R A Nelson and Associates
R.A. Nelson is an employee-owned, full-service general contractor in Colorado's mountain resort communities, building high-end custom homes, commercial projects, remodels, and civic facilities across Vail, Aspen, Telluride, Steamboat, and Summit County since 1976.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1976
- HeadquartersAvon, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What R A Nelson and Associates does
R.A. Nelson LLC is an employee-owned, full-service general contractor and construction manager headquartered in Avon, Colorado, with a second regional office in Carbondale and project operations spanning Vail Valley, Roaring Fork/Aspen, Telluride, Steamboat, and Summit County. Founded in 1976 by R.A. 'Chupa' Nelson, the firm has spent 50 years building exclusively in Colorado mountain resort environments, focusing on high-end custom homes, commercial construction (hotels, restaurants, recreational complexes, educational facilities, tenant finishes), custom remodels, and affordable/employee housing. Service modules include preconstruction (cost estimation, value engineering, constructability analysis), the Upper Basin Excavating division for site work, and PHQ Property Management for post-completion maintenance. The company is differentiated by 13 LEED AP/GA professionals on staff, 11 LEED-certified projects (including a Platinum campus at Walking Mountains Science Center), and documented energy outcomes such as 64% lower consumption at a Mountain Rec facility. The go-to-market is sales-led and reputation-based, with project-based quoting, multi-year contracts, and direct engagement with high-net-worth homeowners, hospitality operators (Four Seasons Vail, East West Hospitality, Aspen Skiing Company), real estate developers, school districts, and nonprofits. Pricing is quote-based per project scope and is not publicly disclosed; compensation for salaried roles (Superintendent, Project Manager, Preconstruction Manager) is published at $100K-$150K. Technology stack centers on integrated construction management and BIM tools (Outbuild, BlueBeam, PlanGrid, CMiC, Autodesk Build, Revit, Asta Powerproject, ProEst, Microsoft 365). Leadership is led by President Jason Morley, with functional heads across custom homes, preconstruction, property management, and regional operations; the firm won Vail Valley Partnership Business of the Year in 2023 and multiple Outside Magazine Best Places to Work designations between 2015 and 2022.
R A Nelson and Associates firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- R A Nelson and Associates
- Legal name
- R.A. Nelson LLC
- Website
- https://ranelson.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1976
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- R.A. Nelson is an employee-owned, full-service general contractor in Colorado's mountain resort communities, building high-end custom homes, commercial projects, remodels, and civic facilities across Vail, Aspen, Telluride, Steamboat, and Summit County since 1976.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
R A Nelson and Associates industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Construction Services
- NAICS
- Nonresidential Building Construction (2362)
- SIC
- General Bldg Contractors - Residential Bldgs (1520), General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Residential General Contracting (New Build) (IMAFAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Commercial General Contracting (New Build) (IMAFAAAA)
Keywords
Where R A Nelson and Associates is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Avon
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
R A Nelson and Associates business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- General Contracting Services: Full-service general contractor providing preconstruction, construction management, excavation, and property management services for custom homes, commercial projects, multi-family residential, and renovations
- Custom Home Construction: High-end custom residential construction in mountain resort communities including design-build and construction management services
- Commercial Construction: Commercial projects including hotels, restaurants, recreational complexes, educational facilities, and tenant finishes
- Custom Remodels: Interior and exterior renovation services including specialized custom remodel division
- Excavating Services: Upper Basin Excavating division providing excavating and site work services
- Property Management: PHQ Property Management services for completed projects
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Project-based construction services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
R A Nelson and Associates product offering
Product offeringCore offering
R A Nelson and Associates is a full-service general contractor providing preconstruction, construction management, general contracting, excavation, and property management services. The firm builds high-end custom homes, commercial projects (hotels, restaurants, recreational complexes, educational facilities), multi-family residential, and remodels in Colorado mountain resort communities, with recognized expertise in LEED-certified sustainable building practices.
Product overview
R A Nelson and Associates is an employee-owned full-service General Contractor headquartered in Avon, Colorado offering preconstruction, construction management/general contractor services, excavation, and property management. The company specializes in high-end custom homes, award-winning sustainable buildings, recreational complexes, multi-family residential projects, affordable housing, educational facilities, hotels, restaurants, commercial buildings, and interior/exterior renovations. Their core service offerings include Custom Homes and Commercial Construction, supported by service modules for Preconstruction Services, Upper Basin Excavating, Custom Remodels, PHQ Property Management, and Sustainable Building Practices.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Custom Homes High-end custom residential home construction in Colorado mountain resort communities (Vail Valley, Aspen/Roaring Fork Valley, Summit County, Telluride, Steamboat), featuring luxury finishes, sustainable building practices, and complex architectural elements, delivered for high-net-worth homeowners and developers.
- Commercial Construction Commercial building projects including hotels, restaurants, retail spaces, office buildings, and tenant finishes for hospitality operators, developers, and institutional clients in mountain resort environments.
- Preconstruction Services Standalone preconstruction services including cost estimation, value engineering, constructability analysis, and project budgeting to help clients plan projects before construction begins.
- Upper Basin Excavating Standalone excavation division providing heavy equipment operation, site preparation, and earthwork services for construction projects in mountain communities.
- PHQ Property Management Standalone property management services for completed homes, including quality verification and ongoing maintenance support for owners of high-end mountain residences.
- Custom Remodels Standalone renovation and remodeling services for existing homes and commercial spaces, including interior and exterior upgrades, delivered as a dedicated division since 2024.
Quantifiable outcome
- 64% less energy consumption than comparable building at Mountain Rec facility
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use R A Nelson and Associates
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
R A Nelson and Associates technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
R A Nelson and Associates partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Colorado Mountain Bike LeagueminorRA Nelson partners with The Colorado High School Cycling League to sponsor their summer & fall mountain bike races, with stops in Eagle, Frisco, Leadville, Steamboat, Glenwood and Nathrop. The Colorado League promotes positive youth development through interscholastic mountain biking for high school students.
- Habitat for Humanity Vail ValleyminorRA Nelson lends construction expertise to Habitat for Humanity by participating in and leading build days, sponsoring events, and donating appliances and materials from job sites.
- YouthPower365minorAnnual sponsor of the EagleVail Turkey Trot, which has had over 8,000 participants and raised over $182K for YouthPower365's PWRHRS Afterschool program. RA Nelson staff help with event set-up and execution.
- Walking Mountains Science CentercoreRA Nelson partnered with Walking Mountains to build their LEED-Certified Avon Campus, contributing funding and labor hours. RA Nelson is a proud supporter of Walking Mountains programming designed to inspire environmental stewardship and sustainability.
- Bright Future FoundationcoreFrom the renovation of their Avon offices to the construction of the new BrightHouse shelter, RA Nelson supports the Bright Future Foundation mission to change lives affected by domestic violence and sexual abuse.
- Associated General Contractors of AmericaminorMember of the Associated General Contractors of America, collaborating with peers to improve the construction industry.
- Vail Valley Health & Business AllianceminorMember of Vail Valley Health & Business Alliance for regional business collaboration.
- National Association of Home BuildersminorMember of NAHB, collaborating with peers to improve the residential construction industry.
- Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA)minorMember of CFMA for construction financial management professional development.
- Colorado Association of Home BuildersminorMember of Colorado Association of Home Builders for state-level industry collaboration.
- Better Business BureauminorBBB accredited business demonstrating commitment to ethical business practices.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
R A Nelson and Associates competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hyder Construction: Colorado general contractor serving mountain communities with custom residential, multifamily, and commercial expertise; comparable mid-size regional builder with overlapping service lines.
- Magness Construction: Roaring Fork Valley (Aspen-area) general contractor specializing in high-end custom homes and remodels; directly overlaps with RA Nelson in the Aspen/Carbondale market.
- W.E. O'Neil Construction: Regional general contractor active across the Mountain West in hospitality, multifamily, and custom residential projects; comparable scale and project types to RA Nelson.
- Haselden Construction: Colorado-based commercial general contractor with strong mountain and resort-region presence; competes with RA Nelson on hospitality, multifamily, and custom commercial projects in the Rockies.
- Shaw Construction: Western US general contractor with notable mountain-resort portfolio, delivering custom residential, hospitality, and commercial work similar in scope and client base to RA Nelson.
- GE Johnson Construction Company: Established Colorado general contractor with significant resort and luxury residential work in Aspen, Vail, and other mountain communities; overlaps directly with RA Nelson on high-end custom homes and hospitality builds.
- GH Phipps Construction Companies: Colorado general contractor serving commercial, multifamily, and institutional clients across the Front Range and mountain regions; comparable mid-size regional builder with similar capabilities.
- Big-D Construction: Intermountain West general contractor with resort, hospitality, and luxury residential experience in mountain markets; comparable project mix and regional footprint.
Broad incumbents
- PCL Construction: Large, diversified North American general contractor with hospitality and commercial mountain-resort work; competes intermittently on larger resort projects served by RA Nelson.
- Swinerton: National general contractor with significant resort and luxury hospitality portfolio across the western US; broader scale and geographic reach than RA Nelson but overlapping target projects.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
R A Nelson and Associates social profiles
Digital presenceR A Nelson and Associates compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
R A Nelson and Associates financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
R A Nelson and Associates leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
R A Nelson and Associates funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
R A Nelson and Associates M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about R A Nelson and Associates
What does R A Nelson and Associates do?
R A Nelson and Associates is a full-service general contractor providing preconstruction, construction management, general contracting, excavation, and property management services. The firm builds high-end custom homes, commercial projects (hotels, restaurants, recreational complexes, educational facilities), multi-family residential, and remodels in Colorado mountain resort communities, with recognized expertise in LEED-certified sustainable building practices.
Is R A Nelson and Associates a public or private company?
R A Nelson and Associates is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was R A Nelson and Associates founded?
R A Nelson and Associates was founded in 1976. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is R A Nelson and Associates based?
R A Nelson and Associates is headquartered in Avon, United States, in the North America region.
How does R A Nelson and Associates make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. General Contracting Services are the primary driver. The others are custom Home Construction, commercial Construction, custom Remodels, excavating Services and property Management.
Who are R A Nelson and Associates's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hyder Construction, Magness Construction, W.E. O'Neil Construction, Haselden Construction, Shaw Construction, GE Johnson Construction Company, GH Phipps Construction Companies and Big-D Construction. Broad incumbents are PCL Construction and Swinerton.
Does R A Nelson and Associates have an API?
No public API is recorded for R A Nelson and Associates.
What industry is R A Nelson and Associates in?
R A Nelson and Associates's product category is Construction Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAFAAAB, Residential General Contracting (New Build), with a secondary code of IMAFAAAA, Commercial General Contracting (New Build). Its NAICS code is 2362 and its SIC code is 1520.