Berkeley is a Northern California city seated on the east side of San Francisco Bay. It is home to the University of California, Berkeley, which was the cradle of the Free Speech Movement in the 1960s. Berkeley life blends inquiry and thought, science and creativity, and intellectual and athletic pursuits.

Berkeley is a desirable location for any retail business in the area because of its dynamic lifestyle. Along with the city’s lively and active lifestyle, it also provides its people with various cultural activities, such as theater, music, concerts, galleries, restaurants, and social clubs. The list below includes the best retail contractors in Berkeley, California, based on their awards, histories, and expertise.

Build Group

405 14th Street, Suite 900, Oakland, CA 94612

Build Group is a general contractor, construction manager, and design-build firm dedicated to providing the best service possible. With over eighty percent of its business coming from repeat clients, it prioritizes client relations and is guided by honesty and integrity. Since 2007, the company has expanded to over 400 employees across California, and it has been awarded as one of the Fastest-Growing Private Companies for three consecutive years.

Build Group and its staff are builders by heart. Its background in the construction industry spans various project types, including multi-family residential, commercial office spaces, high-end retail, restaurants, hospitality, senior housing, healthcare, retrofits, parking garages, religious institutions, and civic structures. With Eric Horn, Nathan Rundel, and Ross Edwards’ oversight, its project teams focus on each sector and bring specialized expertise to every project. Build Group has worked with companies like Zara, Carolina Herrera, H&M, and Lexus and was featured by publications like San Francisco Business Journal and Los Angeles Business Journal.

WA Rose Construction

1010 Calcot Place Suite A, Oakland, CA 94612

W.A. Rose Construction is a general contracting firm in the San Francisco Bay Area with over eighty years of expertise. The company specializes in tenant improvements, school renovations, structural improvements, and residential refurbishment. It has extensive experience in the commercial, educational and nonprofit, public works, and residential sectors.

W.A. Rose, established in 1936 in the center of downtown Oakland, has a reputation for producing high-quality work. As a Small Local Business Enterprise (SLBE) serving the City of Oakland, Alameda County, and the Port of Oakland, it has established a group of dependable and talented craftsmen to assure constant high-quality outputs. With an appreciation for its local heritage, the team thrives, utilizing a responsive, collaborative approach to address client needs. It holds memberships with the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, Build It Green, Better Business Bureau, and the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America.

Black Creek Builders

4096 Piedmont Ave. #240 Oakland, CA 94611

Black Creek Builders, Inc. is a full-service construction company focusing on commercial restaurant build-outs, tenant upgrades, multi-unit mixed-use construction, residential expansions and renovations, and historic rehabilitation. It has qualified electricians and plumbers on staff and provides in-house services in all major trades.

Travis Wirt, the company’s founder, is a third-generation Bay Area contractor. Travis began his career in home restorations, then moved on to whole-house remodels and expansions, new construction, and finally commercial projects, with a passion for innovative ideas and a desire to develop.

Black Creek positioned itself as a go-to contractor for restaurant build-outs, tenant renovations, historical revitalization, multi-unit residential, and retail development projects during the Bay Area’s emerging development surge. The press, particularly 7×7 Bay Area, recognized its outstanding works.

Oliver and Company

1300 South 51st St., Richmond, CA 94804

Oliver & Company is a full-service construction firm that serves the San Francisco Bay Area, addressing its clients’ construction needs at all phases of the construction process. Its work frequently begins even before the customer purchases property or a pre-existing structure. Its involvement extends beyond the final inspection and warranty period. Because of the firm’s expertise and knowledge, its competent staff can enter the building process at any point and deliver exceptional results on time and within budget.

Clients appreciate the firm’s commitment to offering expertise, ingenuity, and insight.  Under the guidance of Steven Henri Oliver, the firm exceeds expectations in terms of financial sustainability, company goals, and artistic fulfillment.

Northern Sun Associates, Inc.

200 S Spruce Ave #9, South San Francisco, CA 94080

Northern Sun Associates, Inc. is a retail and hotel construction company that works with customers in the San Francisco Bay Area. It was established in 1974 and is located in South San Francisco, California. Ian Tallon, the firm’s founder, has worked in the construction sector for two decades. Ian is originally from Ireland but has lived in San Francisco for the past twenty-two years.

One of Northern Sun Associates’ major projects is its work on Chronicle Books, a modern bookshop in San Francisco, California, that sells adult and children’s titles and gifts. Northern Sun Associates now employs 15 to 20 people across all of its sites and earns $8 million in revenue.

Conscious Construction

1133 Ohio Ave., Richmond, CA 94804

Conscious Construction was founded to positively impact an industry where transparency, craftsmanship, environmental and societal responsibilities are usually undervalued. It is a commercial and tenant improvement company that serves Contra Costa County residents.

It is headed by Jeff Sochet, its president, who has over twenty-five years of experience in the construction sector. He created Conscious Construction over a decade ago, motivated by the desire to positively influence the business and the people with whom he works. Since 2006, it has collaborated with like-minded customers, architects, and other design experts. Conscious Construction is also a member of the AIA East Bay, Build It Green, and an EPA Certified Lead Renovator.