Collins Engineers, Inc.

What Collins Engineers, Inc. does

Collins Engineers, Inc. is a privately held U.S. civil and structural engineering services firm founded in 1979 by Thomas J. Collins in Chicago, Illinois. The firm delivers inspection, design, construction management, load rating, and asset management services across five core practice areas: civil/site engineering, waterfront/marine engineering, transportation engineering, energy facilities, and contractor support services. Its primary customers are state departments of transportation (including ND DOT, MassDOT, CDOT, and VDOT), municipal governments, transit authorities (MBTA), port authorities (Port of Portland), and federal agencies (National Park Service). Collins pioneered the use of engineer-divers for underwater structural evaluation and pairs conventional engineering with field-deployed technology including unmanned aircraft systems (UAS/drones), underwater 2D and 3D imaging, confined-space and rope-access inspections, and reality modeling.

The firm operates a differentiated technology stack for a firm of its type, including the cloud-based dotMaps GIS platform and the ChiStreetWork public transparency portal deployed for the Chicago Department of Transportation's Project Coordination Office, plus a cloud-based infrastructure asset management platform for transportation, utilities, public works, and facilities operators. Collins is recognized as an Engineering News-Record Top 500 Design Firm, has 27 offices across the United States organized into Northeast, Southeast, Central, and Western divisions, and has executed engagements such as systemwide bridge inspection for MBTA, inspection of approximately 400 bridges for the North Dakota DOT, and load ratings on more than 70 bridges and culverts for MassDOT. Leadership remains concentrated in the founding Collins family, with Thomas J. Collins as Executive Chairman and Elizabeth M. Collins as President.

Collins generates revenue through project-based professional services fees negotiated under contracts won via RFP/RFQ processes with government agencies and select private clients (developers, industrial operators, waterfront facility owners). Pricing is not publicly disclosed; engagements are scoped on project complexity, labor mix, and duration. Distribution is direct, with no resellers or third-party channels; growth has come from organic office openings (e.g., Denver 2008, Canton MA 2012), the launch of the PCO service in Chicago in 2012, and the acquisition of Civil Squared Engineering. The firm employs 251–500 people and is an active campus recruiter at civil and structural engineering programs nationwide.

Name

Collins Engineers, Inc.

Legal name

Collins Engineers, Inc.

Website

https://collinsengr.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Collins Engineers is a privately held, family-owned U.S. civil and structural engineering firm founded in 1979, serving state DOTs, transit authorities, ports, municipalities, and federal agencies with bridge, waterfront, transportation, energy, and asset management services across 27 offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil and Structural Engineering Services

NAICS

Engineering Services (541330), Engineering Services (54133), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Transportation & Traffic Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAC), Geotechnical & Subsurface Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAB), Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAD)

Keywords

• Civil engineering services
• Bridge inspection services
• Waterfront marine engineering
• Transportation infrastructure design
• Structural engineering consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices29 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Engineering Consulting Services: Professional engineering services billed on project basis for transportation, marine, civil, energy, and construction support. Revenue generated through project fees, hourly consulting rates, and contract-based engagements with government agencies and commercial clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Collins Engineers provides civil and structural engineering consulting services for transportation, waterfront/marine, energy, and construction support projects. The firm offers bridge and roadway design, inspection and load rating, underwater and confined-space inspections using engineer-divers and UAS drones, asset management software, and project coordination office services for public agencies and private clients.

Product overview

Collins Engineers, Inc. is a civil and structural engineering services company founded in 1979, providing engineering services across multiple disciplines rather than a software product company. Their service portfolio includes Civil Engineering, Waterfront Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Energy Facilities Services, Contractor Services, and Asset Management. The Asset Management service is described as a cloud-based software platform that streamlines workflows, cuts costs, and extends asset life. The Project Coordination Office (PCO) service provides urban infrastructure coordination for Chicago, utilizing tools like dotMaps and ChiStreetWork. Services are delivered by engineers who conduct inspections, fly drones, and use technology including 3D modeling for project delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Civil Engineering Services
• Waterfront Engineering
• Transportation Engineering
• Energy Facilities Services
• Contractor Services
• Asset Management
• Project Coordination Office (PCO)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $2.5 billion of construction overseen by leadership
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 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

Feature8 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• WSP USA: One of the largest global engineering consultancies with a major US transportation, bridge, and waterfront practice; competes with Collins on state DOT and municipal bridge inspection and design work, though at significantly larger scale.
• Jacobs Solutions: Global engineering and program management firm with extensive US transportation, water, and federal infrastructure practices; overlaps with Collins on DOT asset management and inspection mandates.
• Stantec: North American engineering consultancy with strong transportation, water, and infrastructure practices; directly competes for state DOT and municipal civil engineering contracts similar to Collins' portfolio.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure consulting firm with a large US transportation and water practice; competes with Collins on large state DOT programs and federal infrastructure work.
• HDR Inc. ENR Top 10 design firm with deep US transportation, water, and bridge expertise; competes with Collins on DOT bridge design, inspection, and program management engagements.

Direct peers

• TranSystems: Mid-sized US engineering consultancy focused on transportation infrastructure, bridges, and rail; closest direct peer in size and DOT-focused service mix to Collins Engineers.
• Michael Baker International: US engineering consulting firm with a transportation, bridge, and water practice; directly comparable in scale, DOT customer base, and bridge inspection/load-rating services to Collins.
• Kimley-Horn: Privately held US planning and engineering consultancy with strong transportation and site civil practices; competes with Collins on state DOT, municipal, and developer-led civil engineering work.
• Modjeski and Masters: Specialty bridge engineering firm with deep expertise in inspection, load rating, and movable bridge design; closely overlaps Collins' transportation and bridge inspection niches.
• Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH): Engineering firm specializing in structural design, investigation, and rehabilitation of buildings, infrastructure, and waterfront structures; comparable to Collins' structural inspection and marine engineering work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/collins-engineers-inc.
• Instagraminstagram.com/collinsengineers
• Xx.com/collinsengrinc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Collins Engineers, Inc.