What Phelps Construction Group does

Phelps Construction Group is a privately held, founder-led construction services firm headquartered in Denville, New Jersey, with a satellite office in New York City. Founded in 2007/2008 by Douglas Phelps, the firm delivers pre-construction, construction management, and design-build services to public, institutional, and commercial clients across the NJ/NY metropolitan area, with a portfolio of more than 300 completed projects. The firm has developed a distinctive niche in high-visibility civic and historic restoration work, including the Statue of Liberty Museum, the $100 million Ellis Island Museum renovation, and the $130 million Loew's Jersey Theatre restoration, alongside a broader base of education, commercial, and sports-venue clients that includes Rutgers, KIPP, Bottle King, and the New Jersey Devils / Prudential Center.

The business operates a project-based delivery model typical of mid-sized general contractors: the company engages through lump-sum, GMP, and design-build contracts, performing a portion of work self-performed and subcontracting the balance to specialty trades. Revenue is generated by management fee plus self-perform margin spread over contract value, with backlog driven primarily by negotiated and best-value awards from repeat institutional clients. Operations are organized around New Jersey (with the Boonton/Denville corridor) and a New York City foothold established in 2021. Headcount is reported at 11–50 employees, indicating a lean, principal-involved operating model.

Monetization mechanics are not publicly disclosed. No funding rounds, investors, or external capital raises appear in the source material, indicating organic growth and founder-controlled ownership. The customer mix is diversified across federal/National Park Service work, state and municipal agencies, higher education, K-12, private commercial, and professional sports, with notable name-brand visibility from landmark cultural projects that function as reputational and business-development assets.

Name

Phelps Construction Group

Legal name

Phelps Construction Group, LLC

Website

https://phelpsconstructiongroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Phelps Construction Group is a NJ-based, founder-led design-build, construction management, and pre-construction firm serving public, institutional, and commercial clients across the NJ/NY metro, with a notable specialty in civic and historic restoration projects including the Statue of Liberty Museum and Ellis Island Museum.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Construction Services

NAICS

Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (236220), Nonresidential Building Construction (2362)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540)

akta.pro primary industry

Construction Management (Agency/Owner’s Rep) (IMAFAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Religious & Cultural Building Construction (Places of Worship, Museums, Libraries) (IMAFACAH), Office & Corporate Building Construction (IMAFACAA)

Keywords

• Commercial construction services
• General contracting
• Construction management
• Pre-construction consulting
• Historic building restoration

Headquarters

HQ city

Boonton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. General Contracting Services: Revenue generated through construction contracts for commercial, educational, healthcare, industrial, residential, and retail projects. Services include pre-construction consulting, general contracting, and design-build delivery from initial conceptual budget through project completion.
2. Construction Management Services: Construction management services provided to meet client construction needs from initial conceptual budget through to completion and maintenance of facilities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Phelps Construction Group is a full-service construction firm providing pre-construction consulting, general contracting, and construction management services for commercial, educational, healthcare, industrial, residential, retail, sports and entertainment, worship, and green building projects. The company manages projects from initial conceptual budget through completion and maintenance, with expertise in design-build delivery and historic restoration of landmark structures.

Product overview

Phelps Construction Group is a construction services company offering a unified portfolio of services centered around pre-construction, general contracting, and construction management. Their core service offering spans multiple construction categories including Commercial, Educational, Green Building, Healthcare, Historic Restoration, Industrial, Residential, Retail, Sports & Entertainment, and Worship construction. Notable landmark projects include the Statue of Liberty Museum, Ellis Island Museum expansions, Loew's Jersey Theatre restoration, and ongoing work with the New Jersey Devils and Prudential Center. The company operates from offices in Boonton, NJ (headquarters) and New York, serving clients throughout New Jersey and the greater New York metropolitan area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pre-Construction Services Conceptual budgeting and planning services provided from initial project conception through budget development and contractor selection, supporting commercial, educational, healthcare, retail, industrial, residential, and sports facility clients.
• General Contracting Full-service general contracting for construction projects across commercial, educational, healthcare, retail, industrial, residential, and sports facilities.
• Construction Management Services Construction management services overseeing projects from initial conceptual budget through completion and maintenance of new facilities for commercial, institutional, and public-sector clients.
• Commercial Construction Commercial building projects including office spaces, retail establishments, and corporate facilities.
• Educational Construction Educational facility construction including charter schools, university buildings, and learning centers such as KIPP schools and Rutgers University labs.
• Healthcare Construction Healthcare facility construction and renovation including hospitals, medical offices, and specialized care facilities.
• Historic Restoration Restoration and preservation of historic buildings including theaters, churches, and landmarks such as Loew's Jersey Theatre and Ellis Island Museum.
• Green Building Sustainable and environmentally conscious construction practices and building projects.
• Industrial Construction Industrial facility construction including warehouses, manufacturing facilities, and distribution centers.
• Residential Construction Residential construction projects including senior housing, multi-family developments, and single-family residences.
• Retail Construction Retail space construction and fit-out including stores, restaurants, and shopping center renovations.
• Sports & Entertainment Construction Sports and entertainment venue construction and renovation including arenas, theaters, and recreational facilities.
• Worship Construction Religious facility construction including synagogues, churches, and other worship spaces.

Named customers13 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• New Jersey Devils and Prudential CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 September 2024Phelps Construction Group entered into a multi-year partnership expansion with the New Jersey Devils and Prudential Center in September 2024. The partnership includes construction of the Pier Club premium hospitality space at Prudential Center, ongoing arena improvements, and broader collaboration on venue development projects. This relationship has grown from previous project-based work into a strategic partnership supporting the Devils' and arena's continued evolution.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Lendlease: Global construction and development firm with significant NYC/NJ commercial, residential, and institutional presence. Competes with Phelps for mid-to-large institutional and design-build projects in the region.
• Skanska USA: Major global contractor with substantial tri-state operations across commercial, healthcare, education, and civil projects. Competes with Phelps for institutional work and operates as a benchmark for premium fee delivery in the region.
• Walsh Construction: National general contractor with established presence in commercial, healthcare, education, and cultural construction, including Northeast operations. Overlaps with Phelps on institutional and design-build delivery in mid-sized project segments.
• Tishman Construction (AECOM): Iconic NYC general contractor now part of AECOM, with deep institutional, commercial, and cultural project credentials in the same tri-state market. Direct overlap with Phelps on landmark and institutional work, though at materially larger scale.
• Turner Construction Company: Largest US general contractor with extensive NJ/NY operations across commercial, healthcare, education, sports, and cultural segments. Competes with Phelps for institutional and landmark work but operates at substantially greater scale and geographic breadth.

Direct peers

• Plaza Construction: NYC-headquartered general contractor with comparable size delivering commercial, hospitality, residential, and cultural projects in the metro market. Similar mid-tier positioning and project profile to Phelps.
• Hunter Roberts Construction Group: New Jersey-headquartered mid-sized general contractor focused on commercial, healthcare, education, and cultural projects in the tri-state market. Closely comparable in scale, regional footprint, and project mix (institutional/cultural) to Phelps Construction Group.
• Structure Tone: National commercial and institutional general contractor with strong NYC/NJ presence delivering office, healthcare, education, and cultural projects. Comparable in vertical mix and regional customer base to Phelps.
• Gilbane Building Company: Mid-Atlantic and Northeast-focused general contractor delivering commercial, healthcare, education, and cultural projects at comparable scale to Phelps. Both firms compete for similar institutional and design-build assignments in the region.
• Holt Construction Corp. New Jersey-headquartered general contractor delivering commercial, healthcare, education, and institutional projects of similar scale in the same regional market. Closely comparable peer in size, geography, and vertical mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PhelpsConstrGrp

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 Phelps Construction Group