What Lathrop Construction Associates does

Lathrop Construction Associates, Inc. (LCA) is a privately held, Class A General Engineering and Class B General Building contractor incorporated in California on March 11, 1981 and headquartered at 4001 Park Road, Benicia. The firm traces its heritage to F.P. Lathrop Construction Company (FPL), founded in 1951, from whose team LCA's current principals spun off in the early 1980s; on a combined basis, the firm and its predecessor have completed nearly $2.5 billion in building work and more than 200 projects across Northern California. LCA serves public-sector owners (K-12 districts, community colleges, municipal governments, transit agencies, and a smaller set of healthcare and research organizations) through competitive public procurement, predominantly in the San Francisco Bay Area and adjacent counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, Marin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sacramento).

LCA delivers projects through a full menu of methods: Design-Bid-Build, Design-Build, Construction Management at Risk (with GMP), Construction Manager as Agent (owner's representative), Multi-Prime, and Lease-Leaseback. Its service portfolio spans pre-construction (conceptual estimating, constructability reviews, value engineering, P6 master scheduling, permitting, and subcontractor pre-qualification), self-performed scopes (layout and surveying, structural excavation, foundation forming/pouring, wood framing, finish carpentry, and door/hardware installation), and field execution supported by a dedicated Safety Director, Lean/Last Planner practices, and a QA program with mock-ups, independent material testing, and digital punch lists. Technology is mainstream construction stack rather than proprietary platform: Oracle Primavera P6 for scheduling, Procore for project administration, full BIM with clash detection, quantity takeoff, and 4D/5D integration, plus drone-based site surveys, 360° reality capture, field tablets, and mobile project management applications.

The revenue model is project-based, one-time fee-for-service contracting on public works. Contract structures include Lump Sum (fixed-price), Guaranteed Maximum Price (capped owner exposure with shared savings), and Cost-Plus (reimbursement plus fee), with multi-year durations typical for K-14 modernization work and design-build programs. Pricing is determined through formal competitive bidding on publicly advertised solicitations, pursued via direct relationships with owners, architects, and design professionals and reinforced by an active bid schedule mailing list and industry associations (notably the Construction Employers' Association, where LCA's principals have participated for 25+ years in master labor agreement negotiations and safety forums). The firm is union-signatory (including Carpenters 46 Northern California), holds California Contractor License #415981 and DIR registration #1000000043, and reports zero liquidated damages and zero claims in its history, with senior leadership averaging 30+ years of construction experience and employees averaging 25+ years of tenure at the company.

Name

Lathrop Construction Associates

Legal name

Lathrop Construction Associates, Inc.

Website

https://lathropconstruction.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lathrop Construction Associates is a Class A/B licensed general contractor in Benicia, California that delivers institutional, educational, civic, and healthcare construction projects for public agencies across Northern California, primarily serving K-12 districts, community colleges, and municipalities through competitive public bidding and multi-method delivery (design-bid-build, design-build, CMAR).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

General Contracting & Construction Management Services

NAICS

Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (23622), Nonresidential Building Construction (2362)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540), Operative Builders (1531)

akta.pro primary industry

Office & Corporate Building Construction (IMAFACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Construction Management (Agency/Owner’s Rep) (IMAFAAAC), New School Construction (Greenfield Builds) (EDAEABAA)

Keywords

• General contracting services
• Construction management services
• Design-build construction
• Pre-construction services
• Public works construction

Headquarters

HQ city

Benicia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. General Contracting: Traditional general contracting services delivering projects on time and within budget using various contract types including Lump Sum (fixed-price), Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP), and Cost-Plus arrangements. The company manages all phases from mobilization through closeout.
2. Construction Management: Flexible construction management services offered in both at-risk (CMAR with Guaranteed Maximum Price) and agency (owner's representative) models. Includes comprehensive preconstruction and execution support.
3. Design-Build Services: Single-entity design-build delivery where the company handles both design and construction under one contract, promoting faster delivery and reduced change orders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Lathrop Construction Associates is a Class A General Engineering and Class B General Building contractor that delivers institutional, commercial, educational, healthcare, and civic construction projects across Northern California. The firm provides full-lifecycle construction services including general contracting (lump sum, GMP, cost-plus), construction management (at-risk and agency), design-build, pre-construction estimating and value engineering, and self-perform trade scopes. Projects are secured through competitive public bidding with public agencies and educational institutions.

Product overview

Lathrop Construction Associates is a general engineering and general building contractor (Class A and Class B California licenses) founded in 1981 and headquartered in Benicia, CA. The company operates as a construction services firm rather than a software product company, offering a comprehensive portfolio of construction services including General Engineering, General Building, Construction Management (both at-risk and agency), General Contracting, Design-Build, Pre-Construction Services, Self-Perform Capabilities, Lean Construction, Sustainable Construction/LEED, Building Information Modeling (BIM), Technology Integration, Quality Assurance, Safety Program, and various Project Delivery Methods. The core offering is project delivery for commercial, educational, medical, and institutional facilities across Northern California, with over 200 completed projects. Technology tools such as BIM, drones, 360° capture, field tablets, and mobile apps are used as internal operational tools to support construction delivery rather than being standalone software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• General Contracting Services Full-scope general contracting with flexible contract types including Lump Sum (fixed-price), Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP), and Cost-Plus arrangements. Delivers institutional, commercial, educational, healthcare, and civic projects from mobilization through closeout for public and private owners across Northern California.
• Construction Management Services
• Design-Build Services Single-entity design-build delivery in which Lathrop Construction Associates handles both design and construction under one contract, promoting faster delivery and reduced change orders for owners seeking integrated project execution.
• Pre-Construction Services Early-phase pre-construction expertise including conceptual estimating, constructability reviews, value engineering, Oracle Primavera P6 scheduling development, logistics planning, permitting assistance, and subcontractor pre-qualification for public and private owners in Northern California.
• Self-Perform Construction Services In-house self-perform capabilities for critical scopes including layout and surveying, structural excavation, forming and pouring foundations, wood framing, finish carpentry, and door and hardware installation, providing direct control over schedule, cost, and quality on construction projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• Zero liquidated damages ever assessed against the company
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Construction Employers' Association (CEA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 25-year active involvement by company principals in the Construction Employers' Association supporting union-signatory contractors in Northern California. Collaboration includes participating directly in master labor agreement negotiations with Carpenters' Union (including Carpenters 46 Northern California) and Laborers' Unions, and engaging in dispute resolution and grievance processes involving all unions. The company actively participates in CEA's Safety Forum and various industry committees.
• Aedis ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm referenced as the design architect for the Fremont High School Auto Shop & Facilities Building project ($9,000,000) in Cupertino, CA. Represents typical project collaboration with architectural firms on public works construction projects.
• Carpenters 46 Northern CaliforniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLabor union partnership through which the company participates in master labor agreement negotiations and maintains union-signatory status. The company is signatory to various union agreements covering their workforce and has constructed multiple Carpenters Training Facilities across Northern California (Morgan Hill, Pleasanton, Fairfield).
• HMC ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm partner on the Diablo Valley College PE-Kinesiology Complex & Art Complex project. The project received AIA SV Design Awards recognizing the collaborative effort between the design team and construction team.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Overaa Construction: Richmond, CA-based general contractor with a long Northern California focus on public works, education, civic, and healthcare projects. Closest direct comparable to Lathrop by size, geography, and institutional client mix.
• XL Construction: Northern California general contractor specializing in K-12, higher education, healthcare, and civic projects with self-perform capabilities. Highly comparable delivery model and target client base to Lathrop.

Broad incumbents

• Swinerton: Large national GC headquartered in California with deep Bay Area roots and active public/institutional practice. Competes with Lathrop on NorCal public works bids but operates at significantly greater scale across multiple regions and sectors.
• DPR Construction: National GC founded in Northern California with strong presence in education, healthcare, and advanced technology facilities. Larger and more diversified than Lathrop but competes on similar institutional project types.
• Turner Construction Company: One of the largest U.S. general contractors with significant Northern California operations and a strong public/institutional practice. Competes with Lathrop on larger education, civic, and healthcare projects.
• McCarthy Building Companies:

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lathrop-construction-associates-inc.

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Lathrop Construction Associates