Colorado construction starts with the ground beneath it. Along the Front Range, that ground can bring expansive soils, drainage concerns, frost, changing elevations, and demanding construction schedules.
For more than seven decades, Nicon Excavating has worked in that environment. The family-owned Colorado contractor traces its history to 1953 and today provides earthwork, site preparation, underground utilities, highway and infrastructure work, land clearing, demolition, septic and sewer work, and related excavation services across the Front Range.
Three Generations of Front Range Experience
Nicon describes its history as three generations working in Colorado dirt. The company began in 1953 and grew alongside the Denver region. Today, Nicon operates from Keenesburg under owner Ted DeKowzan and serves general contractors, developers, municipalities, and property owners throughout the Front Range.
Longevity matters in earthwork because local experience accumulates one project at a time. Soil does not behave identically everywhere. Moisture, drainage, frost, expansive clay, slopes, and existing ground conditions can influence excavation and grading. Nicon specifically points to its experience with Colorado’s expansive clay, drainage, and frost as part of the knowledge developed through decades of regional work. That gives this company a distinctly Colorado story.
Getting the Ground Right First
Nicon’s work centers on a simple construction principle: the sitework comes before almost everything else. Building pads need proper elevations. Roads depend on the subgrade below them. Underground utilities must fit within the proposed grades. Storm systems need to move water where the plans require it to go.
If the early sitework falls behind, the trades that follow can feel the effects. Nicon performs clearing, excavation, utilities, grading, and other ground-up construction services with its own crews. The company describes this approach as taking a project from raw land through finished grade while reducing the number of separate sitework contractors that need to be coordinated.
Earthwork Is More Than Moving Dirt
Excavation may look straightforward from outside the industry. In practice, successful earthwork requires crews to understand where material is coming from, where it is going, what elevations must be reached, and what will eventually be constructed above it.
Some soil can potentially remain onsite. Other material may need to be excavated or conditioned depending on project requirements and geotechnical recommendations. Crews also need to maintain access while trucks and equipment move around an active project.
Nicon’s earthwork and site-preparation capabilities support commercial, public, and residential construction. Its current portfolio describes work ranging from commercial pads to public storm and utility projects and residential drainage and septic scopes. The objective is not simply to move the most dirt. It is to leave the site ready for what comes next.
Underground Work That Eventually Disappears
Some of the most important construction work becomes invisible when the project is finished. Underground utilities are a good example. Utility trenches must be excavated to the correct depth and alignment. Pipe and structures have to work with proposed elevations. Backfill and compaction must support whatever will eventually be constructed above the trench.
Nicon includes underground utilities among its primary sitework capabilities. The company also performs septic and sewer repair, giving its crews experience with both new construction and existing underground systems.
On public infrastructure projects, Nicon’s work includes pipe and inlets, grading and trenching, road widening, and related municipal, state, and federal construction.
Building Public Infrastructure
Earthwork contractors also play an important role outside private development. Roads, drainage systems, storm structures, utility improvements, and public infrastructure all require excavation and grading. Nicon performs highway and infrastructure work for public-sector projects. Its published capabilities include road widening, pipe and inlet installation, grading, trenching, and operated equipment rental.
Public work brings another layer of responsibility. Crews must build according to plans and specifications while coordinating traffic, utilities, inspections, access, safety, and other contractors. The dirt may still need to be excavated and graded, but the environment around the work can be considerably more complicated.
Equipment Matters, but Operators Matter Too
Heavy construction requires equipment capable of handling the job. Nicon reports operating a ten-truck fleet along with equipment used for clearing, excavation, hauling, and grading. But machines alone do not create a finished grade. Experienced operators need to understand plans, elevations, soil behavior, production, safety, and how their work affects the crews coming behind them.
That relationship between equipment and experience becomes especially important when contractors are working against a schedule. A machine sitting idle does not move a project forward. Neither does equipment operating without a clear understanding of what the finished site requires.
Colorado Weather Creates Another Jobsite Challenge
Front Range contractors also work through changing seasons. Excavation and grading can be affected by moisture and freezing conditions, while winter weather can create an entirely different demand for heavy equipment. Nicon even maintains snow-removal capabilities for commercial lots, private roads, land, and residential properties.
That may seem separate from excavation, but the equipment and operating experience overlap. Whether moving soil during construction or clearing snow to maintain access, heavy equipment becomes a tool for keeping property and infrastructure usable.
A Colorado Contractor Built Around the Ground
Nicon’s history stretches from Denver’s earlier development to today’s expanding Front Range. The company has remained family-owned while its work has grown to include commercial sitework, underground utilities, public infrastructure, residential excavation, demolition, clearing, and related services.
Seventy-plus years in one region creates a particular kind of construction knowledge. For Nicon Excavating, that knowledge begins with Colorado ground—and with preparing it correctly for whatever gets built next.
Frequently Asked Questions About Nicon Excavating
When was Nicon Excavating founded?
Nicon Excavating was founded in 1953 and describes itself as a three-generation, family-owned Colorado excavation company.
Where is Nicon Excavating located?
The company operates from 704 Juniper Street in Keenesburg, Colorado.
What areas does Nicon serve?
Nicon serves construction projects throughout Colorado’s Front Range, including the greater Denver market.
What services does Nicon Excavating provide?
Its published services include earthwork, site preparation, underground utilities, highway and infrastructure work, land clearing, demolition, septic and sewer repair, and snow removal.
Does Nicon perform public infrastructure work?
Yes. Nicon lists road widening, pipe and inlet work, grading, trenching, and municipal, state, and federal projects among its infrastructure capabilities.
Does Nicon work on commercial and residential projects?
Yes. The company serves commercial, public, and residential customers and works with general contractors, developers, municipalities, and homeowners.
Why can expansive clay create problems for construction?
Some clay soils change volume as their moisture content changes. Depending on site conditions and engineering requirements, this movement can affect slabs, pavements, foundations, and other improvements if the soil is not properly evaluated and addressed.
Why is frost important when planning earthwork?
Freezing temperatures can affect exposed soil, moisture, compaction, and excavation conditions. Contractors must account for field conditions and project specifications when placing and compacting material during cold weather.
Why are stormwater systems coordinated with grading?
Finished grades determine how surface water travels across a property. Storm pipes, inlets, swales, detention areas, and other drainage features therefore need to work with the elevations established during earthwork.
Disclaimer: This company highlight is provided for informational and industry-recognition purposes. Dirt Connections is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or representing the company featured in this article. Company information is based on publicly available sources and may change over time.
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