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Construction · Des Moines, IA

Koester Construction Company, INC.

According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), Koester Construction Company, INC. ranks #35,863 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers by total current penalty, with a mixed safety record: 11 violations across 14 inspections.

Upper half by penalty27% serious
$9,750
OSHA penalties
11
Violations cited
14
OSHA inspections
#35,863
of 99,447 penalized employers

Koester Construction Company, INC. in Des Moines, IA has been the subject of 14 OSHA workplace inspections and 11 citations since 2010, according to enforcement records from the U.S. Department of Labor. Total penalties assessed: $9,750. All enforcement data below is sourced from the DOL public enforcement databases at data.dol.gov.

The record in one line

OSHA has inspected Koester Construction Company, INC. 14 times over 15 years, roughly once every couple of years. These inspections resulted in 11 violations, averaging 0.8 per inspection, on the lighter side. According to OSHA enforcement records, its total current penalty ranks #35,863 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers (the upper half of penalized employers nationally). Of these, 3 were classified as serious - indicating hazards that could cause death or serious harm. Against the Construction industry average of 2 inspections per employer, this runs far above peers (7.0x the sector average) on inspection frequency. For comparison, Edwards-Smith Construction, LLC in Coeur D Alene, ID is another construction employer with 2 OSHA inspections on record and $9,750 in current penalties.

0.8
violations per inspection
27.3%
of violations were serious
#35,863
of 99,447 penalized employers

Compliance score

C 79/100
  • C OSHA safety compliance: 11 violations across 14 OSHA inspections (0.8 per inspection), vs. national p10 0.0 (best) / p90 5.5 (worst) among 145,626 inspected employers.

Channels are separate federal datasets: a dimension marked not applicable simply has no record in that dataset for this employer, not a good or bad score.

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How this employer compares on OSHA penalties

Total current penalty vs the Construction per-employer average

in penalties

What this shows Koester Construction Company, INC. runs moderately above peers (1.4x the sector average) in total OSHA penalties.

Source U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA enforcement extracts As of 2026

Where this penalty ranks nationally

Total current OSHA penalty vs every U.S. employer with a nonzero penalty

$9,750 Bottom 36% least affordable more affordable than 36% of 99,447 U.S. employers with a penalty

$0–$5,000: 43,959 U.S. employers with a penalty (44%). Below this entry. $5,000–$10,000: 20,304 U.S. employers with a penalty (20%). This entry sits in this band. $10,000–$15,000: 11,027 U.S. employers with a penalty (11%). Above this entry. $15,000–$20,000: 6,546 U.S. employers with a penalty (7%). Above this entry. $20,000–$25,000: 4,175 U.S. employers with a penalty (4%). Above this entry. $25,000–$30,000: 2,877 U.S. employers with a penalty (3%). Above this entry. $30,000–$35,000: 2,036 U.S. employers with a penalty (2%). Above this entry. $35,000–$40,000: 1,493 U.S. employers with a penalty (2%). Above this entry. $40,000–$45,000: 1,095 U.S. employers with a penalty (1%). Above this entry. $45,000–$50,000: 785 U.S. employers with a penalty (1%). Above this entry. $50,000–$55,000: 5,150 U.S. employers with a penalty (5%). Above this entry. This employer $0 $55,000 every penalized U.S. employer, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $5K-wide band; taller bars hold more U.S. employers with a penalty. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA enforcement extracts · 2026

Does more inspection scrutiny mean more findings?

Each dot is one of 21 Construction employers with an OSHA inspection on record, placed by inspections and violations cited. The highlighted dot is Koester Construction Company, INC..

Frequently inspected, many findingsRarely inspected, many findingsFrequently inspected, clean recordBelow median on both12.913.41414.615.1016.032.048.064.0OSHA inspectionsViolations citedNORTHWEST CONTRACTIN…, OSHA inspections: 14 · Violations cited: 25M CONSTRUCTION CORP…, OSHA inspections: 14 · Violations cited: 26W G CLARK, OSHA inspections: 14 · Violations cited: 9TOWN OF WATERTOWN, OSHA inspections: 14 · Violations cited: 26DRAGAS MANAGEMENT CO…, OSHA inspections: 14 · Violations cited: 19MESSER CONSTRUCTION …, OSHA inspections: 14 · Violations cited: 4TURNER CONSTRUCTION …, OSHA inspections: 14 · Violations cited: 8ZTEX CONSTRUCTION, I…, OSHA inspections: 14 · Violations cited: 14JKD CONSTRUCTION, OSHA inspections: 14 · Violations cited: 10TURNER CONSTRUCTION …, OSHA inspections: 14 · Violations cited: 8SWINERTON BUILDERS, OSHA inspections: 14 · Violations cited: 0WEST COAST BORING INC, OSHA inspections: 14 · Violations cited: 0T & D TRENCHLESS, OSHA inspections: 14 · Violations cited: 0THE CAVE CONSTRUCTIO…, OSHA inspections: 15 · Violations cited: 2CATON TN HWY DEPT, OSHA inspections: 13 · Violations cited: 61LEONARD S. FIORE, INC., OSHA inspections: 13 · Violations cited: 7BOMBARD MECHANICAL, …, OSHA inspections: 13 · Violations cited: 5TOWN OF WOODBURY, OSHA inspections: 15 · Violations cited: 54VADNAIS CORPORATION, OSHA inspections: 15 · Violations cited: 2LEND LEASE (US) CONS…, OSHA inspections: 13 · Violations cited: 5Koester Construction…, OSHA inspections: 14 · Violations cited: 11
Koester Construction Company, INC. has 14 OSHA inspections on record and 11 violations cited. The crosshair marks the median among these Construction peers. Across this sector's tracked employers, more inspections is moderately associated with more violations found -- not a coincidence, but not a guarantee either.

Koester Construction Company, INC. in the Construction enforcement ledger

Among 33,222 Construction employers with OSHA penalties on file, Koester Construction Company, INC. ranks #9,959 at $9,750 current penalty.

How Koester Construction Company, INC. Compares

Koester Construction Company, INC.'s 0.79 violations per inspection compares to the Construction sector average of 3.3 violations per employer.

Against the Construction industry average of $6,767 per employer, this employer's current OSHA penalty runs moderately above peers (1.4x the sector average).

Enforcement detail

OSHA Inspection History

Total Inspections

14

First Inspection

2010-03-01

Last Inspection

2025-04-22

Inspection Span

15 yrs

Violations / Inspection

0.8

Avg Penalty / Inspection

$696

Industry Avg / Inspection

$3,361

What this shows 14 inspections over 15 years, averaging 0.8 violations per visit. That's $696 per inspection vs. the Construction average of $3,361.

Enforcement detail

Violation Breakdown

3

Serious

27.3% of total

0

Willful

0.0% of total

0

Repeat

0.0% of total

8

Other-Than-Serious

72.7% of total

What this shows Serious violations involve hazards that could cause death or serious physical harm. Willful violations indicate intentional or knowing disregard of the law. Repeat violations are for hazards previously cited within the past 5 years.

Enforcement detail

Penalty Analysis

Initial Penalty Assessed

$18,773

Current Penalty Amount

$9,750

Penalty Reduction

48.1%

What this shows Penalties were reduced by $9,023 from the initial assessment of $18,773. Reductions may result from informal settlements, formal contests, or negotiated agreements with OSHA.

Industry Safety Context: Construction

How Koester Construction Company, INC. compares to the Construction sector, which has 61,260 employers tracked by PlainWorker.

Metric Koester Construction Company, INC. Industry Avg
Inspections 14 2.0
Violations 11 3.3
Total Penalty $9,750 $6,767
Avg Penalty per Inspection $696 $3,361
View all 61,260 employers in Construction →

Nationwide Construction peers with similar penalties or inspection counts

Two OSHA-record peer sets for Koester Construction Company, INC., both outside IA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment.

Similar current OSHA penalty

Nearest same-sector employers by current assessed penalty ($9,750 here).

National Salvage Environmental Services CORP. $9,750 IN Edwards-Smith Construction, LLC $9,750 ID Graves and Graves Construction Company, INC. $9,750 TN RSS Roofing Services & Solutions LLC $9,750 TN

Similar OSHA inspection count

Same-sector employers with a comparable inspection history outside this state (14 inspections here).

Northwest Contracting, INC. 14 insp. Bismarck, ND 5m Construction Corporation 14 insp. Tamuning, GU W G Clark 14 insp. Seattle, WA Town of Watertown 14 insp. Watertown, CT

Nearby & Similar Employers in Construction

Showing 5 of 61259 other employers tracked in this sector.

National Salvage Environmental Services CORP.
Bloomington, IN
2 inspections $9,750
Edwards-Smith Construction, LLC
Coeur D Alene, ID
2 inspections $9,750
Graves and Graves Construction Company, INC.
Waverly, TN
3 inspections $9,750
RSS Roofing Services & Solutions LLC
Nashville, TN
2 inspections $9,750
Scott Empie
Grand Rapids, MI
2 inspections $9,750

Compare Koester Construction Company, INC. vs National Salvage Environmental Services CORP. side-by-side →

What to do with this record

Use Koester Construction Company, INC.'s enforcement history as one data point, not the whole picture.

  • A single employer's record can look unusual in isolation. Compare Koester Construction Company, INC. against National Salvage Environmental Services CORP., a similarly-sized employer in the same sector, before drawing conclusions. Compare side-by-side
  • See whether Koester Construction Company, INC.'s inspection and penalty record is typical for Construction or an outlier against the sector's own average. View the Construction sector
  • Before you accept a job or raise a safety concern, search any employer for its own OSHA inspection history the same way you found this one. Search employers

Figures reflect closed OSHA and WHD federal enforcement actions on record (2010–2026); not every workplace issue results in an inspection or investigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Koester Construction Company, INC. safe to work at? ▼
Based on OSHA records, Koester Construction Company, INC.'s workplace safety record is mixed, with some compliance concerns. The employer has 11 violations across 14 inspections, including 3 serious violations. Compared to Construction industry peers, this is above average for penalties. Review the full inspection history below for details.
How many OSHA violations does Koester Construction Company, INC. have? ▼
Koester Construction Company, INC. has 11 OSHA violations on record, including 3 serious, 0 willful, and 0 repeat violations. The total current penalty amount is $9,750.
How many OSHA inspections has Koester Construction Company, INC. had? ▼
Koester Construction Company, INC. has had 14 OSHA inspections, with the first recorded on 2010-03-01 and the most recent on 2025-04-22. This averages 0.8 violations per inspection.
What is the total penalty amount for Koester Construction Company, INC.? ▼
Koester Construction Company, INC. has been assessed $9,750 in current OSHA penalties, reduced from an initial assessment of $18,773 (a 48.1% reduction).
Does Koester Construction Company, INC. have any serious or willful violations? ▼
Yes. Koester Construction Company, INC. has 3 serious violations. Serious violations involve hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm. Willful violations indicate the employer intentionally or knowingly disregarded the law.
What industry does Koester Construction Company, INC. operate in? ▼
Koester Construction Company, INC. operates in the Construction sector (NAICS code 236220). This industry has 61,260 employers tracked by PlainWorker, with 123,354 total OSHA inspections and $414.57M in cumulative penalties.
Where does Koester Construction Company, INC. rank nationally on OSHA penalties? ▼
Among the 99,447 U.S. employers with a nonzero current OSHA penalty in PlainWorker's corpus, Koester Construction Company, INC. ranks #35,863 (the upper half of penalized employers nationally). The ordinal is a live COUNT of employers with a lower total_current_penalty; see the methodology page for the exact derivation.
How does Koester Construction Company, INC.'s safety record compare to industry average? ▼
Koester Construction Company, INC.'s total OSHA penalty of $9,750 is above the Construction industry average of $6,767 per employer (1.4x the average). The employer has 14 inspections compared to the industry average of 2.0 per employer. For a direct comparison, Edwards-Smith Construction, LLC in Coeur D Alene, ID is a similar construction employer with $9,750 in current penalties.
Data Sources & Methodology ▼

Data as of 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Labor (OSHA, WHD).

Source: OSHA Enforcement Data

Inspection and violation records from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Department of Labor, covering the period 2010–2026. Includes inspection dates, violation types (serious, willful, repeat, other-than-serious), and penalty amounts. Penalties shown are current assessed amounts and may differ from original citations due to settlement, contest, or reduction.

Source: Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

Compliance actions from the WHD, covering enforcement of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), including minimum wage, overtime, and child labor violations. Back wages represent amounts owed to affected employees as determined by WHD investigations.

Employer Matching

Employers are matched across OSHA and WHD datasets by name, state, and city. Employers included in PlainWorker have 2 or more OSHA inspections or $1,000+ in WHD back wages. Data is updated monthly from data.dol.gov.

Verify with OSHA establishment search →

Every figure on PlainWorker is rendered directly from official U.S. Department of Labor OSHA and Wage & Hour Division enforcement records, no number is typed in by an editor. This employer's ratios (penalty-per-violation, industry comparisons) are computed live from the 14 inspections on record. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.