Excavation Company in Mancos, CO
Animas Excavating is a licensed and insured General Excavation Contractor serving Mancos, the Mancos Valley, and Montezuma County. We handle site preparation, grading, land clearing, driveways and access roads, underground utilities, septic and OWTS installation, and sewer line repair for residential and commercial property owners.
We're based in Durango, about 28 miles east on Highway 160, and Mancos has been part of our service area since 2018. Estimates are free.
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
Our Construction Services
Excavation services in Mancos, CO
Sewer line repair
When a lateral fails along its length, the fix means opening the ground from the main to the house. We cut the asphalt, locate and tap the main, run the new line, backfill with special flow fills and special backfills, then patch the asphalt, sidewalk, and curb and gutter. One contract, one crew. Mike cut his teeth in this business doing sewer line repair. Our sewer line repair page covers the scope, and we've broken down what a full sewer line repair involves phase by phase.
Site preparation for new construction
Raw land generally moves through the same sequence: clearing, rough grading, a driveway or access road, utility trenching, septic, then finish grading and drainage. We handle every phase with our own crews, so you aren't coordinating four subcontractors to get one parcel ready. Our residential construction page covers what a full build-out looks like.
Underground utilities
We trench and install water lines, electrical conduit, gas, and sewer connections, and we coordinate locates first. Colorado requires an 811 notification before any dig. Hard rock is common across this region, and when we hit it we break it mechanically with hydraulic hammers and breakers.
Driveways, access roads, and road construction
Rural lots and ranch parcels around the Mancos Valley usually need a road before anything else can start. We clear the route, cut the grade, set culverts where water crosses, lay road base, and compact it so it holds through spring runoff. We build subdivision and access roads at commercial scale as well.
Septic system and OWTS installation
Most parcels around Mancos have no municipal sewer connection, so a permitted onsite wastewater treatment system has to be in the ground before you can build or occupy. We install standard and engineered systems, including mounded systems and advanced treatment units for difficult terrain or a high water table. We do soil analysis to determine what the ground will support, which matters here given the clay content. Septic permitting in Montezuma County runs through Montezuma County Public Health, which has adopted local OWTS regulations in addition to Colorado's Regulation 43. Mike Zarlingo is a licensed OWTS installer on the La Plata County Public Health roster. More on the process is on our septic system and OWTS installation page.
Commercial excavation
For developers and general contractors we handle site clearing and stripping, cut and fill earthwork, building pad preparation, utility trenching, drainage and erosion control, and road base. Our wheelhouse is dirt work up to about $1.5 million, and on those projects the GPS grading has cut roughly $90,000 in surveying costs off a job by Mike's estimate. We also take government and municipal work. Certified payroll and Davis-Bacon documentation don't slow us down, which keeps us on public jobs other bidders skip. Completed work is on our projects page and our commercial construction page.
Serving Mancos and Montezuma County
Mancos is inside our regular working territory, not at the edge of it. We run a corridor that covers Durango, Bayfield, Hesperus, Mancos, Cortez, and Pagosa Springs, with crews and equipment moving along Highway 160 through the season.
Two ground conditions shape most jobs out here. Soils in the Mancos area are clay heavy, and the USDA soil series named for the town runs 35 to 55 percent clay with shale bedrock 20 to 40 inches down. Clay that heavy swells when wet and shrinks when it dries, and shallow bedrock changes what a trench costs. We'd rather find both during the estimate than halfway through the dig.
How we bid Mancos projects
Estimates are free with no obligation. Call, text, or email and we’ll start with a short exploration call to see whether we’re the right fit. If we are, we look at the parcel, pull your plans, talk to the permitting offices, and put a written bid in your inbox.
Clear scope gets a fixed cost so you have a hard number. Uncertain site conditions get a time and materials contract, and we’ll tell you exactly where the uncertainty sits. Most residential work needs no deposit. Material-heavy jobs like a septic install typically run 50 percent down, and we invoice weekly for work completed.
Site development costs more than most buyers expect. We’d rather hand you real numbers early, while there’s still room to plan around them.
Call (970) 403-2787 or request a free estimate.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a septic system on a rural parcel near Mancos?
If the property isn’t on municipal sewer, yes. Montezuma County Public Health reviews the application and issues the permit. We do soil analysis on site to determine what system the ground will support before you commit to a budget.
What does it cost to get a parcel ready to build near Mancos?
It depends on what the land needs. Clearing, grading, a driveway, utility trenching, and septic each carry their own cost, and shallow bedrock or hard rock can move the number quickly. We walk the site before quoting, and the estimate is free.
Do you build driveways and access roads?
Yes, including route clearing, grade cutting, culvert installation, road base, and compaction. On rural parcels it’s often the first work that has to happen.
Do you handle both residential and commercial excavation in Mancos?
Yes. Residential ranges from a single lot to full infrastructure on raw land. Commercial covers site work, pad prep, utilities, and drainage up to about $1.5 million in dirt work, including public projects with certified payroll requirements.
Do you charge for estimates?
No. You’ll get either a fixed-cost bid or a time and materials structure depending on how clear the scope is.
Why Mancos property owners work with us
More than seven years in the Four Corners and over 200 completed projects. A 5.0 rating on Google and an A+ rating with the BBB with zero complaints. Fully insured and bonded, and a registered FMCSA carrier, so our own trucks haul our own material. Mike handles first contact on every project, and our foreman Ben Keil runs the crews day to day. Mike's family has been in this region since 1939. More on the crew is on our about us page, and the full range of work is on our excavation services page.
Request a Free Estimate
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Let’s Work
Get a Free Estimate for Your Mancos Project
Tell us about the property and what you're building. We'll talk through what it needs and get you a written bid.
Serving Mancos, Cortez, Durango, Bayfield, Hesperus, Pagosa Springs, and the Four Corners region.
Address:
2942 E 4th Ave, Durango, CO 81301
2942 E 4th Ave, Durango, CO 81301
Phone Number:
(970) 403-2787
(970) 403-2787
Email Address:
mike@animasexcavating.com
mike@animasexcavating.com