Last updated on May 21st, 2024 at 06:48 am

Often considered an extension of Silicon Valley, Foster City in San Mateo County serves as a home base for many large companies, including Visa, Live365.com, as well as a Philips manufacturing facility. With many attractions and popular companies finding their home here, we have created a list of the best commercial contractors in Foster City. This list includes some of the firms that have built the spaces that help sustain the city’s steadily-growing local industry, as well as some of those in the nearby areas. They bring decades of experience building for diverse markets throughout the Bay Area.


BCCI Construction

150 E Dana St., Mountain View, CA 94041

Many Bay Area companies, including Canon and Google, have trusted BCCI Construction with both the structural foundation and interior finishing of their corporate spaces since 1986. President and CEO Michael Scribner has been with the firm since the very beginning, starting in roles such as superintendent and project manager. He draws on his past experiences, now providing strategic vision, oversight, and coordination as BCCI continues building high-profile projects in California. The rest of the management team, which leads three offices in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Los Angeles, have also been in the industry for decades, with expertise in tenant improvement and campus development.

When online video optimization and analytics company Conviva moved its headquarters from San Mateo to Foster City, it tapped BCCI to perform tenant improvements of its new 33,000-square-foot space. This included a full-floor office program with training labs, conference rooms, phone rooms, an all-hands meeting area, a kitchen, and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant restroom upgrades. BCCI made proposals regarding materials in order to meet the company’s budget and kept the original ten-week schedule despite additions to the original scope. The result was a bright and dynamic office space with views of Central Lake.


W. L. Butler

1629 Main St., Redwood City, CA 94063

For over 45 years, W. L. Butler has built for practically every commercial sector, including Fortune 500 clients such as Target, Costco, Samsung, and Whole Foods. Founder Jim Butler started out in fire reconstruction projects working out of a pick-up truck. Today, he serves as CEO and leads a team of over 200. Joining him in overseeing day-to-day operations and providing strategic planning and management for all four of the firm’s California locations is Frank York, who first joined the team on the field over 40 years ago.

W.L. Butler performed interior improvements for biotechnology company Gilead Sciences’ 24,500-square-foot space in Foster City. The project included tearing down walls, installing all-new finishes, and building new restrooms, a break room, conference rooms, offices, rooftop units, and completing some minor exterior work. W. L. Butler was able to create a space with the appropriate rooms for the company’s research and all the right conditions for the most functional space.


DPR Construction

1450 Veterans Blvd., Redwood City, CA 94063

Founded by the late Doug Woods, Peter Nosler, and Ron Davidowski in 1990, DPR Construction is a technical commercial builder with a global reach. The forward-thinking self-performing contractor has built countless complex and sustainable projects for clients in the advanced technology and mission-critical, education, healthcare, hospitality, life sciences, office, and research and development markets. A true visionary, Woods served as CEO until his passing in May 2021.  Nosler and Davidowski carry on the firm’s 30-year legacy that has kept it among ENR’s Top 400 and Building Design + Construction’s Top Contractors for five years running.

DPR built online customer experience platform Medallia’s 22,000-square-foot corporate headquarters in San Mateo. True to the company’s vision, the space is a mix of technology and non-traditional design, showcasing Medallia’s global diversity in an atmosphere of transparency and connectivity. Every inch of the office is maximized with small meeting spaces between the main areas that were inspired by master-planned cities. Vibrant booths are a good informal complement to the 750 height-adjustable workstations. Employees can also have some down time at the expansive coffee bars and outdoor entertainment areas. The project won the 2018 International Interior Design Association (IIDA) People’s Choice Award.


Rudolph and Sletten

2 Circle Star Way, San Carlos, CA 94070

Rudolph and Sletten built a new research laboratory and office building on biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences’ Foster City campus. The 192,000-square-foot space connects to the adjacent Research Group building via a bridge walkway. Built for the Development Group, the new structure houses areas for analytical chemistry, medicinal chemistry, biology, a process chemistry kilo laboratory, a potent compound suite, a formulation production suite and laboratory, and a quality assurance warehouse. A central atrium brings a lot of natural light into the four-story structure.

This project is just one of the 3,000+ spaces Rudolph and Sletten has completed across its five California offices. Like many Silicon Valley start-ups, the firm began in a family garage in 1959. As it grew, today building everything from medical facilities to corporate campuses, Rudolph and Sletten maintained the same commitment to quality its founders began with, believing that “It doesn’t cost any more to build it right the first time.” California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) Construction Management alumnus President and CEO Jonathan Foad has been with the firm for over 30 years and continues to share this goal as he oversees all of the company’s operations. Rudolph and Sletten has been a mainstay on multiple ENR California Top Contractor lists since 2013.


Truebeck Construction

951 Mariners Island Blvd. Suite 700, San Mateo, CA 94404

Part of the expansion of social media giant Facebook’s West Campus in Menlo Park, MPK 22 includes a 470,000-square-foot, four-story office building and a 570,000-square-foot, eight-story, 1,750-stall parking garage with one level partially below grade. Truebeck Construction performed the site work, landscaping, and utility infrastructure for the project in phases. Five existing buildings had to be demolished to make way for the new structure. It includes collaborative office space, conference areas, four full-service cafeterias, as well as a public park.

LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) Sean Truesdale and David Becker founded Truebeck Construction in 2007 specializing in technical building for both complex ground-up projects and interior work.  The firm has been trusted by clients such as Mozilla, Twitter, Apple, and Uber to achieve their ambitious goals for high-performance spaces at predictable costs. A Bay Area native, Truesdale is a graduate of Cal Poly’s Civil Engineering program. Becker earned his Construction Management degree from Colorado State University. Together, they lead their team in pioneering ideas that elevate the standards of building. Facebook MPK 22 is Truebeck’s third project to earn a California Voluntary Protection Program Designation.


Build Group, Inc.

1210 Coleman Avenue, Santa Clara, CA 95050

Build Group demolished an existing restaurant in San Mateo to build the Clearview Office Park. The 110,876-square-foot, three-story building includes a two-story lobby, restrooms, and warm shell interior finishes, as well as rooftop HVAC equipment and the main ductwork for future tenants. The $43.4 million project also includes a 220,000-square-foot, five-story parking structure with 655 stalls.

Since founded by Ross Edwards and Eric Horn in 2007, Build Group has grown into a team of over 500 professionals from four offices across California. Ross Edwards (CEO) is a third-generation California builder who draws on over three decades in the industry and holds a Civil Engineering degree from the University of the Pacific. Horn carries on as Build Group’s Chairman and COO, also drawing on over 30 years of experience in the construction industry. Over 80% of Build Group’s work comes from repeat clients in the commercial office, multi-family residential, Life Science, healthcare, high-end retail, hospitality, and restaurant sectors.


South Bay Construction

1711 Dell Ave., Campbell, CA 95008

For over 40 years, South Bay Construction has been serving the Bay Area’s commercial markets, building over 300 million square feet of projects to date. The firm is well-versed in the needs of clients in the area, from building multi-tenant industrial interiors to data centers to explosion rooms. CEO Richard Furtado leads the team in working on a consistent volume of $100 million to $200 million worth of projects each year. Joining him as partners are JB Cahoon and Cameron Peach, who both play a crucial role in helping clients with budgeting and design.

South Bay performed tenant improvements on this 48,780-square-foot office space on Hillsdale Boulevard. The firm refreshed the interior in a modern industrial design, with whitewashed exposed ceilings that add more height to the open-desk work floor and sleek black and white and soft palette break areas. The project also included the installation of new partitions, flooring, and fixtures throughout the structure, as well as the addition of new conference rooms, phone rooms, and a game room. The client praised South Bay’s attention to detail and proactive approach to dealing with the challenges they came across while building.


Cody | Brock Commercial Builders

1021 Howard Ave. D, San Carlos, CA 94070

Founding Principal Rich Cody leads Cody | Brock Commercial Builders, which has been delivering cost-efficient and superior quality work to the greater San Francisco Bay Area since 1994. Cody | Brock brings expertise in pre-construction and construction best practices coupled with a detailed project implementation approach that the firm’s long-time clients such as Longfellow Real Estate Partners, Starbucks, FedEx, and General Motors appreciate.

Cody | Brock Commercial Builders performed extensive tenant improvements on Call of Duty video game franchise creator Sledgehammer Games’ Foster City headquarters. The 55,500-square-foot project included the atrium-style, two-story lobby, which features a perforated metal and glass panel floating staircase. A glass-encased conference room also cantilevers over the backlit reception area. The firm also remodeled two glass-walled executive suites which each have access to the executive conference room and built three new STC-rated audio rooms for game sounds recording as well as a game planning and testing computer room. Touches of bright blue further liven up the space, coating the refinished elevator foyer, the kitchen and break area, and the hard-to-miss spiral slide descending from one floor to the other.


NOVO Construction

1460 O’Brien Dr., Menlo Park, CA 94025

Venture capital firm Scale Venture Partners’ classy space on Tower Lane features high-end millwork throughout the interior. NOVO Construction performed the 12,000-square-foot tenant improvement. The reception area and break room are coated in relaxing tones of gray and white, while the conference room is flooded with light through the glass walls that also offer a view of the city. The neutral color palette softens the main work floor area where private offices and meeting rooms line one wall fronting the cubicles illuminated by ceiling panel lights.

NOVO Construction has built many other sophisticated spaces for clients such as Lyft, Pinterest, and Yelp since its founding in 2000. President Jim Fowler leads the team, drawing on his experience in biotech, development, high-tech, and retail construction as he manages the firm’s operations and provides long-term strategic planning. He is joined by a team of fellow industry veterans in providing efficient, high-quality, and cost-effective solutions to every project.


D.A. Pope Inc.

1160 Chess Dr. Suite 11, Foster City, CA 94404

Evernote’s Redwood City headquarters is as dynamic as its note-taking and task management app. D.A. Pope built the interior with wide open spaces, fun colors, and a mix of quirky and minimalist accents that set the stage for fresh ideas to come alive in its collaborative environment. The open-desk work floor is complemented by all sorts of meeting spaces, from glass-walled discussion rooms to more informal long tables and lounge-type areas scattered throughout the office. There are also a lot of areas for employees to relax during their breaks.

Foster City-based full-service general contractor D.A. Pope has been building commercial spaces such as this one since 1978. Its roster of clients includes Birkenstock, Ghirardelli, Konica Minolta, and Nestle. CEO Erik Redse and President Carl Baughn lead the firm in its hands-on approach to construction management, from initial budgeting through to completion. D.A. Pope’s loyal and long-term clients trust the firm to always get the job done right.


Rylko Builders

577 Airport Blvd. Suite 725, Burlingame, CA 94010

Bay Area financial planning firm Summitry Financial tapped Rylko Builders to construct its 8,100-square-foot corporate headquarters on Hillsdale Boulevard. Rylko collaborated with the company to create a space that embodied its culture: light-filled and modern with tasteful finishes. Different types of collaborative working areas provide numerous options for client meetings or planning sessions. A spacious break area also serves as a respite for employees, with window-side booths and bar seating, as well as some space to dine on the waterfall-edge marble island at the center of the pantry. Rylko also worked closely with the company’s telecommunications vendors to make sure the office was up to par with its productivity needs.

President and CEO Steve Rylko founded Rylko Builders in 2010 after 25 years of holding leadership roles with other construction firms. He built for diverse commercial, industrial, and institutional markets throughout his career, with projects ranging from core and shell construction to high-end tenant improvements for clients in the corporate, high-tech, and hospitality industries. This wealth of experience enables him to lead the firm in a holistic approach to every project, consistently exceeding its client’s expectations.

Author