- Finance & Banking
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The largest general contractor in the U.S. is Bechtel, with a revenue of $17.5 billion.
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As of 2022, the U.S. construction industry has a market size of $1.36 trillion.
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General contractors employ 7 million people across the U.S.
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The U.S. construction industry is projected to grow at a CAGR of 2.2% through 2025.
Whether it’s the building you live in, the grocery store you visit weekly, or your work office, odds are that a general contractor had a hand in putting all of those structures up.
After all, general contractors are the backbone of construction companies, providing any material, labor, and equipment needed to complete a project.
In the United States alone, general contractors provide jobs for over 7 million employees and create an estimated $1.3 trillion in constructed structures every year. The scope of these companies is massive, and the services they provide are vital for other companies, homeowners, and American infrastructure.
With that in mind, we’ve gathered a list of the top 15 largest general contractors in the U.S., based on the most recent revenue reports.
Top 15 Largest General Contractors
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Headquarters: Reston, Virginia
2022 Revenue: $17.5 billionHands down, Bechtel is the largest general contractor in the United States, employing over 55,000 employees.
The company has many important divisions, such as Infrastructure, Mining Metals, Nuclear, Security Environmental, Oil, and Gas Chemicals. Overall though, Bechtel’s specialization falls under construction, engineering, and project management.
Founded 123 years ago in 1898, some of this company’s most notable projects include the Western Hoover Dam (Nevada), Boston Central Artery/Tunnel (Massachusetts), and even the London City Airport (UK).
Bechtel also earns its place with high marks, as an average of 96% of their subcontractors and suppliers report no payment issues.
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Headquarters: New York City, New York
2022 Revenue: $14 billionFounded in 1902, Turner Construction has grown to become one of the largest general contractors in the United States. The company employs roughly 10,000 employees and takes on at least 1,500 domestic projects per year.
In fact, some of their most well-known projects include Madison Square Garden (New York), Harvard University Science and Engineering Complex (Massachusetts), and the Anaheim Convention Center (California).
Turner Construction has a few mixed reviews, with up to 12% of their clientele reporting payment issues. Most of these issues involve long wait times, as some have reported waiting over 100 days for their payments. However, a majority of the company’s clients have positive reports.
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Headquarters: Irving, Texas
2022 Revenue: $13.7 billionEmploying over 53,000 people, This general contractor was actually founded in 1912 as the Fluor Construction Company in Santa Ana, California. However, in 2005 the company headquarters was moved to Irving, Texas.
Fluor’s specializations are oil, gas, infrastructure, and industrial power. Often working with the government, Fluor had a hand in the destructive 1940s Manhattan Project, while also helping rebuild local infrastructure after Hurricane Katrina. Some of their other noteworthy projects include the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, the new Tappan Zee Bridge (New York), and the Aladdin Hotel Casino (Nevada).
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Headquarters: Los Angeles, California
2022 Revenue: $13.1 billionEmploying an impressive 87,000 people, AECOM is the largest general contractor on this list in that respect. Interestingly though, this company is actually rather new, being founded in 1990.
Being a newer company, it’s no surprise that AECOM’s architectural engineering, building design, and construction projects often specialize in clean water and energy.
Some of their most notable projects include the One World Trade Center (New York), One Vanderbilt Avenue (New York), and Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Georgia).
AECOM’s reviews vary between having 13-27% of their clients having payment issues. Most of these issues involve AECOM failing to pay the initial cost outlined in their contracts, even if they usually pay on time.
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Headquarters: Omaha, Nebraska
2022 Revenue: $12.5 billionFounded in 1884, Kiewit typically handles construction, engineering, and mining projects. This company is more localized than some of the others on this list, employing 23,000 across the US and Canada.
Branching out from Omaha, Nebraska, two of Kiewit’s most prominent Omaha projects are the Holland Performing Arts Center and TD Ameritrade Park. Other domestic projects Kiewit has completed include the Salt Lake City University Line (Utah) and the Pacific Aviation Museum (Hawaii).
In 2019, Kiewit completed 81 projects in 12 months, with 93% of those projects reporting positive and appropriate payment reviews.
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Headquarters: New York City, New York
2022 Revenue: $9.5 billionPreviously known as the Structure Tone Organization, the STO Building Group is a collection of 8 firms across the US, Canada, the UK, and Ireland. Across these firms, this general contractor employs roughly 2,200 people.
STO specializes in site section analysis, design constructability review, aesthetic enhancements, new building construction, and building infrastructure modernization.
Some of the company’s most prominent projects include the Urban Glass House (New York), 3535 Market Street (Pennsylvania), and the Havas London Village (UK).
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Headquarters: Baltimore, Maryland
2021 Revenue: $9.2 billionWhiting-Turner Contracting is a domestic general contractor with 50 locations across the United States. Intriguingly, this company’s team is actually rather small, with just over 3,700 employees. However, Whiting-Turner has still completed an impressive list of projects.
For instance, some of Whiting-Turner’s most significant projects are the Fort Worth Zoo African Savanna (Texas), Ruby City (Texas), and the Porsche North America Headquarters (Georgia).
Being a more compacted general contractor, Whiting-Turner is known to value community involvement and the company seems to recognize the importance of local subcontractor relationships.
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Headquarters: Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey
2022 Revenue: $6.9 billionSkanska USA is the American-based division of the Swedish parent company Skanska. Worldwide, Skanska employs 33,585 employees, with roughly 10,000 of those working in the United States.
Most often, Skanska USA works with commercial property and in public-private partnerships. Some of the company’s most significant domestic projects include the University of Cincinnati Fifth Third Arena (Ohio), The Alamo Colleges (Texas), and the RBM Development Company (Ohio).
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Headquarters: Redwood City, California
2022 Revenue: $6.8 billionDPR Construction is an American general contractor specializing in technical, potentially complex, and sustainable projects. Typically, these projects are designed for advanced technology fields, life sciences, healthcare, higher education, and other commercial markets.
DPR maintains 28 offices in the United States, with a few extra locations in South Korea and Singapore, and employs almost 6,000 people.
A few of the company’s award-winning projects include the Facebook Forest City Data Center (North Carolina), the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center at the Library of Congress (Virginia), and the Arizona State University (Arizona).
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Headquarters: Providence, Rhode Island
2022 Revenue: $6.5 billionFounded in 1870, Gilbane Building Company has been a relevant general contractor for a long time. Today, the company employs approximately 2,773 employees and has over 25 offices from New York to California.
Originally, Gilbane worked mostly in residential construction. However, now they handle buildings from a variety of sectors.
Some of their most significant projects are the National Air and Space Museum (DC), Terminal 5 of O’Hare International Airport (Illinois), and the Robert F. Kennedy US Department of Justice Building (DC).
In 2019 alone, Gilbane worked on a staggering 421 projects.
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PCL Construction Enterprises Inc.
Headquarters: Denver, Colorado
2022 Revenue: $6.3 billionPCL Construction is an American-Canadian general contractor with its American headquarters located in Denver, Colorado. This company employs roughly 14,000 people and worked on an impressive 264 projects in 2019.
PCL’s typical specialization areas include the civil infrastructure, heavy industrial and buildings markets. The company works on everything from residential construction projects to wastewater treatment plants.
Some of the larger projects they’ve completed are the Staples Center (California), the Tempe Town Lake Downstream Dam (Arizona), and the American Dream Meadowlands (New Jersey).
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Headquarters: Greeley, Colorado
2022 Revenue: $5.9 billionFounded in 1937 as a local building company in Greeley Colorado, Hensel Phelps Construction now has 21 locations across the United States. Additionally, this general contractor employs nearly 3,000 employees.
Typically, Hensel Phelps Construction deals in general construction, real estate development, and facilities management. Two of their most recent and major projects are the Powertrain Facility and Central Energy Plant (Texas) and the University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School Ambulatory Surgery Center (Texas).
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Headquarters: Bethesda, Maryland
2022 Revenue: $6.0 billionFounded in 1906, Clark Construction Group now has a national reach, with roughly 4,200 employees across the US. They work with a wide range of buildings and constructions, but have done a significant amount of aviation and government projects.
Clark Construction has completed several noteworthy domestic projects, including terminals and baggage systems for airports across the country, the Los Angeles City Hall (California), and the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (Maryland).
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Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois
2019 Revenue: $5.4 billionThe Walsh Group is a collection of three firms, with the major construction firm located in Chicago, Illinois. In the United States, the company has 19 locations from Massachusetts to California and employs over 8,000 people.
The Walsh Group typically works on projects related to construction management and design, with a focus on infrastructure and industrial power. Some of this general contractor’s most prominent projects include the Ohio River Bridges (Kentucky), and the I-540 Western Wake Freeway (North Carolina).
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Headquarters: Minneapolis, Minnesota
2022 Revenue: $4.8 billionThe Mortenson Company is a family-owned general contractor specializing in aviation, power, civil construction, data centers, healthcare facilities, higher education, and performative art projects.
The company employs roughly 2,700 employees nationwide, and in recent years, has gravitated toward renewable energy, such as wind, solar, and water-powered projects.
A few of Mortenson’s most significant projects are the Eagle Mountain Data Center (Utah) and the Charles Schwab Campus (Colorado).
Construction Industry FAQ
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Who is the biggest general contractor in the United States?
The largest general contractor in the United States is Bechtel. With an annual revenue of $17.5 billion, Bechtel is the biggest general contractor in the U.S. The second largest general contractor in the U.S. is Turner Construction, with an annual revenue of $14 billion.
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how big is the construction industry in the United States?
The U.S. construction industry has a market size of $1.36 trillion. The construction industry plays a significant part in the U.S. economy. With a CAGR of 2.2.% through 2025, the construction industry will continue to play an important role in the growth of the U.S. economy.
- Finance & Banking
Author
Jack Flynn is a writer for Zippia. In his professional career he’s written over 100 research papers, articles and blog posts. Some of his most popular published works include his writing about economic terms and research into job classifications. Jack received his BS from Hampshire College.
