A modest house set on an equally modest lot in tiny Pearl River, N.Y., north of New York City, was built in the early 1900s by Fred L. Holt, founder of what became Holt Construction Corp. It still is headquarters for the contracting firm that his grandson now leads.

Although most construction markets have seen growth over the past decade, the petroleum market is a notable exception with a 59% drop from its high in 2013. 

As Bechtel focuses on shrinking its cost structure, another company rises to lead the 2021 top U.S. contractors ranking, for the first time in 20 years.

The virus pandemic has taken the construction industry by surprise, and major firms now find ways to deal with it.