Howell Contractors

What Howell Contractors does

Howell Contractors, Inc. is a privately held, family-owned underground utility construction company founded in 1990 by Jimmy Howell and headquartered in Walton, Kentucky, with a second office in Centerville, Ohio. The company installs water transmission and distribution mains, sanitary and storm sewers, pump stations, and water/wastewater treatment plant infrastructure for municipal and government clients across Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, and Illinois. Core technical capabilities span open-cut excavation, tunneling, boring, directional drilling, slip lining, pipe bursting, and vacuum excavation, with documented work on pipe diameters from 4" up to 72" and lengths exceeding 100,000 feet, as well as sewer installations reaching 65 feet below grade.

The company's service portfolio is organized into four lines: Water Main Installation, Sewer Main Installation, Plant Work (treatment plants and pump stations), and Specialty Work (trenchless rehabilitation, concrete, site development). It employs a Professional Engineer on staff for excavation and trench shielding design and operates as a union contractor affiliated with Laborers Local 265 and Operators Local 18. Notable customers include Cincinnati MSD, Cincinnati Water Works, Northern Kentucky Water District, Sanitation District No. 1, and numerous city and county governments across the five-state region.

Howell Contractors generates revenue exclusively through competitive bidding on public infrastructure projects, with project-based contracts awarded by cities, counties, water districts, and sewer districts. Pricing is determined per project based on scope, materials, diameter, length, site conditions, and labor, with no standardized rate card. The business operates a relationship-driven enterprise field sales motion tied to municipal procurement cycles, supported by a website portfolio, direct referrals, and repeat business. The company has cumulatively installed over 2,000,000 lineal feet of underground utility infrastructure and is described qualitatively as a multimillion-dollar enterprise, with multi-generational family leadership under founder Jimmy Howell as CEO, James Howell II as President, and Matt Howell as Project Manager and Treasurer.

Name

Howell Contractors

Legal name

Howell Contractors, Inc.

Website

https://howellcontractors.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Howell Contractors is a privately held, family-owned underground utility construction company founded in 1990, installing water mains, sewers, pump stations, and treatment plant infrastructure for municipal governments across Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, and Illinois through competitive public bidding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Underground Utility Construction

NAICS

Water and Sewer Line and Related Structures Construction (237110), Utility System Construction (2371), Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (237)

SIC

Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623), Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600)

akta.pro primary industry

Water & Wastewater Pipeline Construction (Mains, Force Mains, Interceptors) (IMAFAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Stormwater & Drainage Infrastructure Construction (Sewer, Detention, Outfalls) (IMAFAGAF), Pump Stations, Lift Stations & Booster Stations Construction (IMAFAGAD), Water Treatment Plant Construction (Drinking Water) (IMAFAGAA), Emergency Response & Sewer Repair (Blockages, Collapses) (EUANACAL), Dewatering & Temporary Groundwater Control (IMAFAKAH)

Keywords

• Underground utility construction
• Water main installation
• Sewer installation services
• Trenchless pipe rehabilitation
• Municipal infrastructure contracting

Headquarters

HQ city

Walton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public Infrastructure Construction Contracts: Howell Contractors generates revenue through competitive bidding on public infrastructure projects from municipal and government clients. Revenue is project-based and earned as construction milestones are completed. Projects range from small water main replacements to large, complex multi-year sewer and water installations. The company has grown into a multimillion-dollar enterprise since its founding in 1990.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Howell Contractors installs underground water and sewer utility infrastructure for municipal governments, including water transmission and distribution mains (PVC, DIP, and PCCP up to 48" diameter), sanitary and storm sewers (up to 65' below grade), water/wastewater treatment plants and pump stations, and trenchless rehabilitation (slip lining and pipe bursting up to 72" diameter). Projects are awarded through competitive public bidding across Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, and Illinois.

Product overview

Howell Contractors is a diversified underground utility contractor offering four core service lines: Water Main Installation, Sewer Main Installation, Plant Work, and Specialty Work. Water Main services range from small PVC installations to large 48" PCCP transmission mains. Sewer services include sanitary and storm sewer installation with capabilities up to 65' depth using various excavation methods. Plant Work encompasses water and wastewater treatment plant construction and pump station installation. Specialty Work includes trenchless technologies (slip lining, pipe bursting, directional drilling), concrete work, and site development. The company operates two offices (Walton, KY and Centerville, OH) serving Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, and Illinois.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water Main Installation Services Installation of water transmission and distribution mains ranging from 4" and 6" PVC to 36" and 48" Pre-stressed Concrete Cylinder Pipe (PCCP), including large-diameter projects spanning miles of pipe through urban utilities for municipalities such as Cincinnati Water Works, Northern Kentucky Water District, and the City of Sidney, Ohio.
• Sewer Main Installation Services Installation of sanitary and storm sewers including shaft installation, soil stabilization, and trench shielding, with capabilities reaching 65 feet below grade. Methods include open cut installations, tunneling, boring, by-pass pumping, and vacuum excavation for municipal clients such as MSD of Greater Cincinnati, Sanitation District No. 1, and the City of Indianapolis.
• Plant Work Construction of water and wastewater treatment plants, pump stations, and lift stations, including major rehabilitation work at treatment facilities for municipal clients such as the City of Dry Ridge (Cedar Crest WWTP), City of Georgetown (Pump Station & Pipeline), and Lexington Fayette Urban County Government (Wolf Run Pump Station Relocation).
• Specialty Work Specialty services including trenchless pipe rehabilitation (slip lining 8" to 72" diameter pipe using Contech, Vylon, Hobas, and Fusible PVC), pipe bursting, directional drilling, concrete work (parking lots, sidewalks, foundations, streets), and site development (excavation, grading, and underground utility installation for subdivisions and commercial projects).

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,000,000 lineal feet of water transmission, sanitary sewers, forced mains, and storm drainage installed
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Laborers Local 265coreOthersHowell Contractors is a proud union company affiliated with Laborers Local 265. This union affiliation provides access to skilled laborers for underground trench work and concrete work, which is critical to executing large-scale municipal infrastructure projects. The partnership ensures a reliable, trained workforce for field operations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Ames Construction: Heavy civil contractor with underground utility and water/wastewater capabilities across the Midwest and Mountain West. Comparable as a bidder on larger municipal pipeline and treatment plant projects.
• Granite Construction: Public heavy civil contractor with a sizable water resources segment bidding large municipal water and sewer projects. Competes with Howell for larger scale public works but operates across many other infrastructure categories.
• Sterling Infrastructure: Heavy civil construction firm with underground utility and water infrastructure operations across multiple states. Comparable in project types and bid environment, though larger and more diversified than Howell.
• Insituform Technologies (Aegion): National leader in trenchless sewer and pipeline rehabilitation with a broad portfolio beyond Howell's core capabilities. Comparable as a competing trenchless contractor bidding the same municipal sewer rehab RFPs.
• KWOH Constructors (Kiewit Water): Division of Kiewit focused on water and wastewater treatment plant and pipeline construction. Comparable for plant work and large-diameter sewer projects Howell performs, but operates at materially larger scale.

Direct peers

• Garney Construction: National water and wastewater pipeline contractor headquartered in Kansas City with strong Midwest presence. Directly comparable as a privately held union contractor bidding large-diameter water, sewer, and treatment plant projects for municipal clients.
• SAK Construction: Specialty sewer and trenchless rehabilitation contractor focused on cured-in-place pipe, pipe bursting, and manhole rehabilitation. Highly comparable to Howell's slip lining and pipe bursting service line serving municipalities.
• Vortex Companies: Provider of trenchless technologies, sewer rehab products, and contracting services to municipal water and wastewater clients. Overlaps with Howell's specialty trenchless and plant work capabilities.
• Michels Corporation: Family-owned heavy civil and trenchless utility contractor performing water main, sewer, pipeline, and direct-drill work nationwide. Closely aligned with Howell in trenchless rehab (slip lining, pipe bursting) and large-diameter municipal underground construction.

Regional players

• Reynolds Construction: Midwest-based heavy civil and underground utility contractor. Similar scale and regional concentration to Howell, competing for the same Ohio Valley municipal water and sewer work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/howellcontractors
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/howell-contractors

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Howell Contractors