Nashville’s universities and colleges are internationally known. The city—as you almost certainly already know—is also the capital of country music. The Country Music Hall of Fame and the Music Row district go hand in hand with the boutique shops and restaurants in the trendy Germantown area.

On this list of the best commercial contractors in Nashville, the contractors are consistently praised for being veterans with decades of experience and crafting a wide range of projects. From small restaurants to high-rises, many of these firms have portfolios that boast professionals with a wide skill set applicable to a range of different projects. With a mix of experience and skill, these firms have contributed to making Nashville as beautiful as it is. 

MTLC Building Group 

225 Noah Drive, Suite 300, Franklin, TN 37064

A firm composed of highly skilled and committed professionals, MTLC Building Group has a reputation for reliability and attentive customer service. Over the years, this skill set has been provided for medical, office, retail, specialty, and restaurant projects. Hearts is a restaurant project that deserves its own recognition. Inspired by Australia’s food and coffee culture, Hearts is a quaint café set in a repurposed gas station and mechanic shop in East Nashville. Projects like these are a great example of the harmonious and productive results of mixing attention to detail with years of experience and passion. 

Shaub Construction

230 Wilson Pike Circle, Brentwood, TN 37027

Since 1967, Shaub Construction has built a reputation for being a stable and reliable team. This reputation has led to the involvement with several types of projects including medical and dental facilities, retail and tenant facilities, shopping centers, and restaurants among other projects. There are several notable projects in its folio but the firm’s skill can be most seen in a 21,000 square foot office building with a parking garage in Brentwood. Shaub Construction has an especially high rate of repeat business alongside new customers drawn in by the recognition showered upon the firm. The firm has been featured in publications like City Ink, Nashville Business Journal, and Tennessean. 

Hardaway Construction

1001 Gallatin Avenue, Nashville, TN 37206

Founded in 1924, Hardaway Construction has built more than 1,000 homes in Tennessee and Alabama. By 1950, the firm expanded into commercial work which is what the firm is most known for today. Its portfolio is full of projects in the multi-family, hospitality, educational, government, and commercial sectors. The mixed-use Wabash is an especially notable project. Approximately 40,000 square feet, this structure combines office, retail, and restaurant space alongside a 23,400 square foot parking structure. Hardaway Construction’s work has been guided by CEO David Frazier who has been involved in the completion of a wide range of projects including high-rise buildings, educational facilities, and industrial locations. 

Flow Construction Company, Inc. 

3628 Trousdale Drive, Suite E, Nashville, TN 37204

Flow Construction Company is a firm that was inducted into the Nashville Chamber of Commerce Future 50 Hall of Fame in 2004. Ever since its establishment in 1991, the firm has completed several projects for various sectors including the medical, corporate ground-up, multi-family, and financial sectors. So far, its most notable work has involved working with brands like Lyft, MCA, and Microsoft. After the firm completed the Middle Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, it was awarded the Best Public Architecture project.

JE Dunn Construction

29 Hermitage Avenue, Nashville, TN 37210

With a staggering 96 years worth of experience in the industry, JE Dunn Construction is a veteran firm that has spread its influence over 24 states where over 3,500 employees create stunning projects in various sectors including the corporate, hospitality, industrial, aviation, mixed-use, and retail sectors. It even provides historical preservation projects.

The firm’s most notable project might be at 222 Second Avenue. A 26-story office building, it has distinct metal paneling on the garage levels and a curtain wall for the tower. The ground-level exterior uses storefront glass and brick which makes for an interesting mix of textures for the building. Over the years, the firm has been recognized by Ingram’s Magazine and Nashville Business Journal while awards have been showered over its work for years. These include the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC)’s global Grand Conceptor Award and the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC)’s Construction Safety Excellence Award. 

T.W. Frierson

2971 Kraft Drive, Nashville, TN 37204

T.W. Frierson has been around since 1958. During this time, the firm has worked with several companies and thousands of other clients to craft different types of complex projects that range from corporate headquarters to manufacturing facilities, to distribution and logistic centers. Among its many projects, its most notable one is the renovation for Prime Healthcare Services. Completed in five months, this 46,500 square foot structure now has a 12,000 square foot sheet metal warehouse/shop space and 34,500 square feet of commercial space. To add modernity to its design, the building’s interiors were updated into light-filled, open floor plans. T.W. Frierson is well-known for providing clients with exceptional customer service and versatility. This project is just one example of its capabilities at work.

IKON Construction

416 Wilson Pike Circle, Brentwood, TN 37027

Known for building many restaurants in downtown Nashville, IKON Construction is a 22-year old firm known for giving clients top-notch results. As a commercial contractor, it has completed renovation and ground-up projects in a variety of sectors, including the retail, office, auto dealership. and restaurant markets. Its work on The Southern, in particular, is notable: it has a sophisticated eclectic ambiance highlighted by custom booths, detailed woodwork, and ornamental copper and steel ceiling features. The IKON portfolio is dominated by similarly skillfully completed projects and guided by the skills of president and CEO Dave Lefeve. With almost 41 years of experience in the commercial construction industry, Lefeve has a background in management, design, and engineering that means he can give the firm a clear direction.

American Constructors, Inc. 

5203 Maryland Way, Ste. #210, Brentwood, TN 37027

Since its establishment in 1979, American Constructors has completed over 700 projects for clients in various sectors including educational, civic, religious, and healthcare. So far, some of the projects that have highlighted the firm’s name are the Schermerhorn Symphony Center and Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum—just two of the many other museums the firm has completed. Another notable project from the firm is the Belmont Concert Hall in Nashville. A 36,197 square foot space, it was previously a church and was converted into a shoebox design concert hall with a seating capacity of 934 with sloped orchestra level seating. Over the years, the firm’s projects have been given awards like the Urban Land Institute’s Urban Land Development award and the annual Excellence Awards.

Crain Construction

2963 Sidco Drive, Ste. #3110, Nashville, TN 37204

Established in 1933, Crain Construction provides general construction services across the Southeast. These services include preconstruction, design/build, value engineering, green construction, and construction management services for a number of different project types. Among the projects it has completed, Crain Construction’s most notable work might be the Crain Construction office. An adaptive reuse project, the firm transformed an old 1959 warehouse into a Class A office space. To allow for additional parking and a new back wall, the old warehouse’s structural bays were removed and exterior walls were recladded to accentuate the exterior’s striking design. With projects like these, Crain Construction has been featured in Nashville Post and Nashville Business Journal and honored with awards like the Urban Land Institute’s Nashville Excellence in Design Award and Associated Builders Contractors (ABC) Tennessee’s Excellence in Construction award. 

Alston Construction Company, Inc. 

35 Music Square E, Nashville, TN 37203

Alston Construction Company’s excellent work can be spotted on commercial projects across America. Established in 1986, it is well-versed in general contracting, design-build, and construction management. This skill set is clear in its completion of projects in the industrial, education, healthcare, commercial, retail, and government sectors. As a veteran, it has been recognized with various honors including magazine features in Dallas Business Journal, Houston Business Journal, and the Engineering News-Record. The firm has also won awards, including several Associated General Contractors of America (AGC)’s Build Georgia Awards and the Tilt-Up Concrete Association’s Tilt-Up Achievement Award. Among the firm’s various projects, its most notable is likely the SESAC Office building in Nashville. An 80,000 square foot structure, it provides four stories of office space with three to four floors of underground parking. Inside is a floor plan that highlights open spaces in a commercial setting.

Brasfield & Gorrie

1201 Demonbreun St, Ste. #200, Nashville, TN 37203

Brasfield & Gorrie has become a name synonymous with the building of Nashville’s skyline. Over the years, the firm has polished its skills enough to consistently rank among Nashville Business Journal’s Top General Contractors. Among its many projects, it has worked on Bridgestone Tower, the SunTrust Plaza, and the Country Music Hall of Fame. The latter was an expansion project that involved 250,000 square feet a d included a seven-story expansion that includes a state-of-the-art, 800-seater theater carrying custom millwork and acoustical components. At the top floor is a 10,000 square foot events hall where guests can take in undisturbed views of Nashville through floor-to-ceiling windows. Projects like these have helped the firm gain attention from Engineering News-Record (ENR), Building Design + Construction, and PSMJ which awarded it the 2019 Premier Award for Client Satisfaction. 

D.F. Chase, Inc.

3001 Armory Drive Ste. #200, Nashville, TN 37204

Currently one of the largest contractors in Tennessee, D.F. Chase’s projects can be spotted across 36 states. Over the years, the firm has gained enough skill and experience to handle and estimate virtually any construction project, including building office buildings, data centers, hospitals, medical offices, and even historic renovations. The Bobby Hotel’s Garage Bar is a quaint space that highlights the firm’s take on modern aesthetics. Located in Nashville, The Garage Bar is a bar built in the parking garage of the hotel. To artistically reuse the garage, the space features concrete through the bar top and floors. Custom light features meanwhile hang on chains while automobile memorabilia decorates the walls alongside graffiti. The firm built the entire Bobby Hotel, however, the Garage Bar is a wonderful close-up of its skills. D.F. Chase, Inc. has been featured in magazines like Engineering News-Record (ENR) and Nashville Business Journal. It has also won awards like the AIA’s Merit Award.

DWC Construction Company, Inc.

800 6th Avenue South, Ste. #100, Nashville, TN 37203

Established in 1947, DWC Construction Company, Inc. has a reputation as one of the most trustworthy interior contractors in Nashville. As its projects grow in complexity, it has reached out to more clients in Knoxville and has worked with clients like health care companies, retailers, tech firms, and ad agencies, among others. That work has led to recognition from publications like Tennessean and the Nashville Business Journal, and the firm was also honored with the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC)’s Excellence in Construction Award. Its work on The Advisory Board’s office space is a great testament to its wins. Designed with vibrancy and engagement in mind, the renovation for this Nashville office brought in bright spaces with individual offices parted by glass walls that highlight both the individual and the community.

R.C. Mathews Contractor

615 3rd Avenue, South, Ste. #500, Nashville, TN 37210

R.C. Mathews Contractor has an 80-year track record of high-quality sustainable work that includes projects in the commercial, educational, and even historical sectors. Among its different projects, its most notable one is the extension work for the historic Ryman Auditorium. This expansion added a cafe, a new event space, a multi-media history tour, and offices alongside additions and renovations to the smaller spaces inside the auditorium. 

Over time, the firm has completed projects that helped it gain recognition from various publications like the Engineering News-Record (ENR), the Nashville Business Journal, and USA Today. It also has an impressive number of awards from institutions like the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC)’s STEP Platinum Safety Certification and the National Eagle Awards. As a veteran firm with years of experience, R.C. Mathews Contractor also had the expertise required to restore several historic buildings in Nashville, including the Hermitage Hotel, Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, and Woolworth on 5th.