What Are The Best Construction Staffing Agencies In North Carolina?

Key Takeaways

• North Carolina's construction market is experiencing strong growth driven by life sciences and technology investments. The state added 10,000 construction jobs between July 2024 and July 2025, a 3.7% increase, according to the Associated General Contractors of America.
• Several major construction staffing agencies operate in North Carolina, ranging from local specialists like Greensboro-based HardHat Workforce Solutions to national players like Tradesmen International with offices across the state.
• Direct-hire platforms like Buildforce offer a lower-cost alternative. You select workers from detailed profiles and send out invites to apply or select from a list of applicants who are notified immediately when you post a new job.

North Carolina added 10,000 construction jobs between July 2024 and July 2025, ranking the state among the nation's top markets for construction employment growth, according to the Associated General Contractors of America. With massive pharmaceutical investments from Novo Nordisk ($4.1 billion) in Clayton, North Carolina, and Johnson & Johnson ($2 billion) in Wilson and Holy Springs, plus Amazon Web Services' $10 billion AI campus in Richmond County, North Carolina, demand for skilled tradespeople is and will continue to be a great need across the state.

Construction staffing agencies help contractors scale their crews quickly without the overhead of permanent hires. Here's what you need to know about your construction staffing options in North Carolina.

Why North Carolina Contractors Use Staffing Agencies

North Carolina's construction market is being reshaped by major pharmaceutical and technology investments. The construction industry contributed $43 billion to the state's GDP in 2024, representing 4.9% of total economic output, according to the Associated General Contractors of America. Projects like Novo Nordisk's $4.1 billion biomanufacturing campus and Amazon Web Services' $10 billion AI facility are creating years of sustained construction demand across the Research Triangle and beyond. This wave of specialized projects, like cleanroom biomanufacturing facilities as well as hyperscale data centers, requires contractors to staff up quickly with qualified tradespeople. North Carolina employs 282,200 construction workers, but contractors across Charlotte, Raleigh, and Greensboro consistently report difficulty finding available electricians, plumbers, and HVAC technicians when project schedules demand them. Staffing agencies provide the flexibility to scale crews for large projects without the long-term commitment of permanent hires. They handle recruiting, screening, payroll, workers' comp, and insurance, letting contractors focus on the work itself rather than HR administration.

7 Construction Staffing Agencies Operating in North Carolina

HardHat Workforce Solutions

Founded: 2002 | HQ: Greensboro, NC

North Carolina-based HardHat was founded in Greensboro in 2002 as an alternative to national staffing companies. With offices in Greensboro, Charlotte, and Raleigh (Cary), HardHat serves contractors throughout North Carolina and across the Atlantic and Southeast regions. The company employs over 100 seasoned staffing professionals and prides itself on understanding that each job is unique and requires flexible solutions. HardHat employs an industry-leading full-time Corporate Safety Manager and four OSHA 500 authorized trainers. Their entire management team has completed the 10-hour OSHA course, and their office staff conducts weekly job site safety inspections. The company specializes in providing skilled craftsmen, including electricians, plumbers, carpenters, HVAC technicians, and other construction trades.

Premier Electrical Staffing

Founded: 2009 | HQ: Raleigh, NC

Headquartered right in Raleigh with additional offices in Charlotte and Cornelius, Premier focuses exclusively on electrical trades across 9 Southeastern states. Founded in 2009, the company has grown to approximately 223 employees and $12 million in annual revenue, making it the largest electrical-only staffing company in the country. What sets Premier apart is that their core recruiting staff includes experienced contractors, project managers, superintendents, and master or journeyman electricians who understand the field. Their specialization means deep databases of pre-screened electricians, from apprentices to project managers, for commercial, industrial, and residential work. All candidates pass written exams, background checks, drug testing, and skills tests monitored by experienced tradesmen.

CCS Construction Staffing

Founded: 2008 | HQ: Charlotte, NC

CCS (originally Carolinas Construction Solutions) started in Charlotte and provides skilled trades across multiple disciplines including electrical, plumbing, HVAC, pipefitting, sheet metal, carpentry, and concrete. Founded in 2008, the company has grown from operating in one state to over 15 states with 386 total employees. CCS prides itself on being more flexible than large national firms while focusing exclusively on skilled construction trades. They serve contractors throughout North Carolina with temporary, temp-to-hire, and direct hire placements. The company focuses on job site safety management and handles all administrative functions from payroll to insurance. CCS has been recognized on the Inc. 5000 list multiple times (2013-2018).

Tradesmen International

Founded: 1992 | HQ: Cleveland, OH

One of the largest construction staffing companies in North America with a strong North Carolina presence in Charlotte and other markets. Founded in 1992 with over 30 years of industry experience, Tradesmen operates hundreds of offices nationwide. Beyond traditional staffing, they offer OSHA 10-Hour safety training for all employees, productivity analysis, labor consulting services, and their CORE+Flex methodology for workforce optimization. Their scale means they can staff large projects quickly. All craftworkers are permanent Tradesmen employees who receive benefits and undergo two interviews, multiple reference checks, and routine monthly evaluations.

Trillium Staffing

Founded: 1984 | HQ: Kalamazoo, MI

Recognized as a national leader among construction staffing agencies, Trillium provides skilled tradesmen and tradeswomen from apprentice through journeyman levels. They serve locations throughout North Carolina including Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Winston Salem, Durham, Wilmington, Asheville, and Fayetteville. Trillium employs a full-time safety management team that offers on-site safety training and certifications, making safety a core part of their business model. Their dedication to safety principles has made them a valued staffing partner to over 5,000 companies nationwide. They offer comprehensive screening processes and specialize exclusively in construction staffing.

NCW (National Career Workforce)

Founded: 2000s | HQ: Indianapolis, IN

With more than two decades of experience working with construction professionals, NCW operates in Charlotte with subject matter experts dedicated to building deeply-rooted partnerships. Their experienced team provides service by building long-lasting relationships. NCW's recruiters in Charlotte focus on learning the specifics of each client and candidate to ensure successful matches. They serve the construction, manufacturing, warehousing, and engineering sectors across North Carolina.

PeopleReady

Founded: 1987 | HQ: Tacoma, WA

Part of TrueBlue Inc., a publicly-traded workforce solutions company (NYSE: TBI), PeopleReady serves commercial, residential, and industrial construction sectors nationwide with over 600 branch locations across all 50 states. Founded in 1987 with nearly 40 years of experience, PeopleReady connects approximately 464,000 people to work annually. Their mobile app JobStack lets you request workers on-demand and track job progress in real-time, which works well for fast-moving North Carolina projects. The platform provides 24/7 access to place orders and watch them get filled in real time. PeopleReady has extensive North Carolina coverage with locations across Charlotte, Raleigh, and other major markets.

What Traditional Staffing Agencies Cost

Most construction staffing agencies charge markups of 40-70% or higher above the worker's hourly rate, consistent with industry standards for skilled trades

That markup may cover workers' compensation insurance, general liability insurance, payroll taxes and administration, recruiting and screening, time tracking and billing, and replacement workers if needed.

For a 5-person crew working 40 hours/week, that extra markup adds up to $12,000-21,000 per month in added costs.

The Direct Staffing Alternative: Buildforce

Buildforce takes a different approach. Instead of traditional agency processes that are slow and frustrating, we built a platform that connects North Carolina contractors directly with pre-screened electricians.

How it works:

Sign up for a free account, create a project with your specific requirements, and let electricians apply directly. Review their detailed profiles showing experience, certifications, and ratings, then send offers to the workers you want with the click of a button. Once they accept, they can start as soon as the next day. Manage everything online with time tracking, approvals, and payments in one place.

We still handle all the administrative work like workers' comp, payroll, insurance, and background checks. But the direct connection means substantially lower costs than traditional agency markups.

Which Staffing Solution is Right for You?

Choose a traditional agency if:

• You prefer phone-based coordination over apps
• You want the agency to handle all worker selection
• You have established relationships with specific agencies

Choose Buildforce if:

• You want to control who shows up on your job site
• You're managing tight project budgets
• You value transparency in worker backgrounds and experience
• You prefer modern, app-based tools over phone calls

Finding reliable workers is one of the biggest problems North Carolina contractors face. Having a staffing solution that can deliver qualified tradespeople when you need them makes all the difference.

If you're ready to staff your next North Carolina electrical project with much less administrative setup and work, you can sign up free with no payment information required. Browse our network of pre-screened North Carolina electricians and see how direct hiring can give you more bang for your buck.