Raleigh, which is home to over 474,000 residents, is the capital city of North Carolina. Home to Duke University, North Carolina State University, and other renowned educational institutions, it is considered to be part of the “Research Triangle.” This prominence in the realm of higher education has encouraged the city to concentrate on technology, research, and education, making it a hub for these sectors. Downtown Raleigh also features a wide variety of leisure locations, including restaurants, bars, retail stores, and entertainment venues.
In this city full of diverse neighborhoods and establishments, residents may need to complete a wide variety of construction projects. When they do, they rely on the best construction companies in Raleigh, North Carolina, which are featured in this list. Each of these companies has significantly aided in the city’s development, having proved their abilities in a range of construction-related tasks. Every firm on this list also has outstanding credentials and is led by a respected leader in the field.
Clancy & Theys Construction Company
421 N. Harrington St. Ste. 200, Raleigh, NC 27603
Since its establishment in 1949, Clancy and Theys Construction Company has made a name for itself as the top builder of commercial institutions across 15 states. It has offices in Virginia, Florida, and three in North Carolina, which are in Raleigh, Wilmington, and Charlotte. The firm is also known as one of the Top 100 Green Contractors and the Top 100 Construction Manager (CM) at-Risk providers. These distinctions demonstrate its expertise in sustainable building as well as the fact that projects are delivered with the guaranteed maximum price, based on project documents and specifications. President Baker Glasgow manages the firm and works hard to maintain its reputation for excellence, especially in Building Information Modeling (BIM), planning, and efficient field communication.
Clancy and Theys Construction Company supervised and developed the 421 N. Harrington street office structure, which was part of the client’s Smoky Hollow Phase 2 expansion. The firm’s design features a nine-story building with active ground-floor retail space above Class A offices. It also includes large conference rooms, collaborative workspaces, outdoor patios, and a bicycle center, all of which were features selected to achieve a lifestyle-oriented workplace. A 10-story precast parking garage and patio sit next to the office building, spanning over 245,000 square feet. The office also features 40,000 square feet of street-level restaurants and retail spaces, as well as welcoming hardscapes and art installations that provide pedestrians with an appealing walkway.
Barnhill Contracting Company
4325 Pleasant Valley Rd. Raleigh, NC 27612
Founded by Robert E. Barnhill, Sr. in 1949, Barnhill Contracting Company is known to provide outstanding construction services to businesses across North Carolina and the Southeastern region of the United States. The firm specializes in scheduling and phasing, estimating and preconstruction, mechanical trade coordination and constructability review, commercial building, site infrastructure, and building information modeling (BIM). Renowned for using the latest tools and practices in the industry, its team is highly skilled in developing innovative solutions for critical issues, especially complicated transportation construction.
Barnhill Contracting Company facilitated the renovation of Capitol Broadcasting (WRAL)’s Headquarters, a project that involved replacing the HVAC systems, lighting fixtures, ceilings, roofs, wall coverings, and flooring. The team also redid the building’s inside storefront, glazing, curtain wall, entrance doors, metal framing partitions, plumbing, and fire alarm devices. Other security measures implemented by the firm include lockdown controls for the lobby area and ballistic panels. The team worked around the recording and broadcast schedules in order to finish the project on a live campus.
Bobbitt Design Build
600 Germantown Rd. Raleigh, NC 27607
General contracting firm Bobbitt Design Build (BDB) has been serving the Southeastern region of the US for almost eight decades. It offers its construction and design services to numerous sectors, including religious, educational, civic, industrial, medical, mixed-use, multi-family, corporate, and retail. The firm is accredited by the US Green Building Council (USGBC), the Metal Building Contractors and Erectors Association, Associated Builders and Contractors, and five Chamber of Commerce chapters: Raleigh, Greater Durham, Cary, Apex, and Moore County. The company is led by Brian Denisar, a 17-year industry veteran and the firm’s youngest CEO to date. Denisar is highly regarded for his strong ability to drive new business, manage projects, and mentor successful teams.
One project completed by the Bobbitt team is this 2,687-square-foot prototype concept that was developed in close collaboration with Dairy Queen. Continuous and clear communication between each party enabled smooth coordination between the equipment installations and the improvement of the dining area. Using the Dairy Queen brand identity as a reference, the team built a quick, laid-back, and enjoyable environment. It also helped the clients with property purchasing negotiations by identifying several site issues, including the evidence of rock.
HITT Contracting
6601 Six Forks Rd. Raleigh, NC 27615
With more than 86 years of serving the country through 14 offices nationwide, HIIT Contracting is the oldest firm on this list. Recognized as one of the Top Contractors of 2022—as per Engineering News-Record (ENR) magazine—the firm delivers over 300 million square feet of construction annually, and has a whopping 83% repeat-client rating. The firm has achieved this success by fostering meaningful relationships with its partners and subcontractors, as well as placing a strong emphasis on gaining its clients’ trust. Indeed, client expectations are repeatedly exceeded when they turn to the HIIT team to turn their complex visions into reality.
One notable project completed by the firm is this upgrade of the CAPTRUST’s 11th-floor office space. After demolishing the existing office, the firm filled the 31,000-square-foot space with a new podcast room and a new studio that features STC-rated windows and doors. The project team also used laser scanning during pre-construction to produce precise as-built models that revealed ceiling conflicts costing more than $20,000. The office also features high-end custom finishing, including lacquered wood paneling in the elevator lobby and unique glass elevations.
Barringer Construction
417 S. Dawson St. Raleigh, NC 27601
Barringer Construction focuses on providing high-quality services through its extensive experience and meaningful relationships with industry veterans and local trade partners. It has provided construction, design, and management services to a wide range of sectors, including retail, corporate, industrial, life science, healthcare, institutional, mission-critical, and hospitality. A majority of these clients have become repeat customers, due to the great value of their investment and their immense satisfaction with the firm’s work. Striving to create an overall enjoyable experience for its clients, the firm’s team offers innovative solutions and a tailored level of commitment on every project it completes. Under Randy Canady’s leadership, the firm has won nine Project of the Year awards from CoreNet Carolina, in 2023 alone.
In this project for Schneider Electric, Barringer Construction unified nearly 300,000 square feet from several local sites into one advanced working environment. The site of the project was a 65,000-square-foot unused Sam’s Club warehouse, and it took 12 months to construct the cutting-edge electrical R&D facility. The key goals of this project were to design an area that would support the client’s ongoing community involvement, foster internal cooperation, and help attract and retain top personnel. It houses labs for artificial intelligence, industrial manufacturing, materials development, intelligent building systems, and intelligent security.
Distinctive Remodeling, LLC
1228 United Dr. Raleigh, NC 27603
Distinctive Remodeling, LLC (DR) understands that homes should be designed not only for present needs, but for future use as well. Therefore, it develops carefully planned spaces that fit the homeowner’s unique needs and lifestyle, and guides the clients throughout the entirety of the process to ensure they attain their dream home. In its 33 years of delivering high-quality home construction services, the firm has received countless positive testimonials and honors for its outstanding work, including eight Home Builders Association (HBA) awards, in 2022 alone.
Featured here is one of DR’s notable projects, in which the team spent between $750,000 and $1,000,000 renovating the entire home. The home’s owners intended to make improvements to accommodate older people as they matured, which informed the way that DR approached the construction. Their design began with provisions for an elevator, a master suite on the first level, and various renovations to almost every part of the house. Now with a universal design, the residence is comfortable, safe, and accessible to everyone, especially the elderly and those with mobility challenges.
Wood Wise Design & Remodeling
3121 Glen Royal Rd. Ste. A, Raleigh, NC 27617
With over 33 years of experience in the construction industry, Wood Wise Design & Remodeling offers services in design-build, remodeling, additions, extensions, restoration, green building, and project management. Supervised by President Hank Wall, the firm prioritizes effectiveness, high-quality workmanship, and effective client interactions. These are a few of the rigorous criteria that the firm has employed in its completion of over 600 remodeling projects across Raleigh and its neighboring areas. Testament to the firm’s expertise is the large number of awards it has received, including at least 34 distinctions from the Home Builders Association (HBA).
In this project completed by Wood Wise Design & Remodeling, the owners were interested in enlarging their two-bedroom, two-bathroom home to accommodate their expanding family. They also hoped to preserve the charm of the 1940s inner-beltline house. Through close collaboration between the clients and Wood Wise designer Kathy Walker, a comprehensive design was created that included the addition of two bedrooms, a bathroom, a new dining room, and a sunroom. The design also included turning the old kitchen and dining rooms into a new central kitchen with a big walk-in pantry and sink. The kitchen’s unique aqua cabinets are reminiscent of turquoise homes from earlier periods, and the house’s exterior was painted and given a new standing-seam metal roof.
CQC Home
102 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd. Ste. 100, Durham, NC 27707
CQC Home has assisted the Raleigh, Durham, Cary, and Chapel Hill areas with their building and design needs since 2003. This mission is led by firm president and CEO Kenneth Combs, a 16-year industry veteran and member of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI). He guides the CQC team and ensures that it upholds the firm’s founding principle of integrity. Guided by this core value, the firm concentrates on doing the right thing for not only its clients but for its team members as well. This focus on ethical standards consistently produces durable, efficient, and remarkable homes that cover a wide variety of project types, including design-build, accessory dwelling units (ADU), remodeling, additions, and outdoor living.
This transitional home’s kitchen was completely renovated by the CQC team. The team widened up the area between the dining room and kitchen to add a custom built-in pantry that complemented the kitchen cabinets. They also added a classic appeal by adding a gorgeous gray-washed wood island with quartz counters, as well as black countertops and contrasting islands that provide depth and flair to the white kitchen. The finishing touches of the renovation were the installations of an apron-front sink and a unique range hood.
Blue Ribbon Residential Construction, Inc.
5605-100 Chapel Hill Rd. Raleigh, NC 27607
Established in 1996, Blue Ribbon Residential Construction, Inc. has developed a strong reputation as an expert in the construction industry. Primarily serving the Triangle region, it specializes in design-build, general home additions, whole home renovations, interior remodeling, kitchen and bathroom renovations, aging-in-place remodels, and cabinet refacing. The firm is known for its attention to detail, cutting-edge systems, and cloud-based project management, all of which make the building process as smooth as possible. It is also up-to-date with market trends, building codes, and universal design styles.
The dynamic team at Blue Ribbon Residential Construction has more than 100 years of combined experience, and is focused on providing exceptional service. The team of professionals is led by owner John R. Sperath, who also spearheads the firm’s design and sales department. For the past six years, he has been a member of the Apex Sunrise Rotary Club and the Apex Volunteer Fire Department. He is also the president, foundation treasurer, and chairperson of Music and Memory, a non-profit organization that helps individuals with a wide range of cognitive and physical conditions engage with the world around them. He has an associate’s degree in ornamental horticulture from the State University of New York (SUNY)—Delhi.
Rufty Homes
5121 Kingdom Way Ste. 208, Raleigh, NC 27607
Rufty Homes uses a client-centric process that prioritizes working and collaborating closely with customers to make their dreams a reality. The luxurious homes that the firm has built since its inception 35 years ago are constructed meticulously, with integrity and a close attention to detail. Previous clients have only given the firm positive praises, which continues to encourage the Rufty team to work hard to maintain its strong reputation. Recently, the firm was honored by West Magazine with the Gold Diamond Award for Best Builder, along with the Silver Award for Best Builder from Midtown Magazine and the Gold Award for Best Builder from Cary Living Magazine.
President and owner Jon Rufty manages the firm’s daily operations using his three decades of industry experience. He is regarded as the forefather of green building in North Carolina, as he is responsible for the very first EnergyStar structure in the state. This new home is significantly more efficient and uses 35% less energy than similar buildings in the area, allowing substantial saving opportunities for the homeowners. Jon is also a member of the exclusive National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Builder 20 club.
