The Top 20 Data Center Construction Contractors — Who's Getting the Work

The data center construction market hit $32 billion in 2025 and is tracking toward $35 billion in 2026. That kind of money concentrates in the hands of contractors who've earned the trust of hyperscalers — Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Meta, and the growing list of AI companies building their own compute infrastructure.

If you're trying to understand who dominates this market, how they got there, and what it takes to join them, this is the definitive list. I've ranked these firms based on data center revenue, active project volume, and market position as of early 2026.

The Tier 1 Contractors — $1B+ Annual Data Center Revenue

1. Holder Construction (Atlanta, GA)

Holder is arguably the single most important general contractor in the data center market. They've built more hyperscale data center square footage than any other GC in North America, with an estimated $3-4B in annual data center revenue.

Their client list reads like a who's who of tech: Microsoft, Google, Meta, and several undisclosed hyperscalers. Holder's competitive advantage is their bench of project managers and superintendents who've delivered dozens of mission-critical facilities. When a hyperscaler needs a 100MW campus built in 18 months, Holder is typically on the short list.

How they got here: Holder invested early in data center expertise, starting in the mid-2000s when the market was a fraction of its current size. They built internal training programs for mission-critical construction and developed proprietary scheduling and quality management systems tailored to data center work.

2. DPR Construction (Redwood City, CA)

DPR is a $8B+ revenue firm that has become a dominant force in data center construction. Their data center division likely generates $2-3B annually, making it one of their largest business lines.

DPR's strength is their integrated approach — they often serve as both GC and construction manager, providing preconstruction services that help optimize facility design for constructibility. Their self-perform capabilities in concrete and MEP coordination give them an edge on schedule-driven projects.

Key differentiator: DPR's technology platform for project management is considered best-in-class in the data center market. Their ability to track thousands of commissioning activities in real time gives clients confidence in delivery.

3. Mortenson (Minneapolis, MN)

Mortenson has built a massive data center practice, particularly in the Midwest and Mountain West regions. With estimated data center revenue of $2-3B annually, they're a top-three GC in this space.

Their work for Meta and Microsoft in Iowa, Oregon, and other markets has established them as a go-to contractor for large campuses. Mortenson's renewable energy expertise — they're one of the largest wind and solar construction firms — gives them a unique advantage as hyperscalers increasingly co-locate renewable generation with data center campuses.

4. Hensel Phelps (Greeley, CO)

Hensel Phelps has leveraged their government construction reputation into a significant data center practice. With approximately $1.5-2.5B in annual data center revenue, they're particularly strong in markets where data centers serve government and defense clients.

Their design-build capabilities are a differentiator. While many data center GCs focus on bid-build delivery, Hensel Phelps has won major design-build data center contracts that consolidate design and construction responsibility.

5. Turner Construction (New York, NY)

Turner is the largest GC in the United States by overall revenue, and their data center division has grown rapidly. Estimated data center revenue is $1.5-2B annually, with particular strength in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic markets.

Turner's corporate relationships and bonding capacity give them access to projects that smaller firms can't pursue. Their ability to self-perform work and their massive supply chain relationships provide cost advantages on large-scale procurements.

Tier 2 Contractors — $500M-$1B Annual Data Center Revenue

6. Whiting-Turner (Baltimore, MD)

Whiting-Turner has built a strong data center practice across the East Coast, with particular depth in the Northern Virginia market. Their estimating capabilities and subcontractor relationships make them competitive on hard-bid data center work.

7. Skanska USA (New York, NY)

Skanska's data center practice benefits from their European parent company's global data center experience. They bring international best practices and have been particularly active in the Southeast and Texas markets.

8. Balfour Beatty US (Dallas, TX)

Balfour Beatty has grown their data center business aggressively, leveraging their UK parent's data center expertise. Their strength in Texas and the Southeast has positioned them well for the geographic shift in data center construction.

9. Clark Construction (Bethesda, MD)

Clark's data center work is concentrated in the Mid-Atlantic region, where they've built multiple facilities in the Northern Virginia corridor. Their government construction background has been valuable for classified data center projects.

10. Jacobs (Dallas, TX)

While primarily known as an engineering firm, Jacobs has a significant construction management practice in the data center space. Their integrated design-build-commission capability is attractive to clients who want a single point of responsibility.

Tier 3 Contractors — $200M-$500M Annual Data Center Revenue

11. Brasfield & Gorrie (Birmingham, AL)

Strong Southeast presence with growing data center capabilities. Their work in Georgia and the Carolinas positions them well as data center development shifts to the Southeast.

12. McCarthy Building Companies (St. Louis, MO)

McCarthy has built their data center practice primarily through healthcare and mission-critical facility experience. The precision and quality management skills transfer directly.

13. Gilbane Building Company (Providence, RI)

Gilbane's data center work is concentrated in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Their long history of complex institutional construction provides a foundation for mission-critical work.

14. Clune Construction (Chicago, IL)

Clune specializes in interior construction and has built a niche in data center fit-out work. While they may not build the shell, their expertise in raised floor, power distribution, and cooling system installation makes them a valuable subcontractor or CM partner.

15. Fortis Construction (Portland, OR)

Fortis has become a significant player in the Pacific Northwest data center market, particularly in Oregon where tax incentives have driven major hyperscale development.

Specialist Contractors — Data Center Focus

16. Compass Datacenters (Dallas, TX)

Compass is unique on this list because they're both a developer and a builder. They design, build, and operate data centers using a standardized, repeatable approach that reduces construction time and cost. Their in-house construction capabilities challenge the traditional GC model.

17. EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure (Denver, CO)

Similar to Compass, EdgeCore integrates development and construction. Their focus on purpose-built hyperscale campuses has generated billions in construction activity.

18. QTS Realty Trust (now Blackstone-owned)

QTS has an internal construction management team that oversees development of their powered shell facilities. While they use external GCs, their in-house CM capability gives them significant control over cost and schedule.

19. Rosendin Electric (San Jose, CA)

Rosendin is the largest electrical contractor in the data center market, not a GC — but I'm including them because the electrical package is the single largest trade scope in any data center project. Rosendin's data center electrical revenue likely exceeds $1B annually, and their ability to self-perform medium voltage, emergency power, and UPS installations makes them a critical partner for every GC on this list.

20. Cupertino Electric (San Jose, CA)

Another major electrical contractor with deep data center expertise. Cupertino has built electrical systems for some of the largest data center campuses in the world, and their commissioning capabilities are among the best in the industry.

How to Get Approved as a Data Center Subcontractor

If you're a subcontractor looking to break into data center work, here's what the GCs and hyperscalers look for during prequalification:

Financial Requirements

• General liability insurance: $5M+ per occurrence minimum. Many hyperscalers require $10M+ or umbrella policies to $25M.
• Workers' compensation: EMR (Experience Modification Rate) of 0.85 or below. Some clients require 0.75 or below.
• Bonding capacity: Ability to bond individual projects at $10M+. Payment and performance bonds are standard.
• Financial statements: Three years of audited financial statements showing profitability and adequate working capital. Data center GCs typically want to see a current ratio above 1.3 and net worth sufficient to cover the contract value.

Safety Requirements

Data center clients take safety more seriously than almost any other construction market segment. Prequalification typically requires:

• OSHA 300 log review: Three years of incident data, with Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) below 2.0 and preferably below 1.0
• Written safety program: Including site-specific safety plans, JSA/JHA processes, and documented training programs
• Drug testing program: Most hyperscalers require 100% pre-employment drug testing and random testing throughout the project
• Qualified safety personnel: On-site safety managers for contracts above $5M

As the OSHA violations data shows, fall protection and electrical safety remain the top concern areas — and data center sites enforce these standards rigorously.

Technical Qualifications

• Relevant experience: Minimum 3-5 completed data center projects in the last 5 years. First-time data center subs can sometimes qualify on smaller scopes if they have comparable mission-critical experience (hospitals, pharmaceutical, semiconductor).
• BICSI certifications: For low-voltage and structured cabling contractors, BICSI Installer and RCDD certifications are effectively mandatory.
• Manufacturer certifications: For specific equipment installations (generators, UPS, switchgear), manufacturer-authorized installer status is required.
• Workforce certifications: OSHA 30-hour for supervisors, OSHA 10-hour for all craft workers, CPR/First Aid, and trade-specific certifications.

The Prequalification Process

Getting prequalified with a major data center GC typically involves:

1. Initial application: Submit your company information through the GC's prequalification portal. Most large GCs use platforms like Building Connected, Procore, or proprietary systems.
2. Document review: The GC evaluates your financial statements, safety records, insurance certificates, and project history. This process takes 2-6 weeks.
3. Interview/site visit: For significant scopes, the GC may visit your office or shop to assess your capabilities in person.
4. Approved vendor list: If approved, you're added to the bid list for future projects in your trade scope and geographic area.
5. First project: Your first data center project will likely be a smaller scope — a support building, site work package, or partial fit-out — rather than a full data hall. Performance on this initial project determines whether you get invited back.

Where the Work Is Going — Geographic Trends

The data center construction market is shifting geographically, and understanding these trends is essential for contractors positioning themselves for future work.

Northern Virginia remains the largest market but is increasingly constrained by power availability, land scarcity, and community opposition. New development is pushing further west into Fauquier and Prince William counties.

Texas (Dallas-Fort Worth and San Antonio) is the fastest-growing market, benefiting from abundant land, competitive power costs, and business-friendly regulation. The state's data center tax incentive program has been a powerful draw.

The Midwest (Ohio, Indiana, Iowa) is emerging as a major growth corridor. Cheap power, available land, and new state incentive programs are attracting hyperscale investment. Columbus, Ohio alone has seen $10B+ in announced data center investment since 2024.

The Southeast (Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee) is attracting significant new development. Georgia's data center tax exemption has made the state particularly competitive. The construction spending forecast reflects this broader geographic diversification.

The Pacific Northwest (Oregon, Washington) remains important for its access to hydroelectric power and cool climate, though water concerns are emerging as a constraint.

Bottom Line

The data center construction market is dominated by a relatively small number of contractors who've invested years in building the specialized capabilities these projects require. But the market is growing so fast — $35B in 2026, potentially $50B+ by 2028 — that there's room for new entrants who are willing to invest in the qualifications, training, and relationships needed to compete.

The contractors on this list didn't become data center specialists overnight. They started with smaller scopes, built their credentials methodically, and reinvested profits into capability development. If you want to be on a list like this in five years, the time to start building your data center resume is right now.

Business tip: Don't try to break into the data center market by underbidding established specialists. The GCs and hyperscalers care more about reliability and quality than price. Compete on capability, safety, and execution — the margins in this market support it.

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