The Best Commercial Contractors in St. Louis, Missouri

Last updated on July 18th, 2024 at 05:33 am

Embarking on a commercial construction project in St. Louis, Missouri, demands careful selection of the right contractor. Choosing a low-quality general contractor can lead to cutting corners, missed deadlines, and subpar results, so partnering with a reputable company is crucial. With average project costs ranging from $100,000 to $650,000 and some projects reaching up to $1,150,000, making an informed choice is key. The average cost per square foot in St. Louis is $87.11, underscoring the importance of investing in quality construction to ensure the best outcomes.

St. Louis, home to 286,578 residents and a median home value of $218,007, is rich in architectural heritage and commercial opportunities. With commercial projects typically taking up to 18 months to complete, the role of a reliable contractor becomes even more significant. The city’s construction landscape is served by 83 relevant contractors, each with the potential to either elevate your project or derail it with poor performance.

This article will guide you through the top St Louis construction companies known for their excellence, reliability, and proven track records. These contractors manage complex projects, adhere to timelines, and deliver high-quality results. Whether planning a new office building, retail space, or another commercial facility, choosing one of these top contractors will help ensure your project is completed to the highest standards, on time, and within budget.

Overview: The Best Commercial Contractors in St. Louis, Missouri

 See Ranking Methodology at the bottom of this article to learn more. 

G. S. & S. Construction

2914 S. Brentwood Boulevard, Brentwood, MO 63144

G. S. & S. Construction has a long and illustrious history in the St. Louis area, spanning 100 years and four generations. The firm has remained dedicated to providing a good environment where people who enjoy establishing relationships and structures can thrive. From conceptualization to the completion of every project, the customer is assigned a professional project manager to ensure precise management and a hands-on, integrated approach. Clients benefit directly from the firm’s knowledge in all phases of construction, pre-construction management, and development, as the firm routinely delivers high-quality projects on time and within budget. As a result, the firm has earned a well-deserved reputation due to several awards and mentions in respected publications.

The firm entirely transformed this office space into a sleek, sophisticated design with industrial charm in this featured project. The new space brings a light and airy feel with the light walls, concrete flooring, and an exposed ceiling. The space features office workstations and a playroom amenity. 

E.M. Harris Construction Company

2600 Delmar Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri 63103

E.M. Harris Construction Company offers a comprehensive range of services. The firm has worked on projects all around Missouri and the Midwest. With over 32 years of experience, the firm has earned a substantial portfolio of negotiated work from repeat and referral clients. Its focus on building long-term client relationships has led to outstanding communication, high-quality construction, and on-time, on-budget completion. Client expectations have repeatedly exceeded the firm’s personalized, hands-on, and attentive service.

A common pick among the many commercial contractors in St Louis, E.M. Harris Construction handled the renovation of Crown Square (the 14th Street Mall). The project features 27 historic buildings transformed into 33,000 square feet of commercial and office space and 80 apartments. The total budget was $35.2 million, and the site work package included all new utilities, streets, sidewalks, parking lots, fencing, and landscaping. Crown Square received the Timmy Award for Excellence in Historic Rehabilitation from the National Housing & Rehabilitation Association in “Best Historic Rehabilitation Using New Markets Tax Credits.”

Waterhout Construction, Inc.

8110 Dale Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63117

Waterhout Construction has nearly six decades of experience in the construction industry. Since its establishment, the firm has built a stellar reputation in the St. Louis area by consistently treating each job with the same honesty and quality of work. Its emphasis on effective communication has resulted in consistently high-quality work. The firm approaches office and fieldwork with a hands-on, individualized, and integrated approach. The firm maintains a solid track record of remarkable projects that display superior quality, consistent professionalism, and outstanding customer service, combined with top-notch field management.

The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis—a charming luxury hotel in the upscale Clayton area—is one of the firm’s notable projects. The hotel features Midwestern warmth and hospitality, surrounded by a bustling culinary scene, the stunning landscape of Forest Park, and a variety of museums and stores. Everything is within walking distance of this Four-Star hotel. The spacious and pleasant guest rooms at this elegant facility all have balconies with views of the city skyline. A full-service workout center with lap and hydrotherapy pools is also available.

Tom Madden and Sons Construction

6646 Christopher Drive, St Louis, MO 63129

Tom Madden and Sons Construction has served the St. Louis market for six decades. The firm has been acknowledged as a pioneer in the commercial construction market with its exceptional portfolio of projects demonstrating its quality and professionalism. It has a long list of return customers, which includes Fortune 500 corporations and many local businesses in St. Louis. With over 50 years of expertise, the firm is dedicated to providing exceptional customer service and ensuring its clients are delighted with the project’s completion. The firm has a proven track record of completing projects on time and within budget, proving its ability to surpass customer expectations consistently. Among the best commercial contractors in St Louis, it also holds an accreditation from BBB.

The firm provided exterior and interior remodeling services for Stoney River, an upscale steakhouse and grill. The firm successfully created a new space. It met the goal of the client: to provide the most excellent quality food in a polished environment, delivered by competent servers with a sense of genuine hospitality, whether lounging at the bar or dining in a comfortable atmosphere. The design focuses on a warm, welcoming, and rustic feel through its well-blended mix of natural and traditional elements. 

Wright Building Systems

1724 Westpark Center Drive, Unit A, Fenton, MO 63026

Wright Building Systems was founded less than a decade ago as a woman-owned and family-operated general contractor. Even though the firm has only been in business for three years, it has already served several commercial and high-end residential clients in the Greater St. Louis area. Jessica Wright and her team strive to provide each client with a superior customer experience by taking the time to understand their needs and desires and then creating environments that reflect their dreams. Through its hands-on building and consulting experience, its team members share a common goal: to deliver quality and profitable projects on time and under budget.

One of the firm’s most notable recent projects was the 45,000 SF buildout for Stereotaxis’s Global headquarters, a publicly traded manufacturer of endovascular robotic surgery medical equipment. Located in Downtown St. Louis, the project included demolishing 80 years of layers of tenant finishes in the building, which was originally an open-floor-plan freight depot for the Illinois Terminal Railroad. The finished project has 27,000 SF of modern collaborative office space and 16,000 SF of light-industrial manufacturing space.

Pernikoff Construction Company

8143 Olive Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63130

Pernikoff Construction Company, founded by Max Pernikoff, has evolved from storefront improvements to a full-service bespoke residential contractor in the greater St. Louis Metropolitan area, capable of serving local, regional, and national clients. Over the years, the firm has stayed true to its vision of providing excellence and top quality to help clients reach their construction and renovation goals by delivering guaranteed results and cost-effective solutions and provided with the firm’s robustly personal approach. This helped establish its position as one of the top construction companies in St Louis.

In this featured project, the firm provided new construction services to build Tip Healthcare, a homecare nursing and hospice community in Bridgeton, Missouri. The new facility features a rustic design, emphasizing natural materials such as bricks and stone claddings. It also uses large floor-to-ceiling windows that bring in plenty of sunlight and a natural breeze. 

BSI Constructors, Inc.

6767 Southwest Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63143

With nearly 50 years of expertise, BSI Constructors Inc. is a general contractor and construction management organization. The firm has completed outstanding projects throughout the St. Louis Metropolitan Area, St. Charles County, Jefferson County, and Southwestern Illinois. Since its inception, BSI Constructors has built a solid reputation as a construction industry leader committed to the highest levels of ethics, service, and craftsmanship. Its skilled crew has years of technical construction experience and can self-perform work when the project requires it. As a result, the firm has executed over 1,100 projects that have met and exceeded clients’ expectations. 

A preferred choice among the many commercial general contractors in St. Louis, it was featured in the St. Louis Business Journal. The Boulevard—Saint Louis, a dynamic community with a unique blend of upmarket retail, superb dining, and luxury apartments, is one of the firm’s notable projects. Many well-known businesses are located in this development, including Deer Creek Coffee, Maggiano’s, and The Bar Method St. Louis.

Hankins Construction Company

9889 Page Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63132

For 76 years, Hankins Construction has served St. Louis and the neighboring areas with exceptional projects in various market sectors. George G. Hankins and E. Hankins, a father and son team, founded the company seven decades ago. Now one of the renowned St Louis construction companies, the firm is a family-owned and operated company that has grown steadily over four generations of Hankins’s leadership. Every project undertaken by the organization is backed by a team of highly experienced individuals who deliver integrity, dedication, growth, and safety. As a result, the firm has a long list of satisfied customers who have received high-quality projects on time and within budget. To provide a smooth and seamless construction experience, the firm has focused on offering an integrated and collaborative strategy by creating long-term relationships with its clients, suppliers, and trade partners.

The Orthwein Animal Nutrition Center, created for the St. Louis Zoo and designed to store food for animals, is one of the firm’s notable projects. The USGBC, or the United States Green Building Council, granted the project a LEED Silver. It has several environmentally friendly features such as recycled content, solar blinds, building orientation, and a living green roof.

ARCO Construction Company, Inc.

900 N. Rock Hill Road, St. Louis, MO 63119

ARCO Construction Company is a well-known leader in the design-build industry. The firm has over 1000 associates and offices in 29 major markets. The firm delivers the strength and visibility of a national builder with the individualized attention of a small business thanks to its highly qualified staff of specialists. The firm’s commitment to high-quality craftsmanship, professionalism, and exceptional customer service has also garnered many accolades and features in various media venues, including the St. Louis Business Journal, The Engineering News-Record, and Building Design+Construction Media. Among the renowned construction companies in St Louis, Arco Construction is a part of America’s Largest Private Companies, ranking 103rd in 2023 from Forbes.

One of the firm’s notable projects is the Bentley of St. Louis, Missouri, a 25,000-square-foot luxury automobile dealership. The project features 6,000 square feet of Class A office space, 10,000 square feet of motor vehicle servicing and storage space with lifts, and a 7,500-square-foot showroom with marble and granite flooring and chandeliers.

Ranking Methodology

To evaluate the performance of contractors, our methodology employs a systematic approach that considers various factors contributing to customer experience and satisfaction. We focused on assessing the commercial contractors in the St. Louis area. The methodology involves assigning weightings to specific categories based on their significance in determining customer service quality. Here’s the breakdown of the categories and their respective weightings:

• Average Customer Satisfaction (35%): This metric represents the average rating given by customers across the same review platforms as the Average Customer Satisfaction Score. A higher average rating indicates greater overall satisfaction with the service provided.
• Service Rating Score (25%): We analyze the ratio of high (4-5 stars) to low (1-2 stars) ratings for each business across multiple review platforms: Google, Houzz, and Yelp. A higher percentage of positive reviews contributes to a higher score, reflecting better customer satisfaction.
• Complaint Percentage (25%): We analyze the ratio of complaints to total reviews for each business. A lower complaints ratio indicates better service quality and results in a higher score.
• Business Hours and Availability (10%): The operating hours of each business are assessed to gauge accessibility. Companies with extended operating hours are awarded a higher score, as they offer greater convenience to customers.
• License Status (5%): We verify the licensing status of each contractor with their local licensing board to ensure legal compliance. Companies with valid licenses receive a higher score, reflecting professionalism and adherence to regulations.
• Total Score: We determined the overall rating for every contractor by calculating a weighted average, with the category weight determining the amount the subscore contributed to the total score 

Additional Note: Service Rating Score, Average Customer Satisfaction, and Complaint Percentage are calculated with a Bayesian estimate to account for if the contractor has a low number of total reviews. A Bayesian average is a statistical method used to calculate the average of a set of data points while taking into account prior information or beliefs about the distribution of the data. It combines the observed data with a prior distribution to generate a more accurate estimate of the true average.