The Best Tenant Improvement Contractors in San Diego, California

Last updated on November 13th, 2024 at 07:33 am

With a growing number of corporations in California, many companies are finding the need to build and improve their own offices, to create a better office environment for their employees, as well as a workspace that embodies the business’s branding. Current trends in office architecture, regardless of the nature of the business, often include variations and combinations of modern, contemporary, and minimalist designs. 

We’ve listed below a set of tenant improvement contractors that have created marvelous office improvement projects for companies within San Diego and the surrounding areas. The firms were evaluated on notable projects, the years in business, clientele, customer reviews, press, and awards received.

If you are thinking about improving an office space, we recommend checking each builder’s license with the local licensing board, speaking to past clients, and using our bidding system to get competitive quotes from at least 3 contractors. Getting multiple bids is the best way to ensure you get a fair price and that bids include the complete scope of work.

APSGC, Inc.

3525 Del Mar Hts. Rd. Suite #922, San Diego, CA 92130

Specializing in retail, restaurant, fitness center construction, office renovation, and commercial interior remodeling, APSGC is a general contractor determined to provide the best construction services to clients throughout Southern California. Its president Jamie Accetta is an alumnus of San Diego State University with a degree in Service Sector Management. Today, Jamie uses his knowledge and expertise to provide exceptional construction services to commercial sectors. With a LEED Accredited Professional certificate, APS consistently implements green building practices in all of its projects.

APS worked on the creative office space of Olmsted CPA and the real estate office of Keller Williams. These offices now feature comfortable working stations and impressive kitchen areas. However, the firm’s work on APS on Moniker Commons, a creative co-working space in Liberty Station/Point Loma, is one of its most notable projects, featuring a blend of modern and contemporary designs in earth tones for a sophisticated final result.

Back’s Construction

1602 Front St., San Diego, CA 92101

Dave Back’s 19-year-old company offers pre-construction, construction, and design-build services all across San Diego. He has over 20 years of field experience in commercial carpentry and construction management. Today Back’s Construction has in-depth knowledge and experience in tenant improvements of Class A buildings, restaurants, retail, and site renovation.

Among the company’s portfolio of office projects, the company’s upgrade of the MAPP office easily captures the eye, thanks to its combination of vibrant blue and yellow colors and unique details.

Balfour Beatty US

10620 Treena St. Suite #300, San Diego, CA 92131

Balfour Beatty US is a subsidiary of London-based Balfour Beatty plc. The company focuses on performing heavy civil and vertical construction, at-risk construction management, design-build, and other general contracting services. Apart from corporate offices, Balfour is also vastly knowledgeable and experienced in building healthcare facilities, universities, hospitality, and retail. It is well-known for its ability to build using safe and sustainable practices, making the firm a repeat recipient of LEED certifications as well as the STEP Award from the ABC. This general contractor is listed as #4 in ENR’s list of top commercial offices contractors in the country and also #4 in BD+C’s list of top office construction firms in the US. Balfour Beatty US provides its services nationwide.

The firm has completed more than 30 projects in California, and most of these works are tenant improvements. Balfour’s project on Zendesk was a large task since it involved more than interior improvements; the office of the customer support software needed a historic restoration as well. Its interior space included complete interior improvements such as design-build MEP systems, 400 workstations, 40 private offices/conference rooms, a kitchen, and several multi-functional areas. Part of the historic renovation involved a seismic and exterior skin upgrade, complete replacement of all building systems, new elevator upgrades, and many more. After the entire process, Zendesk’s office now carries the airy, humble, and charming brand image of its company.

Burger Construction

11760 Sorrento Vly. Rd. Suite A, San Diego, CA 92121 

Founded 27 years ago by Jack Burger—a top construction and design leader in San Diego—the company’s services are preferred by many local clients resulting in a high percentage of referrals and repeat business.

Apart from law firms, science labs, and tech companies, Burger Construction specializes in interior improvements of corporate offices for major clients, such as Google, Intuit, and Seismic. The company’s tenant improvement work on the Perfect Bar corporate headquarters stands among its featured projects. Burger Construction was the selected general contractor to renovate the space for the nutrition bar company. The office now features polished concrete flooring, a full kitchen, collaborative fun areas, conference rooms, private offices, open ceiling design, and wood detailing.

Commercial Builders, Inc.

525 B St. Suite #1010, San Diego, CA 92101

Commercial Builders, Inc. (CBI) is a general contracting company that has completed over five million square feet of tenant improvements, general construction, and special projects in the Southern Californian market. For over two decades, the firm has combined years of industry insight with the latest design and technology innovations to build architecturally-sound and visually-striking structures.

CBI’s portfolio features projects of all sizes and levels of complexity—from straightforward interior build-outs to ground-up steel frame building construction. The firm’s breadth of work and experience, along with a commitment to quality and client satisfaction, has brought it numerous repeat and new clients over the course of its business. These have also allowed the team to work for prominent names and companies across the nation such as Qualcomm Incorporated, Microsoft, and LEGOLAND.

DPR Construction

5010 Shoreham Pl., San Diego, CA 92122

DPR Construction has been operating for nearly 30 years with a focus on general contracting and commercial construction services as its core business. The firm is nationally recognized as a top placer in ENR’s Top 400 Contractors in the US list, ranking #6 in Commercial Office and #15 in General Contractor in the Nation.

In just 10 months, DPR Construction was able to finish a large tenant improvement project for Intuit, Inc. The four-building campus was renovated using an energy-efficient LEED process, which helps reduce the environmental footprint of the construction for the project. Being environmentally friendly and utilizing sustainable materials, such as recycled carpeting and laminate bamboo paneling, are some of the qualities that DPR is widely known for. The project reached the standards set by the US Green Building Council for green buildings and was given a LEED Gold Certification award for Commercial Interiors.

K.D. Stahl Construction Group, Inc.

13240 Evening Creek Dr. Suite #302, San Diego, CA 92128

K.D. Stahl Construction Group produces high-end, Class A offices for businesses in San Diego and nearby cities. Some of the tenant improvement projects handled by the firm include the Welk Resorts corporate office in San Marcos and the Max Linear office in Carlsbad, worth $1 million and $2.2 million, respectively. These offices were built with modern minimalist designs that evoke modesty and professionalism—ideal for any work environment. K.D Stahl’s work on the APWireless office in San Diego resonates the same businesslike ambiance but with brighter colors and themed wallpapers with colors blue, red, yellow, and orange.

K.D. Stahl Construction Group is a general contracting firm driven by the principles of integrity, honesty, and uncompromising ethical standards. It has formed strong relationships with clients and industry experts, such as LEED and the AIA. With 14 years of experience in commercial and residential construction and renovations, K.D. Stahl continues to offer top tier construction services throughout the city.

Level 10 Construction

12555 High Bluff Dr. Suite 250, San Diego, CA 92130

Founded in 2011, Level 10 Construction’s expertise focuses on providing construction services for eight market sectors, including corporate offices. Companies such as OncoSec Medical, Oracle Corporation, and Facebook have hired Level 10 Construction to build their regional offices and headquarters. An example of the firm’s work in the San Diego area is a tenant improvement of a 27,167 square-foot office for Nextivity. The scope of the work includes design-build for the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection systems, upgrades to the existing exterior envelope insulation, and other improvements for the main office area and lab space.

Level 10 was ranked the second largest general contractor in Northern California by Engineering News-Record in 2016, and was recently listed as the second Largest General Contractor in Silicon Valley Business Journal. This highly acclaimed firm is currently under the leadership of a veteran in the industry, Dennis Giles. Giles has over 40 years of experience in the industry, and is well-known for his successful track record of client-focused service. Today, his knowledge of the construction industry and its practices contributes to his firm’s great reputation.  

Lockrul Construction

9835 Carroll Ctr. Rd. Suite #100, San Diego, CA 92126

Lockrul Construction offers a wide variety of construction services, including tenant improvements, special projects, and industrial build-outs. The firm implements its core values of ethics, loyalty, hard work, and exceptional service in all of its projects. With a unified and determined team, the company has produced remarkable Class A offices for companies such as iProspect, Berkshire Hathaway, Revlon, and more. Its designs range from modern-contemporary to industrial.

This tenant improvement specialist focuses on upgrading corporate offices, building amenities, and building exteriors for clients all across San Diego. Façade updates, new building entries, parking lot improvements, landscaping, conference rooms, break rooms, open office environments, cafés, and fitness centers are just a few examples of its wide range of expertise.

Pacific Building Group

9752 Aspen Crk. Ct. Suite #150, San Diego, CA 92126

For over 35 years, Pacific Building Group has been offering construction services such as pre-construction, conceptual budget and scheduling, design-build, competitive bid, and more. It has produced a number of projects for different market sectors including institutional, retail, healthcare, medical office, and corporations. The firm received top honors for Safety Practices in 2014 and 2015 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. It also has affiliations with many prestigious industry associations, including the US Green Building Council, the Association of General Contractors, the Association of Builders and Contractors, and the Design-Build Institute of America.

An example of its interior improvement projects is the Renovate American project, consisting of 150,000 square-foot new tenant improvements, a new 10,000 square-foot café building with a full cafeteria, a free-standing reception building, extensive site work with outdoor seating area, and a garden for the café. The project was given a LEED Certification.

Reno Contracting, Inc.

7584 Metropolitan Dr. Suite #100, San Diego, CA 92108

With over $2.5 billion worth of projects in San Diego, Reno Contracting is a general contractor that has earned a reputation for being resourceful and cost-effective. The company has worked on more than 600 various projects, with 100 million square-feet of these projects being solely tenant improvements. The firm is among the handful of office remodelers in the city that implements sustainable practices in all of its projects. The secret to the company’s success is the consistent involvement of its leadership in its operations and projects. Matthew “Matt” J. Reno, founder and president, established the company 26 years ago; today, it is an award-winning firm that has received numerous recognitions, including a 2017 AGC Merit Award for Building Construction. 

The firm is notable for its Fast Track Tenant Improvement service. The company works collaboratively with commercial developers, building owners, designers, facility and property managers to complete the project right away so that tenants can move-in quickly and hassle-free. An example of the company’s tenant improvement projects is the Cengage Learning office. The 19,000 square-foot build-out features walls similar to a chalkboard with childlike drawings as designs, and other elements that elicit a playful and creative workspace, perfect for a digital and print textbook publishing company.

Rudolph and Sletten

600 B St. Suite #1500, San Diego, CA 92101

Serving clients such as Hewlett-Packard, Genentech, Kaiser Permanente, Johnson & Johnson, Judicial Council California, Agilent Technologies, and more, Rudolph and Sletten is a general contractor recognized for its sustainable design-build tenant improvement services. Since its establishment in 1960, the company has been a quality-oriented construction organization that enables the firm and its team to perform at high standards. It builds everything from biotech laboratories, medical facilities, corporate campuses, and educational institutions. the company has produced several high-value projects including the San Diego Central Courthouse which received a Chairman’s Project Achievement Award, a Sustainability Excellence Award, and a Gold Award from BD+C. 

The firm has created award-winning tenant improvement projects such as the 78,599 square-foot La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company and the five-story buildout of the Nokia office. The firm won an award of merit from ENR California for its work on the La Jolla project while the Nokia office received a LEED Gold Certificate for using recycled materials and reducing construction waste. The Class A office of the multinational telecommunications company includes labs, conference space, a full-service dining facility, a fitness center,  and a designated customer drop-in facility.

Suffolk Construction

1615 Murray Canyon Rd. Suite #1000, San Diego, CA 92108

Since 1982, Suffolk Construction has completed numerous large-scale projects across the nation in the healthcare, education, science and technology, government, commercial, and residential sectors. With offices in the Northeast, Southeast, and West regions, the firm has handled some of the most intricate and complex building construction projects and high-level construction services in the entire industry. It has since proved its proficiency in various facets of construction work, from preconstruction and construction management to design-build and general contracting, to building information modeling (BIM).

One of the firm’s noteworthy projects is a high-end tenant improvement project for international law firm Gunderson Dettmer. This involved a complete build-out of private offices, conference rooms, lobby and reception areas, a breakroom, a storage room, and an open office space. The revamped layout features wood and stone finishes, custom lighting, a storefront glass system, acoustic fabric-wrapped walls, and a state-of-the-art audio-visual system. The scope of the project also included a new rooftop HVAC unit and roof screen.

TSA Construction

11440 W Bernardo Ct. Suite #166, San Diego, CA 92127

Founded in 2003 by husband-and-wife duo Pamela and Terry Arnett, TSA Construction has since grown from a local general contracting business into one of the most established providers of commercial construction services across the country. Based in San Diego and with a satellite office in Orange County, the firm provides a slew of preconstruction, ground-up construction, tenant improvement, and historical and building renovation services.

Each TSA project manifests the firm’s values of integrity andaccountability. In its high-end tenant improvement project for renowned law firm Mintz Levin, the firm performed a 40,000-square-foot build-out on two floors. The project consisted of reception and lobby areas, open and private office spaces, conference rooms, IT and server rooms, copier rooms, and a mailroom. TSA also worked on a lunch room, coffee bars throughout, a wine bar, and the elevators, and ensured high-end finishes throughout.

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About Our Rankings

This list takes a range of ranking criteria into consideration, including but not limited to: work history, customer satisfaction, awards and recognition, geographic area of work, cost, building permits, and clientele. We spent over 40 hours researching local contractors before calculating the final ranking for this post. If there is additional information about your business that could affect these rankings, please fill out this form and we will take it into consideration

Get Bids For Your Build

If you are thinking about improving an office space, we recommend checking each builder’s license with the local licensing board, speaking to past clients, and using our bidding system to get competitive quotes from at least 3 contractors. Getting multiple bids is the best way to ensure you get a fair price and that bids include the complete scope of work.