Top 10 Commercial Contractors in San Diego County, California

When planning your next commercial construction project in San Diego County, the contractor you choose can make or break your investment.

With billions of dollars in commercial construction happening across San Diego annually, selecting the wrong contractor can lead to costly delays, code violations, and budget overruns that could have been easily avoided.

San Diego’s complex building requirements include the 2022 California Building Standards Code with local amendments, stringent California Title 24 energy efficiency standards, and specialized coastal construction practices necessitated by rising sea levels and accelerating coastal erosion.

Local commercial contractors have spent years mastering these intricate permitting processes, ADA compliance requirements, and municipal workflows that can perplex out-of-area contractors.

Beyond regulatory expertise, experienced local contractors bring established relationships with local subcontractors, suppliers, and inspectors that translate into better pricing, higher quality work, and streamlined project timelines.

Their community-based reputations depend on consistent quality work within the local market, making them more invested in your project’s success than national companies that can move between markets.

Here is a list of the top 10 San Diego Commercial Contractors who are currently active in the region.

1. Turner Construction Company

• Founded: 1902​

• Website: turnerconstruction.com/locations/san-diego​

• Email: [email protected]​

• Phone: (619) 234-2323​

• Revenue: $14 billion nationally​

• Headquarters: New York, NY​

• San Diego Office: Downtown San Diego​

• Specialties: Life science, aviation, commercial, education, government, manufacturing, hospitality, Special Projects + Interiors Division (SPD)​

• Notable: Leading construction company within San Diego region, focuses on interior improvements, renovations, building expansions​

2. McCarthy Building Companies

• Founded: 1864​

• Website: mccarthy.com/locations/san-diego​

• Phone: (619) 624-7700​

• San Diego Office: 8880 Rio San Diego Dr, Suite 1000, San Diego, CA 92108​

• Revenue: Multi-billion dollar national contractor​

• Specialties: Port construction, hospitality construction, commercial buildings​

• Notable: America’s oldest privately held national construction company, ideal fit for Southern California market​

3. Swinerton

• Founded: 1888​

• Website: swinerton.com/locations/san-diego​

• Phone: (858) 622-4040​

• Email: [email protected]​

• San Diego Office: 16798 West Bernardo Drive, San Diego, CA 92127​

• Revenue: $5 billion (2024)​

• Ownership: 100% employee-owned since 1980​

• Specialties: Commercial construction, life sciences, civic projects, construction management

• Notable: 2025 ENR West Southern California Contractor of the Year​

4. Skyline Construction

• Founded: Over 30 years of experience​

• Website: skylineconstruction.build​

• Phone: (858) 720-8559​

• Carlsbad Office: 5051 Avenida Encinas, Carlsbad, CA 92008​

• Downtown Office: 101 Broadway Suite 1100, San Diego, CA 92101​

• Revenue: $9 million​

• Specialties: Life science facilities, commercial interiors, office spaces, hospitality, retail, healthcare, multifamily residential​

• Notable: Preferred San Diego commercial interior general contractor, industry leader for over 30 years​

5. Bycor General Contractors

• Founded: 1981 by Rich Byer and Scott Kaats​

• Website: bycor.com​

• Phone: (858) 587-1901​

• Fax: (858) 587-1903​

• Email: [email protected]​

• Address: 6490 Marindustry Place, San Diego, CA 92121​

• License: CA License #444203(B)​

• Leadership: Scott Kaats (CEO), Rich Byer (President), Chad Bruce (VP/Senior Estimator)​

• Specialties: Healthcare, life sciences, retail, education, commercial construction​

• Notable: 40+ years of experience, trusted construction partner since 1981​

6. Harper Construction Company

• Founded: 1974 by Ron Harper​

• Website: harperconstruction.com​

• Current Leadership: Jeff Harper (Owner and President)​

• Experience: 50 years of excellence in construction industry​

• Headquarters: San Diego, California​

• Specialties: Design-build construction, commercial projects, large and unique design-build projects​

• Service Area: San Diego and Imperial Counties​

• Notable: Strong reputation as industry leader in design-build construction​

7. Dempsey Construction

• Founded: 2010 by John Dempsey​

• Website: dempseyconstruction.com​

• Headquarters: Carlsbad, California​

• Licenses: California, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Washington, Texas, Illinois, New Mexico​

• Employees: 51-200 employees​

• Experience: 40-year construction veteran founder, staff with over 1.8 billion SF of construction improvements​

• Specialties: General contracting, renovation/repositioning specialist, office/industrial/R&D, retail shopping centers, multi-family, healthcare, hospitality​

• Notable: Vertically integrated solutions for pre-construction, construction, tenant improvements​

8. Pacific Building Group

• Founded: 1984​

• Website: pacificbuildinggroup.com​

• Phone: (858) 552-0600​

• Fax: (858) 552-0604​

• Address: 9752 Aspen Creek Court, Suite 150, San Diego, CA 92126​

• Experience: 40 years in business​

• Leadership: Allison Beall (Director of Business Development)​

• Member: Associated General Contractors San Diego Chapter since 2000​

• Notable: One of the most respected local general contractors in San Diego County​

9. Cook Builders

• Website: cookbuilder.com/locations/san-diego​

• Experience: Over 55 years of combined experience​

• Service Area: San Diego, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas​

• Specialties: Commercial construction, build-outs, remodeling​

• Contact: Available through online contact form​

• Notable: Highly-rated commercial contractor with multiple office locations​

10. Nicolls Design Build

• Founded: Over 20 years of experience​

• Website: nicollsdesignbuild.com​

• Phone: (619) 520-9119​

• Address: 1001 B Ave, Suite 201, Coronado, CA 92118​

• License: CA License #1003454​

• Leadership: Kraig Nicolls​

• Project Range: $5,000 – $5 million​

• Service Areas: Coronado, Hill Crest San Diego, Imperial Beach, Mission Hills San Diego, Point Loma San Diego​

• Awards: Best Contractor 2013, 2014, 2015 – Best of Coronado​

• Specialties: Commercial construction, custom homes, renovations, tenant improvements, restaurant construction​

Why Commercial Building Inspections Are Critical

San Diego County’s commercial construction projects must comply with strict building codes and safety regulations throughout the construction process. Professional building inspections ensure structural integrity, electrical systems, HVAC installations, plumbing infrastructure, and life safety systems meet all regulatory requirements.​

How US Commercial Building Inspections Serves San Diego County

US Commercial Building Inspections (USCBI) provides comprehensive commercial building inspection services specifically tailored for San Diego County’s commercial construction market.

Our experienced inspectors work with these leading San Diego commercial contractors to ensure projects meet the highest standards of quality, safety, and regulatory compliance.​

Contact USCBI today to schedule professional commercial building inspection services that support your San Diego County commercial construction project, ensuring optimal quality and compliance standards regardless of which contractor you choose.