Building & Earth Sciences
Building & Earth Sciences is a Birmingham, Alabama-based professional engineering firm founded in 1999 that delivers geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing, special inspections, environmental consulting, and drilling services to the U.S. design and construction industry across 16-18 branches in the Southeast and Midwest.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersBirmingham, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Building & Earth Sciences does
Building & Earth Sciences, LLC is a Birmingham, Alabama-based professional engineering services firm founded in 1999 that provides geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing (CMT), special inspections, environmental consulting, and exploration/drilling and coring services to the U.S. design and construction industry. The firm is registered to provide professional engineering services in 35 states, operates 16-18 branch offices concentrated in the Southeast and Midwest, and employs roughly 285-300 professional engineers, geologists, certified inspectors, and field technicians. Its technical platform is anchored by US Army Corps of Engineers validated laboratory facilities, advanced subsurface investigation equipment (including ground penetrating radar, pile driving analysis, seismic site classification, cross-hole seismic inspection, FLIR thermal imaging, and floor flatness profiling), and International Building Code special inspections capability.
Revenue is generated through project-based, quote-driven professional services engagements, with no standardized pricing tiers and no resale channel; work is delivered directly by branch staff and coordinated through a Senior Management Committee and Regional Vice Presidents. The firm serves a diversified mix of end markets including commercial development, industrial and manufacturing, military and defense, transportation infrastructure, renewable energy (notably large-scale wind and solar), education (e.g., UAB, Auburn University, Oklahoma State University), healthcare, and state and municipal government, with named enterprise clients such as Walmart, Amazon, JB Hunt, the City of Huntsville, and the Louisville VA Medical Center. The go-to-market model is relationship-led, supported by a website-based Request a Proposal intake, industry award recognition (three consecutive ENR Top 500 Design Firm selections, ACEC Engineering Excellence awards, Auburn Top Tiger, UAB Fast 40), and university partnerships for talent recruitment. Customer retention is reported at a 90% repeat client ratio, and the firm has expanded through both organic branch openings and a 2016 acquisition of Christian Testing Laboratories (CTL).
Building & Earth Sciences firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Building & Earth Sciences
- Legal name
- Building & Earth Sciences, LLC
- Website
- https://buildingandearth.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Building & Earth Sciences is a Birmingham, Alabama-based professional engineering firm founded in 1999 that delivers geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing, special inspections, environmental consulting, and drilling services to the U.S. design and construction industry across 16-18 branches in the Southeast and Midwest.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Building & Earth Sciences industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Geotechnical Engineering Services
- NAICS
- Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Engineering Services (541330), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Environmental Consulting Services (541620)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Geotechnical & Subsurface Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAA)
Keywords
Where Building & Earth Sciences is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Birmingham
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices17 records
Markets served
Building & Earth Sciences business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Geotechnical Engineering Services: Professional geotechnical engineering services including subsurface exploration, foundation evaluations, geotechnical reports, and design recommendations for construction projects. These are project-based consulting engagements typically scoped per project.
- Construction Materials Testing (CMT): Field and laboratory testing services for construction materials including soil, concrete, asphalt, and masonry. Services include both on-site field testing and laboratory analysis, billed per project or hourly.
- Special Inspections: Special inspections services per International Building Code (IBC) requirements, including structural steel, masonry, coatings, roofing, and pavement inspections. Typically billed as part of construction project compliance services.
- Environmental Consulting: Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments (ESA), lead and asbestos surveys, and geological investigations. Project-based consulting engagements for property transactions and compliance.
- Exploration, Drilling & Coring: Subsurface investigation services including drilling, coring, split spoon and Shelby tube sampling, rock coring, and mineral investigation. Services are typically bundled with geotechnical engineering reports.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Project-based professional engineering services with quote-driven pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Building & Earth Sciences product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Building & Earth Sciences provides professional geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing (CMT), special inspections, environmental consulting, and exploration/drilling/coring services to the design and construction industry. Delivered through 16+ branch offices across the Southeast and Midwest United States, the firm combines subsurface exploration, field and laboratory materials testing, IBC special inspections, and Phase I/II Environmental Site Assessments into integrated project-based engineering engagements.
Product overview
Building & Earth Sciences is a professional engineering services firm offering a unified suite of geotechnical and construction consulting services. The core portfolio consists of Geotechnical Engineering Services, Construction Materials Testing (CMT), Environmental Consulting Services, Exploration/Drilling & Coring Services, and Special Inspections Services—all operating under a single integrated service model. Specialty Services (including GPR, seismic site classification, and thermal imaging) function as specialized add-on capabilities that enhance the core offerings. The company does not offer separate product lines or modular software; rather, it delivers these services as integrated professional consulting engagements tailored to each client's project requirements.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Geotechnical Engineering Services Professional geotechnical engineering services that leverage deep knowledge of local subsurface challenges to deliver practical engineering recommendations tailored to specific project sites, including subsurface exploration, foundation evaluations, seismic site classification, and geophysical studies for the design and construction industry.
- Construction Materials Testing (CMT) Full range of field and laboratory construction materials testing services including soil testing, asphalt testing, and concrete testing to ensure compliance with project specifications and building codes for construction projects.
- Environmental Consulting Services Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments (ESA) as well as lead and asbestos surveys to identify and address hazardous materials on project sites for property transactions and compliance.
- Exploration, Drilling & Coring Services Subsurface investigation services using cutting-edge drilling and coring technology, including split spoon and Shelby tube sampling, rock coring, concrete coring, and mineral investigation to inform project design and construction.
- Special Inspections Services Special inspections per International Building Code (IBC) requirements including structural steel inspections, masonry inspections, coatings inspections, roofing inspections, pavement inspections, and failure investigation and analysis performed by professional engineers and certified inspectors.
- Specialty Services Advanced technology services utilizing minimally invasive techniques including seismic site classification (Re-Mi), ground penetrating radar (GPR) using StructureScan/UtilityScan, floor flatness profiling, thermal image scanning, slip resistance testing, and concrete floor gloss testing.
Quantifiable outcome
- 90% repeat client ratio validates relationship-focused approach and client satisfaction
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Building & Earth Sciences
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles7 records
Building & Earth Sciences technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
Building & Earth Sciences partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators12 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Building & Earth Sciences competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- GHD: Global professional services firm with engineering, environmental, and construction services practices. Overlaps with Building & Earth's environmental consulting and infrastructure-related service lines, but operates as a broad incumbent.
- Kleinfelder: National engineering, design, and construction services firm with strong geotechnical and CMT practices. Comparable service offering and customer base, but at much larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
- Tetra Tech: Large global consulting and engineering firm with environmental and geotechnical capabilities. Adjacent competitor with overlapping federal infrastructure and environmental service capabilities.
- Terracon: Largest US employee-owned geotechnical and environmental consulting firm with national branch density. Comparable to Building & Earth across all five service lines but operates at materially greater scale and broader geographic coverage.
Direct peers
- Geo-Engineers: Geotechnical and environmental consulting firm serving the Pacific Northwest and select US markets. Comparable in service offerings (geotechnical, environmental, CMT) and target customers.
- S&ME: Mid-Atlantic and Southeast-focused engineering firm offering geotechnical, CMT, environmental, and construction services. Closely mirrors Building & Earth's regional Southeast presence and service mix.
- TTL Inc. Southeast-focused engineering firm providing geotechnical, environmental, CMT, and construction services with comparable service model and geographic emphasis.
- ECS Group of Companies: National geotechnical, construction materials testing, and environmental consulting firm with a similar integrated service model. Directly comparable to Building & Earth across CMT, geotechnical engineering, special inspections, and environmental services for the same design and construction customer base.
- Ninyo & Moore: West Coast-focused geotechnical and environmental consulting firm with comparable service mix. Operates in a different geography but mirrors the integrated professional services model.
- Braun Intertec: Midwest-based geotechnical engineering and CMT firm with overlapping service lines and customer segments. Particularly comparable to Building & Earth's Midwest expansion strategy.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Building & Earth Sciences social profiles
Digital presenceBuilding & Earth Sciences compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Building & Earth Sciences financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Building & Earth Sciences leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles23 records
Building & Earth Sciences funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Building & Earth Sciences M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Building & Earth Sciences
What does Building & Earth Sciences do?
Building & Earth Sciences provides professional geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing (CMT), special inspections, environmental consulting, and exploration/drilling/coring services to the design and construction industry. Delivered through 16+ branch offices across the Southeast and Midwest United States, the firm combines subsurface exploration, field and laboratory materials testing, IBC special inspections, and Phase I/II Environmental Site Assessments into integrated project-based engineering engagements.
Is Building & Earth Sciences a public or private company?
Building & Earth Sciences is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Building & Earth Sciences founded?
Building & Earth Sciences was founded in 1999. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Building & Earth Sciences based?
Building & Earth Sciences is headquartered in Birmingham, United States, in the North America region.
How does Building & Earth Sciences make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Geotechnical Engineering Services are the primary driver. The others are construction Materials Testing (CMT), special Inspections, environmental Consulting and exploration, Drilling & Coring.
Who are Building & Earth Sciences's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are GHD, Kleinfelder, Tetra Tech and Terracon. Direct peers are Geo-Engineers, S&ME, TTL Inc., ECS Group of Companies, Ninyo & Moore and Braun Intertec.
Does Building & Earth Sciences have an API?
No public API is recorded for Building & Earth Sciences.
What industry is Building & Earth Sciences in?
Building & Earth Sciences's product category is Geotechnical Engineering Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAIAB, Geotechnical & Subsurface Engineering Consulting, with a secondary code of BPAHAIAA, Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting. Its NAICS code is 5413 and its SIC code is 8711.