Rice & Gardner Consultants

What Rice & Gardner Consultants does

Rice & Gardner Consultants, Inc. is a Houston-headquartered professional services firm founded in 2005 through the merger of Jim Rice's project management firm and the late Kevin Gardner's engineering firm. The company delivers an integrated suite of construction and facility services—program management, building commissioning, MEP engineering, facility assessment, construction administration, sustainability/LEED consulting, and energy modeling—primarily serving as an owner's representative for institutional clients across Texas. Its core customer base is concentrated in K-12 public school districts (Houston ISD, Lamar Consolidated ISD, Pearland ISD, Galena Park ISD, Alief ISD), with secondary engagements in higher education, healthcare, commercial real estate, municipal/government, and enterprise accounts such as Fluor Corporation, Boeing, and Episcopal High School. Notable engagements include managing multi-campus bond programs ranging from $77M (Lamar CISD 2017) to $638M (Houston ISD 2012), with several projects achieving LEED certification.

The firm operates on a fee-for-service professional services model with project-based, quote-driven engagements and no disclosed software or technology product. Its go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, positioning staff as an extension of client organizations to drive repeat, multi-cycle procurement. The team has grown from two founders to more than two dozen professionals including licensed architects, professional engineers, LEED-accredited professionals, commissioning agents, and senior project managers, supported by Texas Board of Professional Engineers registration (#F-9057) and U.S. Green Building Council membership since 2006. Recognition includes five Houston Business Journal Top 100 Fastest Growing Companies appearances (2010-2019), four Inc5000 listings (2010-2017), and diversity awards from Subcontractors USA and d-Mars. In November 2025 the firm added Eric DiPasquale as Vice President to lead growth and new business development, signaling continued investment in expansion beyond the core Houston/Texas footprint.

Name

Rice & Gardner Consultants

Legal name

Rice & Gardner Consultants, Inc.

Website

https://ricegardner.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rice & Gardner Consultants is a Houston-based professional services firm founded in 2005 that delivers program management, building commissioning, MEP engineering, and facility assessment for K-12 school districts, higher education, healthcare, commercial, and government clients across Texas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Consulting Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sustainable/Green Building & LEED Consulting (BPAHAKAG)

Keywords

• Program management consulting
• Building commissioning services
• MEP engineering design
• Facility assessment consulting
• Construction administration services

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Consulting Services: Fee-for-service professional consulting including program management, project management, building commissioning, MEP engineering, construction administration, facility assessment, energy modeling, and sustainability services. Revenue generated through project-based engagements with educational institutions, commercial entities, and government clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Rice & Gardner Consultants is a professional consulting firm providing program management, building commissioning, MEP engineering, facility assessment, construction administration, and sustainability/LEED services for construction and capital improvement projects. The firm acts as an owner's representative and extension of client staff, managing projects from inception through completion across K-12 education, higher education, healthcare, commercial real estate, and municipal sectors.

Product overview

Rice & Gardner Consultants is a professional consulting firm offering an integrated suite of services for construction and facility projects. The core offerings include Program Management (serving as owner's representatives managing projects from beginning to end), Building Commissioning (ensuring HVAC, electrical, and plumbing systems perform as designed), and MEP Engineering (mechanical, electrical, plumbing design services). Supporting services include Facility Assessment (condition surveys of buildings and systems), Construction Administration (construction oversight), and Sustainability & LEED Services (green building certification). The company primarily serves educational institutions (K-12 and higher education), commercial buildings, municipal projects, and healthcare facilities throughout Texas. The firm was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Program Management Comprehensive project management services for construction projects, acting as an extension of client staff to manage timelines, budgets, and day-to-day decisions from inception to completion.
• Building Commissioning Quality assurance services ensuring building systems (HVAC, electrical, plumbing) are installed and functioning correctly according to design specifications and owner requirements.
• MEP Engineering Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing engineering design services for new construction and renovation projects, including system design and commissioning.
• Facility Assessment Comprehensive evaluation of facility conditions including site, building envelope, interior finishes, environmental conditions, and major building systems to identify issues and recommend improvements.
• Construction Administration Oversight services representing the owner through all aspects of construction, ensuring adherence to project guidelines and requirements from planning through final completion.
• Sustainability & LEED Services Sustainable building consulting services including LEED certification management, energy modeling, and guidance on eco-friendly design and construction practices.
• Energy Modeling Energy analysis and modeling services to assess building energy performance and identify opportunities for efficiency improvements.

Quantifiable outcome

• 135.95% revenue growth since 2012
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• VANIR Construction Management, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Rice & Gardner Consultants partnered with VANIR Construction Management, Inc. to provide a comprehensive Facility Needs Assessment for Houston Independent School District in 2015. The partnership combined Rice & Gardner's commissioning and MEP expertise with VANIR's construction management capabilities for the district-wide assessment project.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Vanir Construction Management: Vanir is a construction management and program management firm with deep K-12 and public-sector practice; it is directly comparable to Rice & Gardner and has already partnered with them on the Houston ISD Facility Needs Assessment, confirming near-parity in service offering and client base.
• Brailsford & Dunlavey: Brailsford & Dunlavey is a program management and owner's-representation firm focused on K-12, higher education, and public-sector capital programs; it competes head-to-head with Rice & Gardner for district-level bond program mandates.
• Heery International (CBRE): Heery is a long-standing program/construction management consultancy now part of CBRE; it provides owner's representative, PM, and commissioning services to school districts and public agencies — a direct service-overlap to Rice & Gardner.
• NV5 Global: NV5 provides technical engineering, commissioning, MEP, and program management consulting to public and education clients; comparable service mix and target buyers make it a direct peer in size and scope.
• STV Inc. STV is an engineering, program management, and owner's-rep firm serving transportation, education, and public buildings; its program/construction management practice directly overlaps Rice & Gardner's K-12 public-sector engagements.
• Haley & Aldrich: Haley & Aldrich provides engineering, facilities, and commissioning consulting for owners of educational, healthcare, and commercial buildings; its MEP/building sciences practice mirrors the technical side of Rice & Gardner's offering.
• Terracon Consultants: Terracon is an employee-owned engineering consulting firm delivering facilities, commissioning, MEP, and environmental services to education, commercial, and public clients across the U.S., directly comparable in service mix.
• Engineering Economics Inc. (EEI): EEI is an owner's representative and program management firm specializing in K-12 and higher education capital programs; directly comparable to Rice & Gardner in service line, client type, and project economics.

Broad incumbents

• AECOM: AECOM is a global engineering and program management incumbent that competes with Rice & Gardner for major K-12 and public-sector PM mandates; broader portfolio but overlapping service categories.
• Jacobs Solutions: Jacobs is a large global engineering and PM consulting firm that regularly competes for school district and higher education capital program work; broader remit than Rice & Gardner but a viable substitute for clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/riceandgardnerconsultants

Compliance2 records

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 Rice & Gardner Consultants