What MSA Consulting, Inc. does

MSA Consulting, Inc. is a privately held, employee-owned (ESOP) planning, civil engineering, and surveying firm headquartered in Rancho Mirage, California, founded in 1976 to serve private developers and public agencies in Southern California's Coachella Valley. The firm operates as a full-service, multi-disciplinary land development consultancy offering seven integrated service lines: landscape architecture (delivered through the RGA Landscape Architects Design Studio acquired in 2019), civil engineering, planning, surveying and mapping, dry utility coordination, environmental services, and geographic information systems (GIS). Notable technical capabilities include advanced GIS built on the Esri ArcGIS platform, custom interactive web-mapping applications, and LiDAR-based remote sensing — the latter featured at the 2019 Esri Federal GIS Conference alongside NASA and USGS.

MSA's revenue model is professional-services-fee based, with project-driven, quote-based pricing rather than disclosed rates; the firm secures work through direct business development, RFP responses, and public procurement. The customer base is bifurcated between private developers (national homebuilders such as Toll Brothers, Shea Homes, and Lennar; hospitality operators including Gencom/Kam Sang and Starwood Vacation Ownership; healthcare providers including Vibra Healthcare and Desert Healthcare District) and public agencies (Caltrans, the nine Coachella Valley cities, Riverside County, Coachella Valley Water District, Palm Springs Unified School District, and College of the Desert), with additional work for tribal nations including the Agua Caliente and Morongo Bands. Notable project credentials include the $330 million Ritz Carlton Rancho Mirage renovation, $40 million of infrastructure for the 1,300-unit Trilogy at La Quinta community, a $35 million Desert Regional Medical Center expansion, and a $16.5 million Caltrans interchange at Interstate 10.

The firm maintains industry positioning through Silver sponsorship of the Coachella Valley Association of Governments, Board seats at the Desert Contractors Association and Desert Valleys Building Association, LEED-certified project work (Sunnylands Center & Gardens — Gold; Wolff Waters Place and Arrowhead Water Bottling — Silver), and an ASLA Honor Award. Geographic reach is concentrated in the Coachella Valley and broader Southern California; no geographic expansion beyond the region is evidenced in the data, and growth signals are primarily talent-driven (Cal Poly Pomona career fair recruitment) and capability-driven (RGA acquisition, GIS investment).

Name

MSA Consulting, Inc.

Legal name

MSA Consulting, Inc.

Website

https://msaconsultinginc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

MSA Consulting, Inc. is an employee-owned (ESOP) civil engineering, planning, surveying, landscape architecture, environmental, and GIS firm founded in 1976, serving private developers and public agencies across Southern California's Coachella Valley from its Rancho Mirage headquarters as a full-service land development consultant.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Engineering & Land Development Consulting

NAICS

Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Landscape Architectural Services (54132)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Land Subdividers & Developers (No Cemeteries) (6552)

akta.pro primary industry

Instrumentation, Controls & Automation Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Real Estate Development & Feasibility Advisory (Highest-and-Best-Use, Entitlements Support) (BPAJANAC), Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) & Due Diligence (BPAHAJAB)

Keywords

• Civil engineering consulting
• Land surveying services
• Urban planning consulting
• Landscape architecture services
• Environmental compliance consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Rancho Mirage

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Services - Civil Engineering: Civil engineering services for development projects including site improvements, infrastructure design, drainage, sewer, water systems, and construction administration for private and public sector clients.
2. Professional Services - Planning: Urban planning, land use planning, and entitlements for residential, commercial, industrial, and mixed-use developments.
3. Professional Services - Surveying: Land surveying, construction staking, topographic mapping, boundary surveys, and easements documentation.
4. Professional Services - Environmental Services: Environmental compliance, CEQA/NEPA reporting, Phase One Environmental Site Assessments, Water Quality Management Plans, and regulatory approvals.
5. Professional Services - Landscape Architecture: Landscape architecture services including site planning, amenity design, and sustainable landscape solutions for residential communities and commercial developments.
6. Professional Services - GIS: Geographic Information Systems mapping, analysis, and custom web mapping applications for land development and environmental planning.
7. Dry Utility Coordination: Coordination services for power, gas, telecommunications, and data infrastructure planning and installation for development projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MSA Consulting is a multidisciplinary land development firm that delivers integrated planning, civil engineering, surveying, environmental, GIS, dry utility coordination, and landscape architecture services (the latter through its RGA Landscape Architects design studio) to private developers and public agencies across Southern California's Coachella Valley. Engagements span due diligence, entitlements, design, permitting, construction staking, and construction administration for residential, commercial, hospitality, healthcare, education, and public works projects.

Product overview

MSA Consulting, Inc. is a professional services firm providing integrated planning, civil engineering, and surveying services for development projects in Southern California's Coachella Valley. The firm operates as a unified service offering rather than a software platform, combining landscape architecture (through RGA Landscape Architects Design Studio), civil engineering, surveying, environmental services, dry utility coordination, planning, and GIS capabilities under one roof. Clients benefit from the firm's diverse professionals who collaborate to provide a 'one-stop shop' approach, guiding projects from initial land surveys and due diligence through construction management and compliance monitoring.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Civil Engineering

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 170 construction projects spanning 6,000+ acres tracked in construction hotspots analysis
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• RGA Landscape Architects, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019MSA Consulting acquired RGA Landscape Architects, a firm with 40-year history serving the desert. The RGA team relocated to MSA's Rancho Mirage headquarters and now operates as 'RGA Landscape Architects, a Design Studio of MSA Consulting, Inc.' This acquisition expanded MSA's service offerings to include full-service landscape architecture, streamlining project management and improving coordination across disciplines.
• Southern California EdisoncoreTechnology or IntegrationUtility provider for power infrastructure coordination on development projects. MSA works closely with Southern California Edison for dry utility coordination including submittals, design requirements, and approval processes for electrical infrastructure.
• Southern California GascoreTechnology or IntegrationUtility provider for natural gas infrastructure coordination. MSA coordinates gas service planning and installation with Southern California Gas for development projects.
• Telecommunications ProviderscoreTechnology or IntegrationMSA coordinates with numerous telecommunications providers for phone, cable, and data infrastructure planning on development projects as part of dry utility coordination services.
• Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerMSA partnered with CVAG for their annual General Assembly as a Silver Sponsor. CVAG plays a key role in bringing Coachella Valley communities together to solve problems and promote regional success. MSA provides GIS mapping services for CVAG projects including the CV Link 52-mile trail project.
• CaltransmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCalifornia Department of Transportation. MSA provides Caltrans-compliant engineering, surveying, and construction staking services for highway interchange and infrastructure projects. Worked on Indian Avenue Interchange at I-10 and Ramon Road Widening projects requiring Caltrans coordination.
• Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla IndiansmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMSA works with the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians as part of the Coachella Valley Corridor Improvement Projects Taskforce for regional infrastructure planning and coordination.
• Morongo Band of Mission IndiansmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMSA completed the Arrowhead Water Bottling Plant project on Indian land within the Morongo Band of Mission Indians Reservation. The project was part of the Tribe's planned Morongo Intermodal Transload and Industrial Center (MITIC) master-planned industrial park.
• Riverside CountymajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMSA works with Riverside County as part of the Coachella Valley Corridor Improvement Projects Taskforce for regional infrastructure projects. Services include County permitting, encroachment permits, and storm drain system design.
• Desert Contractors Association (DCA)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerMSA is an active member of DCA with Michael Schreiber serving as Board Member. The firm sponsors DCA events including the 30th Annual Golf Tournament. All proceeds support DCA's College Scholarship fund for high school students in the Coachella Valley and Morongo Basin.
• Desert Valleys Building Association (DVBA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerTaylor Libolt Varner serves as Board Member for DVBA, which represents all levels of the construction and building industries to ensure building remains vibrant and strong in the Coachella, Palo Verde, and Imperial Valleys.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Albert A. Webb Associates: Riverside, California-based civil engineering, planning, surveying, and landscape architecture firm serving Inland Empire public agencies and developers. Most direct geographic and service-line competitor to MSA in the Southern California inland region.
• Thienes Engineering: Southern California civil engineering, land surveying, and land planning firm serving private developers and public agencies across the Inland Empire. Comparable mid-sized regional AEC firm with similar public-sector and developer client mix.
• Psomas: California-headquartered engineering, surveying, planning, and GIS firm with strong GIS/LiDAR capabilities. Directly comparable service mix including environmental and dry utility coordination, with broader California presence and similar public-agency client base.
• Michael Baker International: Major infrastructure consulting firm with significant California practice including civil engineering, planning, surveying, and environmental services. Competes for Caltrans and large public infrastructure work in Southern California with deeper bench and larger project capacity.
• HR Green: Mid-sized national AEC firm providing transportation, water, environmental, and land development services. Comparable multi-disciplinary firm with similar mix of public agency and private developer clients.

Broad incumbents

• Kimley-Horn: Top-tier national AEC firm with substantial California land development practice. Competes for large public agency and developer RFPs across the Inland Empire with broader geographic reach and significantly larger resource base.
• Stantec: Global AEC firm with California land development, environmental, and planning practices. Competes with MSA for water district, transportation, and large developer work in Southern California with broader service portfolio and capital scale.
• AECOM: Largest global infrastructure consulting firm with extensive Southern California presence. Competes for major Caltrans, water, and large private development work with vastly greater resources and global brand recognition.
• Tetra Tech: Global consulting and engineering firm with strong environmental and water resources practices in California. Direct competitor for MSA's environmental services and water district engagements (CVWD-type clients).

Regional players

• CASC Engineering & Consulting: California-focused civil engineering and land surveying firm serving Southern California public agencies and developers. Comparable mid-sized regional AEC competitor with similar service profile.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/msaconsultinginc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/msa-consulting-inc-

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 MSA Consulting, Inc.