Burling Builders
Burling Builders is an African American-owned Chicago general contractor founded in 1980, delivering construction management, design-build, and general contracting across multi-family, affordable housing, education, municipal, aviation, and commercial sectors for public agencies and private developers in Chicagoland.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Burling Builders does
Burling Builders is an African American-owned general contractor founded in 1980 by Elzie Higginbottom and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The firm provides general contracting, design-build, construction management, preconstruction, value engineering, and funding compliance services across nine market sectors: multi-family and affordable housing, recreation, corporate office, education, aviation, retail, municipal, and hospitality. Project delivery is concentrated in the Chicagoland area and serves a mix of public agencies (Chicago Housing Authority, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Park District, Public Building Commission of Chicago, ComEd/Exelon, University of Chicago) and private developers (Gorman & Company, East Lake Management, Pivotal Housing Partners, Fifth Third Bank, JPMorgan Chase, United Airlines).
The company's core offering is project execution rather than proprietary technology. Underlying capabilities include LEED-certified sustainable construction, HUD/LIHTC and Davis-Bacon compliance expertise, Section 3 community hiring programs, pulled-planning scheduling, and site safety management. Notable delivered projects include Dearborn Homes (140 units), Langley Brown Station (276 units), and LEED Gold-certified builds (2009, 2013). The firm is privately held with 11-50 employees and operates without joint-venture partnerships with larger national contractors.
Burling Builders generates revenue through project-based fixed-price and cost-plus construction contracts, winning work via competitive public-sector procurement and negotiated awards from repeat private developers. The business model is relationship-driven, anchored by long-tenured institutional clients and a leadership team led by Founder/CEO Elzie Higginbottom, EVP John Girzadas, VP Operations Joe Targett, and VP Finance Kim Walker. The firm does not disclose financial metrics, project backlog, or bonding capacity, and there is no evidence of external funding, M&A activity, or geographic expansion beyond the Chicago metro.
Burling Builders firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Burling Builders
- Legal name
- Burling Builders Inc.
- Website
- https://burlingbuilders.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Burling Builders is an African American-owned Chicago general contractor founded in 1980, delivering construction management, design-build, and general contracting across multi-family, affordable housing, education, municipal, aviation, and commercial sectors for public agencies and private developers in Chicagoland.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Burling Builders industry classification
Industry- Product category
- General Contracting and Construction Services
- NAICS
- New Multifamily Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) (236116), Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (236220), Nonresidential Building Construction (2362), Residential Remodelers (236118)
- SIC
- General Bldg Contractors - Residential Bldgs (1520), General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Residential Affordable Housing Development & Construction (IMAFABAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Office & Corporate Building Construction (IMAFACAA), Residential General Contracting (New Build) (IMAFAAAB), Residential Design-Build & Renovation-Integrated Builders (IMAFABAE)
Keywords
Where Burling Builders is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Burling Builders business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- General Contracting Services: Traditional general contracting providing seamless project execution with expert management and skilled craftsmanship for multi-family, commercial, and public infrastructure projects
- Design-Build Services: Integrated design and construction services merging architects, engineers, and builders from project inception through completion
- Construction Management: Strategic oversight and coordination from concept through completion, aligning with client programming and organizational needs
- Preconstruction Services: Planning, cost estimating, and value engineering during early project phases to optimize design and establish realistic budgets
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Burling Builders product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Burling Builders is a Chicago-based general contractor providing construction management, design-build, and general contracting services for commercial and multifamily residential projects across the Chicagoland area. Founded in 1980, the firm delivers full preconstruction and construction execution for developers, public agencies, and commercial clients, with recognized expertise in HUD and LIHTC-funded affordable housing.
Product overview
Burling Builders is a full-service African American-owned general contractor founded in 1980, specializing in commercial and multi-family residential construction in the Chicagoland area. The company operates as a single unified service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Its core portfolio consists of ten integrated construction services—General Contracting, Design-Build, Construction Management, Preconstruction Services, Value Engineering, Diversity & Community Hiring, Project Sustainability Execution, Pulled Planning Scheduling, Site Safety, and Funding Compliance Assistance—that work together to deliver projects from concept through completion. These services are applied across nine distinct market sectors: Multi-Family, Affordable Housing, Recreation, Corporate Office, Education, Aviation, Retail, Municipal, and Hospitality. The company emphasizes 46+ years of experience built through independent efforts without joint ventures, positioning itself as a single-source provider of sophisticated construction services rather than a technology product company.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- 46+ years of on-time, on-budget project delivery
Companies that use Burling Builders
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Burling Builders technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Burling Builders partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- East Lake Management & Development CorporationcoreCo-developer of Grace Manor Apartments mixed-use affordable housing development. East Lake Management is a repeat partner with Burling on multiple projects including the Hampton Inn Hotel in the Illinois Medical District Gateway development. The partnership focuses on delivering quality affordable housing and hospitality projects in underserved Chicago communities.
- Gorman & CompanycoreDevelopment partner on Earle School Apartments adaptive reuse project. Gorman & Company specializes in affordable housing and historic preservation, working with Burling as general contractor on converting the former Charles Warrington Earle School into 50 units of affordable housing.
- Grace at Jerusalem Community Development CorporationcoreCo-developer with East Lake Management on Grace Manor Apartments project. Grace at Jerusalem CDC is affiliated with Grace Memorial Baptist Church and brings community development expertise to affordable housing initiatives in North Lawndale.
- Pivotal Housing PartnersmajorDevelopment partner on Invest SouthWest Austin project at 5200 W Chicago Ave. Pivotal Housing Partners works with Burling on mixed-income residential developments serving Chicago communities.
- Austin United/PivotalcoreJoint venture for Austin United Alliance development combining affordable and market-rate housing with historic preservation of Laramie State Bank Building in Austin neighborhood.
- Turnstone DevelopmentmajorDevelopment partner on Richton Park Senior Apartments project. Turnstone Development specializes in senior housing, partnering with Burling for general contracting services.
- Full Circle CommunitiesmajorDevelopment partner on FCC Taft & Exmoor Homes project. Full Circle Communities develops permanent supportive housing, with Burling providing construction expertise.
- NHP FoundationmajorNonprofit affordable housing partner on Edwin Berry Manor renovation project. NHP Foundation works with Burling on preserving and upgrading existing affordable housing properties.
- IFFmajorCommunity development lender and developer partner on IFF Homan Square Apartments Phase IV rehabilitation project in North Lawndale, restoring 108 units of affordable housing.
- Chicago Housing AuthoritycoreGovernment housing authority partner on multiple affordable housing projects including CHA RAD program units, Dearborn Homes renovations, and various public housing improvements.
- Chicago Park DistrictcoreMajor municipal client for recreation facility construction including Jane Addams Recreation Center, Morgan Park Sports Center, and various park improvements throughout Chicago.
- Public Building Commission of ChicagocoreGovernment agency partner on multiple projects including Williams Park Fieldhouse and CCC School of Nursing. PBC commissions public building projects with Burling as general contractor.
- University of ChicagomajorEducation institution partner on structural biology research facility, dorm renovations, food service buildouts, and various campus improvements. Ongoing relationship for university construction needs.
- Chicago Public SchoolsmajorEducation client on school construction and renovation projects including Durkin Elementary, Wendell Phillips Academy additions, and various CPS facilities.
- ComEd/ExeloncoreMajor utility client with ongoing relationship for training facilities, office renovations, vehicle maintenance buildings, and infrastructure projects throughout the Chicagoland area.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Burling Builders competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Pepper Construction: Chicago-area general contractor with strong multifamily, education, healthcare, and senior living portfolios. Overlaps with Burling on affordable housing developers, Chicago-area institutional clients, and similar use of design-build delivery.
- Power Construction Company: Chicago-based general contractor with a comparable portfolio spanning multifamily, commercial, education, healthcare, and aviation. Similar private-ownership profile and Chicagoland market focus, with a broader institutional client base.
- McHugh Construction: Chicago-based general contractor specializing in multifamily residential, hospitality, and large-scale commercial construction. Comparable in market sectors (multifamily, hospitality, mixed-use) and Chicagoland geographic focus.
- Walsh Construction: Chicago-based general contractor and family-owned firm serving multifamily, education, healthcare, and public infrastructure in the Midwest. Overlaps with Burling in affordable housing, education (CPS), and municipal work, though at significantly larger scale.
- W.E. O'Neil Construction: Chicago-based general contractor founded in 1925 serving multifamily, commercial, education, and institutional markets across the Midwest. Comparable in size, regional focus, project mix, and private ownership profile to Burling.
- Bulley & Andrews: Chicago-based general contractor serving multifamily, hospitality, education, healthcare, and corporate office markets. Comparable in regional scope, project mix, and mid-market positioning relative to Burling.
Broad incumbents
- Clark Construction Group: Large national general contractor serving commercial, institutional, multifamily, and public infrastructure markets across the US. Competes with Burling on larger institutional and government projects where bonding capacity and scale matter.
- Holder Construction: Large national general contractor with significant corporate, aviation, education, and multifamily portfolios. Overlaps with Burling's aviation and corporate office segments at the high end of project scale.
- Turner Construction Company: Largest general contractor in the US, with substantial commercial, aviation, education, and multifamily practices. Competes with Burling for large institutional and corporate projects in the Chicago market.
- Gilbane Building Company: Large national general contractor with strong public-sector, education, and multifamily practices. Comparable on affordable-housing and institutional project types, though typically operating at a larger project scale than Burling.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Burling Builders social profiles
Digital presenceBurling Builders financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Burling Builders leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Burling Builders funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Burling Builders 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 Burling Builders
What does Burling Builders do?
Burling Builders is a Chicago-based general contractor providing construction management, design-build, and general contracting services for commercial and multifamily residential projects across the Chicagoland area. Founded in 1980, the firm delivers full preconstruction and construction execution for developers, public agencies, and commercial clients, with recognized expertise in HUD and LIHTC-funded affordable housing.
Is Burling Builders a public or private company?
Burling Builders is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Burling Builders founded?
Burling Builders was founded in 1980. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Burling Builders based?
Burling Builders is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Burling Builders make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. General Contracting Services are the primary driver. The others are design-Build Services, construction Management and preconstruction Services.
Who are Burling Builders's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Pepper Construction, Power Construction Company, McHugh Construction, Walsh Construction, W.E. O'Neil Construction and Bulley & Andrews. Broad incumbents are Clark Construction Group, Holder Construction, Turner Construction Company and Gilbane Building Company.
Does Burling Builders have an API?
No public API is recorded for Burling Builders.
What industry is Burling Builders in?
Burling Builders's product category is General Contracting and Construction Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAFABAI, Residential Affordable Housing Development & Construction, with a secondary code of IMAFACAA, Office & Corporate Building Construction. Its NAICS code is 236116 and its SIC code is 1520.