What Universal Field Services, Inc. does

Universal Field Services, Inc. (UFS) is a privately held, family-owned professional services firm founded in 1958 and headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with ten regional offices across the United States and 251-500 employees. The company specializes in coordinated land and right of way acquisition for infrastructure projects, delivering services to state transportation agencies, electric utilities, pipeline operators, engineering firms, telecommunications providers, and public rail/transit authorities. Reported operating metrics include 998 projects completed over the last five years, 20,000+ parcels acquired, and an 80% repeat client rate, with flagship engagements such as Sound Transit (since 1999) and California High Speed Rail (since 2013).

UFS operates as an integrated four-entity platform: Universal Field Services (core right of way acquisition, negotiation, title, and construction support); Universal Surveying & Mapping, LLC (civil engineering, boundary and topographic surveys, ALTA/ACSM surveys, LiDAR, photogrammetry, and construction staking, established 2013); Universal Aerial Ventures, LLC (drone-based LiDAR, photogrammetry, thermal imaging, methane leak detection, and facility inspections); and Versa, a proprietary cloud-based, GIS-enabled database management system for project tracking, document storage, and client reporting. Technology stack leverages ESRI GIS, Robotic Total Station, terrestrial laser scanning, airborne LiDAR, and aerial drones.

The business model is project-based professional services billing, with revenue generated through enterprise engagements priced by scope and complexity. There is no public pricing; all engagements are quote-based. UFS employs a relationship-driven direct field sales motion, leveraging industry conferences (IRWA, APWA, MESO, NGEAO, AUVSI XPONENTIAL), its long-tenured personnel, and regional offices for business development. Customer segments span Public Infrastructure, Electric Industry, Pipeline/Oil & Gas, Renewable Energy, Engineering Partners, and Communications Systems, with 469 government projects (133 clients), 166 pipeline projects, 127 electric transmission projects, and 3,500+ fiber routes supported over the last five years.

Name

Universal Field Services, Inc.

Legal name

Universal Field Services, Inc.

Website

https://ufsrw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Universal Field Services is a privately held, family-owned U.S. professional services firm providing coordinated land and right of way acquisition, surveying, mapping, drone-based aerial services, and project data management for government, electric, pipeline, telecom, and engineering clients across ten regional offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tulsa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Right of Way Acquisition Services: Professional services revenue generated through land and right of way acquisition for infrastructure, pipeline, electric transmission, and government projects. Services are project-based and typically billed as professional service engagements with fees determined by project scope and complexity.
2. Surveying and Mapping Services: Civil engineering and land surveying services including topographic surveys, boundary surveys, ALTA/ACSM land title surveys, construction staking, and GIS mapping. Revenue generated through project-based professional service engagements.
3. Aerial Drone Services: Drone-based data collection and mapping services for development projects, surveys, inspections, and environmental assessments. Billed as part of project engagements or standalone service contracts.
4. Versa Database Management System: Software/platform services for project data management, tracking, and reporting. Revenue appears integrated with overall project delivery rather than separate licensing.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Universal Field Services provides comprehensive right of way acquisition, land surveying, mapping, and aerial drone services for infrastructure, pipeline, electric transmission, government, and telecommunications projects. The company delivers turnkey land and property acquisition services including route planning, title research, negotiation, permitting, environmental compliance, and construction support, augmented by integrated surveying, GIS, and drone-based aerial data collection.

Product overview

Universal Field Services, Inc. operates as an integrated service platform consisting of four distinct offerings: (1) Universal Field Services - the core right of way acquisition service handling land/property acquisition, title services, negotiation, and construction support across pipeline, electric, government, and infrastructure sectors; (2) Universal Surveying & Mapping - a civil engineering and land surveying subsidiary providing boundary surveys, topographic surveys, ALTA surveys, construction staking, aerial mapping, and LiDAR services; (3) Versa - a cloud-based, GIS-enabled database management system for project tracking, document storage, and real-time collaboration; and (4) Universal Aerial Ventures - drone/aerial services offering photogrammetry, LiDAR surveys, thermal imaging, and infrastructure inspections. These four companies work together to provide turnkey solutions from initial surveying through final construction support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Versa: Cloud-based GIS-enabled database management system for storage of project files, streamlined communication, and project status updates. Features include customizable dashboards, real-time project data tracking, document upload and storage, and integration with GIS data.

Products and services

• Universal Field Services (Core Right of Way Acquisition) Professional right of way and land acquisition services including route planning, title research, property owner negotiations, easement acquisition, mineral rights leasing, condemnation support, and construction-phase project support for government agencies, utilities, pipeline operators, and engineering firms.
• Universal Surveying & Mapping Multi-disciplinary civil engineering and land surveying services including topographic surveys, boundary surveys, ALTA/ACSM land title surveys, route surveys, construction staking, aerial photogrammetric mapping, LiDAR, civil design, and engineering services for public and private sector clients.
• Universal Aerial Ventures Drone-based aerial services providing survey-grade photography, photogrammetry mapping, LiDAR surveys, pipeline corridor inspections, thermal imaging, methane leak detection, FERC environmental study support, and facility inspections for development projects and infrastructure operators.
• Versa Database Management System Cloud-based, GIS-enabled project database management system for right of way projects with customizable dashboards, real-time project data tracking, document upload/storage/sharing, GIS integration, and client-metric-based report generation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20,000 parcels of land acquired in 5 years
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Barbier International, Inc.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSmall business subconsultant providing services to California High Speed Rail project as part of Universal's team. Minority, women, and disadvantaged business participation initiative.
• CMD WestminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSmall business subconsultant providing services to California High Speed Rail project as part of Universal's team.
• Regency Right of Way Consulting, LLCminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSmall business subconsultant providing right of way consulting services to California High Speed Rail project as part of Universal's team.
• Soar Environmental ConsultingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSmall business subconsultant providing environmental consulting services to California High Speed Rail project as part of Universal's team.
• AHTNA ConstructionminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerUniversal Surveying & Mapping LLC and Universal Aerial Ventures LLC completed a project for AHTNA Construction on behalf of US Army Corps of Engineers.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Contract Land Staff: Texas-based national right-of-way acquisition firm offering land/easement acquisition, title research, and project management for energy, utility, and government infrastructure projects — directly comparable in service mix, vertical focus, and project-based delivery model to UFS's core ROW practice.
• Percheron LLC: National land services and right-of-way acquisition firm serving oil & gas, electric transmission, renewable, and public infrastructure clients with field agents and integrated project support — overlapping with UFS across nearly every vertical UFS targets.
• Coates Field Service: Long-standing right-of-way acquisition and land services competitor serving pipeline, utility, and government clients with a multi-region US footprint — closely comparable in service portfolio, customer mix, and project-based professional services model.
• LandWorks: Right-of-way and land management services firm serving infrastructure clients with acquisition, relocation, and title services — directly comparable niche competitor for UFS in government and utility ROW engagements.

Broad incumbents

• Burns & McDonnell: Large employee-owned engineering, construction, and consulting firm with a right-of-way and land services practice serving the same electric, pipeline, and government customers as UFS, but across a much broader portfolio of services.
• Stantec: Global professional services firm with surveying, mapping, and infrastructure environmental practices that overlap with UFS's surveying and mapping subsidiary, while also competing for ROW-adjacent work as part of larger design and permitting engagements.
• NV5 Global: Technical engineering and consulting firm with substantial surveying, geospatial, and infrastructure services capabilities — comparable to UFS's Universal Surveying & Mapping subsidiary in delivery model and customer types, though at a larger and more diversified scale.
• Tetra Tech: Global consulting and engineering firm with high-end surveying, GIS, and infrastructure practices that overlap UFS's surveying/mapping and GIS-enabled service lines and pursue many of the same utility and government clients.

Emerging players

• PrecisionHawk: Drone-based aerial surveying, LiDAR, and data analytics company serving infrastructure, energy, and agriculture — partial overlap with Universal Aerial Ventures' LiDAR, photogrammetry, and inspection offerings for infrastructure projects.

Others

• Esri: Dominant GIS software provider whose ArcGIS platform UFS and many ROW competitors depend on; comparable because UFS's GIS-enabled Versa system is built atop Esri's stack and the relationship defines the foundation of UFS's technology moat.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCiKj_HyK7Fxcow1bnTaeXvw
• Facebookfacebook.com/universal-field-services-inc-land-right-of-way-services-150061551720013
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/universal-field-services

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Universal Field Services, Inc.