Jamail & Smith Construction: 30 Years Young

Before Jamail & Smith Construction burst onto the scene as an industry leader, few organizations outside the United States Military had even heard of Job Order Contracting. Now, the state of Texas has a law specifically designed to better facilitate JOC work, thanks in part to Jamail & Smith Construction. This is just one of the many milestones in the company’s rich, 30-year history.

Founded in 1982, Jamail & Smith Construction is celebrating its third decade of first-class service to public and private entities throughout Texas. We currently operate five offices in the state (Austin, Dallas, Houston, Killeen and San Antonio) and will soon expand outside of Texas.  We provide Job Order Contracting, design build and construction management services for new construction, renovation and tenant finish-out projects.

Most Important Asset: Our People

Jamail & Smith Construction is led by partners Jim Jamail and Gregory Smith, PE. The pair strive to exceed expectations for clients, employees and the industry by maximizing client service and satisfaction and making the customer look good. 

Jim Jamail & Greg Smith

Jamail founded the company immediately after college. As a life-long entrepreneur, he has steered the company through both good and lean times, continually shaping their service offering to meet customer needs. With more than 30 years in the industry, the company has tipped the $100-million-mark in construction for diverse project types.

Smith joined the firm in 2001 and has developed the company’s operational and business development processes to support successful growth.  He brought with him 20 years of professional engineering experience he gained during his time as Navy Civil Engineer Corps Officer and Corporate Construction Executive.

Perhaps one of the reasons Jamail & Smith Construction has lasted for 30 years is the innovative training programs they instated to strengthen the company’s foundation while also encouraging their employees toward career growth – professional, technical and personal. 

2012 Houston Holiday Party

Company Fun

Jamail & Smith Construction provides a work environment that supports strengthened employee relationships, family and fun.  Each location organizes individual office social events, including crawfish boils, barbeques, picnics, monthly cookouts and Friday morning breakfast. In addition to the company holiday parties, they also host an annual summer event that brings all of the regions together.  

Construction Services

Jamail & Smith Construction’s primary business is Job Order Contracting. Over the last 10 years, they have served as an on-call contractor to municipal, K-12 and higher education clients.  To date, they have served more than 55 public agencies and more than 35 school districts using JOC, traditional bid, design build and CM at Risk. 

Jamail & Smith Construction also serves retail, office and senior living clients.  The commercial division, managed by Vice President Darrell Smith, PE, is focused on developing, renovating and building senior care housing, including skilled nursing centers, nursing homes and assisted living facilities with various levels of service.  Additionally, the retail division constructs offices, retail establishments and banking institutions. 

Jamail & Smith Construction prides itself in consistent customer service to their clients, resulting in 90 percent repeat business and an overall customer satisfaction rating of 9.4 out of 10 based on customer satisfaction surveys.

The company was awarded the Associated Builders and Contractors Gold Medal of Safety Excellence for 2005 and the platinum medal for 2006 – 2011 because of their exceptional safety results.

Progressive Ideas and Growth

Jamail & Smith Construction stays on the cutting edge of the latest internal controls and software by following industry and environmental standards. In support of sustainable building programs that have grown in popularity, the company has begun hiring LEED accredited employees.  We have successfully completed two LEED Silver projects, as well as two projects within Green Building Standards. 

Over the last three years, Jamail & Smith Construction has actively helped Texans achieve energy independence one solar panel at a time.  We have installed more than $12MM in solar power voltaic systems on more than 11 campuses, including the largest completed solar project at one location in Austin to date at the University of Texas at Austin J.J. Pickle Research Campus.



Big Brothers Big Sisters Bowl for Kids Sake 2012

Support for Communities

Jamail & Smith Construction is active in the communities where they live and work. We support foundations for school districts, make charitable contributions, and sponsor events for local organizations and non-profits.

Most notably, we supported the Fort Bend community by teaming with their neighboring subcontractors and vendors to help the local charity East Fort Bend Human Needs Ministry raise more than $5,000.  Jamail & Smith Construction matched the contribution to help the organization fund their efforts to alleviate hunger and help families in need. Additionally, for the past four years, Jamail & Smith Construction employees have participated in the Big Brothers Big Sisters Bowl for Kids’ Sake event with fellow A/E/C industry supporters.