UrbanBloc

What UrbanBloc does

UrbanBloc is a privately held design-build firm co-founded in 2014 by Martha Trela (CEO) and Jerry Jameson (CTO), headquartered and manufacturing in San Leandro, California. The company specializes in modular construction using repurposed shipping containers, delivering custom commercial structures across four product categories: food/bar/beverage spaces, office spaces, retail spaces, and restroom/laundry facilities (including ADA-compliant and supportive-housing configurations). All units are factory-built at the San Leandro facility, leveraging California's Commercial Modular program for state permitting, then delivered to site for installation by local general contractors.

The firm's business model is project-based design-build contracting. Each engagement spans preconstruction consulting (feasibility, site evaluation, conceptual drawings), design development, permitting, factory manufacturing with state inspections, and delivery/installation coordination. Pricing is custom and quoted per project — varying by container size (20', 30', 40'), customization level, finishes, and scope — with typical project timelines of 4–6 months from design to installation. The company does not publish rate cards and does not disclose revenue or funding; it has no parent company, no institutional investors, and no disclosed subsidiaries.

UrbanBloc serves a diversified set of customer segments primarily in California, including food and beverage operators (Calicraft, Equator Coffee, Barebottle Brewing, Humblemaker Coffee, Cafe Jolie Petit), commercial real estate developers and owners (Sares Regis, Premia Capital, Mar Ventures, Signature Development, Paceline Investors), sports and entertainment enterprises (LAFC, San Francisco Giants), government agencies (San Francisco Public Works), and nonprofits (LifeMoves). Since founding it has completed over 80 projects, with the largest disclosed contract valued at $6.55 million (SOMA Street Tree Nursery, 2023). The firm is sales-led, relying on its website portfolio, blog content, third-party awards (ENR California Best Project 2024, Modular Building Institute Honorable Mention 2024, East Bay Innovation Award 2020), and direct outreach to developers, brands, and government entities.

Name

UrbanBloc

Legal name

UrbanBloc

Website

https://urbanbloc.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

UrbanBloc is a San Leandro, California design-build firm that designs and manufactures custom modular commercial structures from repurposed shipping containers, serving food/beverage operators, commercial real estate developers, government agencies, sports venues, and nonprofits primarily across California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Modular Construction Services

NAICS

Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (236220), Nonresidential Building Construction (2362), Architectural Services (54131)

SIC

Prefabricated Metal Buildings & Components (3448), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Retail & Mixed-Use Commercial Construction (IMAFACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Urban Planning & Master Planning (BPAHAKAD)

Keywords

• Modular construction services
• Shipping container buildings
• Design-build construction
• Prefabricated commercial spaces
• Container-based architecture

Headquarters

HQ city

San Leandro

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Modular Construction Services: Full design-build services for custom shipping container spaces including preconstruction consulting, design, permitting, manufacturing, and delivery. Revenue is generated through project-based contracts for commercial modular construction.
2. Container Unit Sales: Sale of standard and customized shipping container units for various commercial applications including food service, retail, office, and support facilities.
3. Manufacturing and Installation: Factory construction of containers with state inspections, delivery coordination, and general contractor installation support included in project delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

UrbanBloc is a full-service design-build firm that manufactures and delivers custom modular commercial spaces built from repurposed shipping containers. The company provides end-to-end services including preconstruction consulting, design, permitting through California's Commercial Modular program, factory manufacturing, delivery, and installation coordination. Core products include food/beverage spaces, offices, retail environments, and restroom/laundry facilities for applications such as restaurants, urban infill, brand expansion, supportive housing, and community amenities.

Product overview

UrbanBloc is a full-service modular construction company that designs and builds custom shipping container spaces for commercial applications. Their core offering consists of customizable modular container units available in four primary product categories: Food/Bar/Beverage Spaces (bars, kitchens, cafes, restaurants), Office Spaces (single to multi-container configurations), Retail Spaces (with custom branding finishes), and Restroom/Laundry Spaces (including ADA-compliant options and supportive housing configurations). All units are designed and manufactured in their San Leandro, California factory and can be customized for specific equipment, branding, and operational requirements. The products serve applications including urban infill, phase zero development, brand expansion, amenities to larger developments, and supportive housing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food, Bar, and Beverage Spaces Customizable modular shipping container units designed for food and beverage service operations, including bars, tap rooms, cafes, coffee shops, ice cream shops, full-scale cooking kitchens, and combination bar/kitchen containers. Units are designed to meet local and state health regulations. Used by restaurants, breweries, and coffee shops seeking turnkey modular spaces.
• Office Spaces Modular office space solutions ranging from simple single container units to larger multi-container office configurations for upscale environments, often including bathrooms and kitchenettes with customizable flooring and wall treatments.
• Retail Spaces Modular retail spaces designed with attention to optimizing merchandising and customer flow, featuring custom finishes to align with brand expression. Used by retailers and brands expanding physical locations.
• Restroom and Laundry Room Spaces Container units providing restroom and shower facilities in various configurations including 20-foot containers with two ADA-compliant restrooms, 40-foot containers with one ADA restroom and five single stalls, and combination bathroom/shower units. Laundry unit models with space for washers and dryers are available for supportive housing projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• Projects typically complete in 4-6 months from design phase through installation, significantly faster than traditional construction
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and key.

• San Francisco Public WorkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary project lead for the SOMA Street Tree Nursery project, working in collaboration with Caltrans to transform a blighted freeway parcel into an urban forestry center. UrbanBloc designed and manufactured the modular buildings supporting the nursery operations.
• Yerba Buena Engineering & ConstructioncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction partner working with UrbanBloc to complete the $6.55 million SOMA Street Tree Nursery project under an aggressive schedule, delivering on time and on budget.
• LifeMovescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupportive housing nonprofit partnered with City of Mountain View for the Homekey program. LifeMoves operates the 120-bed transitional housing campus where UrbanBloc provided seven modular buildings for bathroom, shower, laundry, and food service facilities.
• Sares Regis GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment partner with LifeMoves for the Homekey transitional housing project in Mountain View, working to meet aggressive timelines for the state's housing initiative.
• Signature DevelopmentkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper that converted abandoned auto showrooms in uptown Oakland into mixed-use development. UrbanBloc provided modular spaces for the central courtyard featuring Red Bay Coffee and Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream.
• Paceline InvestorskeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerProperty owner of office park in Harbor Bay, Alameda who hired UrbanBloc to design and build a neighborhood food court and activity space to attract tenants.
• Premia CapitalkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerReal estate developer that completed a 126,000 sq ft office building in Redwood City and engaged UrbanBloc to create a container cafe with public art.
• Mar VentureskeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerReal estate developer and asset management company focused on redevelopment of underutilized properties, engaged UrbanBloc for Humblemaker Coffee installation at creative office campus.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Module: Module is a prefab housing company that designs and manufactures modular housing units for developers using factory-built processes. Comparable to UrbanBloc in modular factory-built approach and design-build delivery model, though more focused on multifamily residential.
• Cover (Cover Technologies): Cover is a prefab ADU/backyard studio builder using factory-built modular construction with software-configurable designs. Comparable to UrbanBloc in factory-built modular approach and California operating region, though focused on residential ADUs rather than commercial applications.
• Mighty Buildings: Mighty Buildings is a tech-enabled modular construction company using 3D printing and prefab methods to deliver housing and ADU units. Comparable to UrbanBloc in factory-built modular construction technology and design-build delivery, though more technology-heavy and primarily residential-focused.

Broad incumbents

• Premier Modular: Premier Modular is an established UK-based modular construction firm delivering off-site built modular buildings for education, healthcare, and commercial sectors. Comparable to UrbanBloc in modular construction technology and project delivery model, though at much larger scale and primarily serving UK markets.

Direct peers

• Blokable: Blokable develops modular steel-based housing and commercial structures for developers and housing providers. Comparable to UrbanBloc in modular factory construction approach, focus on supportive and multifamily housing segments, and design-build delivery model.
• Method Homes: Method Homes is a prefab/modular construction firm delivering custom modular buildings for residential, commercial, and hospitality applications using factory-built processes. Comparable to UrbanBloc in custom modular construction, design-build delivery, and focus on sustainable/quality-driven modular buildings.
• Plant Prefab: Plant Prefab is a California-based sustainable prefabricated home builder offering design-build services with factory manufacturing. Comparable to UrbanBloc in factory-built modular approach, California base, design-build delivery model, and sustainability focus.
• SG Blocks: SG Blocks is a publicly traded company specializing in construction using repurposed shipping containers, serving commercial, government, and housing markets. It is the most directly comparable peer to UrbanBloc, using the same core building medium (shipping containers) and serving overlapping customer segments.
• Boxabl: Boxabl manufactures factory-built modular structures (primarily Casita prefab homes) using a similar design-build, factory-fabrication approach to UrbanBloc, though focused on residential rather than commercial applications. Comparable in modular construction technology and project delivery model.

Regional players

• Kapture Prefab: Kapture Prefab is a container-based modular construction company serving commercial and residential markets in India and select international markets. Comparable to UrbanBloc in shipping container modular construction technology, though operating in different geographies and at different scales.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/urbanblocinc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@urbanbloc
• Facebookfacebook.com/UrbanBloc-288579631293484
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/urban-bloc
• Instagraminstagram.com/urbanbloc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UrbanBloc