What Dlz does

DLZ Corporation is a multidisciplinary architecture, engineering, surveying, environmental, and construction services firm founded in 1916 and headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. The firm operates through a network of 30 U.S. offices and the DLZ Carbon subsidiary in San José, Costa Rica, employing more than 900 professionals including 200+ construction managers and 50+ full-time field survey crews. Its service portfolio spans architecture, transportation (bridges, traffic, right-of-way, design-build), water and wastewater treatment, geotechnical engineering and drilling, environmental consulting (including PFAS and brownfields), materials testing, program management, ADA compliance, landscape architecture, industrial engineering, and clean energy (hydropower, solar, wind, green hydrogen). Underlying technology is centered on REVIT/BIM, GPS/GNSS surveying, 3D laser scanning, UAS/drones, hydrographic echosounder systems, and ESRI ArcGIS, with materials testing laboratories validated by USACE-ERDC and accredited by AASHTO.

DLZ generates revenue primarily through project-based professional service fees, with roughly 80% of work performed for public sector clients (federal, state, municipal) and 20% for private customers, achieving an 85% repeat business rate. Federal relationships span the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers across multiple districts, the FBI, USPS, and Army National Guard, supplemented by direct contracts with state DOTs in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky, transit authorities including the Chicago Transit Authority, and municipal water/wastewater clients such as Great Lakes Water Authority and Detroit Water and Sewerage District. Beyond fee-for-service work, the firm owns and operates seven hydropower plants in India totaling 73.5 MW through subsidiaries and participates in a $2 billion green hydrogen, solar, and wind project in Latin America. Ownership is private, family- and minority-held; leadership is provided by Chairman and CEO Vikram "Raj" Rajadhyaksha, with recently appointed C-suite executives overseeing finance, legal, and human resources.

Name

Dlz

Legal name

DLZ Corporation

Website

https://dlz.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1916

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

DLZ is a multidisciplinary architecture, engineering, surveying, and construction services firm serving primarily public-sector clients across federal, state, and municipal markets, with 900+ employees across 30 U.S. offices, an international hydropower subsidiary in Costa Rica, and owned hydropower assets in India.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Services - Architecture and Engineering: DLZ provides comprehensive architecture, engineering, surveying, and construction management services to government and private sector clients. Revenue is generated through project-based professional service fees for design, consulting, and construction observation services.
2. Construction Management Services: With over 200 construction professionals, DLZ provides construction management, inspection, materials testing, scheduling, cost estimating, and risk management services for construction projects.
3. International Hydropower Operations: DLZ operates seven hydropower plants in India through subsidiaries, generating revenue from power generation operations. Also involved in renewable energy projects in Latin America through DLZ Carbon subsidiary.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

DLZ is a multidisciplinary professional services firm delivering architecture, engineering, surveying, environmental, and construction management services for infrastructure projects. The firm serves federal, state, and municipal government clients along with private industrial and commercial customers through project-based contracts covering transportation, water/wastewater, energy, buildings, and environmental remediation. DLZ also owns and operates hydropower plants in India through subsidiaries and supports renewable energy development internationally through DLZ Carbon.

Product overview

DLZ is a multidisciplinary architecture, engineering, surveying, and construction services firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of professional services. The firm operates through distinct service divisions including Architecture Services, Construction Management Services, Clean Energy (encompassing Hydropower, Green Hydrogen, Solar Energy, and Wind Energy sub-services), Environmental Services (including Brownfields Demolition, PFAS Contamination Services, and Site Investigations and Remediation), Geotechnical Services (with Explorations and Drilling), Industrial Engineering, Landscape Architecture & Planning, Materials Testing and Analytical Services, Program Management, Survey Services (including Unmanned Aircraft Systems), Transportation Services (including Bridges, Design-Build, Right-of-Way Acquisition, and Traffic Engineering), Water Services (including Drinking Water and Tunnels), Water Resources, and ADA Compliance Assistance. DLZ Carbon serves as an international subsidiary focused on renewable energy and infrastructure projects in Central America. The firm has 900+ employees across 30 offices and has been providing services for over 100 years.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DLZ Carbon: A subsidiary providing renewable energy engineering services (hydropower, wind power, solar power, geothermal power), water and infrastructure projects in Central America with 25 years of experience and over 75 projects completed.

Products and services

• Architecture Services Full-service architectural and building engineering services including design, sustainable design, REVIT Architecture/BIM environment, and LEED consulting, serving federal, state, local, and education clients across correctional, judicial, police/fire/EMS, federal, education, design-build, facilities engineering, and sustainability/LEED projects.
• Construction Management Services Construction management, inspection, materials management and testing, quality management, scheduling, cost estimating, risk management, and claims resolution for transportation, utility, and public infrastructure projects, delivered by 200+ construction managers, engineers, inspectors, and technicians.
• Clean Energy Services Renewable energy services including EV systems, solar, wind, hydropower, and green hydrogen development for government agencies, developers, utilities, and private owners, supported by DLZ's international experience.
• Hydropower Services Comprehensive hydropower engineering including project finance, feasibility studies, detailed design, construction management, and plant operation delivered across Central/South America, Asia, and North America; DLZ also designs, builds, owns, and operates seven hydropower plants in India totaling 73.5 MW.
• Green Hydrogen Services Green hydrogen production plants and fueling stations, including Ohio's first private hydrogen refueling station and a $2 billion hydrogen, solar, and wind project in Latin America.
• Solar Energy Services Solar photovoltaic balance-of-plant engineering services including earthworks, access road design, stormwater management, cable conduits, and service/control buildings.
• Wind Energy Services Wind energy balance-of-plant services including foundation design and review for turbines up to 80m height, pile design, and foundation slab design.
• Environmental Services Environmental consulting including hazardous material surveys, demolition, PFAS investigations, site investigation and remediation, groundwater modeling, and wetland/ecological planning for public and private clients.
• Geotechnical Services Geotechnical and materials engineering including drilling and subsurface sampling, laboratory testing, construction monitoring, and foundation evaluations for various structures, supported by in-house drill rigs.
• Industrial Engineering Services Industrial engineering support across civil, electrical, and mechanical disciplines including foundations, structural, environmental, demolition, site civil, rail, water treatment, 3-D laser scanning, equipment specification, and piping design for heavy industrial clients.
• Landscape Architecture & Planning Landscape architecture services including site planning, conceptual and detailed design, construction documents, master planning, pedestrian greenways and pathways, recreation centers and facilities, and streetscapes for urban spaces, parks, and corporate parks.
• Materials Testing and Analytical Services Construction materials testing and analytical services for soil, aggregate, rock, concrete, asphalt, plastic, SFRM, CIPP, bolted/welded connections, and non-destructive testing across multiple accredited laboratories.
• Program Management Services Program management for large capital programs including consultant and subcontractor selection, contract administration, schedule and budget tracking, and safety program implementation.
• Survey Services Precision surveying services including ALTA surveys, boundary surveys, topographic surveys, hydrographic surveys, construction layout, and GPS control surveys with more than 50 full-time field crews.
• Transportation Services Transportation engineering including bridge design and inspection, interchange design, traffic solutions, trails, roundabouts, and transit systems for state DOTs, tollway authorities, and municipalities.
• Water and Wastewater Services Water and wastewater engineering including treatment plant design, green infrastructure, CSO management, sewer conveyance, tunnel design, and underground structure design for municipal utilities.
• Water Resources and Dams Services Locks, dams, and water resources engineering including dam safety inspection, hydrologic and hydraulic investigations, levee design, flood control, and partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
• ADA Compliance Assistance Americans with Disabilities Act compliance services including self-evaluations, transition plans, facility accessibility assessments, public rights-of-way evaluation, airport accessibility, and parks accessibility.
• DLZ Carbon International Services International subsidiary providing renewable energy, water, and infrastructure engineering services across Central America, the Caribbean, Mexico, and South America with 25 years of experience and 75+ completed projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% repeat business rate demonstrates exceptional client satisfaction and long-term relationship quality.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Tetra Tech: Engineering and consulting firm specializing in water, environment, and sustainable infrastructure for government and commercial clients. Closely comparable to DLZ's water/wastewater and environmental services, with deeper federal and international exposure.
• Arcadis: Global design and consultancy firm operating across water, environment, buildings, and mobility. Comparable to DLZ in water/wastewater and environmental consulting, particularly for municipal clients, but at much larger scale and international breadth.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure consulting firm providing architecture, engineering, construction management, and environmental services to federal, state, and private clients. Highly comparable to DLZ in federal infrastructure and water services, but at significantly larger scale.
• Jacobs Solutions: Major professional services firm delivering engineering, technical, scientific, and consulting services across water, transportation, environmental, and federal markets. Directly comparable to DLZ's USACE, water, and transportation work, though Jacobs operates globally at much greater scale.
• WSP: Global engineering professional services firm with deep public-sector infrastructure practice across transportation, water, environment, and buildings. Comparable to DLZ in transportation, water/wastewater, and federal/state DOT work, but with much larger headcount and geographic reach.
• Black & Veatch: Engineering, procurement, and construction firm focused on water, energy, and telecommunications infrastructure. Comparable to DLZ's water and clean-energy services and federal/state client base, with significantly larger water-utility footprint.
• Stantec: Engineering, architecture, and environmental consulting firm serving public and private clients in water, infrastructure, and buildings. Comparable to DLZ in municipal water, environmental, and transportation services, with a broader North American footprint.

Direct peers

• HDR Inc. Employee-owned A/E firm focused on transportation, water, environmental, and federal infrastructure—directly comparable to DLZ's service mix and public-sector emphasis, with similar mid-sized U.S. footprint and project-based professional services model.
• Kimley-Horn: Employee-owned planning, engineering, and design firm with strong transportation, water, environmental, and land development practices. Comparable to DLZ in public-sector transportation and water work, though with a more private-development-heavy mix.
• Burns & McDonnell: Employee-owned engineering, architecture, and consulting firm serving utilities, industry, and government with strong water, environmental, and infrastructure practices. Comparable to DLZ in multidisciplinary A/E services, federal/state DOT work, and private utility engagements.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DLZCorporation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCbrp4a-BL7f3aAlCra-RjOg
• Facebookfacebook.com/dlzcorp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dlz-corporation
• Instagraminstagram.com/dlzcorp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Dlz