While investor attention has been firmly fixed on pure-play artificial intelligence stocks in recent years, it may be the construction firms delivering high-tech infrastructure needs that offer value looking ahead. 

Spending on data centers has been accelerating of late, surpassing the $50 billion mark for the first time in April, representing 2.3% of construction spend as a whole in the United States.

As of the beginning of the year, monthly spending on US data center construction has soared to more than $2.4 billion, which is approximately 16-times higher than 2014 levels and illustrates the extent of the ongoing AI buildout. 

The extent of these AI ambitions is set to create a lasting impact on infrastructure. According to Goldman Sachs data, the power demand requirements from US data centres are expected to more than double to 66 GW in 2027, up from 31 GW in 2025. 

This sharp increase in infrastructure projects is already helping to provide a boost for the construction stocks tasked with building the data centers that will drive AI adoption into the future, and there are three companies that appear set to become key beneficiaries of the implementation phase of the artificial intelligence boom: 

1. Sterling Infrastructure (NASDAQ:STRL)

Sterling Infrastructure (NASDAQ:STRL) is a specialist in E-infrastructure, providing site preparation, concrete foundation pads, and building large-scale facilities to house data centers and chip fabs. 

Critically, Sterling Infrastructure has seen its E-infrastructure revenues double year-over-year, highlighting that it’s already becoming the preferred firm to deliver on America’s growing AI data center needs. 

According to Sterling’s first-quarter results, the company’s combined backlog soared 131% to $5.2 billion, while management highlighted "future phases" that would lift total visibility towards almost $6.5 billion. 

More than 90% of the firm’s signed E-infrastructure segment’s backlog is tied to mission-critical work like data centers, large manufacturing, and semiconductors, which makes Sterling exceptionally closely aligned with the artificial intelligence boom. 

Sterling’s blowout Q1 2026 earnings have helped the stock more than double in value since the beginning of the year, and as AI infrastructure spending continues to show no signs of slowing down, it’s clear that this is a construction stock that could play a major role in its buildout. 

2. Comfort Systems USA (NYSE:FIX)

Comfort Systems USA (NYSE:FIX) is another construction firm that possesses an extraordinarily high order backlog is Comfort Systems, which is a premier mechanical and electrical contractor that’s set to shine as the need for highly specialized data center HVAC, modular, and electrical installations grows. 

Driven by AI data center demand, Comfort Systems has reported a record order backlog of almost $12 billion, with infrastructure projects also linked to the firm’s specialisms in semiconductor facilities, healthcare, and education construction work. 

Although the stock has entered a period of sideways trading in recent weeks, it’s still up more than 200% over the past 12 months. 

There may also be some concerns about Comfort Systems’ ability to deliver on such a seismic order backlog, but there’s evidence that the AI boom is also helping to improve the firm’s ability to meet growing demand. 

While data shows that traditional construction processes have caused 59% of workers to spend 11 or more hours per week chasing information across different systems, unified artificial intelligence insights are helping to improve the efficiency of industry innovators, providing more support for ambitious project management. 

With AI generating fresh tailwinds, Comfort Systems USA appears to be well positioned to lean further into large project cycles to support digital infrastructure without the threat of concentration risk in high-tech markets. 

3. Quanta Services (NYSE:PWR)

As one of Wall Street’s brightest electrical infrastructure providers, Quanta Services (NYSE:PWR) is well-positioned to handle the buildout of high-voltage transmission, substations, and grid interconnections to handle the significant power requirements of hyperscalers in the buildout of AI data centers. 

Quanta’s backlog sits at a record $48.5 billion, which has accelerated sharply as large load facility awards and 765-kilovolt transmission work shifted from pipeline to contract. 

The stock has much more potential for growth in the future, with data center energy requirements forecasted to more than double by 2027, and CEO Duke Austin has suggested that the earnings power of the company could also increase by more than double by 2030. 

The backlog also delivered an earnings beat in Q1 2026, with revenues reaching $7.9 billion against a consensus estimate of $7.0 billion. 

With energy becoming a key consideration in the AI buildout, Quanta Services is certainly a stock to track for investors. 

Monitoring the AI Boom

The artificial intelligence infrastructure buildout is showing no signs of slowing down, even as some market stress has begun to drift through Wall Street’s key AI players. 

With this in mind, construction companies could emerge as some of the stocks with the best growth potential as we enter the second phase of AI adoption in the United States. 

As factors like construction and energy continue to take center stage in powering the AI infrastructure of tomorrow, there are new opportunities for the stocks powering the high-tech landscape that investors should be aware of.

Disclosure: On the date of publication, Dmytro Spilka did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer. Dmytro Spilka does not intend to make a trade in any of the securities mentioned above in the next 72 hours.

Benzinga Disclaimer: This article is from an unpaid external contributor. It does not represent Benzinga’s reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.