What should I ask a data center construction firm about power delivery?

Ask who owns the substation scope, what long lead gear is pre ordered, and how energization is sequenced. Also ask how they manage utility coordination risk.

How do I compare contractors on liquid cooling readiness?

Ask for recent examples of direct to chip or direct to rack integration planning. Confirm who validates leak detection, materials compatibility, and commissioning steps.

What is the fastest way to reduce schedule risk on a multi building campus?

Standardize the design template early and lock the MEP basis of design before procurement. Then align phased turnover targets with test scripts and long lead deliveries.

How do I evaluate commissioning capability before award?

Ask to see a typical integrated systems test plan and how early commissioning joins design reviews. Also confirm how deficiencies are tracked and closed.

What contract structure tends to work best for hyperscale style programs?

Many owners use collaborative models that allow early procurement and shared schedule risk controls. The key is clear change control and defined acceptance criteria.

What is the biggest regulatory risk that can change a project design?

Local limits on water use and noise can force cooling and generator yard redesign. Power interconnection approvals can also reset the entire delivery plan.

Top United States (US) Data Center Construction Companies

Turner Construction

Schedule certainty is increasingly driven by early procurement and coordinated trade capacity, which Turner leans into on mega campuses. Turner, a major player in US delivery, is one of the builders on Meta's planned Richland Parish, Louisiana site, with procurement activity already underway and field work planned to ramp in 2025. If more states tighten water related approvals, Turner benefits when designs shift toward lower water cooling approaches that still meet uptime needs. The clearest weakness is exposure to single tenant, very large programs where a pause can strand labor plans and long lead equipment buys.

Leaders

DPR Construction

Liquid cooling readiness is becoming a buying requirement, and DPR has been explicit about direct to rack cooling and prefabrication on recent work. DPR, a major player on the Meta Richland Parish build, has stated plans for preconstruction now and mobilization in 2025, which signals real commitment of mission critical resources. If switchgear and transformer lead times remain stretched, DPR's prefab yards and early package definition can protect delivery dates better than traditional sequencing. The operational risk is that aggressive speed targets can amplify rework if owner standards change midstream.

Leaders

Holder Construction

Contract award momentum matters more than slogans, and Holder's EdgeCore Mesa campus win is a concrete signal of current demand. Holder, a top contractor in this space, can win when clients want repeatable campus delivery with disciplined safety and a clear change control process. If AI driven demand keeps pushing larger footprints into Arizona and similar growth corridors, Holder should see continued pull for multi building campuses. The main downside is concentration risk in a few very large programs, where financing delays can disrupt subcontractor availability and pricing.

Leaders

McCarthy Building Companies

Procurement discipline is now a differentiator, and McCarthy has been describing active mission critical work tied to large campus builds near Reno. McCarthy, a major player in complex delivery, can perform well when topography and site preparation complexity collide with fixed energization windows. If the next wave of builds shifts toward the interior West for power availability, McCarthy's experience in that geography can translate into stronger award rates. The main risk is over dependence on a small number of campus customers, which can leave crews underutilized if a single program slips.

Leaders

Mortenson Construction

Power infrastructure is now inseparable from building delivery, and Mortenson has published detailed electrical scope on the Abilene, Texas AI campus. Mortenson, a key contractor for hyperscale programs, can win when owners want one team to cover substations, transmission interface steps, and disciplined energization procedures. If on site generation and storage become more common to bypass utility delays, Mortenson's power delivery capability becomes even more central. The main weakness is exposure to permitting and land constraints, since early site decisions can lock in later schedule pain.

Leaders

AECOM

Power availability has become the gating item for many campus schedules, so AECOM's value often starts with grid strategy and substation capable design. It is frequently positioned as a large scale design and consulting partner rather than a self perform builder, which can slow field learning loops. Upside appears when a client standardizes templates and repeats them across several states, letting AECOM reuse power studies and permitting playbooks. The core risk is interface drift between designer, GC, and commissioning scope when liquid cooling retrofits enter late.

Established

Skanska USA

Publicly disclosed US contract wins can be a helpful proxy for mission critical traction, and Skanska has announced multiple US data center awards with stated start and completion windows. Skanska, a major player overall, can benefit if buyers shift toward contractors that can document safety, carbon, and governance practices with the same rigor as cost control. If municipal scrutiny rises around water and emissions, Skanska's structured compliance approach may reduce permitting friction. The limiting factor is that some high density fit outs need deeper specialist partners, which can compress control over final commissioning outcomes.

Established

Jacobs Solutions

Design discipline is under pressure as campuses grow and the penalty for late redesign climbs sharply. Jacobs presents itself as an engineering partner for data centers, with emphasis on resilient design and efficiency, which fits programs that are design led rather than GC led. If federal security requirements tighten for certain facilities, Jacobs can benefit from buyers seeking structured documentation and auditable controls. The risk is that engineering led engagement without a strong construction execution wrapper can leave gaps in commissioning readiness and cost containment. Stronger traction is likely when it is embedded early in campus master planning.

Established

Kiewit Corporation

Grid constraints are pushing more buyers to treat power delivery as part of the core build, not an external dependency. Kiewit has been recruiting specifically for large scale data center electrical scope leadership, which is an observable signal of active pursuit and execution needs. Kiewit, a major player in heavy construction, can benefit if campuses require more owner built substations and larger onsite power work packages. The risk is that mission critical fit out details can demand specialist partners, which may limit control over the final integrated handover.

Established

Hensel Phelps

An $800+ million Meta award in Montgomery, Alabama indicates serious mission critical delivery capacity and owner trust. Hensel Phelps is a key contractor for this program, and recent updates show continued work to align with lower carbon construction choices such as mass timber use on supporting facilities. If more owners require lower embodied carbon without sacrificing reliability, Hensel Phelps can turn that experience into a repeatable playbook. The main execution risk is managing craft availability at peak periods, since these projects can ramp past 1,000 workers quickly.

Performers

Brasfield and Gorrie

Smaller footprint projects still matter because they train teams for repeatable delivery, and Brasfield and Gorrie has documented campus progress with Compass in Texas. It is a leading contractor in mission critical work, with published details on a colocation build in Miami that shows defined MW and Tier targets. If water intensive cooling faces more local resistance, Brasfield and Gorrie can benefit by pushing designs toward efficient cooling and tighter containment strategies. The downside is that growth can be constrained by electrical trade availability when several campuses ramp at once.

Performers

Corgan Associates (AEC)

Design standardization is one of the few levers that reliably cuts delivery time, and Corgan's recognition as a top ranked data center architecture firm signals strong buyer awareness. It acts as a leading player in design, which matters when liquid cooling layouts and power density targets keep shifting. If owners continue moving toward templated halls, Corgan can help reduce redesign churn and improve permit package quality. The practical risk is that design leadership must stay tightly tied to commissioning requirements, otherwise the build team can inherit late constructability issues.

Performers

Black and Veatch

Utility interconnection delays are pushing owners to take more control over substations, and Black and Veatch has published data center focused substation delivery case work. Black and Veatch is a leading vendor for power and EPC scope that can shorten schedules by enabling early long lead procurement and progressive design build methods. If more campuses adopt client owned substations, Black and Veatch is well placed to expand from build to ongoing asset support. The main risk is that power work packages can face equipment bottlenecks that no contractor can fully solve without early commitments.

Performers

Whiting-Turner Contracting

Power constraints can cause owners to favor firms that can sequence civil work while electrical scope firms secure equipment. Whiting-Turner shows relevant execution experience through modular focused preparation work that coordinates infrastructure and commissioning steps. If more projects move to hybrid delivery, with powered shells and later tenant fit outs, Whiting-Turner's approach can fit buyers that want phased turnover. The weakness is limited recent public visibility on hyperscale awards, which can affect buyer confidence for multi campus rollouts. It would be in a stronger position if it pairs with a dedicated electrical integrator to lock long lead gear earlier.

Aspirants

Balfour Beatty US

Large builders sometimes enter mission critical work through regional expansion and selective targeting of higher growth sectors. Balfour Beatty has described growth in Virginia operations and has been expanding local coverage, which could support future pursuits tied to data heavy development corridors. If power interconnection queues keep pushing timelines out, owners may prefer firms with deep civil and utility coordination strength, which can be an entry point here. The main risk is limited recent public proof of large scale data center delivery, so buyers may demand stronger references or joint venture structures.

Aspirants

Gilbane Building Company

Delivery speed depends on repeatable methods, and Gilbane highlights vertical integration and offsite processes tied to data center work. A realistic positive scenario emerges if buyers prioritize standardized builds where schedule matters more than bespoke architecture, since that aligns with process driven execution. The risk is that campus work often requires deep mission critical trade benches that are hard to mobilize quickly across many states. If municipal scrutiny rises on noise and generator yard placement, Gilbane needs strong early site planning discipline to avoid redesign late in the cycle.

Aspirants

JE Dunn Construction

Evidence of current throughput is valuable, and JE Dunn has stated 2024 delivery volume in megawatts and square feet for mission critical work. It is positioned as a specialist contractor in this area, which can help when owners want commissioning aligned processes and prefabrication friendly packaging. If demand keeps moving into secondary metros, JE Dunn can gain by mobilizing consistent playbooks across a wider geography. The main risk is that very large single tenant programs can outscale local trade benches, forcing heavier reliance on traveling labor.

Aspirants

Fluor Corporation

Financial strength and backlog quality matter when projects run for many years and owners demand resilience from contractors. Fluor's 2024 results and cash flow profile show a large, active EPC platform, which can support selective moves into data center adjacent power and infrastructure work. If SMR and onsite generation concepts progress in the US, Fluor could become more relevant through energy enabling packages rather than full building delivery. The key weakness is limited visible recent proof of direct data center campus construction, so near term positioning may rely on partnerships.

Aspirants

QTS Construction Services

Campus growth creates repeatable work, and QTS has described multi site construction milestones and expansions as it grew through 2023 and 2024. It functions as an owner side construction services capability, which can improve standardization across sites when done well. If local approvals tighten around water and emissions, an owner led approach can help maintain consistency in design intent and community messaging. The weakness is scale limits versus national GCs, so very large programs may still require external partners for labor depth and procurement leverage.

Aspirants

PowerHouse Data Centers (Tener Technologies)

Substation timing is now a gating milestone, and PowerHouse has announced a large Virginia campus plan with staged substation delivery targets. PowerHouse, a top developer aligned builder, can work well if customers want powered shells and rapid tenant fit out cycles. If Northern Virginia congestion pushes more builds to new corridors, PowerHouse could benefit from earlier land positions and a clear power plan. The key risk is execution dependence on external general contractors and utilities, since delays can quickly erode buyer confidence for large scale commitments.

Aspirants

United States (US) Data Center Construction Companies: Leaders, Top & Emerging Players and Strategic Moves

Top 5 United States (US) Data Center Construction Companies

United States (US) Data Center Construction Companies Matrix by Mordor Intelligence

MI Competitive Matrix for United States (US) Data Center Construction

Analysis of United States (US) Data Center Construction Companies and Quadrants in the MI Competitive Matrix

Turner Construction

DPR Construction

Holder Construction

McCarthy Building Companies

Mortenson Construction

AECOM

Skanska USA

Jacobs Solutions

Kiewit Corporation

Hensel Phelps

Brasfield and Gorrie

Corgan Associates (AEC)

Black and Veatch

Whiting-Turner Contracting

Balfour Beatty US

Gilbane Building Company

JE Dunn Construction

Fluor Corporation

QTS Construction Services

PowerHouse Data Centers (Tener Technologies)

Frequently Asked Questions

Methodology

Analysis of Leading United States (US) Data Center Construction Companies