General Contractor in Farmington, New Mexico

The San Juan Basin is changing what it builds, and the work we do in Farmington reflects that shift. PNM said on September 30, 2022 that the last unit of its coal-fired San Juan Generating Station had been removed from service, following Units 2 and 3 in 2017 and Unit 1 in June 2022. Communities that relied on that plant are now looking at new industrial reuse, advanced manufacturing and service buildings, and we help owners turn existing sites and buildings into those uses.

Renovating an older industrial building takes patience. We start by verifying structure, floors and utilities because older drawings are rarely right, then we decide what to keep, what to demolish and what to build new. That approach is a good fit for a recent state announcement of a machining company expanding onto a 16-acre property just north of Farmington, with 22 jobs, $250,000 in LEDA funding, an existing building to be renovated and a new 11,000 square foot facility.

Healthcare and education add a steady second stream of work. San Juan Regional Medical Center, a community-owned, non-profit 198-bed hospital and Level III trauma center, and San Juan College, with more than 9,200 fall credit students, are both major owners with continuing building programs, and we are prepared for them.

Industrial renovation and new shop buildings

A reuse project typically combines selective demolition, structural repair, new utilities and a fresh envelope. Where the owner needs an additional production area, we add a pre-engineered or tilt-wall building beside the existing one and connect the two with a clean interface. The selective demolition trade partners handle controlled removal, salvage and hazardous materials coordination.

Machine shops and fabrication buildings need heavy floors, reliable power and often a crane. We plan slab thickness, anchor bolt layouts and crane runway tolerances with the owner's equipment list in hand, so installation goes smoothly. Our crane building experience applies directly.

Healthcare, college and local business

San Juan Regional Medical Center, at 801 W. Maple, has 165 private patient rooms, and projects at that scale mean phased construction beside live patient care. We prepare infection control plans, noise and vibration limits and clear communication with nurses and facility managers. See our healthcare systems work for more.

San Juan College reports 1,048,266 gross square feet across 31 structures on five campuses and 829 employees as of Spring 2026. A campus of that scale needs renovation, new instructional space, trades training shops and maintenance. We schedule disruptive work between terms and coordinate with the facilities office on utilities.

Highways, airport and how work reaches Farmington

U.S. Highway 64 is the major east-west highway through San Juan County and across Farmington, and NM 516 is a southwest to northeast connector between Farmington and U.S. 550 in Aztec. Deliveries to the area come mostly by truck, so we plan the order and timing of steel, concrete and equipment deliveries carefully.

Four Corners Regional Airport has two asphalt runways, 6,501 by 150 feet and 6,704 by 100 feet, on 603 acres at 5,506.6 feet elevation, and has offered daily nonstop United jet service beginning May 2025. Air service helps visiting executives, specialty trades and owners reach the area quickly. The nearby communities of Aztec and Bloomfield draw on the same pool of trade partners, so we price them together when an owner has sites in more than one.

Code, permits and inspections

The New Mexico Commercial Building Code adopts the 2021 International Building Code as amended, effective July 14, 2023, replacing the 2015 code. That change matters for owners with older buildings, since upgrades triggered by a renovation may reflect the newer requirements. We review existing conditions against the current code before pricing.

We also coordinate with the state for electrical and mechanical permits, and with the local fire authority on occupancy and fire protection. A short meeting with the inspector before work begins usually saves time, and we hold those meetings for every project.

Safety on live industrial and clinical sites

Renovation work happens next to people and equipment that stay in service. We hold a pre-task meeting before each phase, tag out utilities we are not responsible for, and keep demolition debris, welding and heavy lifts away from occupied areas. Hot work permits, fall protection and confined space procedures are enforced on our sites without exception.

On hospital and campus projects we add controls for dust, noise and pedestrian routes. Staff and students should never have to think about where our work is, and our superintendents walk the perimeter daily to keep it that way.

Services that tie a project together

Owners of older buildings often combine renovation with adaptive reuse planning, new paving and a fresh entrance. We can also help establish a budget during preconstruction so a board or lender can approve the work with clear numbers.

If you are considering sites elsewhere in the state, we also build in Gallup, which shares a similar high-elevation climate. Industrial owners will find more about how we approach new buildings in our page on the manufacturing plant building type.

Winter and altitude

Farmington sits at a high-desert elevation of about 5,500 feet (the airport is listed at 5,506.6), and winter brings freezing temperatures that affect concrete, masonry and roofing. We use blankets, heaters and admixtures where needed, and we schedule exterior finishes around the season.

We also design with snow loads, frost depth and wind in mind. Details that work in a warmer city can fail here, so we rely on local engineers for those parameters and verify them at the permit stage. If you plan a phased expansion, ask us about phasing on an occupied site.

Plan your Farmington building with us

Send us your site or building and describe the use you have in mind. We will give you a candid assessment of what to keep, what to build and what it is likely to cost.

Questions Owners Ask

Is it better to renovate an existing industrial building or build new?

Renovation can be faster and cheaper when the structure is sound, but it can reveal surprises. We investigate the structure, the floor, the roof and the utilities first and then compare options with you. The recent state announcement of a renovation plus a new 11,000 square foot facility shows that many owners combine both.

How do you handle hospital construction?

We use physical barriers, negative pressure, dust control and after-hours tie-ins, with an infection control risk assessment agreed in advance. Facilities staff are part of weekly coordination, which keeps surprises to a minimum.

Can you build to meet college schedules?

Yes. We set substantial completion dates around terms and breaks, order materials early and keep access routes open for students. If a building must be ready for a fall term, we work backward from that date.

What does winter do to a construction schedule?

Cold weather slows concrete curing and limits some finishes. We use heated enclosures and cold-weather mixes and shift interior work to colder months when possible. A realistic schedule includes weather days.

How do you approach brownfield or former energy sites?

We begin with environmental records and a survey of existing structures and utilities. If hazardous materials may be present, a specialist handles testing and abatement before we proceed.

Related