Questa Engineering Corporation

What Questa Engineering Corporation does

Questa Engineering Corporation is a privately held California corporation founded in 1983, operating as a multidisciplinary civil, environmental, and water resources engineering and landscape architecture firm headquartered in Point Richmond with satellite offices in Berkeley and Petaluma. The firm provides an integrated suite of services spanning waterway and wetland restoration, fish passage design, dam removal engineering, geotechnical and engineering geological investigations, wastewater and water supply system design, CEQA/NEPA environmental review and permitting, and public access planning. Its client base is anchored in the public sector, including federal agencies, California state and county governments, municipalities, special districts, and selected commercial and nonprofit clients, with projects spanning from San Diego County to Northern California.

Questa differentiates through a resource-based design methodology that integrates hydraulic, hydrologic, geomorphic, geological, and geotechnical analyses within an in-house team of surveyors, engineering geologists, hydrologists, landscape architects, and water resources engineers. The firm holds proprietary technology including Plavel (a plastic-bottle substitute for gravel in drainage and filtration applications) and an expanded biosand filter design adapted for piped water systems; both have been deployed internationally in Mexico, Kenya, and Fiji through partnerships with Rotary International, Engineers Without Borders, and the Human Needs Project. The firm holds California General Engineering Contractor License No. 948253, extending its capability beyond consulting into direct construction execution.

The business model is project-based professional services delivery priced on scope, complexity, and labor requirements, with multi-year contract cadences typical of public-sector engineering engagements. Go-to-market is principal-led, relationship-driven, and dependent on competitive bidding, RFPs, and repeat engagements with established government and institutional buyers across California. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and the firm has no parent company, private equity backing, or venture capital investment.

Name

Questa Engineering Corporation

Legal name

Questa Engineering Corporation

Website

https://questaec.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Questa Engineering Corporation is a privately held California civil, environmental, and water resources engineering and landscape architecture firm serving federal, state, and local government agencies, municipalities, special districts, and commercial clients throughout California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil and Environmental Engineering Consulting

NAICS

Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Water, Wastewater & Stormwater Compliance (BPAHAJAJ)

Keywords

• Civil engineering services
• Water resources engineering
• Environmental planning
• Landscape architecture
• Stream restoration design

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Engineering Consulting Services: Professional engineering and landscape architecture consulting services provided on a project basis to government agencies, municipalities, special districts, and commercial clients. Services include planning, design, environmental review, permitting, and construction management throughout California.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Questa Engineering Corporation provides civil, environmental, water resources, planning, and landscape architecture services to government agencies, municipalities, special districts, and private clients throughout California. Its work spans preliminary engineering and feasibility studies through CEQA/NEPA environmental review, permitting, final PS&Es, bid assistance, and construction supervision. The firm also delivers international humanitarian water and sanitation infrastructure in Fiji, Kenya, and Mexico using proprietary methods such as Plavel and biosand filtration.

Product overview

Questa Engineering Corporation offers a unified suite of civil, environmental, and water resources engineering services rather than a modular software platform. The core offering encompasses six integrated service areas: Waterway Restoration Services (stream/wetland restoration, fish passage, dam removal), Wastewater & Water Supply Services (onsite systems, community systems, water availability), Geotechnical & Engineering Geological Services (investigations, hazardous materials, construction QA), CEQA/NEPA & Permitting Assistance (environmental review, regulatory coordination), Environmental Planning & Landscape Architecture (parks, trails, sustainable design), and International Humanitarian Work (water/sanitation in developing regions). These services are delivered through multi-disciplinary teams including surveyors, engineering geologists, hydrologists, landscape architects, and water resources engineers, providing complete project support from preliminary engineering through construction implementation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Civil, Environmental, and Water Resources Engineering Services Comprehensive civil, environmental, and water resources planning and design services, including resource-based hydraulic, hydrologic, geomorphic, geological, and geotechnical evaluations to develop sustainable solutions from preliminary engineering through construction supervision. Delivered to government agencies, municipalities, special districts, and private clients in California.
• Waterway Restoration Services Stream and wetland restoration services including biotechnical streambank stabilization, erosion control, hydrologic and hydraulic analysis, natural channel design, fish passage barrier removal, and watershed management planning for public agencies.
• Wastewater & Water Supply Services Site evaluation, design, and environmental review of onsite wastewater disposal systems (conventional septic, mound, pressure-dosed, and community systems) and water supply investigations for residential and community clients.
• Geotechnical & Engineering Geological Services Engineering geological and geotechnical investigation, inspection, and testing services including slope stability investigations, geologic hazards assessments, hazardous materials investigation and remediation, and construction quality assurance.
• CEQA/NEPA & Permitting Assistance Environmental review and permitting services including initial studies, mitigated negative declarations, environmental assessments, environmental impact reports, and regulatory agency coordination for federal, state, and local permits.
• Environmental Planning & Landscape Architecture Landscape architecture and environmental planning services including park and open space master plans, habitat restoration, bicycle and pedestrian pathway planning, trail network design, and sustainable landscape and irrigation design.
• International Humanitarian Work Humanitarian water and sanitation assistance in developing regions including biosand water filters, repurposed plastic waste for water infrastructure (Plavel technology), and community clean water and sanitation systems delivered through Rotary International, Engineers Without Borders, and Human Needs Project partnerships.

Quantifiable outcome

• Dotson Family Marsh won ABAG Growing Smarter Together sustainability award for Preserving and Protecting the Environment
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers21 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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Rotary InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRotary-sponsored water and sanitation education and apprenticeship training program for rural Fijian communities in cooperation with Fiji Ministry of Health. Over 10 years of engagement with Rotary clubs providing clean water infrastructure to developing regions.
• Engineers Without BorderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative humanitarian water and sanitation assistance in Mexico, Africa and Pacific Islands. Questa engineers volunteer time and expertise providing international development support.
• Human Needs ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSan Francisco Bay Area nonprofit developing prototype community center in Kibera Slum, Nairobi, Kenya. Questa designed innovative tertiary water recycling system utilizing 150,000 repurposed plastic bottles.
• University of California at DaviscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership for pilot testing of the Kibera wastewater recycling system design, validating treatment effectiveness.
• Fiji Ministry of HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner for water and sanitation education program in rural Fijian communities from 2011-2018.
• Fiji Ministry of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in adopting biosand filter technology into secondary school curriculum, including teaching materials development and instructor training.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Stantec: Global engineering, architecture, and environmental services firm with significant water and environmental practices serving municipalities and infrastructure clients. Provides overlapping water resources, geotechnical, and environmental services at a much larger scale than Questa.
• Tetra Tech: Leading global consulting and engineering firm specializing in water, environment, and sustainable infrastructure. Directly comparable in water resources, wastewater, and environmental restoration services, though operating at substantially greater scale and geographic reach than Questa.
• ICF International: Consulting and digital services firm with strong environmental and water resources practices serving federal, state, and local government clients. Overlaps with Questa in environmental review, water resources planning, and federal agency engagements.
• HDR Inc. Large engineering and architecture firm with extensive water, wastewater, and environmental practices serving municipalities and federal clients. Provides overlapping water infrastructure, environmental planning, and CEQA/NEPA capabilities at much greater scale and geographic breadth.
• NV5 Global: Technical engineering and consulting firm with infrastructure, environmental, and geospatial practices. Provides overlapping geotechnical, environmental, and water resources engineering services to public and private clients across multiple geographies.
• Michael Baker International: Engineering, planning, and consulting firm with water, environmental, and geotechnical practices serving public-sector clients across the U.S. Comparable to Questa in geotechnical investigation, water resources, and environmental permitting services, though at significantly larger scale.

Direct peers

• Brown and Caldwell: Specialty environmental engineering and consulting firm focused on water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure for municipalities and utilities. Directly comparable to Questa in serving California public-sector clients with water and wastewater planning, design, and regulatory expertise.
• SWCA Environmental Consultants: Environmental consulting firm offering natural and cultural resource management, permitting, and planning services. Overlaps with Questa's CEQA/NEPA permitting, habitat restoration, and water resources work, particularly across western U.S. public-sector clients.
• Woodard & Curran: Employee-owned engineering and consulting firm specializing in water, wastewater, and environmental services for municipalities, industry, and utilities. Comparable mid-sized consultancy with similar water resources, environmental restoration, and municipal client focus.
• Environmental Science Associates (ESA): California-based environmental consulting firm providing planning, design, and permitting services across water, habitat restoration, and CEQA/NEPA work. Directly comparable given Questa's overlapping California footprint, environmental review expertise, and habitat restoration portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/QuestaECorp
• Facebookfacebook.com/QuestaEngineering

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Questa Engineering Corporation