What Diehm & Sons Inc does

Diehm & Sons Inc is a privately held, fifth-generation professional services firm headquartered in Lititz, Pennsylvania, founded in 1885 and co-owned since 2018 by Jennifer Gerhart and Kevin Varner, P.E. The firm delivers integrated land surveying, civil engineering, and land planning consulting to property owners, small businesses, developers, religious institutions, nonprofits, and government entities across Northern Lancaster County and Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. Its core service lines comprise Surveying & Mapping (boundary surveys, ALTA/NSPS land title surveys, topographic and control surveys, utility surveys, construction stakeout), Civil Engineering (stormwater management plans, erosion control plans, floodplain studies, PennDOT highway occupancy permits), and Land Planning (subdivision plans, lot add-on plans, estate planning subdivisions, zoning applications, site feasibility analysis, sewage planning).

The underlying technical stack relies on electronic measuring equipment, GPS RTN/RTK and static surveying with sub-inch coordinate accuracy, photogrammetric mapping, AutoCAD drafting, and aerial mapping methodology, supplemented by 100+ years of internally cataloged historical survey data. The firm operates an 11-50 person staff with professionals averaging 15 years of experience, including multiple licensed Professional Engineers (P.E.), a licensed Professional Land Surveyor (P.L.S.), and a Certified Sewage Enforcement Officer, and it is staffed by several individuals holding concurrent township supervisor, zoning hearing board, and planning commission positions that embed the firm into local regulatory processes.

Revenue is generated through project-based, custom-quoted professional services fees with multi-month to multi-year engagement timelines, ranging from small "mark-my-lot" boundary jobs to large commercial surveys and multi-acre land development plans. Customer acquisition is sales-led and relationship-driven, supported by professional industry memberships (Pennsylvania Society of Land Surveyors, American Society of Civil Engineers, etc.), a portfolio-driven website, and the firm's recurring attendance at municipal planning and zoning meetings on behalf of clients. No revenue, funding, or institutional ownership data is publicly disclosed.

Name

Diehm & Sons Inc

Legal name

Diehm & Sons

Website

https://diehmandsons.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1885

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Diehm & Sons Inc is a fifth-generation, privately held land surveying, civil engineering, and land planning consulting firm based in Lititz, Pennsylvania. It serves developers, businesses, churches, government entities, and homeowners across Lancaster and Lebanon Counties with integrated surveying, engineering, and permitting services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Land Surveying and Civil Engineering Services

NAICS

Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services (541370), Land Subdivision (237210)

SIC

Land Subdividers & Developers (No Cemeteries) (6552)

akta.pro primary industry

Land & Development Site Brokerage (BPAJABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) & Due Diligence (BPAHAJAB), Architecture, Planning & Surveying (AIA, Planning, Land Surveyor CE) (EDAAALAG), Construction Management & Delivery (EPCM/CMAR/Design-Build Oversight) (EUANALAE)

Keywords

• Land surveying services
• Civil engineering consulting
• Land planning services
• Subdivision planning
• Stormwater management

Headquarters

HQ city

Lititz

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, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Professional Surveying Services: Professional land surveying services including boundary surveys, topographic surveys, ALTA surveys, construction stakeout, and utility surveys. Project-based fees typically ranging from small mark-my-lot jobs to large commercial surveys.
2. Civil Engineering Services: Civil engineering services including stormwater management plans, erosion control plans, floodplain studies, and highway occupancy permits. Provided as standalone or integrated with surveying and land planning.
3. Land Planning Services: Comprehensive land planning including subdivision plans, lot add-on plans, land development plans, estate planning, zoning applications, site feasibility analysis, and sewage planning.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Diehm & Sons provides integrated land surveying, civil engineering, and land planning consulting services through three core service lines. Surveying & Mapping delivers boundary surveys, ALTA/NSPS land title surveys, topographic surveys, control surveys, utility surveys, and construction stakeout. Civil Engineering provides stormwater management plans, erosion control plans, floodplain studies, and highway occupancy permits. Land Planning covers subdivision plans, lot add-on plans, land development plans, estate planning, zoning applications, site feasibility analysis, and sewage planning.

Product overview

Diehm & Sons Inc is a fifth-generation land surveying, civil engineering, and land planning consulting firm offering integrated professional services. The company operates three core service lines: Surveying & Mapping (including boundary surveys, ALTA surveys, topographic surveys, control surveys, utility surveys, and construction stakeout), Civil Engineering (stormwater management, erosion control, floodplain studies, highway occupancy permits), and Land Planning (subdivision plans, land development, zoning, site feasibility, sewage planning). These services are provided as an integrated package where licensed surveyors and engineers work together to handle projects from initial surveying through final plan approvals and construction stakeout.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Surveying & Mapping Traditional surveying methods combined with electronic measuring, photogrammetric mapping, and state-of-the-art technologies to perform boundary surveys, ALTA/NSPS land title surveys, topographic surveys, control surveys, utility surveys, and construction stakeout/layout services for commercial, industrial, residential, agricultural, and government clients.
• Civil Engineering Comprehensive civil engineering services including stormwater management plans, erosion control plans, floodplain studies, and highway occupancy permits for residential, commercial, agricultural, and industrial projects. Provided as a standalone or integrated package with surveying and land planning services.
• Land Planning Land planning consulting services covering subdivision plans, lot add-on plans, land development plans, estate planning, zoning applications, site feasibility analysis, and sewage planning for various project types. Includes attendance at municipal zoning hearings on behalf of clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Professionals with average 15 years of experience in surveying or civil engineering
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments9 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

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Carlyle Gray AssociatesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialized partner firm utilized by Diehm & Sons to provide comprehensive solutions across surveying, civil engineering, and land planning services.
• Liberty Environmental, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental consulting partner providing specialized expertise for projects requiring environmental assessments and regulatory compliance.
• Vortex EnvironmentalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental services partner used for projects requiring specialized environmental consulting and remediation services.
• Hoover Building Specialists, LLCcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBuilding contractor partner frequently collaborated with on construction projects. Worked with Diehm on multiple projects including Fox Meadows Creamery, Fivepointville Ambulance Service, and other land development projects. Diehm provides surveying and land planning while Hoover handles construction.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• RETTEW Associates: RETTEW is a Lancaster, PA-based engineering, surveying, and environmental consulting firm of comparable size and service mix, serving the same regional market as Diehm & Sons with overlapping surveying, civil engineering, and land planning offerings.
• C.S. Davidson, Inc. C.S. Davidson is a York, PA-based civil engineering and surveying firm offering municipal, land development, and transportation services — closely matching Diehm's integrated surveying, civil, and planning model in the south-central PA market.
• Herbert, Rowland & Grubic (HRG): HRG is a Pennsylvania-based engineering and surveying firm providing civil, municipal, and land development services across the Mid-Atlantic, directly comparable to Diehm in service mix and regional client base.
• Buchart-Horn: Buchart-Horn is a York, PA-headquartered engineering and surveying firm with civil, structural, environmental, and land development practices — overlapping significantly with Diehm's surveying, civil, and planning service lines in central PA.
• Snyder & Associates: Snyder & Associates is a multi-state civil engineering and land surveying firm focused on municipal, transportation, and land development projects, comparable to Diehm in offering integrated surveying, civil engineering, and planning services to public- and private-sector clients.
• Barton & Loguidice: Barton & Loguidice is a mid-size Northeast engineering, planning, and surveying firm providing civil, environmental, and land development services — a strong analog to Diehm's bundled surveying/civil/planning delivery model.

Emerging players

• Control Point Associates: Control Point Associates is a Mid-Atlantic surveying and geomatics firm specializing in boundary, topographic, ALTA, and 3D laser scanning services, comparable to Diehm's core surveying and mapping offering though with a narrower, more technology-led focus.

Broad incumbents

• Pennoni Associates: Pennoni is a large Philadelphia-headquartered engineering and surveying firm with broad civil, environmental, and land development practices across the East Coast — a scaled-up incumbent that competes with Diehm for larger land development and municipal projects in PA.
• Maser Consulting (a Colliers Engineering & Design company): Maser Consulting, now part of Colliers Engineering & Design, is a large Mid-Atlantic engineering and surveying firm offering civil, environmental, and land development services, representing the type of scaled competitor Diehm may face on larger regional projects.
• WSP: WSP is a global engineering and professional services firm with a substantial PA presence providing civil, environmental, and land development consulting — relevant as a large, well-capitalized competitor that can out-resource Diehm on major regional projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/diehm-sons-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Diehm & Sons Inc