What Barber & Hoffman does

Barber & Hoffman is a Cleveland-headquartered structural engineering consulting firm founded in 1934, providing professional services across the full project lifecycle - from preliminary structural analysis and design through construction administration and field observation - for institutional and commercial building clients. The firm operates from three offices (Cleveland, OH; Columbus, OH; Cranberry Township, PA) and serves healthcare systems, universities, K-12 districts, civic and municipal entities, housing developers, and commercial owners across Ohio and western Pennsylvania. Its service portfolio is grounded in conventional structural engineering practice using Bentley's RAM products, Revit, and AutoCAD, with particular specializations in historic preservation, adaptive reuse, seismic and lateral force design, and complex foundation systems.

The firm's revenue model is classic professional services: project-based, quote-driven consulting fees for design, analysis, and construction-phase engagements. Projects are acquired through direct client relationships, repeat engagements, business development, and referrals within the architectural and construction community, with work typically initiated via RFP/RFQ processes or institutional on-call arrangements. Marquee engagements include the $350M Ohio State Wexner Medical Center James Outpatient Care (proton treatment facility), $129M UPMC East Hospital, $82M MetroHealth Critical Care Pavilion, and multiple Kent State, Ohio University, and University Hospitals projects, alongside civic and cultural work for the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland Public Library, and the Terminal Tower facade restoration.

B&H is privately held with no disclosed parent company, institutional investors, subsidiaries, or M&A activity, and revenue is not publicly disclosed. Ownership and leadership sit with Michael Miller, PE as President. The firm has not announced funding rounds, executive transitions, or product launches in the available data; competitive positioning rests on nine decades of operating history, registered PE talent, an award-winning portfolio (AIA Cleveland/Pittsburgh/Columbus/Ohio, Cleveland Restoration Society, ICRI, SCUP, NAIOP), and entrenched multi-project relationships with major regional institutional owners. There is no evidence of AI/ML capability, proprietary technology products, or expansion beyond the Ohio / western Pennsylvania footprint.

Name

Barber & Hoffman

Legal name

Barber & Hoffman

Website

https://barberhoffman.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1934

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Barber & Hoffman is a Cleveland-based structural engineering consulting firm, founded in 1934, serving institutional and commercial clients across Ohio and western Pennsylvania in healthcare, higher education, K-12, civic, housing, and commercial sectors, with offices in Cleveland, Columbus, and Cranberry Township.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Structural Engineering Consulting Services: B&H provides consulting structural engineering services for institutional and commercial building projects. Revenue is generated through professional service fees for design, analysis, construction administration, and consulting engagements. Projects range from healthcare facilities to historic preservation, with fees based on project scope and complexity.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Barber & Hoffman is a consulting structural engineering firm providing structural analysis, design, calculations, construction administration, and field observation services for institutional and commercial building projects. The firm delivers services across healthcare, higher education, K-12, civic/municipal, housing, commercial/office, parking structures, recreation, and historic preservation/adaptive reuse sectors, with specialized expertise in structural steel, concrete, masonry, and timber design.

Product overview

Barber & Hoffman is a structural engineering consulting firm established in 1934, offering professional engineering services for institutional and commercial building projects. The firm's portfolio spans multiple market sectors including healthcare, higher education, K-12 education, parking structures, civic/municipal, housing, commercial/office, facade restoration, recreation facilities, and historic preservation/adaptive reuse projects. Services include structural analysis, design, calculations, engineering software, project coordination, and construction phase services. The company operates from three offices: Cleveland, OH (headquarters since 1934), Columbus, OH (since 2009), and Cranberry Township, PA (since 1998).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Structural Engineering Consulting Full-service structural engineering consulting covering structural analysis, design, calculations, and project coordination for institutional and commercial building projects. Delivered to healthcare systems, universities, school districts, government entities, and commercial developers using industry-leading software including Bentley's RAM products, Revit, and AutoCAD.
• Construction Administration and Field Observation Construction phase engineering services including field observation, administration of structural work during construction, and technical support to ensure design integrity through project completion. Provided to owners, contractors, and design teams on building projects.
• Historic Preservation and Facade Restoration Specialized structural engineering for historic building preservation, facade restoration, and adaptive reuse projects. Includes assessment and restoration of historic facades, structural modifications for adaptive reuse, and seismic/lateral force design for aging buildings. Targeted at owners of historic landmarks, museums, libraries, courthouses, and heritage structures.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 90 years in business since 1934
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• SK&A Structural Engineers: Two-office structural engineering consulting firm serving Mid-Atlantic institutional and commercial clients (similar size and footprint to B&H). Direct overlap in offering, project types (healthcare, education, housing), and consulting-only model.
• Severud Associates: Mid-sized structural engineering consulting firm based in New York serving institutional, commercial, and healthcare clients. Comparable size, project scope, and consulting-only model with similar emphasis on complex structural challenges.
• TGRWA Structural Engineers: Mid-sized Chicago-based structural engineering consultancy serving commercial, institutional, and healthcare sectors. Comparable scale, professional services revenue model, and multi-state regional coverage.
• Degenkolb Engineers: West-coast headquartered structural engineering consulting firm with healthcare, higher-education, and civic focus. Comparable professional services model, talent-driven moat, and emphasis on complex existing-building work.
• Magnusson Klemencic Associates: Larger Seattle-based structural and civil engineering consulting firm serving commercial, healthcare, and higher-education clients with a similar professional services model, though at greater scale and with broader geographic reach.
• Desimone Consulting Engineers: Structural engineering consultancy with offices in multiple U.S. cities serving commercial, institutional, and adaptive reuse clients. Direct overlap in offering, business model (professional services), and target project types.
• Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates (WJE): National structural and architectural engineering firm heavily focused on existing structures, facade restoration, and repair — the same historic-preservation and adaptive-reuse niche B&H operates in. Direct overlap in services, customer types (institutional and commercial), and project archetypes (library, courthouse, and civic renovations).

Broad incumbents

• Burns & McDonnell: Large multi-disciplinary engineering and consulting firm with structural services for commercial, healthcare, and institutional clients in the Midwest and beyond. Competes for larger institutional engagements where B&H might be a subconsultant.
• WSP USA (Buildings): Global engineering/professional services giant with a structural-engineering practice in the buildings space. Competes with B&H on large institutional and commercial RFPs, especially multi-region program work, though it offers far broader services.

Regional players

• Hope Furrer (now part of Structural Group): Pacific Northwest structural engineering consultancy (now under Structural Group) serving similar institutional verticals. Indirect regional overlap rather than direct Midwestern competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/barberhoffman

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Barber & Hoffman