Oakland is among the best places to start a career thanks to its many professional opportunities in a number of sectors. For one, the city’s marine cargo industry provides hundreds of thousands of jobs. The city also houses big corporations such as Clorox and Dreyer’s ice cream. Add to that are the sprouting companies in growing industries, including technology, tourism, and arts and culture.
Such companies need the best offices and even long-standing companies need to enhance their workplaces to boost productivity and accommodate growth. The office contractors on this list—the 10 best in Oakland—know how to make workplaces work for your business. We ranked them based on expertise, work history, and their track record with office projects.
Swinerton
10 Clay Street, Suite 275, Oakland, CA 94607
Swinerton is a national and global commercial contractor that has survived two world wars, the Great Depression and Recession, and now a global pandemic. In business for over 130 years, the company has weathered and adapted to many societal changes, whether cultural or natural, while continuing to build in communities nationwide. Not surprisingly, many of the built projects of this long-standing firm have been listed in the National Register of Historic Places and architectural preservation lists.
So when it comes to office projects, Swinerton is a firm to trust. It handles the complexity of office construction with finesse and expertise thanks to its team of experts in both ground-up buildings and special projects tenant improvements. The firm creates inspiring offices that reflect the personality of the business, increase productivity, and bring long-term benefits to the client. Pictured here is an office project in Oakland. This towering 2201 Valley Street features 27 floors and a total of 757,000 square feet.
Charles Pankow Builders, Ltd.
1111 Broadway, Suite 200 Oakland, CA 94607
A pioneer in design-build project delivery, Charles Pankow Builders started applying design-build to retail projects as early as 1978. That approach assures clients of the project’s outcome and improves budgeting and scheduling. The firm continues to maintain its reputation for putting in extra effort for its projects and clients. For example, the firm’s preconstruction team conducts quantity surveys just to validate subcontractor bids.
The firm’s hard work has resulted in many award-winning projects. One of these is the 555 City Center in Oakland, a design-build project featuring a 20-story office building with 487,000-square-foot Class A space. The project’s ground-level also constitutes a 29,000-square-foot retail space. And as seen in the photo, this enormous building sits like a king on an entire city block. This LEED Certified project eventually won the BOMA Oakland/East Bay “Office Building of the Year” Award in 2005.
Overaa Construction
1901 Harrison Street, Suite 1143 Oakland, CA 94605
Overaa Construction is another century-strong firm on this list. With a legacy of creating lasting relationships, this fourth-generation firm knows how to care for clients like family. The firm’s senior managers and decision-makers coordinate directly with the clients. The firm wants to give clients the best of both worlds: the resources of a large company and the hands-on approach of a small organization.
One of Overaa Construction’s long-term relationships is with Mechanics Bank, which can be considered a lifetime at 80 years now. When the bank asked Overaa to renovate its financial offices in Walnut, the contractor managed to provide excellent tenant improvements, including major structural upgrades and interior finishes like electrical, fire, and security systems—all while the building was occupied and in operation.
Nibbi Brothers
1000 Broadway, Suite 268, Oakland, CA 94607
Over the past five decades Nibbi Brothers conqured the most complex and logistically challenging San Francisco Bay Area projects. How? The firm focuses on making three things right: the goals, the team, and the approach. First, the right goal for the firm always follows what the right goal for the client is. And to make the client’s goal happen, the company offers the right team—a team composed of seasoned construction professionals, yet balanced with enthusiastic young staff capable of generating new ideas. This balance then translates to the right approach. The right direction is open to collaboration, it is proactive, and it is always supported with advanced technology.
Just take a look at Nibbi Brothers’ 899 West Evelyn project. With the right goals, team, and approach, the project resulted in a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification. Located in downtown Mountain View, the project features a four-story building with a Class A office and retail space. This one-of-a-kind building is filled with advanced sustainable strategies and systems, including a green roof, water-efficient landscaping, and high-performance glazing.
Hensel Phelps
4750 Willow Road, Suite 100 Pleasanton, CA 94588
Hensel Phelps doesn’t just build buildings—it creates landmarks. Building for eight strong decades, the company has developed a comprehensive approach called “The Hensel Phelps Way.” Committing to excellence all the way, the firm starts with innovative planning that considers the entirety of the project’s existence. Once a landmark-worthy plan has been established, the company combines top-notch craftsmanship and technology like Virtual Design and Construction (VDC).
Hensel Phelps has built numerous landmarks that define the skyline of Sacramento. One of these landmarks is the US Bank Tower. This 25-story high-rise building features Class A office space, a restaurant and retail area, an 813 stall parking garage, and a mechanical penthouse. The building also has a seven-level open atrium lobby that creates access to the magnificent views of Capitol Mall. This project has a contract value of $75 million.
Skyline Construction
100 Pringle Avenue, Suite 330 Walnut Creek CA 94596
Since 1996, Skyline Construction has been committed to providing the best workplace for its employees. Voted one of the Best Places to Work, this 100% employee-owned firm celebrates diversity, equity, and inclusion. That is why the company’s working environment promotes collaboration, a diverse workforce, and equal treatment and opportunities for all members of its team. The firm’s motto is appropriate: “Build Better Together.”
Every time Skyline Construction works on an office project, it thinks of the client’s employees as its own. When Pandora entrusted the firm with its first headquarters in Oakland, Skyline thought of a collaborative working environment. The new office features voice recording studios and state-of-the-art technology that connects all Pandora employees worldwide. The staff also enjoys many office amenities, including a large cafeteria, coffee bars on a number of floors, and an events area for large gatherings and performances. Skyline continues to work for the internet radio mogul and is now carrying out its seventh expansion.
W.A. Rose Construction, Inc.
482 25th Street, Oakland, CA 94612
W.A. Rose Construction deserves to be on this list as it is a true-blue Oakland builder. The firm—running for 80 years now—was born and raised in the city. The company’s president, Dan Pitcock, is also a certified Oakland guy, having been a business owner here for over 25 years. Having built his whole life in this city, Pitcock has led the firm in the ins and outs of building in Oakland.
W.A. Rose Construction has a Small Local Business Enterprise (SLBE) Oakland Certification. The certification makes the firm an ideal partner in meeting local participation requirements. The company also has a solid network of the best craftsmen in the city, so clients can and should expect high-quality work. An example is a two-story remodeling project for Sandis Civil Engineers. In just three months, the contractor managed to work around structural challenges—the building was previously a manufacturing facility. The remodeling resulted in a workspace with an open floor plan design featuring workstations, new offices, and two conference rooms.
Webcor
1751 Harbor Bay Parkway, Suite 200, Alameda, CA 94502
In 1972, Webcor started with its first projects: low and mid-rise office buildings. In its first project, the Peninsula Office Park in San Mateo, the firm showcased excellence by finishing it in just a few months. The firm has since built a strong reputation as a vertical builder and a self-performing general contractor.
The firm has in-house self-perform groups that are adept in carpentry, concrete, and drywall. These services were included in building the ground-up Illumina Campus at Lincoln Centre. Totaling 427,9000 square feet, this facility houses DNA sequencing machines and wet labs, along with hundreds of scientists. Other features of this commercial campus include conference rooms, a large café, a game room, and a fitness center.
Ironwood Commercial Builders, Inc.
3953 Industrial Way, Suite E Concord, CA 94520
Ironwood Commercial Builders sets itself apart by self-performing a wide range of construction processes often left to subcontractors. The company is an expert in fireproofing and a certified applicator of Isolatek CAFCO spray-applied fire-resistive materials and specialty systems. The firm also specializes in specialty trades, including acoustical, Venetian, and historical plastering. The firm also has general expertise in light gauge metal frame and drywall, as well as lath and plaster.
This woman-owned business won 2017’s Construction Excellence Award fromThe Wall And Ceiling Alliance. One of the best projects the firm completed is the GSA office building in Sacramento. Ironwood Commercial Builders self-performed the fireproofing, framing, and drywall. The project also features acoustical ceilings and insulations.
Mar Con Builders
8108A Capwell Drive Oakland, CA 94621
The career path of Mar Con Builders’ president Marco Manriquez has been inspiring. Manriquez started as a carpenter apprentice and he gradually rose to the rank of project manager. Eventually he established Mar Con Builders. Today, Manriquez is a known innovative general contractor capable of managing all facets of the project.
Manriquez oversees the firm’s general contractor services, including subcontractor administration, cost control, permit obtaining and expediting, and sequencing and coordination. A great example of Mar Con Builders’ work is for Kaiser Oakland BMOB. The firm completed two projects for this client. First, in 2015, the company provided framing, drywall, doors/hardware, taping, and painting. The second, in 2019, was a window floodplain project that included the installation of weatherproof windows and waterproofing work.
