The Top 20 Senior Living Construction Contractors in 2026
Twenty general contractors and construction managers reported a combined $1.69 billion in senior living revenue for 2025, according to Building Design+Construction's newest Giants 400 ranking. One firm dominates. Whiting-Turner reported $497 million, about 29 percent of the top 20's total and more than three times the No. 2 firm.
Senior living is a smaller market than apartments or hospitals, and it sits between the two. The buildings look like wood-frame or podium multifamily from the outside, but assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing floors bring healthcare-grade life safety, kitchens and nurse call. If you are a trade contractor who already does both kinds of work, these are the builders to know: where they are based, what they have been building, and what each one publishes about prequalification.
How We Ranked Them
The source is BD+C's Top 50 Senior Living Facility Construction Firms for 2026, published October 5, 2026, as part of the 2026 Giants 400 Report. The measure is 2025 senior living revenue. The rank order below follows that table exactly, positions 1 through 20, with no firms added, dropped or reordered.
Some caveats:
- The revenue is self-reported by the firms in BD+C's annual survey. Neither BD+C nor we audit it.
- BD+C does not print a definition of senior living on the ranking page, so firms may draw the line differently between independent living apartments, which can look a lot like market-rate multifamily, and assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing.
- Senior living revenue also feeds BD+C's broader multifamily ranking. For Weis Builders and W.E. O'Neil, senior living plus apartment/condo revenue equals their multifamily figure on the 2026 multifamily table to the dollar.
- Some figures may include joint-venture work.
- Headquarters, projects and prequalification details come from company websites, owner or operator releases, or trade press, linked inline. Many contractor project pages carry no date or contract role, and we say so where that is the case. Where we could not verify something, we left it out.
The Ranking at a Glance
| Rank | Contractor | HQ | 2025 senior living revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Whiting-Turner | Baltimore, MD | $497.0M |
| 2 | W.E. O'Neil Construction | Chicago, IL | $162.3M |
| 3 | Weis Builders | Minneapolis, MN | $139.3M |
| 4 | Harkins Builders | Columbia, MD | $132.5M |
| 5 | Choate Construction Company | Atlanta, GA | $81.1M |
| 6 | Swinerton | Concord, CA | $64.3M |
| 7 | The Weitz Company | Des Moines, IA | $64.0M |
| 8 | Donohoe Construction | Bethesda, MD | $61.9M |
| 9 | Brahms Construction | St. Louis, MO | $56.8M |
| 10 | Balfour Beatty US | Not stated on its site | $52.1M |
| 11 | Benchmark Construction | Ephrata, PA | $50.5M |
| 12 | Suffolk | Boston, MA | $48.2M |
| 13 | CORE Construction Group | Frisco, TX | $44.3M |
| 14 | ARCO Construction Companies | St. Louis, MO | $36.0M |
| 15 | Rycon Construction | Pittsburgh, PA | $35.7M |
| 16 | W. M. Jordan Company | Virginia (HQ not stated) | $34.1M |
| 17 | C.W. Driver Companies | Pasadena, CA | $33.2M |
| 18 | Clancy & Theys Construction | Raleigh, NC | $32.2M |
| 19 | Kraus-Anderson | Minneapolis, MN | $31.4M |
| 20 | Skender | Chicago, IL | $30.2M |
Source: BD+C 2026 Giants 400 senior living facility construction table (2025 revenue, self-reported). HQ from company websites or trade press, as noted in each entry.
The Top Five: $81 Million and Up
1. Whiting-Turner (Baltimore, MD)
2025 senior living revenue: $496,991,968. That is more than ranks 11 through 20 reported combined. Whiting-Turner's contact page lists headquarters at 300 East Joppa Road, Baltimore.
Recent senior living work: Whiting-Turner lists Windsor Run in Matthews, North Carolina, among its projects in progress, an Erickson Senior Living expansion of 275 residences in three independent living buildings on a 60-acre campus. Also in progress is Sunrise of Manhattan Beach in California, a three-story, 80,000-square-foot assisted living and memory care building with 95 units. Neither page states Whiting-Turner's contract role.
For subs: The prequalification page runs through BuildingConnected and posts a sample questionnaire.
2. W.E. O'Neil Construction (Chicago, IL)
2025 senior living revenue: $162,301,848. O'Neil's Chicago office page says its headquarters has been at 1245 W. Washington Blvd. in the Fulton Market/West Loop area since 2012.
Senior living work: O'Neil lists general contracting for Sage Desert Senior Living in Tucson, Arizona, for Willis Development, with 87 assisted living and 20 memory care units in 104,081 square feet on an 8.33-acre site. The page does not give a year.
For subs: The trade partners page sends prequalification through Vertikal.
3. Weis Builders (Minneapolis, MN)
2025 senior living revenue: $139,305,629. The contact page lists its corporate HQ at 2 Meridian Crossings in Minneapolis.
Senior living work: Weis posted a construction update on Shannon Reserve in Union City, Georgia, a 166-unit affordable 55+ apartment project. The post is undated and does not state Weis's role.
For subs: The prequalification page requires every sub to prequalify annually and upload a financial statement, W-9, additional insured endorsements, OSHA 300/300A, an EMR letter, safety manual, bondability letter, supervisor resume and a succession plan.
4. Harkins Builders (Columbia, MD)
2025 senior living revenue: $132,450,000. The Harkins homepage lists its Baltimore/Washington HQ at 10490 Little Patuxent Parkway in Columbia.
Senior living work: Harkins' portfolio includes Brightview Hunt Valley in Cockeysville, Maryland, for Brightview Senior Living: 178 units across independent living, assisted living and memory care in 303,000 gross square feet. It also lists The Lutheran Village at Miller's Grant in Ellicott City, with 205 independent living apartments and a 27-unit building for assisted living and skilled nursing. Neither page is dated.
For subs: The trade portal handles registration and prequalification on Harkins' own portal.
5. Choate Construction Company (Atlanta, GA)
2025 senior living revenue: $81,126,946. Choate's Atlanta office page lists 8200 Roberts Drive; the page does not use the word headquarters.
Recent senior living work: In July 2026, Choate posted that it is starting the next phase at Oaks at Whitaker Glen in Raleigh for PruittHealth, a 96,000-square-foot phase of wood-frame residences called The Flats, following completion of the community's amenity space. Choate also lists The Village on Morehead in Charlotte, a 199-apartment independent living building.
For subs: The onboarding page starts with a general inquiry form, then a W-9 and insurance review, and sends a TradeTapp invite if your scope requires prequalification.
Ranks 6 to 10: $52 Million to $65 Million
6. Swinerton (Concord, CA)
2025 senior living revenue: $64,301,869. A Swinerton news post describes the firm as "headquartered in Concord, California."
Recent senior housing work: Swinerton is general contractor on the $11.2 million renovation of Renaissance at Park Place in Atlanta for Mercy Housing Southeast, 100 affordable units for residents over 55, expected to finish in spring 2027. That is age-restricted housing rather than a care setting; we did not find a recent assisted living or memory care project on Swinerton's site.
For subs: The prequalification page uses CMiC registration and asks for a financial statement, bonding letter, COI, OSHA 300/300A, three-year EMR history, a line of credit letter and a W-9.
7. The Weitz Company (Des Moines, IA)
2025 senior living revenue: $63,956,900. Weitz's offices page lists its corporate HQ at 611 5th Avenue, Des Moines.
Recent senior living work: In November 2025, Weitz celebrated the topping out of Shell Point Tower One at Vista Cay in Fort Myers, Florida, a $107 million, 14-story independent living tower of 267,411 square feet with 58 residences, developed by the Christian and Missionary Alliance Foundation. Work began in July 2024, with completion scheduled for April 2027.
For subs: We did not find prequalification details on Weitz's site.
8. Donohoe Construction (Bethesda, MD)
2025 senior living revenue: $61,944,933. The Donohoe Companies' contact page lists 7101 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda.
Senior living work: Donohoe lists the Wagner Affordable Senior Living Residences in Washington, D.C., as under construction, a five-story, 67-unit senior housing building of 54,579 square feet. It also lists a phased repositioning at Erickson Senior Living's Riderwood continuing care community in Silver Spring, Maryland.
For subs: The subcontracting page asks subs to contact the estimating department by email to prequalify.
9. Brahms Construction (St. Louis, MO)
2025 senior living revenue: $56,848,151. Brahms' contact page lists its headquarters at 300 Hunter Ave. in St. Louis.
Senior living work: Brahms provided general construction and construction management for Cedarhurst of Frankfort in Illinois, with 56 assisted living and 27 memory care apartments in 72,930 square feet, which the page says was opening in fall 2021. That is older than most projects here; we did not find a dated 2024 to 2026 project on its site.
For subs: We did not find a subcontractor page on Brahms' site.
10. Balfour Beatty US (headquarters not stated)
2025 senior living revenue: $52,127,725. Balfour Beatty's U.S. about page does not name a U.S. headquarters or mention senior living, and we did not find a senior living project on its site, so this entry is revenue only.
For subs: The partner page says TradeTapp has been its prequalification platform since March 13, 2023.
Ranks 11 to 15: $35 Million to $51 Million
11. Benchmark Construction (Ephrata, PA)
2025 senior living revenue: $50,548,599. Benchmark's homepage lists corporate headquarters at 4121 Oregon Pike, Ephrata, with a regional office in Ellicott City, Maryland.
Recent senior living work: Benchmark completed The Vistas at Fox Hill for The Highlands at Wyomissing in 2024, a three-story, 41-unit independent living building with lower-level parking. It is also building three independent living buildings for Fellowship Community in Whitehall, Pennsylvania, with Phase 1 breaking ground in fall 2025 and completion listed for 2027.
For subs: The trade partners page uses an online form that collects your contacts, business type, largest completed job and CSI divisions.
12. Suffolk (Boston, MA)
2025 senior living revenue: $48,200,000, a small slice next to its No. 1 multifamily total. Construction Dive describes the company as "Boston-based Suffolk Construction."
Recent senior living work: Suffolk lists the Collier County State Veterans' Nursing Home in Naples, Florida, a 120-bed skilled nursing facility for the State of Florida's Department of Management Services. In March 2026, WGCU reported the home is supposed to open in late 2028 or early 2029. Suffolk also lists master planning and construction at Moorings Park Grande Lake in Naples, 16 independent living buildings totaling 261 units.
For subs: We did not find a public prequalification page.
13. CORE Construction Group (Frisco, TX)
2025 senior living revenue: $44,292,675. CORE's homepage lists CORE Headquarters at 6320 Research Rd., Frisco.
Recent senior living work: Florida YIMBY reported that CORE's Sarasota office is general contractor on The Gallery at South Tampa in Valrico for Experience Senior Living, with 202 homes across independent living, assisted living and memory care. The Business Observer put it at 240,613 square feet when work began in late 2024, and in January 2026 the Osprey Observer said it was a little over 50 percent done and projected to open in early 2027.
For subs: The trade partners page requires an active COMPASS account and a complete COMPASS 1Form.
14. ARCO Construction Companies (St. Louis, MO)
2025 senior living revenue: $35,964,303. ARCO National Construction's about page says it is headquartered in St. Louis.
Recent senior living work: ARCO completed two communities for Ovation by Avamere: Ovation at Heartwood in Omaha, Nebraska, more than 334,000 square feet with 90 assisted living and 60 memory care units plus an independent living building, and Ovation at Sienna Hills in Washington City, Utah, about 358,000 square feet with 89 assisted living and 60 memory care units. The page is undated.
For subs: ARCO's ARCOReady page runs prequalification through a platform called Area and asks for EMR, OSHA 300 logs, a safety plan, financials, a line of credit letter, a surety letter and a COI.
15. Rycon Construction (Pittsburgh, PA)
2025 senior living revenue: $35,689,000. Rycon's contact page lists corporate headquarters at 2501 Smallman Street, Pittsburgh.
Senior living work: Rycon completed a four-story expansion of the Sunrise of McCandless senior living facility in Pittsburgh, 22,000 square feet with 24 resident units. The post appears to be several years old; we did not find a recent senior living project on Rycon's site.
For subs: The subcontractors page uses a seven-step partnership application covering references, insurance, three years of EMR, safety training, bondability and litigation history.
Ranks 16 to 20: $30 Million to $35 Million
16. W. M. Jordan Company (Virginia)
2025 senior living revenue: $34,106,823. W. M. Jordan's contact page lists offices in Richmond and Newport News, Virginia, plus the Carolinas, without labeling a headquarters, so we list the state only.
Senior living work: W. M. Jordan lists general contracting on the Williamsburg Landing expansion, a multi-phase project adding 39 independent living units at the Williamsburg life plan community. It also lists Westminster Canterbury in Richmond, built in four phases, with 188 independent living apartments, 67 assisted living apartments and a memory support center. Neither page is dated.
For subs: The bid-with-us page points to its SmartBidNet online plan room.
17. C.W. Driver Companies (Pasadena, CA)
2025 senior living revenue: $33,183,512. The contact page lists corporate headquarters at 468 North Rosemead Boulevard, Pasadena.
Senior living work: Seniors Housing Business reported in July 2023 that C.W. Driver was building MonteCedro Phase II in Altadena for Episcopal Communities & Services, a $56 million addition of 40 independent living apartments in about 101,862 square feet, expected to finish in 2025. C.W. Driver also lists Welbrook Senior Living in Torrance, 117 assisted living and memory care units across two phases.
For subs: The build-with-us page manages prequalification in BuildingConnected, asks annually for current financial statements and work in progress, and requires its MSA to be signed with no modifications.
18. Clancy & Theys Construction (Raleigh, NC)
2025 senior living revenue: $32,221,754. Clancy & Theys' about page says it was founded in Raleigh in 1949, and its contact page lists the Raleigh office at 421 N. Harrington St.
Senior living work: Clancy & Theys provided construction management for the Searstone Phase II expansion in Cary, North Carolina, 152 independent living apartments plus 58 skilled nursing, assisted living and memory care beds. It was construction manager at risk on La Posada Independent Living in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, 54 units for Kisco Senior Living. Neither page is dated.
For subs: The trade partners page starts with an interest form before any bidding.
19. Kraus-Anderson (Minneapolis, MN)
2025 senior living revenue: $31,379,114. The contact page lists its headquarters at 501 South Eighth Street, Minneapolis.
Recent senior living work: In August 2025, REBusiness reported that Kraus-Anderson completed Phase 2 of a $41.8 million expansion at Trillium Woods in Plymouth, Minnesota, a five-story, 160,321-square-foot addition with 52 independent living, 18 assisted living and 16 memory care units. Construction began in April 2024.
For subs: The trade partners page says general requirements include insurance, safety records, bonding capacity, financial stability and licenses, and that they vary by project scope and risk.
20. Skender (Chicago, IL)
2025 senior living revenue: $30,194,721. Skender's contact page says it is headquartered in Chicago, at 1330 West Fulton Market.
Recent senior living work: In March 2026, ConnectCRE reported that Skender, as general contractor, broke ground on The Moorings of Arlington Heights for Presbyterian Living, a 172,000-square-foot project with 70 independent living apartments expected to finish in fall 2027.
For subs: The Skender site footer links a trade partner prequalification form hosted on BuildingConnected.
What the List Tells Subcontractors
Line the prequal pages up and a few patterns show.
BuildingConnected and TradeTapp still carry the most weight. Whiting-Turner, C.W. Driver and Skender run prequal through BuildingConnected, and Choate and Balfour Beatty use TradeTapp. CORE uses COMPASS, Swinerton uses CMiC, O'Neil uses Vertikal and ARCO uses Area. Weis, Harkins, Rycon and Benchmark run their own forms.
The document list is the same one you already keep for multifamily or healthcare work. Weis, Swinerton, ARCO, Rycon and C.W. Driver publish theirs: financial statements, work in progress, a bonding or bondability letter, COI, EMR and OSHA 300 logs. Keep the package current and most of these applications take an afternoon.
There is a lot of overlap with apartment builders. Whiting-Turner, O'Neil, Weis, Harkins, Swinerton, Balfour Beatty, Suffolk and Clancy & Theys are also on our top 20 multifamily contractors list. If you are already on their bid lists for apartments, ask the same estimators about their senior living jobs.
The building type is what changes the scope. Independent living towers like Shell Point or Moorings Park price a lot like multifamily. Assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing bring healthcare-type requirements, and the Collier County veterans home is a licensed 120-bed nursing facility, closer to the work on our top 20 hospital and healthcare contractors list. Our senior living construction cost per unit breakdown shows how those differences hit the budget, and the apartment construction cost per unit guide is a useful comparison for independent living.
Where Senior Living Construction Is Heading
Federal spending data only partly captures this market. The Census Bureau's construction spending release for September 2026, published November 2, 2026, puts private "special care" construction at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $4.9 billion, per its private construction table, down about 13.5 percent from $5.7 billion in September 2025. Census defines special care to include nursing homes, hospices, rest homes and adult day-care centers. Assisted living is not named in that definition, and independent living apartments would generally fall under new multifamily, so treat the figure as the care end of the market only.
The projects on this list point to two kinds of work. One is expansions on existing campuses: Trillium Woods, Searstone, Williamsburg Landing, Fellowship Community, Windsor Run. The other is larger new independent living buildings, like Shell Point Tower One and The Moorings of Arlington Heights. Campus expansions often mean working next to occupied buildings with residents nearby, so plan for phased access, noise limits and tight laydown.
Bottom Line
Senior living construction is concentrated at the top and thin after that. The top five firms took 60 percent of the top 20's $1.69 billion, and Whiting-Turner alone outbuilt ranks 11 through 20 combined. Below No. 5, every firm on the list reported between about $30 million and $65 million, which is a handful of projects each.
For a trade contractor, that makes relationships with regional builders and repeat operators matter more than chasing the national names. Find the two or three firms on this list working in your area, get your prequal file current, and price your first job carefully with our bid calculator. A senior living campus that adds a phase every few years can keep the same trades coming back.
FAQ
What source is this senior living contractor ranking based on?
Building Design+Construction's Top 50 Senior Living Facility Construction Firms for 2026, part of its 2026 Giants 400 Report, published October 5, 2026. Firms are ranked by self-reported 2025 senior living revenue.
Who is the largest senior living construction contractor in the U.S.?
Whiting-Turner, with $497.0 million in 2025 senior living revenue on BD+C's list. W.E. O'Neil Construction was second at $162.3 million.
How big is the senior living construction market?
The top 20 firms on BD+C's list reported $1.69 billion combined for 2025. On the federal side, Census put private special care construction, which includes nursing homes, at a $4.9 billion annual rate in September 2026, but that category leaves out most independent living.
How do subcontractors get prequalified with senior living contractors?
Most firms here use BuildingConnected or its TradeTapp module. CORE uses COMPASS, Swinerton uses CMiC, W.E. O'Neil uses Vertikal and ARCO uses Area. Expect to submit financial statements, a bonding letter, insurance certificates, your EMR and OSHA 300 logs.
Will this list change next year?
Probably below the top spot. It reflects 2025 revenue, and BD+C publishes a new Giants 400 each year. With ranks 6 through 20 separated by about $34 million, one large project can move a firm several places.
