Beautifully situated on the shores of Puget Sound, the city of Tacoma boasts captivating outdoor scenery. The area’s natural attractions and native wildlife are showcased in stunning parks and gardens. Against its scenic backdrop, the city also teems with creativity and metropolitan sophistication. Tacoma has a thriving cultural scene, with a diverse mix of performing arts venues, museums, and culinary options. The city’s desirability has prompted a surge in new condominiums, apartment buildings, and multifamily structures.

For those interested in investing in this growing area, our editorial team has compiled a list of the best multifamily contractors in Tacoma, Washington. All of the contractors listed here are well-known in the business, with awards from trade associations and the press and years of experience in the industry. 


Exxel Pacific

4220 Aurora Ave. N, Seattle, WA 98103

Throughout northwest Washington, Exxel Pacific has pioneered distinctive and comprehensive building and development services and projects, from complex, metropolitan structures to intimate living spaces. Established in 1989, the company provides the region with extensive expertise in a wide range of services, including preconstruction, construction management, and quality control. Regardless of the project or service, the company is dedicated to upholding its brand. It has a track record of executing projects on time and within budget, continually impressing clients.

The company is a one-of-a-kind team of seasoned professionals dedicated to its core missions of fostering long-term relationships with its project partners and prioritizing safety and sustainability. As a member of the Associated General Contractors Safety Team since 1992, the company’s safety paperwork and practices are extensive, and they are constantly regulated and monitored on-site. This dedication to safety motivates the team to manage each project responsibly. In the 2021 Washington Build Awards, the company received the Award for Safety Excellence in the Construction Manager over 400,000 Hours category. The company was also named in Engineering-News Record’s Top 100 Green Building Contractors in 2021.

This award-winning project is one of the multifamily structures built by the company in Washington. This 532-unit project was named Best Multifamily Community of the Year of four stories and above in the 2021 Gold Nugget Awards. Its two 7-story buildings with ground-floor retail and underground parking for 506 vehicles are a coherent and well-designed community that fits seamlessly into the neighborhood. 


Schuchart

1135 Broadway Suite 101, Tacoma, WA 98402

A leading contractor in Puget Sound, Schuchart has a solid reputation and a long list of satisfied clients. At the helm is founder and CEO George Schuchart, whose 46 years of construction experience sets the bar for the company’s quality craftsmanship. The company mainly works on commercial projects but has provided ground-up, industrial, tenant improvement, and significant accounts services in different sectors, such as multifamily, academic, and cultural buildings. Its capabilities in managing projects, constructing quality buildings, and assuring timely and efficient completion have garnered multiple awards in recent years. In 2020, the company received the Honor Award from AIA Seattle, the People’s Choice Award Winner in the NAIOP Night of the Stars, and the Excellence in Structural Engineering Award from the National Council of Structural Engineers Associations (NCSEA). 

Schuchart takes pride in providing its clientele with the best possible output and services within a given timeframe and budget. Its work on the multifamily project 325 Westlake is a notable example of the company’s quality craftsmanship. In this adaptive reuse project, the company provided ground-up construction services to build a structure that preserves the history of the existing building and site while assuring the structure’s viability as a residential space. A new five-story tower was erected in the back to contain mixed-use spaces and high-end residential apartments, while the front half of this 1920s-era building was transformed into an art studio and open gallery area. The twelve residential spaces include ten lofts, a one-bedroom flat, and a penthouse apartment. Beautiful outside views are provided for each apartment via a wrap-around balcony for the penthouse and a standard roof deck for the other units. This project won a 2017 Honorable Mention in the AIA Honor Awards.


Walsh Construction Co.

www.walshconstruction.com

Walsh Construction Co. is a company of builders – building relationships, quality and value on every project.   Since its start in Portland 1961, and expanding to the Seattle/Tacoma market in 1986,  Walsh has grown to become a leading general contractor in multifamily and affordable housing construction in the Northwest. Since early 2020, Walsh has constructed or renovated over 2,500 multifamily apartments in the Puget Sound. Walsh is committed to building high quality, durable and cost-efficient projects that respond to client and community goals. The company’s scale and breadth of services and project types, as well as its culture of inclusion and community, have allowed it to be named consistently in Engineering News-Record’s Top 400 General Contractors in the country.

Image: Mercy Housing NW – Rosa Franklin Place. Courtesy William Wright Photography

Most recently, Walsh completed the 69-unit Rosa Franklin Place for Mercy Housing NW. This project was constructed along the new light rail line in Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood and it honors the legacy of State Senator Rosa Franklin by providing affordable housing and supportive services to low-income seniors. Additionally, Walsh has a strong partnership with the Tacoma Housing Authority, having completed the seven-phase Salishan HOPE VI redevelopment roughly a decade ago and they are currently engaged in 3 additional projects that will deliver over 350 new affordable homes to the region. Finally, WALSH is proud to be supporting a transformative expansion of the Eliseo senior living community (currently in construction) and looks forward to starting construction in 2022 on the 8-story Moraine building for Ethos Development close to UW Tacoma campus.


Korsmo Construction

1940 East D St. Suite 300, Tacoma, WA 98421

In its more than 73 years of operation, Korsmo Construction has marked its place in the industry as a leading, client-focused brand. A pioneer in construction, the firm has honed its expertise and professionalism for decades. Its specialized professionals are committed to offering diverse, creative services and have consistently produced quality projects. 

AGC, LEED, and DBIA are among the associations that have officially recognized, certified, and commended the firm for its high-quality services and assistance to the community. Korsmo has also been a favorite in the media’s eyes, with multiple publications such as the Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce, EIN News, Sequim Gazette, and The News Tribune featuring the firm in many of its issues. 

Garfield Station is a prime example of what the firm can deliver. This four-story building houses 104 units of varying layouts along with additional amenities for the tenants, including community decks, media and art rooms, and a gym. The overall design of the building is in a modern style, with fun color schemes and appropriate finishing touches. 


RAFN Company

721 132nd Avenue NE, Bellevue, WA 98005

RAFN Company is a committed contractor known for unmatched dedication. With its principle of carefully listening to each client and collaborating with top designers and other professionals, the firm can take on projects of various sizes and complexity. The firm has a long background of building and nurturing trusted company-client relationships, resulting in repeat business from numerous satisfied customers. 

For over four decades, the firm has proven itself as an award-winning contractor, with prestigious awards for its multifamily projects, including the recent NAIOP Night of the Stars Residential Urban Development of the Year Finalist (2021), ABC Excellence in Construction (2021), and ABC National Eagle of Excellence (2020). Multiple organisations have also certified the firm, such as ABC, NAIOP, CITC, and AIA. 

AMLI South Lake Union Apartments is one the firm’s award-winning projects. This complex is a mixed-use development project with 175 units and 225,000 square feet of space. The high-end apartments are spacious units. The project’s multiple amenities include energy-efficient windows, fitness zones, entertainment outlets, retail space, and even a rooftop view of the urban neighborhood. The resulting building won NAIOP Night of the Stars Residential Urban Development of the Year Finalist and ABC Excellence in Construction. 


Garco Construction

Office 4114 E Broadway Ave., Spokane, WA 99202

With a passion for serving people and strengthening communities, Garco Construction is driven to deliver influential and transformative projects. This multifaceted contractor offers a full range of contracting services. Every project it completes leaves a positive impact on the community. 

Garco Construction has been in business for over 43 years and has earned multiple certifications from associations such as AGC and the Spokane Office of the American Institute of Steel Construction. It has also been featured in publications such as the Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce and International Water Power and Dam Construction. 

Featured here is one of the firm’s massive multifamily housing projects, the DuPont Station Apartments. This complex has 178 available units, with plans including loft-style, studio, and townhome. The units have energy-efficient appliances and custom fixtures. Amenities include pools, basketball courts, and BBQ areas. 


Sierra Construction Company Inc.

14800 NE North Woodinville Way, Woodinville, WA 98072

A thriving business for over four decades, Sierra Construction Company Inc. has proven its abilities. The firm takes on a wide range of projects across market sectors, including industrial, commercial, and multifamily housing. The company upholds high standards of quality for all projects.

The Henry Apartments is an example of what the firm can accomplish for its clients. This premium apartment building offers a variety of floor plans, and sizes. Amenities include picnic areas, clubhouses, balconies, fitness centers, and parks.