What Barnhart-Reese Construction does

Barnhart-Reese Construction, Inc. is a family-owned general contracting and construction management firm headquartered in San Diego, California (10805 Thornmint Road, #200). The company was originally formed in 2008 as J. Reese Construction Inc. by Tamela Barnhart Reese and West Reese under a five-year non-compete restriction following Balfour Beatty's $136 million acquisition of Douglas E. Barnhart Inc.; it adopted the Barnhart-Reese name in 2013 once the restriction lapsed. Doug Barnhart (former CEO of the largest locally owned construction manager in San Diego County) serves as Chairman, with his daughter Tamela as President and her husband West as CEO. The firm operates with roughly 50–55 employees across San Diego County and Southern California.

The company delivers projects through multiple methods — Design-Build, Construction Management at Risk, Lease-Leaseback, Develop-Design-Build, and traditional General Contracting — and maintains in-house self-perform concrete capability and LEED-certified construction experience (including LEED Gold on Bayside Fire Station No. 2). Its project portfolio spans civic, K-12 and higher education, healthcare/medical (OSHPD-regulated), military/federal (NAVFAC), industrial/commercial, and religious/nonprofit sectors, with project contract values historically ranging from approximately $7 million to $80 million. Notable projects include the $60.1 million East Village Green Community Park (City of San Diego), Carlsbad Fire Station No. 2 ($14.4M), multiple San Diego Unified School District modernizations, and a Sharp Chula Vista Cancer Center joint venture with Kitchell Corporation.

Barnhart-Reese generates revenue exclusively through competitive bidding on public-sector RFPs and direct private-sector construction contracts; it holds prequalified status with San Diego Unified, Escondido Union, Grossmont Union, Sharp HealthCare, Scripps HealthCare, multiple cities, the CSU system, and various NAVFAC installations. The firm operates with no external funding, no subsidiaries, and no technology platform — relying on Procore for project management, relationship-based marketing, AGC membership, and a strong regional brand inherited from the Barnhart family legacy to win work. Expected annual sales were reported at approximately $50 million based on 2019 projections, with the East Village Green contract suggesting a higher recent run-rate.

Name

Barnhart-Reese Construction

Legal name

Barnhart-Reese Construction, Inc.

Website

https://barnhartreese.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Barnhart-Reese Construction is a family-owned San Diego general contractor and construction manager delivering civic, K-12, healthcare, military, and commercial projects across Southern California through Design-Build, Construction Management at Risk, Lease-Leaseback, and self-perform concrete delivery methods.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

General Contracting and Construction Management

NAICS

Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (23622)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540)

akta.pro primary industry

Office & Corporate Building Construction (IMAFACAA)

Keywords

• General contracting
• Construction management
• Design-build delivery
• Public works construction
• Facility modernization

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations

Revenue model

1. Construction Services: General contracting and construction management services for public and private sector clients. Revenue is generated through one-time project contracts with various public agencies, school districts, healthcare systems, and commercial clients. Projects range from $7 million to $80 million.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Barnhart-Reese Construction provides general contracting, construction management, and integrated project delivery for public and private construction projects. Its services cover Design-Build, Lease-Leaseback, Develop-Design-Build, modernization, tenant improvements, LEED-certified construction, and self-performed concrete work across civic, education, healthcare, military, commercial, and industrial facilities.

Product overview

Barnhart-Reese Construction is a family-owned construction company that provides comprehensive construction services through multiple delivery methods. The company's core offerings include Design-Build, Construction Management, Lease-Leaseback, General Contracting, and Develop-Design-Build services. They specialize in LEED-certified sustainable construction, modernization projects, tenant improvements, and self-perform concrete work. Their project portfolio spans across civic, education, healthcare/medical, military, industrial/commercial, and religious building sectors. The company operates as a single unified service offering rather than a platform with modular components.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Design-Build Services Integrated architectural design and construction delivery with Barnhart-Reese serving as a single point of contact.
• Construction Management Construction oversight, coordination, and delivery services for projects across multiple sectors.
• Lease-Leaseback Services Project delivery through a lease and leaseback structure commonly used for California school-district projects.
• General Contracting Traditional construction delivery in which Barnhart-Reese serves as the primary contractor for project execution.
• Develop-Design-Build Integrated property development, design, and construction services delivered under one project-delivery method.
• LEED Certified Construction Green-building construction services targeting LEED certification levels such as Silver and Gold.
• Modernization Services Renovation and modernization of existing facilities, including system upgrades, interior or exterior improvements, and code-compliance updates.
• Tenant Improvements Interior fit-out and customization services for commercial tenants within existing buildings.
• Self-Perform Concrete In-house concrete construction capability that provides direct control over concrete work quality and project scheduling.

Quantifiable outcome

• Delivered multiple award-winning projects including Skyline Hills Branch Library (AGC Build America Award), Carlsbad Fire Station No. 2 (Yearbook of Engineering Achievement Award)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Kitchell CorporationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partner with Barnhart-Reese Construction for the Sharp Chula Vista Campus Cancer Center project. The 45,000 SF cancer center and medical office building was completed as a joint venture between the two firms.
• OJB Landscape ArchitectsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm for East Village Green Community Park project. OJB Landscape Architects (with San Diego County offices in Solana Beach) designed the 4.1-acre community park.
• Safdie RabinesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm for East Village Green Community Park project. Partnered with OJB Landscape Architects on the downtown San Diego park development.
• Walt Conwell Architects Inc.majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrincipal architect for Hawthorne Cat Dynamometer Test Center project. Walt Conwell Architects designed the state-of-the-art engine, generator, and truck testing facility.
• Rob Wellington Quigley FAIAmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAward-winning architect who designed the Bayside Fire Station No. 2 in Little Italy district. The innovative four-level design includes underground parking, apparatus bay, and firefighter dorms.
• Black Contractors Association (BCA)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerLong-standing partnership with the Black Contractors Association of San Diego. Barnhart-Reese has partnered with BCA and its members on numerous projects including Petco Park, San Diego Convention Center, and various school projects. BCA recognition includes 'Beyond the Dream Award'.
• Marlene Imirzian & AssociatesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm for Southwestern College Public Safety Training Center. Designed the five-building complex including the four-story burn tower and various training facilities.
• Delawie ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm that has worked with Barnhart-Reese Construction on projects. Described as noting the second-generation executives are 'doing great' and appreciating Doug Barnhart's mentorship.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Swinerton: West Coast-focused general contractor with strong civic, education, and healthcare practices. Comparable in size and regional concentration to Barnhart-Reese, with overlapping prequalifications across California school districts and public agencies.
• Kitchell Corporation: San Diego-based general contractor and construction manager. Joint venture partner with Barnhart-Reese on Sharp Chula Vista Cancer Center; competes head-to-head on healthcare, civic, and education projects across Southern California.
• McCarthy Building Companies: Employee-owned general contractor with strong education (K-12 and higher ed), healthcare, and civic practices. Comparable in delivery model (Design-Build, CM at Risk) and self-perform capabilities, but at larger scale.
• Sundt Construction: Mid-size employee-owned general contractor with comparable civic, education, and military project portfolios. Similar delivery-method expertise and self-perform capabilities make it a relevant size and model comparable.

Broad incumbents

• Balfour Beatty: Global construction firm that purchased Barnhart-Reese's predecessor (Douglas E. Barnhart Inc.) in 2008 for $136M. Balfour Beatty is a direct competitor in San Diego civic, education, and healthcare construction and offers the comparison of how a local family builder scaled into a national platform via acquisition.
• DPR Construction: National technical builder with strong healthcare, higher-education, and life-sciences practices. Comparable in delivery-method sophistication and self-perform culture, but operates at materially larger scale.
• Clark Construction Group: Large national general contractor with substantial civic, education, and healthcare work. Competes with Barnhart-Reese on larger civic pursuits in California and represents the incumbent scale tier the firm is starting to enter.
• Hensel Phelps: Employee-owned national GC with major public-sector, aviation, healthcare, and education practices. Competes with Barnhart-Reese on larger civic/institutional pursuits and provides a comparable employee-owned mid-size reference.
• PCL Construction: Large North American general contractor with civic, education, healthcare, and federal practices. Relevant peer for federal/military work and for understanding how mid-size GCs scale into national players.
• Turner Construction: Largest general contractor in the U.S. with deep healthcare, education, and civic practices. Increasingly competes with mid-size regional GCs like Barnhart-Reese on California civic and modernization work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/j.-reese-construction-inc./about

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Barnhart-Reese Construction