Every year, Denver’s retail industry continues to grow along with its population. The city is not known for having a notable retail scene but in recent years business owners have been updating their stores to accommodate a growing market, and new concept stores are popping up across the city.

This trend has inspired many people to venture into the retail industry in Denver. Many business owners are looking for contractors who can help them build a creative store that will stand-out. This article lists some of the best commercial contractors that specialize in retail construction. Most of these contractors even serve areas beyond the state. Awards, portfolio, and experience were all taken into consideration as we constructed the list, then ranked the firms. 

 

 

PG Arnold Construction 

3109 28th St., Boulder, CO 80304

Paul Arnold is one of Colorado’s most innovative builders. He has built over 100 commercial projects and his research on new technological applications in the construction industry have benefitted many builders. His firm, PG Arnold Construction, is a testament to all of his achievements. The commercial firm provides full-service, sustainable general construction services to retail, restaurant, office, and educational sectors.

The majority of the firm’s projects are Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accredited. Some of its most creative works are its retail and restaurant projects, including the Eleanor and Hobbs boutique. It has simple grey walls accented by textured patterns and jet black lighting fixtures. The simple interiors focus consumer’s attention on the bohemian clothing and accessories.


Mercurial General Contractors 

1204 Washington Ave., Golden, CO 80304

Mercurial General Contractors was established in 2012 to incorporate bolder themes into the retail and restaurant construction industry. Its founder, Mark Davis, had 20 years of building and development experience prior to establishing the firm. His training at Walt Disney Studios inspired him to inject more creativity into his projects. Mercurial serves every kind of commercial sector, but its creativity is most clearly reflected in its retail and restaurant projects.

The firm has a long list of retail and restaurant clients from all parts of Colorado, and it is licensed in multiple jurisdictions of the state. Some of its standout projects are the various bridal shops it has completed. The Little White Dress Bridal Shop is one of its finest creations. It has high ceilings reminiscent of a warehouse; Mercurial transformed it into a glamorous space by incorporating elegant accents such as suede carpeting and a crystal chandelier.


Williams Construction Company

2701 W Mansfield Ave., Englewood, CO 80110

Established in 1983, Williams Construction Company is one of Colorado’s most sought-after commercial contractors with $300 million worth of projects under its belt. The firm completes around 30 to 50 projects annually and almost half of these are retail projects. Most of these are large-scale projects that cost around $400k. Its retail portfolio features some of Colorado’s finest shopping centers such as the Tennyson Retail Center, Castle Rock Retail, and the Harmony Village Shopping Center.

The firm’s projects are found all over the state, as it serves every major metroplex including Fort Collins, Denver, Boulder, and Aurora. Its wide range of service has garnered the firm clients that are household brands like Ace Hardware and Performance Cycle of Colorado. Aside from having an expansive portfolio, the firm has won notable awards including an American Institute of Architects (AIA) Merit of Honor and a Denver Redevelopment Award. 


Waner Construction Company

8950 Barrons Blvd. Suite #103, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129

Proudly owned and operated in Colorado, Waner Construction company has been providing quality commercial projects for the Centennial State since 1996. Integrity has always been at the forefront of the firm’s services and current CEO Curtis Bozich made sure that this principle is and will always be present in the company culture. Bozich has been with the firm since 1997 and he witnessed the company complete over a thousand projects that amount to a billion dollars. 

Given its twenty years in the business, the firm has garnered a formidable list of clients that are respected in their own industries. Some of its retail clients are big name brands such as Walgreens, Whole Foods, and Nordstrom Racks. Waner is trusted by these brands because it is accustomed to constructing large-scale department stores and shopping centers.


Foothills Commercial Builder

7241 S Fulton St., Centennial, CO 80112 

After his stint in the military, William Hollingsworth decided to venture into the construction industry. He honed his skills in construction when he was a member of the Colorado Carpenters Joint Apprenticeship. In 1986, he established Foothills Commercial Builders to offer construction services to a diverse clientele. It delivers unique projects to healthcare, automotive, veterinary, and cultural commercial sectors. 

Throughout the years, Foothills has also established itself as a trusted retail contractor. Its specializations as a diverse commercial contractor make it capable of building complex shopping centers or simple boutiques. The firm’s clientele includes distinguished brands like New Balance as well as local boutiques opening their first branch.


Scheiner Commercial Group

18965 Base Camp Rd. Suite A-1, Monument, CO 80132

Joe Scheiner established Scheiner Commercial Group in 2005 to provide specialized retail and restaurant services. Scheiner has comprehensive experience in developing retail stores since he has opened over a thousand stores across the nation. Now, Scheiner assumes the role of a general contractor that caters to national to local brands looking for open remodeling and new builds. The firm is licensed in more than 40 states.

Besides its founder’s experience in the retail industry, Scheiner is making itself known nationally by being an active member of various trade organizations like the Retail Contractors Association and the International Council of Shopping Centers. The firm’s reputation has led to notable clients like Steve Madden, Swarovski, Coach, and Montblanc among many others. 


Mark Young Construction 

7200 Miller Pl., Frederick, CO 80504

For over 29 years, Mark Young Construction has been providing general construction services to retail, education, and office projects throughout the West. Three decades in the industry has made Mark Young Construction experts in managing complex projects. In addition, the firm has won many awards, with its most recent being a 2018 General Contractor Award for Excellence in Safety from the American Subcontractors Association of Colorado and a 2018 Circle of Safety Award from Pinnacol Assurance.

One of its award-winning projects is The Shops at Walnut Creek. The 140,000-square-foot retail center is valued at $15 million. The Victorian-style retail center has various finishes that use wood, brick, stone, and metal. Besides the establishment, the firm also constructed a 70,000-square-foot sidewalk, a 30,000-square-foot decorative plaza, and fountains.


Jordy Construction

1212 S Broadway Suite #100, Denver, CO 80210

Jordy Construction has been providing construction services to the Colorado commercial industry for six decades. Many companies from different commercial sectors trust the firm because of its cost-effective approach to construction. 

Many companies also seek the services of Jordy Construction for its tried and tested team of professionals. The majority of Jordy Construction’s staff are trained and certified by the LEED and the American Society for Healthcare Engineering. This team of professionals has constructed some of Denver’s finest award-winning restaurant and retail projects. Some of the awards the firm has garnered are a 2018 Silver and a 2013 Bronze Award for Best Building Project Under $10 million from the Associated General Contractors.

Perch Denver is a project of Jordy Construction that perfectly illustrates its creativity and efficiency. The firm constructed a minimalist boutique with clean interiors that highlight its contemporary clothing displays. The project took only six weeks to complete, including the electrical service needed for the space.


W.E. O’Neil Construction

229 Vallejo St., Denver, CO 80223

Family-owned W.E. O’Neil Construction is one of the most established builders on this list with over nine decades of experience under its belt. The company has eight branches located in Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, and Tennessee.

Its Denver branch was only established in 1999 and commercial green building was one of the first priorities of the branch. Now, the firm has constructed over four million square feet of LEED-certified projects and has employed 80 LEED Accredited Professionals (AP). Besides being one of the biggest green builders in the industry, the firm was also part of Building Design and Construction magazine’s 2017 Top 75 Retail Construction Firms. 

Most of the wide-scale projects of the Denver branch are retail centers and specialty stores. The H&M branch at Centennial is one of its best-known works in the state. W.E. O’Neil constructed the store from scratch and completed that work on a fast-track schedule.


Saunders Construction Company

1705 17th St. Suite #350, Denver, CO 80202

Saunders Construction Company is one of Colorado’s largest employee-owned firms and it has earned over a hundred industry awards. Established in 1972, the firm’s very first project was a women’s boutique and it continues to construct some of the best retail establishments in the state. Its retail projects range from $10,000-square-foot buildouts to 300-acre lifestyle centers. 

Many of the firm’s retail projects are city staples and national brands have sought its services to build their Colorado branches. Some of its national retail clientele include Best Buy and Ikea.

Saunders’ creativity shines in its retail center projects. The Southlands Lifestyle Center located in Aurora showcases the firm’s expertise. This 303-acre development included concrete sidewalks and five high-visibility buildings. 


Brinkman Construction

2935 Larimer St. Unit #300, Denver, CO 80205

Founded in 2005, Brinkman Construction started as part of an integrated real estate company providing both construction and real estate services. In 2016, focused their business model on providing exceptional general contracting services across Colorado. Now, the firm has completed hundreds of projects ranging in scope from interior build-outs to large ground-up complexes. Its expertise covers any kind of commercial project whether it be multi-family, industrial, healthcare, interiors, office, restaurant, brewery, or retail.

The firm’s current CEO and President Jim Ciesla has been with the company throughout its 14-year run and it has collected a number of awards and recognition throughout the company’s tenure. These include winning the Small Business of the Year award from the Fort Collins Chamber of Commerce and being part of BizWest Mercury’s 100 Fastest-Growing companies for the past eleven years.  

One of the company’s most recent projects, The Exchange development in Fort Collins, is a 53,000-square-foot community gathering place with a large central plaza, reimagined buildings, and unique restaurant concepts. The project also involved historic renovations of two establishments, which required multiple outsourced design teams.


How can I find a contractor near me?

Read our latest articles on the best contractors in and near Colorado. If you don’t see your project type below, just let us know – we are happy to create a tailored recommendation list just for you.

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About Our Rankings

This list takes a range of ranking criteria into consideration, including but not limited to: work history, customer satisfaction, awards and recognition, geographic area of work, cost, building permits, and clientele. We spent over 40 hours researching local contractors before calculating the final ranking for this post. If there is additional information about your business that could affect these rankings, please fill out this form and we will take it into consideration


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