About Us
About Us
Animas Excavating
Animas Excavating is a licensed, insured, and bonded excavation contractor based in Durango, Colorado, serving the Four Corners region. We're a privately owned small business handling underground utilities, septic system installation, land clearing, site preparation, footings, roads, and water and sewer work.
We've earned a reputation for honest, fair, reliable, and quality service, and we grade with 3D smart grade GPS technology that most local contractors don't have.
5.0 Star on Google
7+ Years Serving the Four Corners
Certified OWTS Installer
Site Preparation
Excavation
Underground Utilities
Septic Systems
Sewer Line Repair
Demolition
Retaining Walls
Road Construction
Land Clearing
Grading
See our work in action across the Four Corners region
From Oracle to the Animas Valley
Mike Zarlingo started Animas Excavating in 2018 after twenty years at Oracle. He'd had enough of staring at a computer, so he bought a dump trailer and a mini excavator and started driving around Durango taking every job he could find.
He cut his teeth doing sewer line repair, and the work grew from there. Today Animas Excavating is a full-scope Durango excavating company, handling everything from clearing raw land and putting in full infrastructure to commercial site work and government contracts.
Mike's family has been in the Four Corners since 1939, so reputation is a big deal to him. Every job matters, big or small, and we leave each one knowing it was a job well done.
Our Mission
Simplifying the Heavy Lifting
Building on raw land in the Four Corners should feel doable, not overwhelming. Our mission is to take the hardest, heaviest part of that off your plate, to be straight with you about cost and timeline, and to keep your project moving with confidence from the first cut to the finished grade.
200 +
Projects Completed 
Client Partnerships
We build our client relationships on trust and on doing what we say we'll do. Most of our work starts with someone who just bought a piece of land and isn't sure what comes next, and that's where we're at our best.
Your First Call and Your Guide Through The Process
Our Response Framework
We move fast because waiting costs you. We get back to you fast when you reach out, we set up a site visit soon after, and we follow up with a clear bid. You'll always know where your project stands.
Free Estimates and Clear Pricing
Estimates are free, every time. When the scope is clear, we give you a fixed price, a hard number you can plan around. When conditions are less certain, we use a time and materials contract and keep you posted as we go. Either way, you know what you're paying for before we start.
Expertise
3D Smart Grade GPS Technology
On larger residential projects and most commercial projects, we run 3D smart grade GPS satellite technology on our grading, which makes us effectively our own surveyors, using the same equipment a survey crew would. This method is faster and more accurate, and on a typical commercial job it can save you in surveying costs. We built the company around modern methods from the start, rather than retrofitting them onto an old playbook.
The Crew Behind the Work
Our crew is experienced, considerate, and trained on the same 3D smart grade technology, so the capability doesn't stop with the owner. We've brought people in with little experience and trained them into skilled operators, and we're as proud of that as we are of any project we've finished.
Mike Zarlingo and Animas Excavation's Commitment
Mike is still an owner-operator. He's on site, on the equipment, and working next to the crew.
That's where the standard comes from. Safety, professionalism, and ethical conduct on every job, because the guy whose name is on the company is the one out there.
The impression he wants to leave is simple. That we were honest, that we showed up, and that we did the work right.
We run a careful site, we stand behind our work, and we treat your property the way we'd treat our own.
Ratings And Credentials
The badges at the top of this page hold up to scrutiny. We carry a 5.0 rating on Google. We're a certified OWTS installer listed on the La Plata County Public Health roster, and we're a registered FMCSA carrier, so our hauling is on the books too.
Where We Work in Southwest Colorado
Animas Excavating is an excavation contractor serving Southwest Colorado, from Durango out to Bayfield, Hesperus, Mancos, Cortez, Pagosa Springs, and the broader Four Corners region. We know this terrain, including the hard rock that's common around here and the conditions that catch out-of-area crews off guard.
Request a Free Estimate
Tell us about your project and we'll get back to you within two hours.
Let’s Talk
Ready to get started? Let's talk about your land.
If you're ready to talk through your project, we'd like to hear about it. Reach out and we'll get back to you fast, set up a site visit, and get you a clear bid.
You can see more of our work on our projects page, or browse everything we do on our services page.
Address:
2942 E 4th Ave, Durango, CO 81301
Phone Number:
(970) 403-2787
Email Address:
mike@animasexcavating.com