Tucson, the second-biggest city in Arizona, is thought by many to be one of the more fascinating cities in America. Visitors can choose to experience a wide variety of attractions here, such as the Sonoran Desert or the many options of southwestern cuisine. Hobbyists will also enjoy this city, since there are a number of communities for niche passions like photography, vintage car collection, rodeo, and astronomy. With more than 300 days of sunshine yearly, it makes sense that this city is a popular destination for people looking for somewhere fun to explore.

For businesses that are interested in setting up shop in an active area like Tucson, we have created a list of the best tenant improvement contractors in the city. These firms are each well known for their client-centric approach, which ensures that every space is tailored to the unique needs of its latest tenant.

W.E. O’Neil Construction

2601 N. Fairview Ave. Tucson, AZ 85705

W.E. O’Neil Construction works based on its company motto: “We value people. We build dreams.” With this sentiment at the heart of its business, the firm practices thoughtful leadership to make the construction process client- and employee-centric. Clients across Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Tennessee, and Texas enjoy the firm’s different services, which include construction management, general contracting, preconstruction, and self-performance work. W.E. O’Neil Construction specializes in creating structures for a wide range of sectors, including adaptive reuse, aerospace, technology, manufacturing, aviation, infrastructure, cultural, education, entertainment, recreation, gaming, government, healthcare, hospitality, multi-family, office, retail, and senior living.

The Wattis Hacienda at the River Medical Office Building is a project W.E. O’Neil Construction worked on with repeat client Michael R. Wattis. The space is a 15,000-square-foot single-story medical office in the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute. Its structure is built of steel columns and structural metal studs, and the exterior is made of stucco and metal wall paneling with accent pop-outs. The interior build-out features a reception and lobby area, community room space, offices, exam rooms, a lab area, a training room, and a break area. Additionally, there is backup electrical power in the building, for critical needs, along with advanced audio-visual and special systems. W.E. O’Neil Construction also worked on asphalt parking, concrete hardscape, and landscaping for the project.

Barker Contracting

2127 E. Speedway, Suite 101, Tucson, AZ 85719

Barker Contracting is a Tucson-based general contracting firm that has worked with clients from many industries, including industrial, research, retail, renewable, and health and life sciences. Barker’s service delivery, which is primarily preconstruction and construction work, focuses on integrity, strong relationships, and project excellence. These focuses have fostered a culture throughout the firm of encouraging personal success and community improvement. On its projects, Barker Contracting also works with subcontractors whose qualifications the company has verified.

The Community Foundation for Southern Arizona is a three-building complex that the tenant improvement firm was contracted for. The non-profit asked for the firm’s help with making their new office space a collaborative business center, which the firm did through a complete renovation and repurposing of the space. There are new finishes throughout, as well as new utility infrastructures interconnected by a landscaped courtyard. The courtyard also has an outdoor presentation stage.

Sundt Construction

2015 W. River Rd. Suite 101, Tucson, AZ 85704

Sundt Construction’s team is committed to serving as skilled builders who provide professional and quality construction work to all of their clients. The team’s expertise and experience include structures for the aviation, office, multi-family housing, mining, military, manufacturing, retail, industrial, hospitality, and healthcare sectors. Sundt Construction also offers numerous self-perform services like concrete paving, pipe fitting and welding, quality assurance and control, structural steel, and civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering.

Habitat for Humanity partnered with Sundt Construction for its Tucson branch. The project features an unused warehouse that was reworked into new administrative offices. Sundt Construction worked on the structure over the course of several months, during which 5,950 square feet of space was gutted, renovated, and turned into a usable modern office space. The project design preserved several features of the previous warehouse, like exposed ductwork and concrete floors, but added many new amenities, like heating, ventilation, air conditioning systems, and additional windows for more natural light. Everything was performed at a reduced rate to provide the nonprofit group with a beautiful and functional new space.

Pate Contractors, LLC

1129 N. Winstel Blvd. Tucson, AZ 85716

Pate Contractors, LLC is a full-service commercial general contractor that serves clients in the Tucson and Southern Arizona areas and provides turn-key and ground-up construction, preconstruction, general contracting, and design-build services. Clients are given a team of superintendents, project managers, and subcontractors to collaborate with on their projects in order to ensure that all of their goals are met. 

Owners Tim Pate and Natalie Arzaga both have more than 25 years of experience in the commercial construction industry. While Pate is in charge of the fieldwork, Arzaga focuses on office operations and estimation. They lead Pate Contractors while observing the traditions and ethics of Tim’s late father and firm founder, Herman Pate. These values include integrity, honesty, and accountability, which ensures that the team maintains high-quality results on every project they complete.

Tofel Dent Construction

3555 E. 42nd Stra. Tucson, AZ 85713

Tofel Dent Construction is a full-service premier general contracting firm whose specialty lies in creating commercial structures, hospitality buildings, and multi-family housing throughout the Southwest area. Its spaces are designed to capture the essence of a client’s vision, and its work is all done collaboratively, which ensures that the project can meet client and industry standards. Doing this also allows the firm to create partnerships that are based on a strong foundation of mutual integrity and trust.

Tofel Dent Construction’s ability to build lasting relationships with both clients and partners is a reflection of the firm’s commitment to teamwork, service, quality, and integrity. As a process-oriented firm, it focuses on addressing problems as soon as they arise, in order to maintain the project quality, budget, and schedule. The work put into each project has resulted in the completion of many successful hotels, restaurants, retail buildings, and office spaces.

Durazo Construction

934 S. 6th Ave. Tucson, AZ 85701

Durazo Construction was founded 40 years ago to give clients a firm that focuses on quality, client service, and integrity. Since its inception, the firm has been dedicated to providing excellent and client-centric services, which has fostered an expectation that the firm’s team will tackle projects with equal levels of dedication, regardless of size and scale. The available services offered by the firm include general contracting, new construction, renovation and improvements, construction management at risk, design-build, construction management, consultation, value analysis, and preconstruction.

Pima County and Caterpillar is one project that reflects Durazo Construction’s premier renovation services. The project features a complete four-floor building renovation with a total office space of 44,000 square feet. Durazo Construction built an executive office, conference rooms, huddle rooms, focus rooms, a fitness center, and men’s and women’s bathrooms on each floor. Additionally, the firm installed a new sound masking system on each floor, modernized the exterior facade and balcony, and painted the entirety of the building’s exterior.