Minneapolis is one of the Twin Cities in Minnesota, located along the Mississippi river. It is home to award-winning artists and musicians who put the city on the map, and to many renowned museums, public murals, independent movie theaters, and drag show performance spaces. Along with the appeal of its thriving urban scene, Minneapolis is also a great place for people to live because it is more affordable than many other coastal cities. If you are looking to build your dream house or open your business here, look no further than this list compiled by our editorial team, which highlights 10 of the best construction companies in Minneapolis, Minnesota. These firms were selected based on the impressive number of awards, recognitions, and certifications they have received since they first opened.

Ryan Companies

533 South Third St. Suite 100, Minneapolis, MN 55415

Established in 1938, Ryan Companies has been one of the leading construction businesses in the country for more than 80 years. The firm specializes in construction, architecture, engineering, development, real estate, management, and capital markets, and it completes projects across several industries, including commercial and industrial. It has amassed a number of awards, including the Merit Award from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Minneapolis in 2021, the Award of Excellence from NAIOP Minnesota in 2020, and the International Outstanding Building of the Year (TOBY) Award from the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) in 2019. 

Tony Barranco leads the company’s North Region as president, providing expertise when it comes to managing and selecting the projects that best align with the company’s goals. In his 25+ years as president, Barranco has managed to oversee and lead more than $2 billion worth of projects, including his biggest project, the Highland Bridge Development in St. Paul. 

Featured is the 222 Hennepin project in Downtown Minneapolis, completed in 2013. This project is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver-certified, and its construction was inspired from the Art Deco tradition.

Knutson Construction

7515 Wayzata Blvd. Minneapolis, MN 55426

Knutson Construction is a full-service construction company that has been serving Minneapolis and a number of other midwestern cities since 1911. It has an in-house team of professionals who are Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)-accredited, as well as affiliated with LEED and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). For more than a century, this firm’s preconstruction, general contracting, and design−build services have been providing clients with results that exceed expectations.

Steve Curry, the chairperson and owner of Knutson Construction, and John C. Curry, the president, collaboratively lead the firm. Steve is dedicated to overseeing the company’s growth, while John, who represents the family’s third generation of leaders, ensures that projects are executed seamlessly. As co-leaders, they prioritize making every employee and client feel that they are valuable stakeholders of Knutson Construction. With this value at the company’s core, it has become an award-winning firm, receiving the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) Upper Midwest Region First Place Project of the Year Award in 2022.

Crawford Merz

33 South 6th St. Suite #4510, Minneapolis, MN 55402

For over 130 years, Crawford Merz has been providing quality craftsmanship and excellent customer service to people in Minneapolis-St. Paul and Bloomington. This design-build and tenant improvement firm is the oldest commercial construction company serving the Twin Cities, and has been managed by well-known industry leaders and professionals since its founding in 1886. 

Under the current leadership of president Todd Hayes, Crawford Merz has also become an award-winning construction firm. In 2022, it received the REJournals Real Estate Award in Interior Design: Urban Office, and in 2019, it received the Minnesota Subcontractors Association’s General Contractor of the Year (CotY) Award. Its expertise in the field is also highlighted in a number of publications that feature its projects, such as Twin Cities Business (TCB), REJournals, Star Tribune, and Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal. One of the company’s most notable projects, which was featured in TCB, was its remodeling of the Kickernick Building Spec Suite. This historic building, originally built in 1896, was remodeled to include four modern office suites. Without compromising too much of the original building’s interior design, the redesign has allowed employees to experience the flexibility of a large coworking space.

Greiner Construction

121 South 8th St. Suite 1200, Minneapolis MN 55402

Hans Siefker launched his construction career at Greiner Construction in 1998. Siefker, who today leads the company as president, is a LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) and a 40 Under 40 Award recipient. 

The firm’s expertise in interior build-outs and building expansions, as well as the highly collaborative approach it takes with clients, has made its name synonymous with good workmanship. Since solidifying this reputation in the construction industry, Greiner Construction has received notable accolades, such as the 2021 Best Place to Work award from the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal. One of the firm’s projects, the Hewing Hotel in Downtown Minneapolis, also received the 2018 Contract Magazine Interiors Award. For this project, Greiner Construction was tasked with the preconstruction and construction of the historic warehouse’s repurposing. The firm worked closely with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) to ensure that the essential structural components of the original building were preserved.

Watson-Forsberg

6465 Wayzata Blvd. Suite 110, Minneapolis, MN 55426

Watson-Forsberg is a full-service commercial building contractor located in Minneapolis. Since its founding in 1965, the firm has become a well-known name in the field for its expertise in constructing a wide range of projects, including new construction projects and the creation of LEED-certified buildings. It has been featured in a number of newsletters and media platforms, including Star Tribune, Finance and Commerce, Southside Pride, Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal, and Affordable Housing Finance.

Featured in this article is Watson-Forsberg’s LEED Silver project, the Seward Co-op Friendship Store, which was completed in 2015. The retail supermarket space has a total of 20,020 square feet and utilizes a ZAP water ionization system for cleaning and watering produce.

Murphy Bros. Design | Build | Remodel

1613 93rd Lane NE, Minneapolis, MN 55449

John Murphy, the founder of Murphy Bros., has completed more than 2,000 renovation and remodeling projects since the firm’s establishment. Leading the firm with an emphasis on quality craftsmanship and building solutions, Murphy personally oversees the different phases of the company’s projects and ensures that all of his clients’ needs are met.

Because of its state-of-the-art customer service and remodeling expertise, Murphy Bros. was featured in the Qualified Remodeler Magazine Top 500 from 2000 to 2019, and given the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Ethics in Business Torch Award in 2017 and 2018. One of its notable projects is the 2019 Spring Remodelers Showcase Home. This renovation involved the addition of larger windows to bring in more natural light, and the buildout of the kitchen to expand the space.

Mantis Design + Build

465 Newton Ave. South, Minneapolis, MN 55405

After a childhood full of being fascinated by design, Paul Linnebach handled his first construction project at the age of 21. Today, Linnebach owns and leads Mantis Design + Build, the construction firm that he founded in 2004. For almost 20 years now, Mantis has been serving Minneapolis and its surrounding cities, including Edina, Golden Valley, Hopkins, Maple Grove, and Medicine Lake.

Linnebach has built a team of design and construction professionals who are dedicated to improving the architectural landscape of the Twin Cities through the firm’s projects. Under his guidance, many of these projects have won prestigious awards, leading the firm to become recognized as one of the best in Minneapolis. Mantis received the NARI Contractor of the Year award during the years 2010-2012 and 2016-2020.

Prima Construction

1479 Lincoln Terrace, Minneapolis, MN 55421

Kim Studham has been leading Prima Construction’s home remodeling projects since the firm’s establishment in 1980. With two undergraduate degrees in Architecture and a certificate as a Master Gardener, Studham oversees the construction process of the firm with the goal of preserving and rehabilitating old spaces for families and communities. 

Specializing in the remodeling of single-family homes, Prima Construction mainly handles projects with transitional and traditional designs. In 2020, the firm completed the renovation of the Minneapolis Remodelers Showcase Double Bathroom. Tasked with transforming two of the 1905 home’s bathrooms, Prima Construction gave the main bathroom a more traditional design and gave the second floor bathroom a beautiful dark palette that matched the wooden door and window.

Sylvestre Remodeling & Design

7708 5th Ave. South, Minneapolis, MN 55423

Founded in 1972, Sylvestre Remodeling & Design specializes in kitchen, bathroom, and basement remodelings, as well as home additions. With its own team of highly skilled architects and builders, Sylvestre creates detailed homes and spaces using the client’s vision and ideas as the main foundation.

The team also handles all of the materials needed to finish the project themselves without going over budget. Through its frequent and open communication, the team takes pride in ensuring that its customers are comfortable and satisfied throughout the entirety of the construction process.

Sustainable Nine Design + Build

3511 W 44th St. Minneapolis, MN 55410

Sustainable Nine Design + Build (Sustainable 9) is a two-time Reggie Award winner, having received the 2020 award for the Mountain Modern Dream Home and the 2019 award for a project under $1.2-$1.5 million. For almost 20 years, the firm has been providing the Minneapolis-St. Paul area with its custom single-family homes and custom remodeling services. 

Sustainable 9 specializes in contemporary homes and, as the name suggests, sustainable building. With the goal of making the Midwest more green, the firm designs environmentally friendly and energy-efficient homes that follow the industry’s latest standards. For example, the firm recently finished building the Artisan Home, located in Linden Hills. This stunning home takes advantage of the wonderful lakeside landscape by featuring tall windows on both floors and on almost every corner of the home.