Commercial Construction in Columbia, MO
Why Columbia Businesses Choose Prost Builders
Most people around Columbia have heard of Prost Builders. But when you’re planning a major construction project, you need more than name recognition—you need a contractor who genuinely understands your city.
Here’s the difference between us and other contractors:
Most contractors say: “We built these buildings in Columbia.”
We say: “We understand Columbia’s economy, its construction challenges, its academic calendar, its major employers, its building codes—and here’s how that expertise benefits your project.”
What This Means for Your Project
We’re not “suitcase contractors.” We don’t show up with one superintendent and subcontract everything. We self-perform our concrete and carpentry work, which means better control over your budget, schedule, and quality.
We have professional engineers on staff. That’s how we saved Columbia Public Schools $365,000 on Jefferson Middle School through innovative engineering solutions. Most general contractors can’t do that.
We’re based just 30 miles away in Jefferson City. Close enough for face-to-face meetings and daily on-site presence, but with the capacity to handle projects from $1 million to $40 million. We complete more than $60 million in construction annually throughout Central Missouri.
We know Columbia specifically. We understand the University of Missouri’s academic calendar. We’ve worked with Columbia Public Schools’ summer construction windows. We know City of Columbia building codes and Boone County requirements. We’ve delivered major projects for EquipmentShare, MU Health System, and the VA Hospital.
Bottom line: When you work with Prost Builders in Columbia, you’re working with a team that knows this city—not just construction in Missouri generally.
Yes, we’ve been in business for over 75 years. That matters for stability and trust. But what matters more is what we’re doing for Columbia clients right now.
Major Columbia Projects We’ve Completed
We’ve built some of Columbia’s most visible and important facilities. Here’s a look at projects that demonstrate our capabilities across different sectors:
EquipmentShare Technology Development Center
38,500 square feet | Design-Build | Columbia, MO
This striking modern facility features a large glass curtain wall that expresses the high-tech nature of EquipmentShare’s work. The building houses offices, conference rooms, a kitchen, and large high bays for bringing in heavy equipment for repair, examination, and testing.
When completed in 2024, this project created more than 500 new jobs for Columbia’s economy—exactly the kind of industrial growth that REDI (Regional Economic Development Inc.) works to bring to our community.
The project scope included sitework, structural steel, finish work, fire protection, and all MEP systems. Project Manager Jason Bias and Superintendent Lonnie Paulson led our team through every phase from groundbreaking to completion.
Jefferson Middle School Addition and Renovation
$11 million | General Contracting | Columbia Public Schools
This project shows why value engineering matters. Columbia Public Schools needed a new gymnasium, locker rooms, and ADA-compliant entrances for Jefferson Middle School (formerly Jefferson Junior High School).
Our value engineering approach saved the school district $365,000 by using precast double tee roof structures instead of steel bar joists and metal deck. This solution also accelerated the schedule by three months—critical when you’re working around the school calendar.
The project included a new gymnasium, modern locker rooms, connecting corridors, elevators, and stairways. All work was completed on time and on budget, with Construction Project Manager Richard Northeimer and Superintendent Ben Rademan leading the Prost team.
A personal connection: Prost Builders President Vaughn Prost played basketball in the old Jefferson Junior High School gymnasium and can personally attest that the new facility is a major improvement for students and the community.
Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital
Multiple Projects | Columbia, MO
We’ve worked on several projects at the Columbia VA Hospital:
Parking Structure – Self-performed concrete work on the new parking garage (Phase 1) through Pro-Prost Joint Venture, solving the lack of parking spaces on the hospital campus.
Warehouse Expansion – Built a weather-tight enclosure around the entire warehouse, removed and raised the roof to accommodate a new mezzanine for expanded storage space.
These projects required careful coordination in an occupied healthcare facility where patient care cannot be interrupted.
Jesse Hall – University of Missouri
Historic Restoration | Columbia, MO
Jesse Hall is one of the most iconic buildings on the Mizzou campus and throughout Missouri. Our historic preservation work on this landmark demonstrates our expertise in maintaining Missouri’s architectural heritage while incorporating modern systems.
Few contractors in Missouri match our experience with landmark restoration projects. Our portfolio includes the Missouri State Capitol, Boone County Courthouse, and Mark Twain’s boyhood home in Hannibal.
MU Healthcare Battle Avenue Medical Building
Healthcare Construction | Columbia, MO
Medical construction requires precise coordination of complex systems and strict infection control measures. This project added to our extensive healthcare portfolio in Columbia and throughout Central Missouri.
Boone County Courthouse
Historic Renovation | Columbia, MO
Another example of our historic preservation expertise right in Columbia. Century-old courthouses require specialized knowledge to preserve architectural details while upgrading systems to modern standards and meeting current accessibility requirements.
“I have long been convinced of Prost’s exceptional building and construction skills. But more importantly, I am convinced of your integrity, ethics and general, all-around goodness.”
— Patsy Ponder Dalton, Former Commissioner, Boone County Courthouse Addition, Renovation and Restoration
Memorial Baptist Church Addition
Ecclesiastical Construction | Columbia, MO
Groundbreaking held in 2024 for this church expansion project. Religious facilities present unique challenges in phased construction that allows the congregation to continue using their building during construction.
“We contracted with Prost Builders for the design and construction of our new building and each step of the way your people were very cooperative and expressed a real interest in our project, almost as if it were their own.”
— Charles Caine, Chairman of the Building Steering Committee, Memorial Baptist Church Addition
Love Forward Homes – Transitional Housing
General Contracting | Columbia, MO
Prost Builders was selected to build Love Columbia’s transitional housing apartments for 10 families in Columbia. The project includes six three-bedroom units and four two-bedroom units. Project Manager Jason Bias and Superintendent Lonnie Paulson led this project on a challenging site due to its size and proximity to other homes, a busy street, and a parking lot.
Families in the Love Forward Homes Program receive 4 to 9 months of supported housing with intensive financial, housing, and career coaching tailored to their needs and goals.
Mizzou Memorial Stadium Seating Addition
Completed in the 1960s | Columbia, MO
Long before our recent Columbia projects, Prost Builders built the seating addition at Mizzou Memorial Stadium. The concrete superstructure we built then is similar to the work we completed for Capital City High School’s stadium in Jefferson City—demonstrating our decades of expertise in complex concrete work.
Understanding Columbia’s Building Environment
Building in Columbia isn’t the same as building anywhere else in Missouri. Here’s what we know from decades of experience:
The University of Missouri Factor
With over 31,000 students, Mizzou shapes everything about construction in Columbia:
Timing matters. Major work near campus is best scheduled during summer break (May-August) and winter intersession to minimize disruption to students and faculty.
Academic calendar drives schedules. Schools must be ready when students return. We’ve learned from projects like Jefferson Middle School that there’s no flexibility on opening dates—the building must be ready.
Workforce considerations. Columbia’s large student population affects labor availability during the academic year versus summer.
Columbia’s Economic Drivers
Columbia’s economy isn’t typical of mid-Missouri. The city has a strong economy rooted in education, research, healthcare, life-sciences and high-tech industry.
Columbia has a 2025 population of 132,046 and is currently growing at a rate of 0.88% annually.
This creates specific construction needs:
- Educational facilities – Growing population plus university presence
- Healthcare expansion – MU Health System and related medical facilities
- Technology and industrial – Companies like EquipmentShare bringing hundreds of jobs
- Research facilities – University-related research and development space
Climate and Building Considerations
Missouri weather presents real challenges:
Freeze-thaw cycles – Our concrete expertise matters. We know when to use precast versus pour-in-place based on schedule and weather windows.
Summer heat and humidity – We schedule concrete pours in early morning (like we did at EquipmentShare) to beat the heat for better concrete finish.
Drainage – Understanding Boone County soil conditions affects foundation design and site work.
Working with Local Authorities
We’ve worked with City of Columbia Building & Development Services on projects ranging from $4 million to $38 million.
Our familiarity with Columbia’s building codes, inspection processes, and local officials helps keep projects on schedule and avoid costly delays.
We also understand Boone County requirements for projects outside city limits.
Our Services in Columbia
General Contracting
We execute construction according to your design team’s contract documents. We competitively bid all scopes, supervise all trade work, and deliver your completed project on time and within budget.
Columbia general contracting experience:
- Educational facilities (Columbia Public Schools, University of Missouri)
- Healthcare facilities (VA Hospital, medical buildings)
- Historic renovations (Jesse Hall, Boone County Courthouse)
- Religious buildings (Memorial Baptist Church)
- Industrial facilities (EquipmentShare)
Design-Build
One contract, one team, one point of accountability. Our design-build approach means architects, engineers, and builders collaborate from day one—eliminating the communication gaps that cause delays and cost overruns.
Recent Columbia design-build project: EquipmentShare Technology Development Center
Construction Management
We work with you and your design team from project conception, helping establish realistic scope, budget, and schedule parameters before construction begins.
Our construction management approach includes:
- Early project involvement and constructability analysis
- Value engineering (like the $365,000 we saved Columbia Public Schools)
- Self-performance of concrete and carpentry for better control
- Real-time project tracking through Procore software
Industries We Serve in Columbia
Educational Facilities
Columbia Public Schools, University of Missouri, and private schools throughout Boone County.
We understand occupied building renovations, summer construction windows, and the absolute deadlines that come with educational projects.
Healthcare
Hospitals, medical offices, clinics, and specialized healthcare facilities.
We’ve worked extensively with the VA Hospital and MU Healthcare system.
Commercial & Office
From technology centers to office buildings, we build the facilities that house Columbia’s growing business community.
Historic Preservation
Jesse Hall, Boone County Courthouse, and other landmark buildings.
Historic preservation requires specialized knowledge—we’re one of the few contractors in Missouri with extensive experience in this field.
Religious Buildings
Churches throughout Columbia and Boone County.
We understand how to phase construction so congregations can continue using their facilities.
Industrial & Manufacturing
The EquipmentShare Technology Development Center is just one example of our industrial construction capabilities in Columbia.
Value Engineering That Saves Columbia Clients Money
Value engineering isn’t about cutting corners—it’s about finding smarter solutions.
At Jefferson Middle School, Columbia Public Schools faced a challenge: they needed a new gymnasium but had budget concerns and a tight schedule. Standard construction would use steel bar joists and metal deck for the roof structure.
We proposed an alternative: precast double tee roof structures. This approach:
- Saved $365,000 from the project budget
- Accelerated the schedule by 3 months
- Solved a bar joist delivery problem that would have caused delays
- Improved the finished product with better structural performance
This is what happens when your general contractor self-performs concrete work and has registered professional engineers on staff. We saw an opportunity that a typical “suitcase contractor” would have missed.
Why Location Matters: Jefferson City to Columbia
Our headquarters is in Jefferson City, about 30 miles from Columbia. Here’s why this matters:
Close enough for quick response:
- Face-to-face meetings when you need them
- Project managers and superintendents on-site daily
- Quick response to any issues that arise
Large enough for major projects:
- 20+ employees with over 300 years of combined experience
- In-house concrete and carpentry crews
- More than $60 million in construction completed annually
- Project capacity: $1 million to $40 million (most projects $3-20 million)
Connected to the community:
- Serving Columbia and Boone County for over 75 years
- Columbia Chamber of Commerce members
- Long-term relationships with Columbia subcontractors and suppliers
- Several team members are Mizzou graduates
We’re not coming from Kansas City or St. Louis. We’re your Central Missouri neighbors with the capacity to handle substantial commercial construction.
Our Team’s Columbia Connections
Vaughn Prost, P.E., President
Has lived in Columbia more than 40 years. Played basketball in the Jefferson Junior High School (now Jefferson Middle School) gymnasium in Columbia. Graduated from Hickman High School. Holds degrees from University of Missouri-Columbia (B.S. Civil Engineering, 1973) and Stanford University (M.S. Civil Engineering & Construction Management, 1974).
As president, Vaughn brings both personal connection to Columbia and professional engineering expertise to every project.
Drew Wilde, Corporate Vice President
Has worked with Prost Builders since 2017, where he mentors and oversees project operations and assists the estimating department.
Drew recently served as Project Manager on the Truman State University Kirk Building renovation in Kirksville and led the Fulton Early Childhood Center Addition. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Management from Missouri State University.
Virginia Steiger, VP of Public Outreach
Holds a B.A. from Columbia College in Columbia, MO.
Virginia is the company’s face to the community, active in three Chambers of Commerce, numerous business networks, the Jefferson City West Rotary Club, and serves on the Board of the National Association of Women In Construction – Chapter 341.
She leads business development efforts and creates marketing content including the “Watch the Build” series on Facebook and LinkedIn where viewers can follow Prost Builders’ construction projects.
Jason Bias, Project Manager
Led the EquipmentShare Technology Development Center project and the Love Forward Homes transitional housing project in Columbia. Jason brings extensive experience managing complex commercial and industrial projects.
Lonnie Paulson, Superintendent
Worked alongside Jason Bias on both the EquipmentShare Technology Development Center and Love Forward Homes projects in Columbia, bringing hands-on expertise to job site operations.
Richard Northeimer, Construction Project Manager
Led the Jefferson Middle School project in Columbia, delivering the $11 million renovation on time and on budget for Columbia Public Schools.
Ben Rademan, Superintendent
Worked with Richard Northeimer on Jefferson Middle School, managing day-to-day construction operations and subcontractor coordination.
Working with Columbia’s Major Institutions
Columbia Public Schools
Multiple successful projects including Jefferson Middle School’s $11 million renovation. We understand:
- Summer construction windows and hard deadlines
- Working in occupied schools
- School board approval processes
- Budget constraints facing public school districts
University of Missouri
Historic preservation (Jesse Hall), stadium work, and understanding of campus logistics and academic calendar constraints.
MU Health System
VA Hospital projects and medical buildings. Healthcare construction requires specialized knowledge of infection control, patient care continuity, and complex MEP systems.
City of Columbia & Boone County
Courthouse restoration and understanding of local permitting, codes, and inspection processes.
What Sets Prost Builders Apart
We Self-Perform Critical Work
Unlike many general contractors, we have in-house crews for concrete and carpentry. This means:
- Better control over quality, schedule, and budget
- No waiting for subcontractors on critical path items
- Direct accountability for the most important structural work
As President Vaughn Prost says: “We are not a ‘suitcase’ general contractor who comes to town and mans the project with one superintendent and subcontracts all the work.”
We Have Professional Engineers on Staff
With registered professional engineers on our team, we provide technical oversight and problem-solving that typical general contractors can’t match.
This is how we deliver value engineering solutions that save clients hundreds of thousands of dollars.
We’re Employee-Owned
Every team member has personal investment in your project’s success.
When you work with Prost Builders, you’re working with people who have a stake in doing the job right.
We Use Modern Project Management Technology
We utilize Procore project management software for real-time communication, document management, and progress tracking accessible to all stakeholders.
You’re never in the dark about your project status.
We Practice Project Partnering
We use formal AGC (Associated General Contractors) partnering methodologies to build collaborative relationships that prevent disputes and ensure smooth project execution.
Columbia’s Construction Market: What We’re Seeing
Columbia is a mid-sized city with a strong economy rooted in education, research, healthcare, life-sciences and high-tech industry.
Regional Economic Development Inc. (REDI) is funded by the City of Columbia, Boone County, the University of Missouri and many local private businesses to attract new business, support existing business, and help entrepreneurs grow startups.
This creates ongoing construction opportunities:
Education sector growth – Spending on educational facilities is influenced by demographic trends, with the under-25 population expected to increase by nearly two million by 2030, plus pent-up demand from postponed projects during the pandemic.
Healthcare expansion – Health care construction is expected to grow by 7% in 2024 and 4% in 2025 nationally, and Columbia’s healthcare sector continues expanding.
Industrial and technology growth – Projects like EquipmentShare’s 500-job expansion show Columbia’s appeal to technology and manufacturing companies.
Population growth – Columbia is currently growing at a rate of 0.88% annually, driving need for commercial space, schools, and infrastructure.
Ready to Discuss Your Columbia Project?
Whether you’re planning new construction, a historic renovation, or a complex addition, Prost Builders brings over 75 years of proven experience to every Columbia project.
Contact us today:
Phone: (573) 635-0211
Email: info@prostbuilders.com
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 1727
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Headquarters:
3617 Route CC
Jefferson City, MO 65109
Service Area: Jefferson City, Columbia, Fulton, and throughout Central Missouri
About Prost Builders: Founded in 1949, Prost Builders is an employee-owned commercial construction company serving Central Missouri for over 75 years. We specialize in general contracting, design-build, and construction management for educational, healthcare, commercial, industrial, and historic preservation projects. Our combination of hands-on craftsmanship, professional engineering expertise, and modern project management helps clients throughout Columbia and Boone County build facilities that last.