What David Nelson Construction does

David Nelson Construction Co. (DBA Nelson Construction) is a privately held, Florida-based general and civil contractor founded in 1972 and headquartered in Palm Harbor with a secondary office in Land O' Lakes. The company operates two service lines: Building Construction (commercial buildings, hospitality, restaurants, convention centers, interior renovations, and specialized facilities) and Heavy Highway / Civil Construction (site development, utilities, roadways, airports, seawalls, and stormwater infrastructure). It serves both public owners — including FDOT, City of Tampa, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, HART, the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority, and USF — and private commercial clients such as Innisbrook Golf Resort, Mainsail (Fenway Hotel), and Columbia Restaurant Group, with project contract values historically ranging from roughly $81,000 for small renovations to over $29.9 million for major roadway work.

The company self-performs sitework, concrete, masonry, and utility work rather than relying primarily on subcontractors, and offers three delivery methods: design-build, construction management, and fixed-price. It has earned credentials including the 1988 ABC Excellence in Construction Award, the 2014 APWA Project of the Year-Structures, and 100% and 106/100 FDOT past-performance ratings. Day-to-day operations run through competitive bidding and RFP responses to government agencies and private owners across Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Pasco Counties.

The business model is project-based construction contract revenue with no subscription, licensing, or recurring software component. Headcount is reported at 101–250 employees with an average tenure exceeding 15 years and several employees with 30+ years of service, indicating a stable craft and supervisory workforce. Annual construction volume is stated on the company website at approximately $45,000,000, consistent with the scale of recently disclosed prime contracts.

Name

David Nelson Construction

Legal name

David Nelson Construction, Inc.

Website

https://nelson-construction.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

David Nelson Construction is a privately held Tampa Bay general and civil contractor, founded in 1972, performing building construction and heavy highway projects as a self-performing prime contractor for FDOT, local municipalities, and private commercial owners across Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Pasco Counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial and Heavy Civil Construction Services

NAICS

Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (237), Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (23622), Nonresidential Building Construction (2362)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623), Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600)

akta.pro primary industry

Self-Performing General Contractors (IMAFAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Commercial General Contracting (New Build) (IMAFAAAA), Office & Corporate Building Construction (IMAFACAA), Government & Civic Building Construction (Courthouses, City Halls, Public Safety) (IMAFACAF)

Keywords

• Commercial construction services
• Heavy civil construction
• Design-build contracting
• Site development services
• Highway and roadway construction

Headquarters

HQ city

Palm Harbor

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, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Construction Contract Revenue: The company generates revenue through winning and executing construction contracts on a project-by-project basis. They perform building construction (interior renovations, commercial buildings, convention centers, hospitality, restaurants) and heavy/civil construction (site development, roadways, utilities, airports, seawalls) for both public and private owners. Revenue is project-based with contract values ranging from small renovations to major infrastructure projects. Delivery methods include design-build, construction management, and fixed-price contracts.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

David Nelson Construction is a Tampa Bay-area prime contractor that self-performs building construction and heavy civil/heavy highway construction for both public and private owners. Projects range from interior renovations and hospitality builds to airports, roadways, utilities, and interstate work, delivered through design-build, construction management, and fixed-price contracts.

Product overview

David Nelson Construction Co. is a construction company that offers two primary service lines: Building Construction and Heavy Highway / Civil Construction. The company provides multiple contract delivery systems including design-build, construction management, and fixed price arrangements. Building Construction services range from interior renovations to convention centers, hospitality facilities, restaurants, and zoological buildings. Heavy Highway / Civil Construction encompasses site development, decorative streetscapes, airports, roadways, and utility projects for government clients and FDOT. The company is known for self-performing utility work and maintaining quality through in-house capabilities. Projects span from commercial buildings and hotels to airports, roadways, and public infrastructure, with notable projects including the Lowry Park Zoo, Carnelian Convention Center, Sunshine Skyway Rest Areas, Fenway Hotel, and Keystone Road expansion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Building Construction Commercial building construction services for public and private owners, ranging from interior renovations and select-client buildouts to convention centers, hospitality facilities, restaurants, toll collection facilities, sewer and water treatment plants, mid-rise commercial buildings, large playground/sports complexes, and zoological gardens. Self-performs sitework, concrete, and masonry.
• Heavy Civil / Heavy Highway Construction Heavy civil and heavy highway construction services including site development, decorative streetscapes, airports, roadways, utility projects for local governments, and major road and interstate projects for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). The company self-performs utility work and most civil activities in-house.
• Design-Build Services Project delivery method combining design and construction under a single contract. Used for roadway, site, utility, and building projects for public and private owners; supports faster schedule and integrated change management.
• Construction Management Services Prime-contractor construction management services overseeing project delivery for renovations, restorations, and complex builds for both public and private owners, including coordination of subcontractors and self-performed trades.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% Contractor Past Performance Rating on Sunshine Skyway Rest Area project
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Danner ConstructionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Danner Construction on MacDill Air Force Base Runway Ponding project where Danner performed earthwork, storm drainage, and regrading while DNCC managed overall project delivery.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Hubbard Construction Company: Florida-based heavy civil and highway contractor operating across central and north Florida with comparable FDOT roadway, sitework, and infrastructure capabilities. Directly comparable as a Florida self-performing civil contractor of similar regional scale.
• Prince Contracting: Tampa-based heavy civil and infrastructure contractor performing FDOT roadway, bridge, and site development work in the same Tampa Bay market. Direct regional peer with similar public-sector contract mix and self-perform delivery model.
• The Middlesex Corporation: Florida-headquartered heavy civil, highway, and building construction firm with FDOT and municipal contract experience. Comparable as a self-performing Florida GC of similar revenue scale operating across civil and building construction.
• Cone & Graham: Tampa-based heavy civil contractor specializing in FDOT highways, site development, and roadway reconstruction. Direct peer competing for the same Tampa Bay public infrastructure projects with similar self-perform and FDOT past-performance profile.
• Wharton-Smith: Florida-based general contractor performing commercial building, K-12, municipal, and civil construction across central Florida. Comparable as a Florida self-performing GC with overlapping commercial and public-sector customer segments.
• Ajax Paving Industries: Florida-based paving and heavy civil contractor with deep FDOT and municipal roadway experience. Comparable on the heavy civil side as a Florida-focused self-performing contractor competing for similar asphalt, roadway, and site development work.
• Superior Construction Company: Heavy civil and transportation infrastructure contractor with significant Florida and Southeast operations. Comparable on FDOT roadway, bridge, and infrastructure project types with self-perform delivery and similar public-sector contract mix.

Regional players

• Anderson Columbia Co. Florida-based heavy civil and paving contractor focused on FDOT and county roadway projects across north and central Florida. Comparable on the heavy civil side, but geographically focused outside David Nelson's Tampa Bay primary market.

Broad incumbents

• Granite Construction: National heavy civil and infrastructure contractor with active Florida operations on FDOT and major roadway projects. Broader incumbent competitor with significantly greater scale and bonding capacity, capable of bidding on larger projects than David Nelson.
• Balfour Beatty US: Major international infrastructure and civil construction group with significant Florida highway and civil operations. Broad incumbent competing on the same FDOT and public infrastructure opportunities as David Nelson, but with materially larger scale and balance sheet.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 David Nelson Construction