DAI
DAI General Contracting is a privately held California-based commercial general contractor founded in 2003, specializing in self-storage construction (5M+ SF completed) plus tenant improvements, office/retail, concrete tilt-up, and specialty industrial projects, serving enterprise operators and financial institutions across California and Arizona.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersIrvine, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What DAI does
DAI General Contracting is a privately held commercial general contractor founded in 2003 by Laurence Damato and headquartered in San Juan Capistrano, California. The firm specializes in self-storage facility construction and has completed more than 5 million square feet of storage across California, holding California contractor license #861151 and Arizona license #303689. Core service lines include ground-up self-storage construction, tenant improvements, office/retail builds (including bank branch construction), concrete tilt-up industrial facilities, and specialty construction such as logistics centers (e.g., the 337,537 SF Anaheim Logistics Center completed Q4 2023). The company additionally offers pre-construction services covering entitlement assistance, design assessment, value engineering, scheduling, budgeting, and full project management through warranty management.
The company's revenue model is project-based, custom-quoted per engagement, with pricing varying by scope, size, and complexity. DAI serves enterprise customers primarily in the self-storage vertical (Extra Space Storage, Public Storage, Storelocal, StorQuest, GoStoreIt, Guardian Self Storage), with secondary exposure to banking, education, healthcare, retail, and industrial/logistics clients. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales via direct relationships and repeat business, supported by an extensive vetted subcontractor base and an industry-recognized project portfolio (including the 2022 Facility of the Year award for Storelocal Hercules). The firm operates with 11-50 employees led by a founder-CEO with 30+ years of construction experience and a small senior team including a VP of Field Operations with 26 years of construction management experience.
DAI does not operate a proprietary technology platform; project execution leverages third-party tooling such as Procore. The firm has no subsidiaries, no external funding or institutional investors, and is founder-owned. Operating geographies are California and Arizona; revenue and financial performance data are not publicly disclosed.
DAI firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DAI
- Legal name
- DAI General Contracting
- Website
- https://daigc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- DAI General Contracting is a privately held California-based commercial general contractor founded in 2003, specializing in self-storage construction (5M+ SF completed) plus tenant improvements, office/retail, concrete tilt-up, and specialty industrial projects, serving enterprise operators and financial institutions across California and Arizona.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
DAI industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Commercial Construction Services
- NAICS
- Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (23622), Nonresidential Building Construction (2362), Specialty Trade Contractors (238)
- SIC
- General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540), Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Commercial General Contracting (New Build) (IMAFAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Self-Performing General Contractors (IMAFAAAI), Industrial/Process Plant General Contracting (IMAFAAAH)
Keywords
Where DAI is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Irvine
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
DAI business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- General Construction Services: DAI generates revenue through general contracting services for commercial construction projects including self-storage facilities, tenant improvements, office/retail builds, concrete tilt-up construction, and specialty projects. Revenue is project-based, earned through contracts for construction services from early-stage budgeting through project completion and warranty management.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Custom project-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
DAI product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DAI General Contracting is a commercial general contractor that delivers ground-up construction, tenant improvements, and specialty builds (notably self-storage facilities, bank branches, office/retail spaces, and concrete tilt-up industrial buildings) for enterprise clients across California and Arizona. Its offering bundles pre-construction services (entitlements, design assessment, value engineering, budgeting, scheduling) with full project management, field supervision, and warranty management. Revenue is earned through custom, project-based contracts awarded via direct enterprise relationships and referrals.
Product overview
DAI General Contracting is a commercial general contracting firm that operates as a single unified service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The company provides construction services primarily focused on self-storage facilities (its specialty), along with tenant improvements, office/retail construction, and specialty construction including concrete tilt-up. The core offering consists of pre-construction consulting services (entitlement assistance, design assessment, value engineering, budgeting, scheduling) combined with full-service construction delivery including project management, field operations, and warranty management. The company does not offer a technology product but provides construction expertise across multiple commercial building categories throughout California and Arizona.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Self-Storage Construction Ground-up and tenant improvement construction services for self-storage facilities, including multi-story concrete structures, climate-controlled facilities, expansions, and renovations. DAI has completed over 5 million square feet of storage construction. Built for self-storage operators, developers, and investors.
- Tenant Improvement Renovation and improvement services for existing commercial spaces including banks, retail, and office environments. For commercial tenants, banks, and property owners.
- Office / Retail Construction Commercial office and retail building construction and remodeling services, including bank branch construction. For commercial property owners, banks, and retail brands.
- Specialty Construction Specialized construction projects including industrial facilities, logistics centers, educational institutions, healthcare facilities, and mixed-use developments. For developers, institutions, and brand-driven clients.
- Concrete Tilt-Up Construction Industrial concrete tilt-up construction methods for warehouses, distribution centers, and large-scale commercial facilities. For industrial and logistics developers.
- Pre-Construction Services Comprehensive pre-construction consulting including entitlement assistance, design assessment, value engineering, scheduling, budgeting, and subcontractor coordination. For property owners and developers preparing commercial construction projects.
- Project Management Full-service project management including construction scheduling, cost management, shop drawing review, submittal coordination, and field supervision. For clients requiring managed delivery of commercial construction projects.
Quantifiable outcome
- Completed over 5 million square feet of storage construction
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use DAI
Customer profileNamed customers21 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
DAI technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
DAI partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Extra Space StoragecoreMajor self-storage operator for whom DAI has completed multiple construction projects across various California locations including Santa Cruz, Palm Desert, and Bellflower.
- Public StoragecoreLeading self-storage company and client for whom DAI has completed construction projects.
- US BankcoreFinancial institution client for bank branch construction and tenant improvements including Whittier Branch and Ladera Ranch locations.
- One West BankcoreBanking client for multiple branch construction projects across Santa Monica, Brentwood, Beverly Hills, and La Brea locations.
- Preferred BankcoreRegional bank client for branch construction projects in Irvine and Pico Rivera.
- StorelocalcoreSelf-storage network for whom DAI completed award-winning projects including Storelocal Oakland (152,618 SF) and Storelocal Hercules (122,294 SF).
- StorQuestcoreSelf-storage operator client for multiple construction projects including Van Nuys, Vista, West Sacramento, Folsom, Gilroy, and Sacramento locations.
- GoStoreItcoreSelf-storage operator client for multiple projects across Redlands, Paramount, Pico Rivera, South Gate, and Monterey Park.
- Guardian Self StoragecoreSelf-storage company for whom DAI has completed projects including Mission Viejo and Smith Ranch locations.
- American Security BankminorBanking client for construction projects.
- Brandman UniversityminorHigher education institution client for construction projects.
- Loma Linda UniversityminorHealthcare/education institution client for construction projects.
- PanasonicminorTechnology partner/client for construction projects.
- Crean Lutheran High SchoolminorEducational institution client for 70,000 SF school construction project completed Q3 2011.
- ICU MedicalminorHealthcare company client for 3,200 SF tenant improvement in San Clemente completed Q1 2013.
- VansminorRetail brand client for 24,000 SF expansion project in Cypress completed Q4 2013.
- World OilminorAutomotive/retail client for 9,000 SF commercial project in West Hollywood completed Q3 2015.
- Guide Dogs of AmericaminorNon-profit organization client for 72,524 SF visitor center construction in Sylmar completed Q4 2016.
- Public LogisticscoreLogistics company client for Anaheim Logistics Center - a 337,537 SF industrial facility completed Q4 2023.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
DAI competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Swinerton: Swinerton is a large West-Coast-rooted commercial GC active across office, retail, industrial, and tenant improvement — substantially overlapping DAI's service lines. Larger scale and broader reach than DAI but a relevant competitor for commercial project bids in California.
- DPR Construction: National, technology-forward commercial GC with strong commercial and tilt-up practices. While much larger, DPR competes with DAI for larger commercial ground-up projects and brings advanced construction-tech that could pressure traditional GCs.
- Clune Construction: Mid-market commercial GC with a meaningful tenant improvement and corporate interiors practice. Competitively comparable to DAI for office, retail, and bank branch TI work in California.
- HITT Contracting: National commercial GC with strong tenant improvement and base-building practices comparable to DAI's office/retail and TI lines. Much larger, but competes for the same regional and institutional clients in California.
- Whiting-Turner Contracting: Large East Coast-rooted national commercial GC expanding across offices, retail, industrial, and self-storage/operator work. Competes with DAI for enterprise self-storage operator jobs and brings national procurement advantages.
- Clark Construction Group: Large national commercial GC active across office, retail, healthcare, and education — many of the same verticals DAI serves. While project size skews larger, Clark competes for institutional and commercial work where DAI also bids.
Direct peers
- Oltmans Construction: Oltmans is a Southern California-based commercial general contractor with a self-storage, industrial, and tilt-up portfolio overlapping DAI's verticals. Comparable in size, geographic base (SoCal), and reliance on enterprise/operator relationships.
- ARCO National Construction: ARCO is a national design-build general contractor with a strong self-storage and tilt-up specialty that closely mirrors DAI's core focus. Both companies serve national self-storage operators with ground-up and tenant improvement work, and ARCO's tilt-up focus aligns directly with DAI's concrete tilt-up service line.
- Consteel Construction: Consteel is a tilt-up and industrial general contractor with a self-storage specialism; directly competes with DAI in concrete tilt-up ground-up construction for commercial and storage clients across the Western U.S.
- RQ Construction: California-based commercial GC active in self-storage, tilt-up, and tenant improvement with a similar regional scope to DAI. Directly comparable in project size, client type, and service mix.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
DAI financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DAI leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
DAI funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DAI M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about DAI
What does DAI do?
DAI General Contracting is a commercial general contractor that delivers ground-up construction, tenant improvements, and specialty builds (notably self-storage facilities, bank branches, office/retail spaces, and concrete tilt-up industrial buildings) for enterprise clients across California and Arizona. Its offering bundles pre-construction services (entitlements, design assessment, value engineering, budgeting, scheduling) with full project management, field supervision, and warranty management. Revenue is earned through custom, project-based contracts awarded via direct enterprise relationships and referrals.
Is DAI a public or private company?
DAI is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was DAI founded?
DAI was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is DAI based?
DAI is headquartered in Irvine, United States, in the North America region.
How does DAI make money?
One revenue line is on record: general Construction Services.
Who are DAI's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Swinerton, DPR Construction, Clune Construction, HITT Contracting, Whiting-Turner Contracting and Clark Construction Group. Direct peers are Oltmans Construction, ARCO National Construction, Consteel Construction and RQ Construction.
Does DAI have an API?
No public API is recorded for DAI.
What industry is DAI in?
DAI's product category is Commercial Construction Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAFAAAA, Commercial General Contracting (New Build), with a secondary code of IMAFAAAI, Self-Performing General Contractors. Its NAICS code is 23622 and its SIC code is 1540.