Los Angeles commercial general contractor

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Restaurants. Hospitality. Hotels. Retail. Tenant improvement. Adaptive reuse. Creative office. Ground-up.

Commercial general contractor in Los Angeles

Lessons from difficult commercial projects, built into our own AI, so experienced builders can serve you better.

Let’s talk about your projectSee what preconstruction gets you
  • A restored 1927 theatre fitted out as a store, seen from the balcony
    Project completed as Superintendent at Shawmut Design and ConstructionBuilt by Shawmut Design and Construction. Luke MacDougall, SuperintendentLuke MacDougall’s project as Superintendent at Shawmut Design and ConstructionShawmut Design and ConstructionLuke MacDougall, Superintendent
  • A lounge with a red sofa under a timber ceiling in a 1929 building
    Project completed as President at Reaume RichardsonBuilt by Reaume Richardson. Luke MacDougall, PresidentLuke MacDougall’s project as President at Reaume RichardsonReaume RichardsonLuke MacDougall, President
  • A clothing store with green banquettes and timber shelving
    Project completed as President at Reaume RichardsonBuilt by Reaume Richardson. Luke MacDougall, PresidentLuke MacDougall’s project as President at Reaume RichardsonReaume RichardsonLuke MacDougall, President
  • A restaurant bar with a marble counter and bentwood stools
    Project completed as President at Reaume RichardsonBuilt by Reaume Richardson. Luke MacDougall, PresidentLuke MacDougall’s project as President at Reaume RichardsonReaume RichardsonLuke MacDougall, President

What we build

Ground-up construction, interiors and renovations

All eight work types
  • A dining room opening onto a terrace with umbrellas and palms
    Project completed as President at Reaume RichardsonBuilt by Reaume Richardson. Luke MacDougall, PresidentLuke MacDougall’s project as President at Reaume RichardsonReaume RichardsonLuke MacDougall, President
  • A cafe with long timber tables beside a glass wall and olive trees
    Project completed as Superintendent at Shawmut Design and ConstructionBuilt by Shawmut Design and Construction. Luke MacDougall, SuperintendentLuke MacDougall’s project as Superintendent at Shawmut Design and ConstructionShawmut Design and ConstructionLuke MacDougall, Superintendent
  • A stadium club bar with a curved counter under a timber ceiling
    Project completed as General Superintendent at Shawmut Design and ConstructionBuilt by Shawmut Design and Construction. Luke MacDougall, General SuperintendentLuke MacDougall’s project as General Superintendent at Shawmut Design and ConstructionShawmut Design and ConstructionLuke MacDougall, General Superintendent
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Restaurants and bars

The health department plan check, industrial waste approval, kitchen hood and fire alarm coordination, and hitting a fixed opening date.

Restaurants and bars in more detail

The founder

You will know who is running your project

I spent ten years in the field as a superintendent and general superintendent, then president of a general contractor.

I started MacDougall Builders to stay closely involved in every project we take on, from the first review of the drawings through client handover and warranty.

Luke MacDougall’s background
Luke MacDougall, founder of MacDougall Builders, arms crossed, in a studio portrait
Luke MacDougall, founder

How a job runs

  1. Chapter 1PreconstructionWe treat every bid and preconstruction engagement as if we are already responsible for building the job.
  2. Chapter 2During the buildDecisions get made while there is still time to act on them.
  3. Chapter 3Closeout and afterCommissioning, training and inspections planned months ahead, so the delivery date holds.

How we use AI

Our own experience, built into our own AI

Calling the company AI-native does not mean handing a construction project over to AI. It means using AI with enough project context and construction experience behind it that the output actually improves how we deliver projects. Our context layer holds the drawings, the specifications, the schedule, the meetings and the open decisions for each project, and it carries the lessons learned from prior project experience. It reads a drawing set and finds the conflicts an experienced builder would look for, turns a week of meetings into prioritized action items, and flags what needs a decision and when. Experienced builders review the output and make the decisions.

How we use AI on a project
Your project this weekFriday
  1. 2Decisions that are yours this week
  2. 1RFI that puts the schedule at risk
  3. 0Submittals waiting on you
  4. Under reviewPayment application 4
  5. 61 daysTo substantial completion

For architects and designers

A builder you can bring into the conversation with your client

You need a builder who understands what matters in the design and can work through it with your team. The character of a space often depends on how the details come together, so we work through the materials and trade interfaces with you, raise questions with recommendations where we can, and make the scope and assumptions clear to you and the owner.

How we work with design teams

Common questions

What owners ask before the first meeting

What size and type of project do you take on?

We build commercial ground-up projects, interiors and renovations in Los Angeles across eight work types: restaurants and bars, hospitality, hotels, retail, tenant improvement, adaptive reuse, creative office and ground-up construction. We are selective about the work we take on, so our founder stays closely involved in every project. If yours is not a fit, we will tell you in the first conversation.

Where do you build?

We build across Los Angeles County, with a focus on the West side, the coast from Malibu to Manhattan Beach, Hollywood, Silver Lake and Downtown, including the Arts District.

When should I bring a contractor in?

As early as the concept package, when the drawings are still an outline and a program. At that stage we can tell you whether the project fits the budget you have in mind and what in the building will be the cost drivers.

What does preconstruction actually produce?

We conduct a full drawing review and site analysis, and we use prior experience to identify the potential roadblocks and issues the team should focus on together. You receive a detailed plan to build the job: a budget, an open issues log, a project schedule, a procurement study, site logistics and proposed value engineering recommendations.

Do you bid competitively?

Yes. When a job is competitively bid it gets the same care as a job we are going to build. We review the drawings and coordinate each discipline so that the price we submit is realistic to deliver the project.

How do you use AI on a project?

Our system reads the drawings, the specifications, the schedule, the meeting notes and our SOPs, alongside the lessons learned from prior project experience. Experienced builders review the output against the project documents and decide what to do with it. Owners, consultants and subcontractors get access to the same system, so they can ask questions of the project record and stay informed on the information that matters to them.

Start with a conversation

Let’s talk about your project

Tell us what you are planning, where the design stands and the date you are working toward. We will call to talk it through.

Let’s talk about your project