Excavators in Shawnee County (primarily Topeka area, Kansas) refer to both heavy equipment (like hydraulic excavators) and the contractors/companies that operate them for earthwork, site prep, utilities, grading, drainage, demolition, and related services.

This is highly relevant for local real estate development, zoning/buildability reviews, drainage/erosion control (e.g., your Eveningside/37th & Gage projects), retaining walls, pickleball/55+ housing sites, sale-leasebacks, and infrastructure work. Shawnee County has a mix of family-owned local operators, utility-focused firms, and equipment dealers supporting larger projects.

Key Licensed Excavation Contractors (City of Topeka)

The City of Topeka maintains a list of licensed excavation contractors (as of 8/6/2024; verify current status via topeka.gov for bids or projects). Notable ones active in or serving Shawnee County include:

• RDR Excavating (RDR Excavating Inc / II LLC): Family-owned since 1987, based in Topeka (e.g., 3740 NW 25th St or 3160 SE 21st St). Offers directional boring, septic work, waterline repairs, construction, topsoil delivery, tunneling, grading, and trenching. Strong local reputation for precision and efficiency in site prep and land clearing.
• RD Johnson Excavating Company: Long-established (since the 1980s), serving Topeka, Lawrence, and NE Kansas. Specializes in commercial/residential earthwork, utilities, material hauling, recycling, snow removal, and time & materials work. Emphasizes safety, quality, and local teams. Contact: 785-842-9100, info@rdje.com (Lawrence base but active in Topeka).
• Farmer Excavating Inc.: Based in Oskaloosa (Jefferson County) but serves Shawnee County/Topeka extensively. Family-oriented full-service firm (site work, land clearing, grading, building pads, terraces, basements, sanitary/storm waterlines, ponds, snow removal). Focus on trust, quality, and referrals; active since ~2015 with deeper roots. Contact: 785-863-2404.
• Schmidtlein Excavating Inc.: Family-owned with 70+ years in NE Kansas, based in Topeka (204 NE Rice Rd). Handles excavation, grading, aggregate surfacing, and more. Reliable for local projects. Phone: 785-357-7354.
• O'Neill Excavating, Inc.: Topeka-based (e.g., 680 NE US 24 Hwy). General excavation, demolition, utilities, site development for residential, commercial, and agricultural work. Specializes in municipal utilities. Contact: 913-683-9619 (Eric O'Neill).

Other licensed firms from the Topeka list (partial; many handle utilities or specialized work): BEST ENTERPRISES AND EXCAVATION, FIT EXCAVATING INC, GIDEON EXCAVATING INC, TRAVIS SHARP EXCAVATING INC, BREASON T EXCAVATING INC, EMERY SAPP & SONS INC, KANSAS TOP SOIL & TRENCHING, PYEATTS WELDING & EXCAVATING, and more (e.g., AMERINE UTILITIES, NPL CONSTRUCTION). Check the full PDF for phones and updates.

Equipment Dealers & Rentals

For owning, renting, or servicing excavators (Komatsu, etc.):

• Berry Tractor & Equipment Co. (Topeka location): Major dealer for Komatsu hydraulic excavators, dozers, loaders, etc. Sales, rentals, parts, service, and repairs. Topeka: 1750 SW 41st St, 785-266-9509. Large fleet and support for construction/mining. Founded 1958, multiple KS/MO locations.
• Sunflower Rental (Topeka): Mini excavator rentals (daily/weekly/monthly rates). Serving Topeka/Lawrence/NE KS since 1951.
• BigRentz and others: Online/platform rentals for mini excavators in Topeka/Shawnee County area.

Broader Context & Market

• Demand & Jobs: Steady need due to development, utilities, roads, and private projects. Job boards show dozens of equipment operator/excavator roles in Topeka (e.g., via Indeed). Heavy equipment training available locally.
• Nearby/Adjacent: Firms from Osage, Douglas, Jefferson counties often work in Shawnee (e.g., via SCCD Conservation District contractor lists for drainage/ponds).
• Public Sector: Shawnee County Public Works handles county roads/bridges (may lease or own equipment). City projects often bid to licensed contractors.
• Considerations for Your Work: For projects like Gage sidewalk/erosion control or retaining walls, prioritize licensed firms with drainage/grading expertise (e.g., Farmer, RD Johnson, Schmidtlein). Verify insurance, references, and past local performance (e.g., via bids or KORA). Costs vary; get multiple quotes. Factors like TIF/CID, zoning, and utilities tie in heavily.

For the most current licensed list, project bids, or specific quotes, visit topeka.gov/business/contractor_information or contact Shawnee County Public Works. If you need deeper research on a specific company (e.g., references, equipment fleet, past projects with McCoys/Wible), a document summary, or outreach scripting, let me know! 

Bids

We need help finishing my project at 37th and Gage.

Plans = https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1fKWa_oQzw1Q61BSlD99quQ1-KUzfiJ9H?usp=sharing

 

Driggs engineering prepared the plans and Colton will be happy to answer any of your calls regarding the project plans.

https://driggsdesign.com/

 

marcotte@driggsdesign.com

(785) 506-3936•Mobile

(785) 320-2136•Work

Henry McClure 

Time Kills Deals 

785.383.9994

444

Looking for work?

 

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1fKWa_oQzw1Q61BSlD99quQ1-KUzfiJ9H?usp=sharing

Plans

RE: 37th and Gage

Thanks Henry.

 

From: Henry McClure <mcre13@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, June 4, 2026 11:10 PM
To: Joseph A. Harrington <jaharrington@topeka.org>
Cc: mcre1.444danak@blogger.com
Subject: 37th and Gage

 

Notice: -----This message was sent by an external sender-----

 

Dear Mr. Harrington,

I want to thank you for taking the time to meet with me the other day at 37th and Gage. I appreciate your assistance and guidance.

Following your recommendation, I met with Jenny Taylor and Mike Hall. They have since referred the matter back to you.

Next Monday, my survey crew will stake out the property line. Once that is complete, we can continue moving forward to at least get the right-of-way back to the property line and into its final state, so we are not constantly fighting the elements.

We will also need to coordinate with Evergy to identify any issues they may have. As I recall, there was a significant hill and a large slope in that area prior to any work beginning. This will require a thorough review as quickly as possible.

In the meantime, I would like to spend some time working through the details of exactly where the right-of-way is located and what work will actually be performed within it. If I am to be responsible for the area from the back of the curb to my property line, I would like to have some input on what is done in that space. Additionally, I would prefer a solution that requires zero maintenance both now and in the future, in order to keep long-term costs as low as possible.

Thank you again for your help. I look forward to continuing to work with you on this.

Sincerely,

 

37th and Gage

Dear Mr. Harrington,

I want to thank you for taking the time to meet with me the other day at 37th and Gage. I appreciate your assistance and guidance.

Following your recommendation, I met with Jenny Taylor and Mike Hall. They have since referred the matter back to you.

Next Monday, my survey crew will stake out the property line. Once that is complete, we can continue moving forward to at least get the right-of-way back to the property line and into its final state, so we are not constantly fighting the elements.

We will also need to coordinate with Evergy to identify any issues they may have. As I recall, there was a significant hill and a large slope in that area prior to any work beginning. This will require a thorough review as quickly as possible.

In the meantime, I would like to spend some time working through the details of exactly where the right-of-way is located and what work will actually be performed within it. If I am to be responsible for the area from the back of the curb to my property line, I would like to have some input on what is done in that space. Additionally, I would prefer a solution that requires zero maintenance both now and in the future, in order to keep long-term costs as low as possible.

Thank you again for your help. I look forward to continuing to work with you on this.

Sincerely,

Fw: SIDEWALK

---

From: Joseph A. Harrington <jaharrington@topeka.org>
Sent: Wednesday, June 3, 2026 3:20 PM
To: Henry McClure <mcre13@gmail.com>
Cc: Dana K. Anderson <dana.anderson@aftholdingsllc.com>; linda.falley@aftholdingsllc.com <linda.falley@aftholdingsllc.com>
Subject: RE: SIDEWALK

 

Thanks Henry

 

From: Henry McClure <mcre13@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, June 3, 2026 3:07 PM
To: Joseph A. Harrington <jaharrington@topeka.org>
Cc: Dana K. Anderson <dana.anderson@aftholdingsllc.com>; linda.falley@aftholdingsllc.com
Subject: SIDEWALK

 

Notice: -----This message was sent by an external sender-----

 

Joe 

 

To get your bosses off you back and to like I compliant, Mr Sanders will be cleaning up on the sidewalk and fixing fences. 

 

The sidewalk remains closed for public safety 

 

 

H

 

Henry McClure 

Time Kills Deals 

785.383.9994

 

444

SIDEWALK

Joe 

To get your bosses off you back and to like I compliant, Mr Sanders will be cleaning up on the sidewalk and fixing fences. 

The sidewalk remains closed for public safety 

H

Henry McClure 

Time Kills Deals 

785.383.9994

444

fill dirt

Jeremey 

Do you need fill dirt? 

37^th and Gage 

H 

Henry McClure 

Time Kills Deals 

785.383.9994

444

37th and gage

Dana K

Joe told me to get chick-fil-a for our project.

Joe

Thank you for your time.

I'll work with Jenny on the right of way on the west side of the sidewalk and placement of the retaining wall 

Working on the vegetation issues 

Henry McClure 

Time Kills Deals 

785.383.9994

444

Fit and Clean

 

Fw: time

---

From: Sylvia Davis <sdavis@topeka.org>
Sent: Sunday, May 10, 2026 7:37 PM
To: Henry McClure <mcre13@gmail.com>; Colton Marcotte <cmarcotte@driggsdesign.com>; Aaron Wolfe <awolfe@driggsdesign.com>
Subject: RE: time

 

Henry,

 

Following up with you after our site visit.  The stream that crosses your property is a Type II.  I’m including a table from our stream buffer ordinance below for your reference. You will see that it refers to the GIS-based stream buffer shapefiles for Topeka.  The Utilities Exploration Map is located at the following link:  Utilities Exploration Map. I’ve taken a screenshot of what the buffer looks like over your parcel and you can see that it allows for you to remove more of the vegetation on the north side of the channel given the outer area of the channel almost completely mirrors the 25’ streamside area.

 

I hope this is helpful.  Please let me know if you have additional questions.

 

Regards,

Sylvia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From: Henry McClure <mcre13@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, May 9, 2026 5:11 PM
To: Colton Marcotte <cmarcotte@driggsdesign.com>; Aaron Wolfe <awolfe@driggsdesign.com>; Sylvia Davis <sdavis@topeka.org>
Subject: time

 

Notice: -----This message was sent by an external sender-----

 

 

Driggs 

 

Help me 

 

Colton - can we superimpose this stream buffer - on our plan that show all the land 

 

Please 

 

H  

 

---

From: Henry McClure <mcre13@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, May 9, 2026 10:47 AM
To: Sylvia Davis <sdavis@topeka.org>
Subject: time

 

Thanks for your time

 

 

 

MCRE, LLC

3625 SW 29^th Street

Topeka KS 66614

785.383.9994

It's All Part of the Plan, Baby:

A Deep Dive into Topeka's LUGMP 2040 and Why Development at 37th & Gage Is Exactly What the Growth Management Plan Ordered.

The official 2014 City of Topeka video City of Topeka Land Use and Growth Management Plan (uploaded September 19, 2014, by the City of Topeka channel) is the straight-from-the-source explainer of the Land Use & Growth Management Plan 2040 (LUGMP 2040)—the blueprint that still guides every smart-growth decision in Topeka today. Narrated with clear visuals, maps, and commentary from then-Planning Director Bill Fiander (listed as "Fyander" in the transcript), the roughly 8-minute piece lays out a no-nonsense vision: fiscally responsible, sustainable, planned growth that prioritizes infrastructure-first development over sprawl. And right in the heart of that vision? The Urban Growth Area (UGA)—specifically the southwest corridor that includes the 37th & Gage intersection.

Here's the beautiful part: every acre, every pad site, every mixed-use proposal, and every road improvement happening at 37th & Gage right now isn't some rogue expansion—it's textbook LUGMP execution. The plan literally calls it out by name as a future Mixed Use Node. Development there is not just allowed; it's justified and encouraged as the smart, compact way to grow. Let's pull it straight from the video and the official LUGMP 2040 document itself.

1. The UGA + Service Tiers Framework: 37th & Gage Sits in the "Ready Zone" (Tier 2)

The video breaks future growth into three clear tiers inside the designated Urban Growth Area:

• Tier 1 (highest priority): Existing city limits where police, fire, water, sewer, and roads are already in place or planned.
• Tier 2: Areas "most ready for annexation" where all five services can be extended without massive new investment—exactly the compact, sustainable footprint the plan wants.
• Tier 3: Longer-term areas to plan for but not develop yet.

37th & Gage sits squarely in the southwest portion of the UGA (Tier 2 territory). The LUGMP map and text explicitly designate this corridor for planned urbanization because the infrastructure backbone (roads like Gage Blvd., utilities, and proximity to existing city services) makes it efficient. The video hammers this home: "The plan guides the future sequencing of growth in Topeka to ensure investments in infrastructure and services are in place prior to development." No random sprawl—only sequenced, ready-to-go nodes like 37th & Gage.

2. Nodal Mixed-Use Development at High-Traffic Intersections = The Official Strategy

The LUGMP doesn't just wave at the southwest UGA—it names the intersection. On the Future Land Use Map and supporting tables, SW 37th Street and SW Gage Blvd. is listed as one of the key Mixed Use Nodes with a projected 17,000 Average Daily Traffic (ADT) volume. That's not an afterthought; it's a deliberate callout alongside other nodes like 37th & Wanamaker or 37th & Burlingame.

The plan explains why these nodes matter: they create compact, walkable, mixed-use centers (commercial + residential + office) that serve multiple neighborhoods efficiently. The video reinforces this with downtown Topeka as the "poster child" of compact development—mixed uses, transportation choices, higher return on existing pipes and pavement. Applying that same logic to 37th & Gage means nodal development here delivers exactly what the LUGMP wants: shorter trips, density that pays for services, and fiscal health instead of spreading thin.

3. Fiscal Responsibility & Avoiding Sprawl: The Core Justification

The video lays out the cold math why unplanned fringe growth hurts:

• Since 1960, Topeka's land area grew 65% while population grew only 7% → less dense, more expensive services.
• Only 2 out of 10 new Shawnee County residents moved inside city limits (vs. 8 out of 10 in Lawrence) → lost tax base and higher per-capita costs.
• 1,200+ vacant platted lots inside city limits already exist → but the UGA is the planned place to add more when ready.

Developing the 37th & Gage node follows the plan's "pillars": promote compact development, invest where we already are (or where services can be extended cost-effectively), and achieve urban densities. The video quotes Fiander directly on services being "in place or planned" before growth. Current road projects (Huntoon/Gage reconstruction, Southwest Parkway extensions) and utility work are the exact infrastructure sequencing the LUGMP demands. It's not "sprawl"—it's the plan delivering higher ROI through nodal density.

4. Mixed-Use & Commercial at 37th & Gage: Explicitly on the Menu

The LUGMP Future Land Use Map and text support Mixed Use and Neighborhood Commercial categories at these UGA nodes. The video celebrates mixed-use examples and calls for "housing choices, transportation choices, walkable neighborhoods" to attract younger residents and take pressure off streets. That's precisely why PUD zoning, C-2/C-4 allowances, and recent approvals (42-unit multifamily, site grading for retail pads, commercial listings) fit like a glove. The plan even anticipates traffic growth at 37th & Gage and builds the road network to support it—meaning commercial viability is baked in.

Bottom Line: It's All Just Part of the Plan, Baby

Watch the 2014 video and then look at what's happening at 37th & Gage in 2026—site prep, road upgrades, mixed residential-commercial momentum—and it clicks: this is the LUGMP 2040 working exactly as designed. The plan didn't leave development at 37th & Gage to chance; it identified the intersection, assigned it nodal status in the UGA, tied it to infrastructure sequencing, and justified it as the fiscally smart, compact-growth antidote to sprawl.

Every shovel of dirt, every new apartment unit, every future retail pad is the plan in action. Bill Fiander and the Planning Commission laid this out over a decade ago, and the city is simply following through. No surprises, no deviations—just smart, sustainable growth at the intersection the LUGMP 2040 explicitly highlighted.

It's all part of the plan, baby. And it's unfolding beautifully. 

https://37gage.blogspot.com/2020/02/time-to-revisit-this-today.html 

Review Bill's work

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