Located in California’s sunny San Francisco Bay Area, Palo Alto is a key part of the famous Silicon Valley and home to Stanford University. The firm has a beautiful downtown, upscale restaurants, great stores, and it serves as the headquarters of a number of impressive companies. Our editorial team has decided to list ten of Palo Alto’s best and leading general contractors, the names behind some of the city’s most noteworthy tenant improvements. These firms have had the opportunity to work with some of the area’s most sought-after brands and have received countless accolades.

BCCI Construction

150 E Dana Street, Mountain View, CA 94041

With over three decades of experience, BCCI provides a full range of commercial construction and renovation services and is best known for its tenant improvements, new construction, historic restorations, and seismic retrofits. The firm is privately owned and is recognized as one of the Greater Bay Area’s largest and best contractors. Engineering News-Record named BCCI one of the country’s Top 100 green building contractors and one of California’s best contractors in 2018. The firm’s multifaceted experience has enabled it to become an expert in structures, interiors, and sustainability projects. The BCCI portfolio is a gallery of projects from a variety of market sectors. The firm is affiliated with important industry organizations, including the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and several green building organizations. 

Showcased above is one of the firm’s most impressive tenant improvements. Located in Sunnyvale, this project spans over 440,000 square feet and was completed in collaboration with the professionals at Gensler. The firm was tasked with having to rebrand three existing midrise office structures. Its scope encompassed working on open office upgrades, a new 2,400-square-foot wellness center, and an expanded cafeteria.

Truebeck Construction

951 Mariners Island Boulevard, Suite #700, San Mateo, CA 94404

A proven trailblazer in the commercial construction industry, Truebeck Construction is a full-service general contractor that specializes in highly technical and complex projects and interiors. The firm provides building and renovation services, as well as preconstruction, construction management, and safety management work. The firm is also well known for its progressive, highly advanced methods. The firm has a history of tackling and delivering challenging projects, using a variety of methods, from design-build to Integrated Project Delivery. The firm also has expertise in a wide variety of mechanical and electrical systems. The firm’s interiors team specializes in designing offices equipped for living, working, and playing. The firm has been featured multiple times in the pages of Engineering News-Record, which has consistently placed the firm on its annual list of the country’s leading firms. Truebeck has also been recognized by leading industry organizations, including the American Institute of Architects (AIA). 

Located in Sunnyvale, the selected project spans over 22,000 square feet. The firm’s team had to work with the professionals at IA Interior Architects. The project consists of full-floor interior renovations, which included demolition and new partitions. The company also had to work on the mechanical, electrical, and fire alarm systems.

XL Construction

851 Buckeye Court, Milpitas, CA 95035

Headquartered in Milpitas, XL Construction Corporation assists its clients closely throughout the entire construction process and is highly regarded for its comprehensive methods and approaches. It is noted for completing its projects on time and within budget. The firm is also well-respected for the safety measures it implements before starting any build. Emphasizing the importance of close collaboration between contractor and client, XL utilizes the latest techniques, including BIM. The company’s portfolio includes a wide range of civic, corporate office, education, healthcare, and life science projects. In 2021, the firm ranked 11th on the Silicon Valley Business Journal’s Largest General Contractors Silicon Valley List, 18th on Modern Healthcare‘s Construction and Design List, and 14th on the Sacramento Business Journal’s General Contractors List.

Showcased above is an excellent example of the firm’s talent and expertise. Located in Los Gatos and finished together with the architects at Form4 Architecture, this project spans over 137,000 square feet. It is located in Netflix’s Albright Campus and also included work on high-end finishes, conference rooms, and office space.

South Bay Construction

1711 Dell Avenue, Campbell, CA 95008

Extending its services throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, South Bay Construction is composed of an experienced team of talented professionals. The firm draws inspiration from decades of industry experience and employs a design-build approach. It offers its clients stellar value engineering and consistently reaffirms long-term relationships with some of the area’s most notable household brands. 

South Bay’s portfolio displays a wide range of project types, including commercial structures as well as education, healthcare, and hospitality facilities. It also manages several mixed-use, residential, tenant improvement, and retail projects.  The featured project is an excellent example of the company’s talent and expertise. Located in Palo Alto, this project spans over 33,000 square feet and consists of two floors. Some of its details include new ceilings, flooring, fixtures, and several upgrades to the kitchen and offices.

Skyline Construction

2384 Walsh Avenue, Santa Clara, CA 95051

Servicing the greater San Francisco Bay area, Skyline Construction is an employee-owned firm that specializes in working on corporate office interiors. The firm is a part of a family of construction companies that have serviced a variety of areas throughout the country. It is well-known for its team’s talents and expertise. The Skyline team has transformed various spaces into dynamic and unique offices, and it has received numerous recognitions. The firm has been in the industry since 1996 and it is also proud to be a woman-led enterprise. Sifting through its portfolio, you may notice that, in addition to corporate offices, it has completed projects in the healthcare, financial, and retail sectors. The firm has worked on a variety of headquarters. 

The featured project features the firm’s work for Gibson Dunn, which hired the firm to build two of its offices in San Francisco and Palo Alto. Its San Francisco office spans over 65,000 square feet and achieved LEED Gold Certification. As for its Palo Alto office, it includes 15,000 square feet of remodeled offices, a kitchen, and a 10,000-square-foot expansion.

SC Builders

910 Thompson Place, Sunnyvale, CA 94085

Having completed over 2,000 projects since its inception, SC Builders offers its clients a complete and comprehensive range of general contracting services. It operates out of its headquarters in Sunnyvale and takes great pride in its 87% repeat clientele rate. The company is committed to the green building movement and infuses various sustainability practices into its spaces. The firm has been in business since 1999 and has had the opportunity to work on some of the best projects throughout Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay area. 

This project features the firm’s work for Facebook’s Palo Alto campus. It spans roughly 337,000 square feet and achieved LEED Gold Certification. The company had to transform a former lab facility into an all-new corporate headquarters. It now includes a new cafe, several conference rooms, and server rooms.

NOVO Construction

1460 O’Brien Drive, Menlo Park, CA 94025

NOVO Construction operates out of three offices located in Menlo Park, San Francisco, and Austin. The company upholds the highest standards and can handle projects of any size or scale. Its headquarters are located in Menlo Park, home to most of its employees. The firm has been in business since 2000 and has been involved with some of the most notable projects in the Bay Area. Specializing in small to large-scale build-outs, NOVO showcases its deep understanding of Menlo Park’s most popular architectural vernaculars. It has secured long-standing relationships with countless customers for the greater part of two decades. It describes its approach as similar to that of a “boutique” firm, assuring clients that it personalizes and tailors its methods for each project it takes on.

Completed back in 2021, the chosen photo showcases the firm’s work for Advent International. It spans over 16,200 square feet and is located in downtown Palo Alto. The project also includes private office space and excellently planned open office seating. The project required having to rework the existing mechanical system and rooftop equipment.

Vance Brown Builders

3197 Park Boulevard, Palo Alto, CA 94306

With over eight decades of industry experience, Vance Brown Builders values the long-term partnerships it has secured with both subcontractors and clients. It offers a complete and comprehensive range of services and achieves the best results through cost-effective methods. The firm is also an expert in the design-build process, which gives the clients the option to keep the entire process in-house. Its use of the latest Building Information Technology and affinity for sustainable practices are especially impressive.

The chosen project is located in the heart of Palo Alto. Labeled in its portfolio as 120 Hawthorne, this project was designed and constructed for R & M Properties. It spans around 8,400 square feet. The project included demolition work as well as new high-end offices, restrooms, and conference rooms. 

TICO Construction

1585 Terminal Avenue, San Jose, CA 95112

Headquartered in San Jose, TICO extends its services throughout the area surrounding it. It is composed of a talented and experienced team of professionals and provides its clients with a wide range of stellar general contracting services. The firm can take on projects regardless of size or scale and offers its services at highly competitive prices. Aside from the restaurant market, its portfolio also depicts various spaces completed for the automotive, biotechnology, financial, and healthcare sectors. The firm has also worked on various office and retail spaces.

Showcased above is the firm’s work for First Tech in San Jose. This tenant improvement served as a transformation for an existing building. It entailed the demolition of its existing lights and finishes, in addition to the construction of suspended ceilings, interior walls, doors, lights, and finishes. As for its exterior remodels, the firm also worked on ADA upgrades to its parking lot.