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Turner Construction Co. was overdue for new offices when it began erecting a six-story mixed-use building in Portland’s West End for Menashe Properties.

As the project took shape, Turner executives began to like what they saw. The top floor would have tall ceilings, an open floor plan and broad views preserved by the shorter, historic buildings around it.

Typically, most of construction firms’ employees are in the field, but that doesn’t lessen the importance of a professional office for meetings, executive space and functions such as human resources and accounting, industry veterans said.

鈥淵ou still need to have a great place to call your home, and that’s super important,鈥� said Eddie La Berge, Turner’s business development manager.

It’s not just Turner. Portland’s construction firms are on the move. A boom in office construction that has created plentiful available space, amid flush times for the construction industry, has led many firms to move into new offices, or renovate and expand existing offices. Some companies are considering additional expansions.

Turner took approximately 8,000 square feet at the Menashe building at Southwest 12th Avenue and Morrison Street. The construction firm completed the project last summer.

Like other general contractors, Turner pointed to a key selling point.

鈥淎 lot of our clients are really close to here,鈥� said Stacy Ramakers, special projects division manager for Turner.

In some cases, contractors can sweeten their construction bid by pledging to lease space after the project is completed. La Berge said that was not the case with the Menashe building; the firm didn’t seriously consider leasing the space until late in the project.

鈥淚t was basically right when we were doing the final punch list,鈥� he said.

Turner left its previous office in the Albers Mill Building, near the Broadway Bridge‘s west end, with more than three years remaining on the lease. Turner arranged to sublease the space to another user.

At the Menashe building, Turner has room for 65 employees.

R&H Construction also opted to build itself a new headquarters. The Portland company is under construction at Northwest 20th Avenue and Wilson Street on an adaptive reuse of the Graphic Arts Building for Winkler Development. R&H has agreed to lease 55,000 square feet for its offices and field resource center. The building totals approximately 170,000 square feet.

R&H plans to move into the Graphic Arts building on March 1 with about 82 employees initially. Officials have agreed to a 10-year lease with Winkler Development Corp. for the Graphic Arts office, which will have room for about 100 employees. R&H will house its operations, human resources, accounting, pre-construction staff and executives at the Northwest Portland location.

鈥淲e’ve tried to future-proof ourselves to allow us to expand,鈥� said Kraig O’Connor, director of buildings for R&H.

Construction firms that build their own spaces carry several advantages. They’re typically discerning, having seen and built many office spaces; they have existing relationships with subcontractors and developers, and they can price projects quickly and accurately.

Construction managers said they can be their most demanding clients.

鈥淏uilding your own space is always going to be a challenge because you can’t please everybody, and then you’ll have to look at them every day,鈥� Ramakers said.

Firms building an office for their own employees also face the awkward dance of managing another project during a construction boom. Competition for subcontractors can be tough, and some general contractors find themselves short-staffed.

鈥淚n this market, it’s challenging,鈥� O’Connor said. 鈥淲e have a timetable. We have a move-in date. But we don’t want this project to get in the way of serving our clients.鈥�

Swinerton Builders is expanding within its building downtown at Southwest Second Avenue and Oak Street. In late 2014, the firm took space on the second floor. By 2017, Swinerton needed more space, so it leased a portion of the first floor and built an interconnecting staircase. Now, Swinerton is looking to take more space on the first floor and increase its total to nearly 10,000 square feet.

鈥淲e believe that we need to be in the core,鈥� said Jason Chupp, division manager for Swinerton Builders. 鈥淎 lot of the architects, our owner-partners, are either in downtown or the Central Eastside.鈥�

Chupp added, 鈥淏eing downtown helps attract the young talent. We’re kind of in the heart of the city, right on the edge of Old Town. It seems to create some energy in the office being in the core.鈥�

Bremik Construction is beginning to consider its future needs. The company’s current lease at 1026 S.E. Stark St. expires in 2020.

鈥淲e’re keeping our eyes open,鈥� Bremik Vice President Todd Duwe said.

Any growing company should evaluate its need for office space before a lack of room becomes urgent, he added.

鈥淲e have the ability to be thoughtful about it and wait for the most optimal space,鈥� he said.