What is a Municipal & Heavy Contractor?

We’re often asked what kind of work we do or services we provide. Put simply, we’re a Municipal & Heavy Contractor, but what does this mean?

As a Municipal & Heavy Contractor, we are contracted by Municipalities (Cities) to perform heavy construction projects, which are projects that cannot be classified as Building, Residential, or Highway. Heavy construction deals with general infrastructure and government-funded projects such as sewer & water utilities, earthmoving, grading, concrete paving, curb & gutter, concrete structures, and water transmission pipelines.

We acquire these contracts through bid lettings. A bid letting is a process of opening and tabulating bids—submitted by qualified contractors—for construction projects. When it comes to bid selection, municipalities/property owners will often pick the bid with the lowest or most competitive price. On public projects, government rules often require that the lowest bid wins. This is where the term “low-bid contractor” comes from.

Being successful with bidding requires a deep understanding of the process and the strategy that contractors should use. Our experienced key personnel wear many hats and work diligently behind the scenes to secure contracts that bring new and exciting additions to our portfolio of 400+ projects.

When it comes to the type of heavy construction projects that we typically do, our company can be divided into 3 main divisions:

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Concrete Division

Our superior pavements are designed to last 25-30 years in the most diverse climate conditions. Concrete pavement is considered a green practice for many reasons, one being the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from production compared to a hot mix asphalt. On top of being environmentally friendly, concrete paving is also more cost-effective in the long-term solution for road construction.

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Earthwork Division

We use state-of-the-art GPS grade control systems which allow our employees to move materials accurately, quickly and safely. Once removed from a natural state, we are able to truck off excess materials or bring new materials on site. This is a low-cost, economical way to move materials fast. With earthmoving comes an environmental concern which we do not take lightly. Our key personnel have been trained in respective areas for erosion control and stormwater management.

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Underground Division

Dakota Underground began as a municipal sewer & water utilities contractor (hence the name “Dakota Underground”). We are able to do an array of complex utility services, and our experience diminishes some of the ambiguity involved with underground utilities. Conditions vary from site to site and our experience prevails where unseen conditions may arise.

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To read more about our company’s history, click here.

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