Escondido is perhaps best known for its vineyards and wineries, given its perfect climate to harvest grapes. In recent times, it has seen fast growth in commercial structures, with projects ranging from various cultural and entertainment spaces. That kind of commercial buzz attracts many commercial architects.
This list showcases 15 of its best commercial contractors in the area. They were chosen based on their various experiences and outstanding portfolios. Several of these companies also offer their own unique range of services as well as impressive industry awards.
Dempsey Construction
1835 Aston Avenue, Carlsbad, CA 92008
Operating out of its office in Carlsbad, Dempsey Construction services the entirety of San Diego and Southern California. It utilizes only the latest and most innovative techniques, in addition to working with only the area’s best and leading subcontractors. The firm is regarded for its highly intricate and detailed preconstruction phase that entails everything, from value-added estimations to streamlined project management and scheduling. Its team draws from decades of expertise in ensuring that clients will not have to worry about exceeding the agreed-upon budget or any construction delays. As for its main construction work, the firm’s team assists with everything, from demolition and working on the foundation to finishing touches and details. It comprises some of Carlsbad’s most talented project managers, superintendents, and job site staff.
The project above best showcases the firm’s talent and expertise. This project is located in Coronado. This project consisted of the complete and extensive renovation of several historic and landmark buildings on the block. For this project, the firm’s team had to repurpose a former automotive garage from the early 1900s. The scope of work also included structural upgrades, retrofits, and all-new finishes.
Eleven Western Builders
2862 Executive Place, Escondido, CA 92029
Headquartered in Escondido, Eleven Western Builders is an experienced retail general contractor specializing in every phase and aspect of the process. It has been in business since 1983 and has completed projects for a diverse range of clients. The firm takes great pride in the large percentage of repeat clients it has had over the years and utilizes a highly transparent process. It works closely with its clients throughout everything, from scheduling and quality control to safety and designs. Eleven is personally led and overseen by its Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, Rick Backus. He first started as the company’s Chief of Estimating and Vice President before eventually climbing the corporate ladder. His experience also includes working with various other construction firms at an early age, allowing him to gain insight into every element of the process.
This project is an excellent example of the firm’s expertise. Located in Whittier, this project was a ground-up construction build of the entire Friendly Hills Shopping Center. It contains five main buildings and spans around 92,000 square feet.
Watkins Landmark Construction
5441 Avenida Encinas Suite A, Carlsbad, CA 92008
Watkins Landmark is an award-winning firm that specializes in the highly streamlined design-build approach. It is composed of a talented and experienced team of professionals, who together have had the chance to work on various complex and challenging projects. Watkins has been in business since 2004 in San Diego. Since then, it has been extending its services throughout the Southern California area and is personally led by its founder, Jody Watkins. He ensures that each of the firm’s projects receives the benefit of his experience and has had the privilege of working on various award-winning work. These include work for Petco Park, Indian Wells Tennis Garden, Pfizer Campus Biotech Research Buildings, and the Pacific Athletic Club. In 2017, the firm was featured in Construction Today Magazine. It is also the proud recipient of the Outstanding Civil Engineering Project Land Development from the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Located in San Diego, the project above was completed back in 2013 and cost around $1.4M. It sits in the old Cosgrove Building that dates as far back as the 1800s. The main challenge that the firm faced for this tenant improvement for Spike Africa was modernizing its theme while still considering its historic architecture. It has a beautiful open concept design with custom finishes.
Level 3 Construction
1230 Keystone Way, Vista, CA 92081
Level 3 Construction specializes in hospitality renovation and construction and has curated a stellar portfolio for itself composed of several outstanding restaurants and commercial tenant improvements. It typically takes on projects from a wide range, from minor tenant improvements to multi-million dollar renovations and ground-up construction work. Level 3 has been in business since 2006 and operates out of its office in Vista. Since its inception, it has serviced the entirety of California and has worked with some of the area’s leading subcontractors and architects. The firm has also curated an excellent clientele list for itself. Some of the most notable brands it has completed projects for include Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Starwood, and several AAA Four-Diamond Boutique Hotels throughout California.
This project was completed for Stage Two Nine. Spanning 3,500 square feet, this space is located in North County, San Diego. It is a photo studio space that provides clients with half and full-day rentals. It showcases excellent shooting environments for still-life, celebrity, catalogs, videos, events, and castings for interviews. One of its most unique elements includes the firm’s use of shipping containers, a trendy design in the green building movement.
Good & Roberts
2455 Impala Drive, Carlsbad, CA 92010
Otherwise known as G&R, Good & Roberts is a multi-faceted builder that provides a complete and comprehensive range of general contracting services. It has also mastered the design-build process and extends its services throughout the San Diego region. Founded in 1979, G&R specializes in large tenant improvement projects, small shell and core work, and specialty market sectors. These include projects for the fields of life science, industrial, manufacturing, and technology. The firm takes great pride in the stellar reviews it has received over the years. In 2013, the firm was acquired by C.W. Driver as a wholly-owned subsidiary. The Engineering News-Record ranks the firm as among the country’s Top 100 Construction Managers and General Contractors. Depicted below is one of the firm’s best projects.
Completed in collaboration with OBR Architecture, this space is located in San Diego and was designed and constructed for IDW Publishing. This tenant improvement entailed new offices, open work areas, artist studios, conference rooms, an employee lounge and a public museum, and its store. The firm’s team primarily drew inspiration from the brand’s work. The design was inspired by comic strip layouts, which resulted in playful and colorful collaborative spaces.
Allgire General Contractors
3278 Grey Hawk Court, Carlsbad, CA 92010
With over three decades of industry experience, Allgire General Contractors provides its clients a complete and comprehensive range of commercial contracting services. It is perhaps best known for being a multi-family contractor and showcases an excellent range of senior living, retail, and various other commercial spaces in its portfolio. Allgire is also regarded for its superb new construction work and can take on extensive renovations regardless of size or scale. Additionally, it provides its services at highly competitive prices and provides its clients with personalized processes throughout the entire process to better meet each project’s unique and complex problems. Now on its second generation of builders, the firm is led by Grant Allgire. He is experienced in almost every facet of the entire process and assured clients that each project that he takes on receives the benefit of his vision and talent.
The project above is an excellent example of the firm’s commercial endeavors. For this, it worked with the expertise of Togawa Smith Martin. It entailed extensive tenant improvements and is located in Rancho Cucamonga. The job scope also included updating its empty shell, redesigning its offices and its common area amenities.
Tri State General Contractors
288 Distribution St., San Marcos, CA 92078
Tri State General Contractors specializes in retail and commercial construction and was incorporated back in 2008. It is licensed to operate in California and Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, Idaho, Utah, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas. Uniquely, the company provides 24-hour emergency services that cover national disasters, fire and water damage, and even vandalism. It is also regarded for its stellar metalwork that comes in handy for supermarket, distribution center, industrial, and transportation projects. Since its inception, the company has been the subject of countless industry awards. Some of its most recent and most impressive ones include the 2017 Excellence in Construction Award from the annual ABC Excellence in Construction Awards.
The firm is family-owned and operated and is composed of a talented staff of experienced professionals. In 2013, Dave Mason, Sr. was named its president. He brings over three decades of industry experience to each of the firm’s work. He is especially noted for his expertise in the retail supermarket business.
White Construction
2524 Gateway Rd., Carlsbad, CA 92009
Headquartered in Carlsbad, White Construction is a full-service general contractor that extends its services throughout San Diego. It has been in business since 1983 and has completed more than $200 milion worth of office and industrial projects. These also include restaurants, manufacturing facilities, auto dealerships, healthcare facilities, life science laboratories, and telecommunications offices. The company is especially regarded for its medical, dental, and healthcare facilities that adhere to OSHPD 3 compliance. Since its founding, the firm has curated a solid base of clients for itself. It achieves this through a highly communicative approach to each of its projects. In addition to these, the firm is also an expert in the design-build approach, providing clients an effective integration of design and construction. Interested and potential clients may avail of its pre-construction consultations. The photo below best depicts the firm’s talent and expertise.
Completed for Avocado Mattress, this project is located in La Jolla. It spans 2,500 square feet and depicts the client’s salesroom. It has beautiful wood finishes, various custom touches and touches of transitional elements scattered throughout the home.
DEB Construction
101 Copperwood Way Suite B, Oceanside, CA 92058
With over four decades of industry experience, DEB Construction specializes in constructing and managing commercial projects across the Western United States. It is proud to be a certified minority-owned business and has most notably completed projects throughout California, Nevada, Arizona, Oregon, and Washington. The firm’s portfolio depicts an extensive range of financial, corporate, critical facilities, and healthcare projects, which have enabled it to win acclaim throughout its years in business. The firm is also an active member of the US Green Building Council (USGBC), assuring its clients that each of its projects is crafted with the latest and best green building methods. This ensures that its spaces are highly sustainable and efficient. It comes as no surprise that the firm is the recipient of several noteworthy accolades. In 2017, it was even recognized by the INC. 5000’s as among the country’s fastest-growing companies for the fourth time.
Located in El Segundo, this project best depicts the firm’s skill and expertise for commercial spaces. It was done for The Aerospace Company. It features an all-new barista-staffed coffee bar. All in all, the project was completed in just a span of five weeks.
BYCOR General Contractors
6490 Marindustry Place, San Diego, CA 92121
With over four decades of industry experience, Bycor General Contractors is the product of the vision of its founders, Rich Byer and Scott Kaats. Together, they have built a stellar foundation anchored on hard work and adherence to the highest industry standards. Composed of a team of over a hundred experienced professionals, the company showcases an affinity towards life science, healthcare, commercial tenant improvement, retail, animal care center, assisted living, religious, financial, and legal projects. Since its inception, the firm has had the opportunity to work with numerous household brands. These include Buffalo Wild Wings, Westfield, Scripps, and the University of California. Its work is best showcased in the project below.
Completed for the Scripps Windmill Plaza, this project entailed the major renovation of an existing, occupied shopping center for the Scripps Windmill Plaza. For this project, the firm’s team worked on the construction of various underground utilities. It also installed several ADA upgrades and changed the parking lot and site lighting.
PRAVA Construction
344 N. Vinewood St., Escondido, CA 92029
Regarded for its excellent range of award-winning services, Prava Construction Services commits itself from inception to completion with each project that it takes on. It is composed of a team of talented and outstanding project managers, superintendents, project engineers, project coordinators, management staff, and support staff, who have enabled the firm to take on projects regardless of size or scale. Prava’s process emphasizes the importance of open communication with its clients from start to finish, allowing it to complete all of its spaces on time and within the agreed-upon budget. It has also secured relationships with some of the area’s leading subcontractors.
The project depicted above was completed in San Diego for HFF SD Partnership. It entailed minor demolition, structural steel upgrades, and architectural metal wood finishes. Some other significant elements include stone countertops, epoxy flooring, and metal-studded drywall. It has a new “Grab n Go” section and acoustic ceilings.
Wheelihan Construction
2598 Fortune Way Ste. L, Vista, CA 92081
Wheelihan Construction is a commercial building and construction management firm that provides its clients with a full range of general contracting services. It has been in business since 1990 and operates out of its headquarters in North San Diego County. The firm and its team are experienced in every facet and aspect of the process, from design through construction and completion. Its team takes the initiative of overseeing everything. This includes preliminary matters, design development, as well as construction drawing. Since its establishment, Wheelihan has had the opportunity to work on some of the best commercial spaces across Southern California. Its portfolio depicts an excellent range of ground-up buildings, restaurants, breweries, nightclubs, tenant improvements, and historical renovations.
The project above was completed together with Bluemotif Architecture, and was designed and constructed for Crack Shack Enterprises. For this project, the firm’s team converted a two-story vacant Chase Bank to this 5,583-square-foot space. It contained a 142-seat eatery and was made only with the best materials and innovative concepts. Some of its best elements include a bocce ball court and living wall.
MVW General Contractors
118 S. Vinewood, Escondido, CA 92029
Headquartered in the heart of Escondido, MVW General Contractors specializes in both commercial and residential projects. It was founded in 1973 and has since secured a solid reputation for itself in the area. This has allowed it to foster significant relationships not only with its clients but also with some of the area’s best and leading subcontractors and professionals. MVW extends its services throughout Southern California and can take on projects regardless of size or scale. Its portfolio depicts a diverse range of project types. These include new construction, renovations, tenant improvements, commercial property development, and structural repairs.
The firm is also noted for its efforts in contributing to the green building movement. It adheres to the standards set out by LEED, from which it proudly holds and maintains certification. Its clients can expect that all of the firm’s spaces are highly efficient and sustainable.
Jacob Dean Construction
9434 Chesapeake Dr. Suite 1201, San Diego, CA 92123
Jacob Dean Construction extends its services throughout San Diego and the areas surrounding it. It provides an excellent and complete range of services that, time and again, have resulted in great spaces. The firm specializes in work for the commercial industry and is particularly noted for its outstanding tenant improvements. Its portfolio, however, also depicts a significant number of retail and industrial projects. Jacob Dean is locally owned and operated. It is personally led by its namesake, who, together with his team of talented subcontractors, draws inspiration from nearly two decades of leadership experience. The firm’s work can best be showcased in the photo below.
This project was completed for the Purring Parrot. It entailed the relocation of an avian and feline retail resort facility to the Mission George area. The company crafted multiple spaces perfect for housing cats and bigger aviaries for the birds for this project. Its floors were also mechanically ground and sealed with a unique product. One notable features is its new single lite-French doors for its cat rooms.
