Aran & Franklin Engineering

What Aran & Franklin Engineering does

Aran & Franklin Engineering Inc. is a privately held, family-owned windstorm and structural engineering firm founded in 1998 and headquartered in Texas City, Texas. The firm designs residential and commercial structures for the hurricane-exposed Gulf and East Coast markets, with engineering licensure in seven states (Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Texas) and four physical offices across Texas City, Beaumont, Corpus Christi, and Cape Coral, Florida. Its core offerings include FORTIFIED Homes Engineering (the firm is the exclusive FORTIFIED engineer in Texas via IBHS certification), structural engineering for foundations (piling, pier & beam, slab) and framing, civil engineering for site development, building inspections, and post-hurricane structural evaluations.

The business is anchored by a regulatory moat: Texas Department of Insurance Windstorm Appointed Engineer status enables exclusive filing of WPI-8 Certificates of Compliance required for windstorm insurance in coastal counties. CEO Chandra Franklin Womack holds multi-state PE licenses, sits on the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association board (Chair 2020), and has designed thousands of structures. Revenue is generated through project-based professional services fees (structural and civil engineering), a tiered annual subscription inspection program (Strong Home: Essential $350-$550, Essential+ $525-$725, Premium $815-$1,015), post-hurricane structural evaluations ($1,500-$2,500+), and a productized line of ten pre-engineered home plans sold through the A&F Designs division.

The firm has grown over 25+ years from a home-based partnership to a multi-office operation serving 4,000+ clients, with self-funded geographic expansion into Florida (2019) and product line additions including the subscription inspection program. Customer mix is primarily SMB (homeowners, homebuilders, contractors) with selective enterprise exposure on beachfront developments such as Beachtown Galveston. No external capital, acquisitions, or AI/technology platform investments are present in the data.

Name

Aran & Franklin Engineering

Legal name

Aran & Franklin Engineering Inc.

Website

https://aranfranklin.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Aran & Franklin Engineering is a privately held, family-owned windstorm and structural engineering firm serving the Gulf and East Coasts from four offices in Texas and Florida. It designs FORTIFIED-certified residential and commercial structures, files WPI-8 windstorm insurance certificates, and offers civil engineering, inspections, and pre-engineered home plans to homeowners, builders, and developers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Structural and Windstorm Engineering Services

NAICS

Engineering Services (54133), Building Inspection Services (54135), Architectural Services (54131)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAA)

Keywords

• Structural engineering services
• Windstorm engineering
• Civil engineering consulting
• FORTIFIED home certification
• Building inspection services

Headquarters

HQ city

Texas City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Structural Engineering Services: Design services for residential and commercial structures including windstorm engineering, foundation design (piling, pier & beam, slab), steel/concrete beams, and retaining walls. Revenue generated through project-based fees for engineering design and documentation.
2. Civil Engineering Services: Site plans, water/sewer line plans, paving design, drainage and detention plans, utility layouts, and DOT permits for residential subdivisions, commercial sites, and RV parks.
3. Building Inspection Services: Strong Home Inspection Program with three tiers: Essential ($350-$550), Essential+ ($525-$725), and Premium ($815-$1015) based on property size and foundation type. Annual inspection program with priority post-storm scheduling.
4. Post-Hurricane Structural Inspections: Emergency structural evaluations after storms. Essential structural evaluation starting at $1,500; full structural assessment with stamped report starting at $2,500. Insurance companies typically cover these expenses.
5. Pre-Engineered Plans (A+F Designs): Pre-engineered architectural drawings and drafting services including new house plans, additions, renovations, small commercial design, and site plans. Available in CMU and concrete construction.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Aran & Franklin Engineering is a windstorm and structural engineering firm that designs, inspects, and certifies residential and commercial buildings, with a specialization in coastal/storm-prone regions. The firm sells structural engineering, civil engineering, building inspections, FORTIFIED home engineering and certification, hurricane recovery engineering, the Strong Home Inspection Program, and pre-engineered residential home plans under the A+F Designs brand. Services are delivered to builders, contractors, developers, and homeowners across seven licensed U.S. states.

Product overview

Aran & Franklin Engineering is a leading windstorm and structural engineering firm serving the Gulf Coast since 1998. The company offers a portfolio of integrated engineering services centered on FORTIFIED Homes Engineering as the primary product for severe weather protection. Core offerings include Structural Engineering for windstorm design, Civil Engineering for site development, Building Inspections, and Pre-Engineered Home Plans under the A+F Designs sub-brand. The Strong Home Inspection Program provides tiered annual inspection services (Essential, Essential+, and Premium) that complement the engineering services. Hurricane Recovery Services round out the portfolio with post-storm structural assessments. The company is licensed in seven states (Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, and Texas) and operates offices in Texas City, Golden Triangle (Beaumont), Corpus Christi, and Cape Coral, Florida.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Structural Engineering Licensed structural engineering design and analysis services for residential and light commercial buildings, producing stamped drawings and permit-ready structural deliverables for builders, contractors, developers, architects, and homeowners.
• Civil Engineering Civil engineering services supporting residential and light commercial site and infrastructure design, delivered alongside the firm's structural engineering practice to builders, developers, and property owners.
• Building Inspections On-site building inspection services for residential and light commercial structures, providing code-compliance and condition assessments for builders, contractors, developers, and homeowners.
• FORTIFIED Home Engineering Engineering evaluation and certification services for the FORTIFIED home program, covering new construction, re-roofing, and re-siding projects to deliver the engineering documentation required for FORTIFIED designation. Targeted at builders, roofers, siding contractors, and homeowners seeking insurance-eligible, storm-resistant certifications.
• Hurricane Recovery Engineering Post-hurricane structural damage assessment, repair engineering, and reconstruction support services for homeowners, contractors, and insurance-related rebuilding projects in storm-affected coastal markets.
• Strong Home Inspection Program The Strong Home Inspection Program is a branded, higher-standard residential structural inspection service used by homeowners and prospective buyers seeking detailed structural assessments beyond standard building inspections.
• A+F Designs Pre-Engineered Home Plans Pre-engineered residential home plans marketed under the A+F Designs brand, providing builders, designers, and homeowners with engineering-prepped residential plan sets that can be purchased as a unit for new construction.

Quantifiable outcome

• Structures can withstand 150 mph winds and are elevated at least 3 feet above required flood elevations
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA)coreOthers · 1 January 2019Chandra Franklin Womack serves as board member representing 14 first-tier coastal counties. Elected Vice-Chair in 2019 and Chair in 2020. This provides regulatory influence and industry leadership position in the windstorm insurance market.
• Smart Home AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChandra Franklin Womack serves on the board of directors of Smart Home America, an organization promoting resilient construction standards and FORTIFIED home programs.
• Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFORTIFIED program creator and administrator. Aran + Franklin is the exclusive engineering firm in Texas certified to provide specifications, design, and inspections for the FORTIFIED for Safer Living program. IBHS tests construction methods at Research Center in South Carolina.
• Insurance Industry PartnersminorOthersInsurance industry partners that help FORTIFIED home clients get the best rates possible with their home's new FORTIFIED designation. Mentioned in context of helping homeowners reduce insurance costs.
• FORTIFIED Home ContractorscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of licensed FORTIFIED Home Contractors that Aran + Franklin works with to help ensure homes are built according to FORTIFIED standards. Aran + Franklin provides specifications, design, and inspections while contractors handle construction execution.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves15 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates: Large US structural engineering consulting firm with deep building forensics, structural design, and inspection practices. Directly comparable as a fee-for-service structural engineering consultancy serving property owners, contractors, and developers on building integrity issues.
• Walter P Moore: Structural and civil engineering consulting firm headquartered in Houston, TX with practices in structural diagnostics, restoration, and wind/coastal design. Closely comparable to A&F in services, geography, and structural-engineering-led business model.
• Simpson Gumpertz & Heger: Specialty structural engineering consulting firm with building forensics, design, and investigation services. Comparable service mix and consultant model, though focused on national commercial and institutional work versus A&F's residential and coastal bent.

Broad incumbents

• Terracon Consultants: Large multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy offering geotechnical, environmental, and structural/materials services nationwide. Overlaps with A&F on building inspections, structural design, and site/civil work as a broader portfolio player.
• Halff Associates: Texas-headquartered engineering and architecture firm offering civil, structural, environmental, and surveying services across the Gulf region. Similar Gulf Coast geography with broader multi-discipline portfolio; competes for civil site work and municipal contracts.
• LJA Engineering: Texas-based full-service engineering firm with civil, structural, and surveying practices serving public and private clients across the Gulf South. Comparable Gulf Coast footprint, although larger and more diversified than A&F's windstorm-focused niche.
• Stantec: Global engineering, architecture, and environmental services firm with strong Texas and Gulf Coast presence covering buildings, infrastructure, and environmental work. Competes with A&F on civil site design and structural work at the broader portfolio level.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure consulting firm with significant building engineering, civil, and construction-services practices along the US Gulf Coast. Functions as a broader incumbent that could expand into the FORTIFIED/coastal structural niche.

Emerging players

• Maser Consulting (a TRC Company): Mid-sized multi-discipline engineering firm offering structural, civil, and inspection services to residential, commercial, and public clients. Comparable service lines with growing coastal/Florida exposure following TRC integration.

Others

• Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS): Administrator of the FORTIFIED program that A&F designs and inspects to. Included as an ecosystem participant because it sets the standard, certifies FORTIFIED Evaluators like A&F, and indirectly drives demand for A&F's specification, design, and inspection services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aranfranklineng

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Aran & Franklin Engineering