Palacio

What Palacio does

Palacio Collaborative is a minority-owned construction cost estimating and value management firm founded in 2006 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The firm provides fee-based professional services spanning the full project lifecycle — from pre-design feasibility through construction documents — including conceptual cost modeling, budget verification, cost management, value engineering, and estimate review and reconciliation. Its primary client base comprises higher education institutions, K-12 school districts, and government entities (federal, state, and municipal), with secondary exposure to science and technology, civic and cultural, healthcare, transportation, commercial, residential, and hospitality sectors. Notable clients include Auburn University, Clemson University, Emory University, Georgia Institute of Technology, City of Brookhaven, Hyundai Motor Group, and Rivian.

The firm's central technical differentiator is Genesys®, a proprietary conceptual cost modeling tool that enables rapid early-stage cost estimates and Target Value Design using high-level inputs such as program, space types, system assumptions, and site conditions. Palacio complements Genesys® with structured service processes — including an "80% Check-In" alignment session held before final estimate delivery — and with a public Turnaround Calculator for estimating project scheduling. The firm has grown organically from a single Atlanta office to six regional offices across Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, and Texas, delivering services nationwide across the Southeast, Northeast, Midwest, and West regions.

Palacio operates without disclosed external institutional capital. Revenue mechanics are driven by quote-based project fees negotiated per engagement under an enterprise field sales and owner-direct partnership model. The firm is led by founder Michael D. Palacio (President and Chief Cost Manager) and staffed across regional divisions, with senior cost managers anchoring specialized public-sector and laboratory work. Marketing is primarily content-led (industry articles, case studies, awards, social media) and supplemented by earned media such as a CBS America ByDESIGN feature.

Name

Palacio

Legal name

Palacio Collaborative

Website

https://palaciocollaborative.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Palacio Collaborative is a minority-owned, Atlanta-headquartered construction cost estimating and value management firm founded in 2006. It delivers conceptual cost modeling, budget verification, and cost management services for higher education, K-12, government, and commercial clients nationwide through six regional offices and its proprietary Genesys® tool.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Services - Cost Management: Fee-based professional services for construction cost estimating and cost management delivered directly to owners, architects, and construction managers. Services include conceptual cost modeling, budget verification, cost management, value management, and estimate review & reconciliation across project lifecycle phases from pre-design through construction documents.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Palacio Collaborative is a construction cost and value management firm that delivers full-service cost estimating to project owners, architects, and construction managers from pre-design through construction documents. Its core offerings include conceptual cost modeling (powered by the proprietary Genesys® tool for target value design), budget verification, ongoing cost management, and estimate review and reconciliation. The firm operates through six regional offices serving higher education, K-12, government, civic, science & technology, and commercial construction clients nationwide.

Product overview

Palacio Collaborative is a minority-owned construction cost and value management firm offering a suite of professional estimating services. The core of their offering centers on their proprietary Genesys® tool for conceptual cost modeling and target value design, supported by comprehensive Cost Management Services, Conceptual Cost Estimating, and Estimate Review & Reconciliation. Their services span the full project lifecycle from master planning and feasibility studies through detailed design phase estimates at SD, DD, and CD milestones. Key process offerings include the 80% Check-In—a proactive alignment session before final delivery—and specialized Turnaround Calculator for project scheduling. The firm operates regionally across GA, NC, SC, TX, and LA with offices serving the Southeast, Northeast, Midwest, and West regions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Genesys®: Proprietary conceptual cost modeling and target value design tool used by Palacio for early-stage cost estimation

Products and services

• Cost Management Services Comprehensive cost management services delivered throughout all phases of construction projects, from pre-design through construction documents, ensuring accurate cost reflection and budget control for project owners, architects, and construction managers.
• Conceptual Cost Estimating Early-stage cost estimation services that use high-level project inputs such as program, space types, system assumptions, and site considerations to test feasibility and guide design decisions before detailed drawings are available.
• Genesys® Conceptual Cost Modeling Tool Palacio's proprietary conceptual cost modeling tool used for early-stage cost estimates and Target Value Design. Enables rapid development of cost models using high-level inputs such as program, space types, system assumptions, and site considerations to test feasibility and guide early decisions. Delivered as part of Palacio's conceptual cost modeling services.
• Estimate Review & Reconciliation Strategic estimate review and reconciliation services that analyze costs line-by-line, comparing against benchmark data and industry experience to optimize project budgets while preserving design intent.
• Master Plan/Visioning Services Early-phase cost modeling services providing high-level cost frameworks aligned with owner vision, benchmarking against peer facilities, and identifying key cost drivers and risks before design begins.
• Feasibility Study Services UNIFORMAT-based cost estimates developed from programs and concepts to test project viability against budget, evaluate site conditions, and compare options to target budgets.
• Design Phase Services Milestone estimates delivered at Schematic Design (SD), Design Development (DD), and Construction Documents (CD) phases to track budget alignment, with reconciliation and value opportunity identification to maintain project intent and budget compliance.
• Turnaround Calculator An online calculator that provides estimated draft turnaround times for cost estimates based on project phase and construction budget to help teams plan estimate delivery timelines with confidence.

Quantifiable outcome

• Final estimates differing by approximately 1% from construction manager estimates in EV training center projects.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments11 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered key and standard.

• Cole HilkeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 March 2026Cole Hil is the architectural firm that designed the Douglas County High School Sports Complex 'The Claw'. Palacio provided early-stage cost management and conceptual cost estimates, with Palacio's initial estimate being instrumental in aligning owner expectations and securing the GMP with the contractor.
• Georgia State Financing and Investment Commission (GSFIC)standardOthers · 20 September 2016GSFIC is the owner entity for the Hyundai Mobility Training Center of Georgia project. Palacio provided cost management services during planning and design.
• SSOE GroupkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerSSOE Group led the design team for the Hyundai Mobility Training Center of Georgia. Palacio provided full Cost Management services as a member of the design team, including initial cost model and estimates through all design phases.
• Cooper CarrykeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooper Carry led design for the Quick Start Rivian Electric Vehicle Training Center. Palacio developed Rough Order of Magnitude cost models across multiple concepts to help guide budget decisions.
• Pond & CompanystandardStrategic or Co-development PartnerPond & Company was the architect for the Quick Start Electric Vehicle Training Center Expansion project. Palacio worked with the construction manager on value engineering to reconcile costs.
• Sizemore GroupkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerSizemore Group led the design team for Brookhaven City Centre, Georgia's first mass timber municipal building. Palacio provided estimate review and reconciliation services, having successfully completed over 40 projects with Sizemore since 2012.
• BSA LifeStructureskeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerBSA LifeStructures provides professional services directly for the University of Texas at Austin. Palacio has been a member of their team providing Cost Management services for dozens of task orders since 2020.
• Georgia Quick StartkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeorgia Quick Start provides workforce training facilities including EV training centers. Palacio has provided cost management for multiple Quick Start facilities supporting Hyundai and Rivian manufacturing operations.
• Technical College System of Georgia (TSCG)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerTCSG oversees technical colleges and workforce development in Georgia. Palacio provided cost management for Quick Start EV training facilities including the Hyundai Mobility Training Center.

Scale indicators25 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• AECOM: Global infrastructure and professional services firm whose cost management practice competes for the same higher education, government, and civic estimating mandates. Overlaps with Palacio's service offering but as part of a vastly larger design, engineering, and program management portfolio.
• Turner & Townsend: Global cost management and project controls consultancy with a large U.S. higher education and public-sector practice. Comparable to Palacio as a direct provider of construction cost estimating and cost management services to owners, but operates at much greater scale with international delivery capability.
• Faithful+Gould (SNC-Lavalin / AtkinsRéalis): Global cost management and project controls consultancy within AtkinsRéalis, with a strong U.S. higher education and government portfolio. Comparable service offering to Palacio but with significantly broader international footprint and parent-company integration.
• Jacobs Solutions: Global professional services firm providing cost estimating, program management, and advisory across public infrastructure and institutional clients. Comparable in overlapping cost consulting capabilities with Palacio, particularly on government and education projects, but at vastly greater scale.

Direct peers

• Cumming Group: U.S.-focused construction cost management and project advisory firm with deep higher education, K-12, and government sector exposure. Highly comparable to Palacio in target customer base, service offering (owner's cost management), and project type focus.
• Tsiouvaras Simmons Holderness (TSH): Mid-sized U.S. construction cost management firm focused on owner representation, cost estimating, and value management across institutional and commercial projects. Closely comparable to Palacio in scale, owner-direct service model, and higher education/government sector mix.
• Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB): International construction cost consultancy providing cost management, estimating, and advisory across commercial, education, and civic sectors. Closely matches Palacio's service model of owner-side cost consulting, though at a larger and more globally distributed scale.
• MGAC: U.S. project and cost management firm specializing in owner's representation, cost estimating, and advisory for complex construction projects. Comparable to Palacio in serving sophisticated owner clients (including higher education and commercial) with a specialist, high-touch delivery model.
• Currie & Brown (formerly Hanscomb): International cost management and project advisory consultancy with significant U.S. presence in higher education, healthcare, and civic infrastructure. Directly comparable to Palacio in cost management service offering, though with broader global resources.
• Vermeulens Cost Consulting: U.S. construction cost estimating and management firm serving public and private owners with conceptual and detailed estimates. Comparable to Palacio in service mix and owner-side focus, with overlapping education and government sector exposure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCa3Kj53_PYInGRAEkMil29g
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/palacio-collaborative
• Instagraminstagram.com/palacio.collaborative

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Palacio