New York City is known for its fast-paced, nonstop way of life, earning its nickname “the city that never sleeps.” It draws people who want to move up in their careers and test their limits. People keep coming to the metro area even though it is crowded and expensive because it offers many opportunities. Here, you can find some of the world’s best theaters, restaurants, museums, parks, and cultural activities. From downtown Greenwich Village to uptown’s Harlem, New York City’s neighborhoods are different from their people.
This article lists fifteen of the best tenant improvement contractors in New York City. These impressive firms were evaluated based on their experience, expertise, portfolios, awards, and solid track records.
JRM Construction Management
242 West 36th St, 11th Floor New York, NY 10018
David G. McWilliams, Joseph P. Romano, and James Connolly started JRM Construction Management in 2007 to deliver impressive solutions to construction projects. The firm is built on sound construction and excellent on-site management that has earned its reputation as an industry leader. It offers extensive expertise and a full range of services of a large firm while providing a meticulous, personalized approach like a small firm. As an employee-owned company, everyone at JRM has a stake in the success of a project and helps each other work toward a common goal. It has earned an impressive track record that has resulted in a long list of satisfied clients.
Featured Projects
JRM Construction Management finished renovating the corporate offices of IEX Group (IEX) at 3 World Trade Center in Manhattan’s Financial District. Over 21 weeks, this tenant improvement project included installing an entire LED AV wall with surround sound that was framed with blackened steel, a glass-enclosed feature server room with a floating ceiling, programmable feature lighting behind custom metal portals in the elevator lobby, and a glass-enclosed Command Center with a telescoping glass partition that had fully integrated A.V. positions.
Mc Gowan Builders
160 East Union Ave, East Rutherford, NJ 07073
Since its inception in 2001, Mc Gowan Builders has built millions of square feet of buildings for various market sectors in the New York and New Jersey metropolitan areas. The firm provides inventive solutions, the latest technology, and high-quality craftsmanship to every project to ensure successful results that reflect its client’s needs and demands. Its impressive portfolio continuously showcases its quality of work, dedication to excellence, and adherence to best practices. It offers preconstruction, value engineering, design-assist, cost estimating, project scheduling, construction management, general contracting, design-build, and development consulting to private and institutional clients.
Mc Gowan Builders served as the general contractor for the 120,000 square-foot interior fit-out of the West Elm Corporate Headquarters on the second and third floors of the Empire Stores building in DUMBO, Brooklyn. The open office design included a custom grand blackened steel staircase with glass handrails, a custom spiral staircase connecting the 2nd and 3rd floors, custom wood cabinetry throughout, exposed ceilings to show off spiral ductwork and custom light fixtures, and all new mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fire alarm, and low voltage systems.
J.T. Magen & Company
44 W. 28th St, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10001
J.T. Magen & Company has cemented its reputation as one of the best in the construction industry. With 29 years in the business, the firm has built high-quality projects that showcase its ability to guarantee satisfaction and exceed expectations. The firm is dedicated to helping its clients achieve their construction goals with preconstruction, construction management, design-build, and general contracting. It is backed by an expert staff of chartered quantity surveyors, architects, engineers, and construction professionals that bring years of experience and expertise. It is fully committed to a construction project from the time it is awarded to the time it is closed out.
J.T. Magen fixed up 10 floors at the headquarters of AMC Networks. The 350,000 square-foot renovations included an extra 90,000-square-feet of space that could be used while the work was being done. Complete gut renovations were done to the client’s architecture, mechanical and electrical systems, and networks.
Holt Construction
875 Avenue of the Americas, Suite #1100, New York, NY 10001
Holt Construction has been in business since 1919 and has a long history of doing great work for clients all over the country. The firm offers full-service construction management and general contracting services to many clients, offering various services in several business markets. It handles each project with a personalized, hands-on approach that allows it to stay on top of everything, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable construction process for its clients. As a result, the firm has earned a long list of clients that provide remarkable feedback on its impressive works.
Holt Construction provided general construction services for a new pre-build at 280 Park Avenue in New York City. The client’s white-box fit-out was part of the original scope of work. But about halfway through the project, the space was rented out. The original plan called for demolition, carpentry, framing/drywall, ACT ceilings and intricate ceilings, all new HVAC, new and changed electrical, changes to the existing fire alarm system and sprinklers, new plumbing work for the pantry, millwork, glass office fronts, a glass entry door and sidelights, carpet, and tile. Along with the office space, a new elevator lobby was built with high-end tiles and wood wall coverings.
Shawmut Design and Construction
3 East 54th Street, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10022
Shawmut Design and Construction has been a leading construction manager in New York for over 30 years, with a diverse and dedicated team committed to providing clients with a better building experience. With a proven track record of completing extremely complex and logistically challenging projects throughout the city, the team’s portfolio and expertise spans commercial and tenant interiors, prestigious higher education institutions, world-renowned museums, prominent life sciences and healthcare systems, Michelin-starred restaurants, award-winning hotels, and global retail brands.
One of the firm’s notable projects is The Diagrid Club at 425 Park Ave, the first WELL-certified office building in New York City. Shawmut completed the amenity floor for the building, boasting collaborative space, indoor and outdoor gardens, a coffee bar, a commercial prep kitchen, and a meditation room to create an unrivaled workplace and lifestyle experience.
Schimenti Construction Company
575 Lexington Ave, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10022
Schimenti Construction Company is an industry-leading construction firm operating nationally across the retail, hospitality, corporate, commercial, and industrial sectors. Schimenti’s legacy traces its roots in the construction industry back three generations, and with a team of 300+ expert builders, Schimenti delivers unparalleled quality and service excellence.
In Manhattan’s Flatiron District, 28 EAST 28th is a large commercial office building from the middle of the 20th century. Schimenti and the project partners were in charge of this significant building repositioning, which included a new lobby connecting 28th and 27th Streets, energy-efficient facade expansions, expansion of the 1st, 2nd, 13th, and 14th floors, HVAC and electrical system upgrades, major demolition, white boxing, and fit-out of various floors for its tenants. New infrastructure and integrated technology make it possible to get into the building without touching anything, making a unique space that speaks to the current workforce.
Reidy Contracting Group
58 W 40th St, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10018
Founded in 2010, Reidy Contracting Group has worked with some well-known clients in New York. Fostering a collaborative environment with its clients, the firm is committed to delivering efficient processes to meet all of its client’s goals. The firm’s impressive portfolio includes fixing up existing buildings, building new ones, building infrastructure, and renovating old ones. It provides a single-source solution through its comprehensive services, including budgeting, cost estimating, purchasing, scheduling preconstruction and construction phases, quality control, and value engineering. The firm emphasizes the preconstruction phase to ensure everything goes as smoothly as possible.
The firm made tenant improvements for Citco to get more office space in New York City. The firm delivered high-end finishes for the build-out, such as millwork, blackened steel portals, wall paneling that looks like reclaimed wood, and poured-designed floors.
Kajima Building & Design Group
70 Grand Ave, Suite #105, River Edge, NJ 07661
Kajima Building & Design Group has cemented its reputation as a reliable contractor by delivering its clients the best possible services and outcomes. The firm has designed and built buildings in the United States since 1964, providing flexibility, passion, and creativity, as shown by its wide range of project experience and core values. The firm delivers inventive design, engineering, and construction from a single source. It has experience designing buildings, building services, engineering, and developing real estate.
KBD Group designed and constructed the T.V. Asahi America Inc. This tenant improvement project features new corporate offices, meeting rooms, and T.V. studios at 875 Third Avenue. It has a contemporary, modern feel to it, using clean lines, glass, and monochromatic tones of blacks, whites, and grays.
Structure Tone
330 West 34th St, New York, NY 10001
Structure Tone has come a long way from its start in 1971, becoming one of the country’s best interior and renovation construction firms in the New York area. The firm offers a full range of services, including site selection analysis, design constructability review, and improvements to how a building looks. It also has experience delivering interior fit-outs, new building construction, and upgrades and modernization of building infrastructure. With an impressive 50 years in the industry, the firm has earned a remarkable portfolio that consistently showcases its ability to deliver projects on time, within budget, and with high-quality standards.
When Broadridge Financial Solutions decided to move to a bigger, better office up the block in Midtown South, it knew it wanted an airy, open layout with colors that fit its brand. The firm’s team oversaw the building work for this move to floors 39–42 at 605 Third Avenue, which is about 80,000 square feet of space. The new office for the financial company is modern and clean, with an open space for working together and smaller offices for privacy.
Plaza Construction
360 Lexington Ave, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10017
Since its foundation in 1986, Plaza Construction has grown into a multifaceted business with offices in New Jersey, Washington, DC, Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Los Angeles, San Jose, and New York. The firm’s roots are in building, real estate, investing, and managing the development of projects. It has experience being the owner, the developer, and the builder, so it is committed to delivering the best possible outcomes while ensuring a smooth and seamless process for its clients. This is clear in Plaza’s core portfolio of high-quality hospitality, commercial, corporate, and residential properties.
60 Charlton Street is one of the firm’s notable projects. The firm was tasked to add more floors to the existing six-story building and turn it into a Class A boutique office building with retail space on the ground floor. The area expanded from 50,000 square feet to 98,000 square feet.
Talisen Construction Corp
213 West 35th St, New York, NY 10001
Talisen Construction Corporation’s goal has been to offer the best construction services in the New York Metro area. Since 2009, the firm has consistently shown its commitment to its initial goal by always exceeding what its clients expect. With quality, safety, and customer satisfaction as its top priority, the firm delivers creative design and building solutions, superior craftsmanship, and impeccable professionalism at every stage of the project. The firm offers extensive knowledge of general contracting and construction management services to help each client turn their dreams into a reality.
The building at 22 Little West 12th Street in New York City’s historic Meatpacking District used to be stable when it first opened in 1908. Today, it is home to many high-end shops and modern office spaces. The interior of this 5,000 square-foot building on the ground floor is clean and ultramodern. This building also had the existing electrical systems redone, open ceilings, floating wood floors, brick walls, elevator banks, and an entrance that were all left exposed.
Icon Interiors
307 Seventh Ave, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10001
Icon Interiors was founded in 1997 as a construction management and general contracting company that provides a one-stop-shop solution for its clients. With an expert team that provides a combined experience of over 80 years, the firm can offer a full range of construction services, from planning to finishing a project. Over the years, the firm has worked with many companies, such as law firms, media, entertainment companies, financial service companies, building owners, private homes, and retail stores. It provides competitive prices without compromising its services and quality.
One of the firm’s most notable projects is the Linkedin Office at 350 Fifth Avenue in New York City. It includes the 24th and 28th floors, which add 44,000 square feet. The firm made a unique space that fits the client’s brand and has an efficient layout that makes work go smoothly.
L&K Partners
104 East 25th St, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10010
L&K Partners was started in New York City in 1997. The firm is renowned for its exceptional general contracting and construction management services in various industries, building types, and regions. Since its inception in 1997, the firm has built a reputation for excellence by always creating some of the most creative, exciting, and sophisticated spaces and giving clients the best service possible. It builds long-term relationships with its clients, suppliers, stakeholders, and trade partners through an integrated and collaborative approach to ensure smooth communication throughout the project.
Apollo Global Management, a fast-growing asset management company with clients worldwide, hired L&K Partners to help with the renovation and build-out of their 95,000 square-foot corporate office. The firm was in charge of construction management and general contracting. There is also a full-service cafeteria, a private roof terrace, and board rooms with elevators that clients can use. HVAC systems, gas and plumbing risers, water tanks for a new fire sprinkler system, and a UPS data center are all part of the new infrastructure.
InsideSquad
2542 West 13th St, Brooklyn, NY 11223
InsideSquad is a general contractor based in Brooklyn, New York, and it works in residential and commercial construction in New York City. InsideSquad was started in 2010 to “get things done.” With a decade in the industry, the firm has grown into a one-stop-shop for tech start-up, retail, residential, and developer clients through its comprehensive services, including general contracting, new construction, sustainable construction, master planning, preconstruction, and construction management. Its meticulous management and hands-on approach have resulted in positive feedback from a long list of clients.
The We Are Social Renovation project features a contemporary design with a rustic twist. The brick wall and wooden floors add a nice, warm, and natural feel to the space. The white wall accents offer a crisp touch, balancing all the natural design elements.
ICS Builders
108 West, 39th St, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10018
ICS Builders was founded in 1980 as a Manhattan-based firm that provides general contracting, construction management, and design/build services for the commercial real estate industry in the Northeast. The firm also works in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Florida, and New York. Since its inception, the firm has showcased its ability to meticulously handle projects regardless of their size, scope, and complexity. It has built and remodeled more than seven million square feet of space, a testament to its quality and professionalism.
The Bank of New York’s office and conference rooms at 445 Park Avenue in New York were built by ICS Builders. In the 20,000 square-foot project, high-end finishes, lighting fixtures, glass walls, and MEP systems were installed.
