Subcontractor risk intelligence for the St. Louis construction lending market. Real data. Real subs. Real scores.
St. Louis has $15-20 billion in confirmed construction. Ameren Missouri signed binding contracts for 2.2 GW of data center demand in February 2026 alone. Every project below requires hundreds of MEP subcontractors — and those subs need financing.
| Project | Value | Status | Key Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Armory Innovation District | $3 billion | Active — zoning March 2026 | 120MW hyperscale DC + 214,500 SF tech office. Contour, TeraWatt, ARCO. 1,000+ construction jobs |
| CRG/Clayco Data Center (Festus) | $30-40M/yr tax | Rezoning approved unanimously | 250 acres. Hyperscaler expected (Google). 1,000+ union construction jobs |
| Boeing Defense Expansion | $1.8 billion | Active | 1.1M SF advanced fighter jet manufacturing facility |
| Lambert Airport Terminal | $3 billion | Active | Consolidating T1/T2 into single terminal, up to 62 gates |
| Next NGA West (Federal) | $1.7+ billion | Opening 2026 | 700,000 SF National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency HQ |
| I-70 Corridor | $1.181 billion | Active | Largest single MoDOT project ever ($634M Warrenton-Wentzville) |
| Ameren DC Contracts | 2.2 GW demand | Signed Feb 2026 | Binding contracts. Infrastructure costs $1B+ per customer |
| Regional Freightway Projects | $8.9 billion | 29 projects active | Bi-state priority list across STL metro |
These are the general contractors whose subcontractors your bank is lending to — or should be.
| GC | HQ | Revenue | Key Projects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clayco | St. Louis | $7.6B+ | CRG data center arm driving multiple STL projects. Armory project |
| ARCO Construction | St. Louis | $6.5B+ | Largest MO contractor by revenue. Armory project |
| McCarthy Building Companies | St. Louis | $6B+ | 100% employee-owned. Healthcare, education, science/tech |
| Alberici Constructors | St. Louis | $4B+ | ENR #36 largest builder. Founded 1918. 3,500 employees |
| Brinkmann Constructors | Chesterfield | ~$600M | Named one of STL's largest GCs. ~516 employees |
| PARIC Corporation | St. Louis | — | CM, design-build. Founded 1979 |
| S.M. Wilson & Co. | St. Louis | — | Signatory union contractor |
| Metric | St. Louis / Missouri | National |
|---|---|---|
| Metro Unemployment Rate (Dec 2025, SA) | 4.0% | 4.4% |
| Construction Employment (Jul 2025, SA) | 150,300 | 8.3 million |
| Construction Job Growth YoY (Jul 2024 → Jul 2025) | +3,400 (+2.3%) | +96,000 (+1.2%) |
| Construction Growth Since Pre-Pandemic (Feb 2020) | +21,300 (+17%) | +9.2% |
| Construction Wage Growth (YoY, Apr 2025) | Modestly declining | +3.6% |
| National Construction Wage Growth (Gordian RSMeans, 2025→2026) | +4.6% | |
| Median Annual Pay — All Occupations (2024) | $46,390 | — |
| Median Annual Pay — Electricians (2024) | $70,950 | $61,590 |
| Median Annual Pay — First-Line Supervisors (2024) | $83,150 | — |
| Median Annual Pay — Plumbers/Pipefitters (2024) | $62,090 | — |
| Median Annual Pay — Carpenters (2024) | $61,150 | — |
| Median Annual Pay — Laborers (2024) | $53,840 | — |
| Construction Establishments (2024) | 17,000 | 941,000 |
| Construction GDP Contribution | $22B (4.8% of $463B) | $1.3T (4.5% of $30T) |
| Private Nonresidential Spending (2024) | $7 billion | $766 billion |
| State & Local Construction Spending (2024) | $7 billion | $488 billion |
| Firms Citing Worker Shortage as #1 Delay (AGC/NCCER Survey, Aug 2025) | 54% | 45% |
| National New Workers Needed (ABC, 2026) | 349,000 (rising to 456,000 in 2027) | |
| Electrician Job Growth Projection (BLS, 2024–2034) | +9% — ~81,000 openings/year nationally | |
Standout: MO firms report worker shortages at 54% vs. 45% national average. Construction wages are flat-to-declining in MO while rising 3.6–4.6% nationally — signaling demand outpacing wage competitiveness. NGA HQ ($1.7B) opening 2026 + Brickline Greenway ($245M) will intensify skilled trade demand.
Sources: AGC of America (Sep 4, 2025) • FRED/BLS (Dec 2025) • NAHB Eye on Housing (Apr 2025) • Gordian RSMeans (Mar 2026) • ABC (Jan 2026) • BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
This is what a scored subcontractor looks like. Five data layers, weighted, composite score. Based on the KC metro proof-of-concept (same model applies to STL).
Google $11B, Meta $1B, Kestrel $100B, Lambda 100MW. Burns & McDonnell ranked #1 on ENR. Regional demand is not slowing down.
KC Missouri building permits via SODA API (data.kcmo.org). Back to 2010. Permit trends are a 60-90 day leading indicator of sub revenue.
Sub has confirmed project history with Burns & McDonnell, JE Dunn. Multi-year backlog visible through awarded contracts.
3.5% KC unemployment. UA Local 8, Local 533 (1,500 members), IBEW 124 (3,000+). Prevailing wage ~$83/hr. Tight but manageable.
| Source | What It Tells You | Update Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Municipal Building Permits (SODA API) | Forward-looking construction demand by type/geography | Monthly |
| BLS Employment & Wages | Trade-specific labor availability, wage pressure | Monthly (60-day lag) |
| JOLTS Job Openings | Construction sector hiring demand & turnover | Monthly |
| ENR Contractor Rankings | GC revenue, backlog, market position | Annual |
| Utility Interconnect Filings | Data center and industrial project pipeline | As filed |
| OSHA Safety Records | Sub safety track record, violation history | Continuous |
| State Contractor Licensing | Active licenses, bonding capacity, disciplinary actions | Continuous |
| Union Membership Rolls | Labor pool size, apprenticeship pipeline | Annual |
| Ameren Missouri Filings | Power demand contracts, infrastructure investment signals | As filed |
| Federal Reserve Economic Data | Regional GDP, construction spending, credit conditions | Quarterly |
Pick a sub in your portfolio. We'll score them against the STL pipeline — permits, labor, GC relationships — and hand you the report in 48 hours.