Biggs Cardosa Associates

What Biggs Cardosa Associates does

Biggs Cardosa Associates is a privately held structural engineering firm founded in 1986 and headquartered in Oakland, California. The firm provides structural engineering, project management, construction management, inspection services, and value engineering, with work spanning bridges, transit infrastructure, grade separations, ports, civic buildings, and selected private-sector facilities. Core technical execution relies on standard structural engineering workflows augmented by what the firm describes as "state-of-the-art computer capabilities" for analysis, design, and drafting; no proprietary technology platform or AI tooling is disclosed.

The firm's business model is project-based professional services consulting, where revenue is generated through fee-based engagements (lump-sum or hourly) under contract with public agencies and select private clients. Public-sector work — including Caltrans, BART, VTA, SFMTA, Port of Long Beach, City of Oakland, City of San Jose, and California High-Speed Rail Authority — appears to dominate the revenue mix, supplemented by private clients such as Lam Research, Broadcom, and SunPower. Geographic coverage is anchored in California across six offices (Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose, Fresno, and Orange), with a recent expansion into Washington State via an Olympia office.

The firm competes within the infrastructure and transit engineering services segment on the basis of regulatory prequalification, agency relationships, licensed professional depth, and a sustained award track record spanning two decades. Recent strategic emphasis on grade separation projects and high-speed rail structural design indicates a deliberate move toward larger, longer-duration programs, while the Washington office represents the first move outside California.

Name

Biggs Cardosa Associates

Legal name

Biggs Cardosa Associates, Inc.

Website

https://biggscardosa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Biggs Cardosa Associates is a privately held structural engineering firm founded in 1986, headquartered in Oakland, California, providing structural design, project management, construction management, inspection, and value engineering services primarily to California public agencies and transit authorities, with a recently established presence in Washington State.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Structural Engineering Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAA)

Keywords

• Structural engineering services
• Seismic retrofit design
• Bridge engineering consulting
• Construction management services
• Transportation infrastructure design

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Structural Engineering Consulting: Professional engineering services for structural design, project management, construction management, and inspection services billed on a project-by-project basis to government and private sector clients

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Biggs Cardosa Associates provides structural engineering, project management, construction management, inspection, and value engineering services for public and private infrastructure projects. The firm delivers design, analysis, and drafting for bridges, transit facilities, buildings, highways, ports, and seismic retrofit programs, often serving as prime consultant on multi-discipline projects.

Product overview

Biggs Cardosa Associates is a structural engineering firm offering a portfolio of integrated professional services rather than a software product. Core offerings include Structural Engineering (state-of-the-art computer analysis, design, and drafting), Project Management (prime consultant for complex multi-discipline projects), Construction Management (bridge inspections, materials testing, constructibility reviews), Inspection Services (ICC-certified special inspections), and Value Engineering (cost optimization consulting). These services work together to deliver complete infrastructure solutions from design through construction completion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Structural Engineering
• Project Management
• Construction Management
• Inspection Services
• Value Engineering

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• AECOM: Multidisciplinary global infrastructure firm with major US transportation and structural engineering practices; competes for large public infrastructure primes where Biggs Cardosa also serves.
• Michael Baker International: National engineering and consulting firm with a strong bridge, highway, and structural practice serving state DOTs and federal agencies; competes for the same public infrastructure consulting mandates.
• Jacobs: Large global infrastructure and consulting firm pursuing Caltrans, CHSRA, and California transit advisory work — operates as a broad incumbent overlapping with BCA's public-sector bridge and transit footprint.
• WSP: Global professional services firm with a large US structural and bridge engineering practice pursuing the same California DOT, transit, and municipal prime-consultant opportunities.

Direct peers

• Moffatt & Nichol: Infrastructure-focused engineering firm covering marine, port, bridge, and transit structural work — directly comparable given Biggs Cardosa's Port of Long Beach wharf and pier engagements.
• Arup: International engineering consultancy with a strong US structural engineering practice serving transit authorities and municipal clients; competes for the same California public infrastructure primes and offers seismic and bridge expertise.
• Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH): Specialty structural engineering firm renowned for complex structural analysis, forensic, and retrofit work — closely comparable to Biggs Cardosa's seismic retrofit and bridge practice with similar project-based public client mix.
• KPFF Consulting Engineers: Employee-owned structural and civil engineering firm with deep West Coast roots (Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles) — directly competes for California bridge, transit, and building structural commissions.
• T.Y. Lin International: Global infrastructure consulting firm with a deep California structural engineering practice covering bridges, transit, and buildings — directly comparable in service mix, project types, and prime-consultant positioning to Biggs Cardosa.
• BKF Engineers: California-headquartered civil and structural engineering firm with offices throughout the state — directly overlaps in California public-sector transportation, bridge, and site development projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/biggscardosa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/biggs-cardosa-associates
• Instagraminstagram.com/biggscardosa
• Xx.com/BiggsCardosa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Biggs Cardosa Associates