Culverts & Drainage in Northern Colorado.
Culverts sized and placed for the runoff your site actually gets, plus the drainage work to keep water moving.
About Culverts & Drainage.
Water is the most expensive thing on a property when it's in the wrong place. Undersized culverts back up and wash out a driveway. Missing swales send runoff into a foundation. Improper bedding lets a culvert sag, bind up with sediment, and fail in the next big storm. Drainage is one of the most under-thought parts of any rural or semi-rural build, and it's also one of the easiest to get right if you start with the right plan.
NLS sizes culverts based on the actual tributary area feeding the crossing — not just whatever was in the truck. We bed them properly, set them on grade so flow lines stay clean, and tie them into inlet and outlet swales that match the slope and the soils. For irrigation, we cut, line, and concrete in steel or HDPE headgates. For erosion-prone sections, we install rip-rap or fabric so the flow doesn't scour bare dirt the first time it runs.
If you have a property that puddles in the wrong spots, an existing culvert that's failing, or a new build that needs drainage thought through before the foundation goes in, we can walk it with you and tell you straight what it needs.
What's included.
- Culvert sizing, placement, and bedding
- Drainage ditch and swale construction
- Headgate install for irrigation
- Erosion control with rip-rap or fabric where needed
How we execute.
- Step 01Read the runoff
Walk the site to confirm flow paths, tributary area, and where water actually wants to go.
- Step 02Size & set
Pick a culvert that matches the flow, dig the bed, set on grade, and surround with proper bedding.
- Step 03Tie it together
Cut inlet and outlet swales, headwall or rip-rap as needed.
- Step 04Test
Where possible, run water to verify before walking off.
Why NLS for culverts & drainage.
We compete on getting the dirt right the first time. Hire us once, hire us again — and tell your neighbor. That's the whole business plan.
We look at tributary area, slope, and the storm event you're designing for — not a one-size guess.
Culverts that sag or bind up are a maintenance headache. We set them on grade in proper bedding.
Steep grades and sandy soils need rip-rap or fabric. We tell you up front where flow will fail without it.
Steel or HDPE — set, leveled, and concreted in. Built for years of irrigation use.
Common questions.
What size culvert do I need? +
Depends on your tributary area, slope, and the storm event you're designing for. We size based on what we see plus county standards where they apply.
Do you handle irrigation ditches and headgates? +
Yes — we cut, line, and set headgates (steel or HDPE) and concrete them in.
Will I need rip-rap? +
On steep grades or sandy soils, yes. We tell you up front where flow will fail without it.
What about ag drainage tile? +
Yes — we trench and install perf-pipe systems for poorly drained fields.
We offer Culverts & Drainage across the region.
More services we offer.
- Grading & Leveling
Survey-grade GPS grading for pads, slabs, driveways, and roads. Tight tolerances, clean finish.
- Roads & Driveways
From rural ranch drives to subdivision streets — properly cut, based, crowned, and surfaced.
- Land Clearing
Trees, brush, and overgrowth cleared and hauled. Property reset, ready for what's next.
- Foundations & Pads
Foundation digs and engineered pads for shops, barndominiums, homes, and commercial structures.
Let's get the job done.
Free, no-pressure quote. Tell us what you're building or fixing — we'll tell you what it takes and when we can be on-site. Same-day response on weekdays.