What Summit Design + Build does

Summit Design + Build, LLC is a privately held commercial construction firm founded in 2005 by Adam Miller and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with a regional office in Austin, Texas opened in 2020. The firm provides a full suite of construction services — general contracting, construction management, design-build, preconstruction, construction consultation, and sustainable construction — delivered to commercial, multifamily, industrial, institutional, healthcare, hospitality, retail, restaurant, and recreational clients across the Midwest, Southeast, and Southwest. Across 20+ years, it reports several hundred completed projects totaling more than 10 million square feet and roughly $980M–$1B in cumulative contract value, with current leadership anchored by Founder/President Adam Miller, CFO Nick Jones, and VPs across corporate, preconstruction, and field operations.

The firm's delivery model spans the three primary commercial construction methods — design-bid-build (general contracting), construction management as owner's representative, and single-entity design-build (offering fast-track execution and guaranteed maximum price) — and is supported by a standardized technology stack including Procore for project tracking and weekly owner reporting, BuildingConnected for electronic bid management, and TradeTapp for subcontractor prequalification. Vertical breadth is organized into 14 categories (Adaptive Reuse, Entertainment, Golf Course & Amenity Center, Hospitality, Industrial, Institutional, Healthcare Facility, Multifamily/Mixed-Use, Office Interiors, Recreational Facility, Restaurant, Retail, Single Family Residential, and Sustainable Construction), with LEED-accredited professionals on staff for green-building projects.

Revenue mechanics are project-based and not publicly disclosed; pricing is quote-driven per project scope, with revenue streams classed as one-time licenses (general contracting) and professional services (construction management, design-build, preconstruction). The go-to-market is sales-led, relying on direct field outreach, referrals, ENR and Crain's brand credibility, and a 'Start a Project with Us' quoter on summitdb.com. Notable named customers include WeWork (multiple offices), Lockheed Martin (Oldsmar, FL industrial facility), GlenStar Properties, Method Products, EJ Basler, and Xcellence Hospitality Group. Headcount is reported at 11–50, indicating a relatively lean W-2 base consistent with heavy reliance on a prequalified subcontractor network rather than full-time direct labor. No funding rounds, acquisitions, or external investment events are disclosed; the company is founder-owned and operating.

Name

Summit Design + Build

Legal name

Summit Design & Build LLC

Website

https://summitdb.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Summit Design + Build is a privately held Chicago-based commercial construction firm founded in 2005, delivering general contracting, construction management, design-build, and preconstruction services across 14 verticals in the Midwest, Southeast, and Southwest from offices in Chicago and Austin.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. General Contracting Services: Traditional general contracting services where Summit manages the execution of construction projects based on completed design plans. The company supervises subcontractors, manages schedules, and ensures quality control from start to finish.
2. Construction Management Services: Construction management services where Summit acts as the owner's representative, overseeing the entire building process including coordinating contractors, managing schedules, tracking costs, and ensuring alignment with design intent.
3. Design-Build Services: Integrated design-build construction services where one team manages both design and construction phases, providing a single point of responsibility from concept to completion.
4. Preconstruction Services: Early-stage planning services including budgeting, cost estimating, scheduling, constructability review, and coordination with architects and engineers before construction begins.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Summit Design + Build is a commercial construction firm that delivers general contracting, construction management, design-build, and preconstruction services for ground-up construction, renovations, and tenant fit-outs. The company serves commercial, multifamily/mixed-use, industrial, hospitality, healthcare, retail, restaurant, institutional, and residential clients across the Midwest, Southeast, and Southwest United States.

Product overview

Summit Design + Build is a commercial construction firm offering a unified suite of services organized as a single integrated construction platform. The core offering spans six primary service lines — General Contracting, Construction Management, Design-Build, Preconstruction Services, Construction Consultation, and Sustainable Construction — supported by a Multifamily Construction Services division. Across these, the company delivers projects across 14 distinct portfolio categories: Adaptive Reuse, Entertainment, Golf Course & Amenity Center, Hospitality, Industrial, Institutional, Healthcare Facility, Office Interiors, Recreational Facility, Restaurant, Retail, Single Family Residential, and Multifamily/Mixed-Use Construction. Projects range from tenant fit-outs and renovations to ground-up new construction, spanning commercial, civic, residential, and industrial markets nationwide. The company operates from offices in Chicago, IL (headquarters) and Austin, TX, and reports a track record of several hundred projects totaling more than 10 million square feet and $980 million across major markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• General Contracting Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 200+ retail projects completed
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)minorOthersSummit Design + Build is affiliated with USGBC, indicating support for LEED certification and green building practices. The company has multiple LEED-accredited professionals on staff.
• Urban Land Institute (ULI)minorOthersSummit holds membership/affiliation with ULI, a prominent real estate and land use thought leadership organization.
• AIRE (Real Estate Professionals)minorOthersAffiliated with AIRE (Real Estate Professionals), indicating engagement with commercial real estate industry networks.
• NAIOPminorOthersNAIOP membership/affiliation - a leading organization for commercial real estate development and construction professionals.
• ASA ChicagominorOthersAffiliated with ASA Chicago (American Subcontractors Association), indicating engagement with the subcontracting community.
• ABC (Associated Builders and Contractors)minorOthersAffiliation with ABC - a national construction industry association representing contractors and subcontractors.
• WCA Chicago (Women in Construction)minorOthersAffiliated with WCA Chicago (Women Construction Owners & Trades), supporting diversity and inclusion in the construction industry.
• TSOREP (Real Estate Professionals)minorOthersAffiliation with TSOREP - Tampa Bay area real estate professionals network.
• TradeTapp (BuildingConnected Network)coreTechnology or IntegrationSummit uses TradeTapp, part of the BuildingConnected network, for subcontractor prequalification. The platform streamlines the approval process, allowing subcontractors to securely share company and financial information.
• BuildingConnectedcoreTechnology or IntegrationSummit uses BuildingConnected to manage all bid communications, including invitations to bid, access to drawings and specifications, and electronic bid form submissions for subcontractor management.
• ProcorecoreTechnology or IntegrationSummit uses Procore construction management platform for project tracking, including onboarding project teams, progress reporting, and weekly owner reports.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• W.E. O'Neil Construction: Chicago-headquartered commercial general contractor of similar size delivering office, retail, healthcare, and industrial projects across multiple U.S. regions. Closely comparable in delivery models, client mix, and Midwest/Sun Belt geographic footprint.
• Skender Construction: Chicago-based general contractor and construction manager offering design-build, general contracting, and preconstruction services for commercial, healthcare, and multifamily clients. Direct competitor for Summit's core office, healthcare, and adaptive reuse segments.
• James McHugh Construction: Chicago-founded commercial GC/CM with a strong track record in office, residential, and mixed-use developments. Overlaps with Summit on multifamily, hospitality, and large-scale commercial projects.
• Leopardo Companies: Chicago-area commercial general contractor and construction manager offering GC, CM, design-build, and preconstruction across office, retail, healthcare, and multifamily. Direct peer in service model and target geographies.
• Walsh Construction: Major Chicago-based commercial and institutional general contractor with broader national reach. Competes with Summit on commercial, healthcare, education, and multifamily builds in the Midwest.
• Power Construction Company: Chicago-headquartered commercial general contractor with comparable service lines (GC, CM, design-build) and a similar mix of office, healthcare, hospitality, and multifamily projects. Operates in many of the same Midwest and Sun Belt markets as Summit.
• Bulley & Andrews: Chicago-based commercial construction management and general contracting firm focused on corporate, healthcare, hospitality, and adaptive reuse projects. Comparable in scale, geography, and integrated delivery approach.

Broad incumbents

• Clark Construction Group: Large national general contractor with a substantial commercial, healthcare, and institutional portfolio. Competes with Summit for larger commercial and institutional mandates and has materially greater bonding capacity.
• Turner Construction Company: Largest U.S. commercial general contractor with broad national presence across office, healthcare, education, retail, and sports. Competes with Summit for major commercial and institutional clients and sets industry pricing benchmarks.
• Mortenson Construction: National commercial GC/CM with strong positions in office, healthcare, data center, and renewable energy construction. Overlaps with Summit on commercial and multifamily segments while operating at significantly greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SummitDBTweets
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCWNtgH3fEtoyw46ZxDEvFoQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/summitdbchicago
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/summit-design---build-llc
• Instagraminstagram.com/summitdb
• TikToktiktok.com/@summitdb

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Summit Design + Build