Phelps’ awards include:
- Outstanding Renovation Over $200 Million (for the Love Field Modernization Program)
- Silver Beam Award for Design Build (for the Pentagon Renovation Wedges 2-5)
- ABC Safety Training Evaluation Process (STEP) – Platinum Award
DPR Construction
Regional headquarters: Redwood City
Regional revenue (2019) in millions: 1,762.05
DPR Construction has been among not only California’s largest construction companies but also those of the entire nation since 1997. Its areas of expertise include:
- healthcare
- hospitality
- manufacturing
- mission-critical construction
- research and development facilities
DPR Construction’s services in those sectors include:
- preconstruction
- prefabrication
- self-perform
- virtual design
- environmental health and safety planning
Clark Construction Group
Regional headquarters: Irvine
Regional revenue (2019) in millions: 1,682.37
The Clark Construction Group got its start as Hyman Construction, which was founded by George Hyman in 1906. By the end of the century, Clark Construction had grown into a firm with locations throughout the United States and is one of our top customers in the Northeast. Make sure to check out our customer success stories to see how general contractors across the U.S. are using Bridgit Bench to level up their workforce planning.
Today, Clark Construction Group’s list of market sectors served includes:
- aviation
- science
- hospitality
- interiors
- science
- sports
- entertainment
- correctional
- government
- healthcare
- residential
The firm’s services include:
- design-build
- preconstruction
- public-private partnerships
- sustainability planning
- virtual design
McCarthy Building
Regional headquarters: Newport Beach
Regional revenue (2019) in millions: 1,567.80
Next on our list of the biggest construction companies in California is McCarthy Building, which has served a laundry list of major clients, from Georgia State University to Mars Chocolate.
The firm got its start more than 150 years ago, when Timothy McCarthy (an Irish immigrant) founded a lumber business. McCarthy Building remained family-owned for 138 years, at which point it became employee-owned.
Today, McCarthy Building specializes in a variety of areas, including:
- design
- construction
- post-construction
The sectors it focuses on include:
- aviation
- commercial
- healthcare
- industrial
- justice
- mission-critical
- research
- renewable energy
Bridgit Bench is the resource management software of choice for construction companies in California
At Bridgit, we’re passionate about helping construction professionals manage resources more effectively. Bridgit Bench is our dedicated construction resource management tool that allows professionals to:
- conduct pursuit tracking
- schedule labor
- forecast resource demand
- maintain human resource databases
- maintain project databases
Learn more about Bridgit Bench and how it can benefit your construction company’s workflow. For more news and updates, check out how Bridgit was selected as the winner of the Startup Canada’s Women Entrepreneurship Award. To see some of our case studies featuring successful clients throughout the United States, visit this page.
Brandon-Richard Austin
Brandon-Richard Austin is a writer and content strategist focused on the construction sector. He’s passionate about educating readers on construction management techniques and best practices.
