What Maffei Structural Engineering does

Maffei Structural Engineering is a San Francisco-based structural engineering consulting firm founded in 2013 by Joe Maffei, specializing in the design, evaluation, and seismic retrofitting of structures subjected to earthquakes, wind, and other extreme conditions. The firm serves public- and private-sector clients including architects, builders, owners, utilities, universities, and government agencies, with a portfolio that spans tall buildings, mission-critical facilities (data centers, airports, utilities), higher education campuses, civic infrastructure, and solar PV array installations. Work is anchored in advanced analytical methods such as performance-based seismic design, nonlinear response-history analysis, and soil-structure interaction modeling, with proprietary contributions including the OpenFresco real-time hybrid simulation framework and the OpenSeesNavigator GUI developed with PEER.

The firm differentiates through the integration of consulting practice and academic research: its principals and associate principals hold PhDs, SE licenses, and LEED AP credentials, serve on SEAONC, SEAOC, EERI, ASCE 7, and PEER committees, and have directed seismic peer review of more than 130 buildings including over 60 high-rises across multiple U.S. cities. Maffei also led development of the SEAOC PV1 and PV2 rooftop solar design guidelines and signed the ASCE SE2050 Commitment Program targeting embodied-carbon reduction.

The business model is professional services, delivered via direct project-based engagements with quote-based pricing typical of consulting engineering. The firm operates from a single San Francisco headquarters (98 Battery Street, Suite 300), is registered to practice in several U.S. states, and holds California and federal small business certifications as well as a San Francisco Local Business Enterprise (Micro-LBE) designation. The team numbers approximately 15, with revenue figures not publicly disclosed.

Name

Maffei Structural Engineering

Legal name

Maffei Structural Engineering

Website

https://maffei-structure.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Maffei Structural Engineering is a San Francisco-based structural engineering consulting firm that designs, evaluates, and retrofits buildings and infrastructure for seismic, wind, and extreme-load conditions. It serves architects, owners, utilities, universities, and government agencies across the western U.S.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Structural Engineering Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAA)

Keywords

• Structural engineering consulting
• Seismic evaluation retrofitting
• Structural peer review
• Solar PV structural design
• Mission critical facilities

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

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, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Structural Engineering Consulting Services: Professional engineering consulting services for new building design, seismic evaluation and retrofit, peer review, and structural plan check. Project-based engagements with architects, builders, owners, and public agencies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Maffei Structural Engineering delivers professional structural engineering consulting services for structures subjected to earthquakes, wind, and other extreme conditions. The firm's core offerings span seismic peer review, structural plan check, seismic evaluation and retrofitting of existing buildings, new tall building design, solar PV array design and review, mission critical facility design, infrastructure design, and life cycle assessment for embodied carbon reduction. Services are delivered by a team of licensed structural engineers, designers, and researchers using advanced analysis methods including nonlinear response-history analysis, performance-based seismic design, and soil-structure interaction modeling.

Product overview

Maffei Structural Engineering is a structural engineering consulting firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of professional services rather than a software product platform. The firm's services span seismic evaluation and retrofitting, new building design, peer review, structural plan check, solar PV array design, life cycle assessment, and infrastructure projects. Key service areas include tall building design using non-prescriptive seismic design approaches with nonlinear response history analysis, concrete building screening for San Francisco's ordinance compliance, and mission critical facilities design. The firm also contributes to the structural engineering profession through research collaborations and publications on topics including solar energy structures, concrete tall buildings, seismic retrofit, and earthquake reconnaissance. Services are delivered by a team of structural engineers using industry-standard tools including SAP2000, ETABS, and Revit for analysis and modeling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Seismic Peer Review Services Seismic peer review and plan review for new design and retrofit projects, using non-prescriptive seismic design and nonlinear response history analysis. Covers more than 130 buildings and over 60 high-rise buildings reviewed by the firm.
• Structural Plan Check Structural plan review services for high-rise towers and campus facilities, including compliance verification with building codes and standards.
• Seismic Evaluation and Retrofitting Seismic evaluation and retrofit design services for existing structures, including steel, concrete, timber, and masonry buildings, using advanced analysis methods and performance-based approaches.
• Solar PV Array Design and Review Design, analysis, failure investigation, and peer review of solar PV array systems across residential, commercial, and utility-scale applications, including wind and seismic design.
• Life Cycle Assessment for Structural Systems Life cycle assessments for structural systems, identifying opportunities to reduce embodied carbon in structural materials, and developing site-specific alternative structural solutions.
• Mission Critical Facilities Design Structural design services for mission critical projects including data centers, utility infrastructure, research laboratories, and air traffic control structures requiring continuous uninterrupted operations.
• Infrastructure Design Innovative design solutions for infrastructure projects including substation design and retrofit, new facility design, and bridge evaluation and retrofit for utilities and public agencies.
• Higher Education Facilities Structural Engineering Structural engineering services for higher education buildings including student dormitories, research facilities, and campus infrastructure.
• Civic Projects Structural Engineering Structural engineering services for civic buildings including municipal facilities, public utilities infrastructure, and historic preservation projects.
• Tech and Life Science Projects Structural Engineering Structural engineering services for technology and life science facilities including high-rise office towers, research laboratories, and corporate campuses.
• San Francisco Concrete Building Screening Program Compliance Compliance assistance for San Francisco's ordinance to assess seismically vulnerable concrete buildings and RWFD buildings, including helping building owners complete the required screening form by June 2027.
• Research Collaborations Collaborative research projects with academic institutions and research organizations, including structural testing and advanced analysis development.

Quantifiable outcome

• Directed seismic peer review of more than 50 high-rise buildings
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Structural Engineers Association of Northern California (SEAONC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive participation in committee work, building code development, and guidelines. Joe Maffei served as Director, led development of SEAONC recommendations for high-rise design.
• Structural Engineers Association of California (SEAOC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoe chairs SEAOC committee on solar PV systems, developed SEAOC PV1 and PV2 design guidelines. Firm active in committee work and standards development.
• Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoe Maffei served as Director. Firm members participate in reconnaissance and research activities. Karl Telleen selected as Housner Fellow.
• Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research on seismic design methodology for precast concrete diaphragms and blind prediction contests for structural analysis.
• American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoe Maffei is member of ASCE 7 Subcommittee on Wind Loads developing wind design requirements for solar arrays.
• Precast/Prestressed Concrete InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributed to Seismic Design Methodology Document for Precast Concrete Diaphragms. Joe Maffei on Industry Advisory Committee, Karl Telleen contributor.
• OpenSees (Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center)coreTechnology or IntegrationAndreas Schellenberg co-developed OpenSeesNavigator graphical user interface for OpenSees structural analysis software.
• San Francisco Department of Building InspectioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssisting with San Francisco's Concrete Building Screening Program compliance. Reviewing buildings and helping owners complete screening forms.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH): National structural engineering consultancy with strong seismic and existing-building practice. Competes for tall building peer review and mission-critical facility work; broader geographic reach but directly overlapping technical services.
• Degenkolb Engineers: San Francisco-based structural engineering firm with deep practice in seismic design, evaluation, and retrofit of healthcare, higher education, and civic buildings. Comparable in size and specialty, with overlapping client base (UCSF, UC system, Bay Area civic projects) and similar commitment to research-driven consulting.
• Tipping Structural Engineers: Berkeley-based structural engineering consultancy focusing on seismic resilience, mass timber, and performance-based design. Directly comparable in size, technical sophistication, and Bay Area seismic consulting niche.
• Forell/Elsesser Engineers: San Francisco structural engineering firm with a longstanding reputation in seismic retrofit, historic preservation, and innovative base-isolation design. Competes for the same seismic retrofit, higher education, and civic engagements in Northern California.
• Rutherford + Chekene: San Francisco geostructural engineering firm combining structural and geotechnical practice for seismic retrofit, foundation, and infrastructure work. Comparable in Northern California footprint and seismic expertise, particularly for retrofit and infrastructure projects.
• Nabih Youssef & Associates: Los Angeles-based structural engineering consultancy specializing in seismic evaluation, retrofit, and peer review of tall buildings and existing structures. Named explicitly in Maffei's awards, sharing the same West Coast seismic peer-review niche and customer set of architects, owners, and public agencies.
• Magnusson Klemencic Associates (MKA): Seattle-based structural and civil engineering firm known for high-rise seismic design, performance-based design, and peer review across the Pacific Northwest and West Coast. Direct competitor in tall building and seismic peer review.

Broad incumbents

• Arup: Global multidisciplinary engineering firm with a large structural and seismic practice serving tall buildings, infrastructure, and mission-critical facilities. Often competes on the same high-rise and peer-review engagements, with broader services (geotech, MEP, sustainability) under one roof.
• Thornton Tomasetti: Global engineering consultancy with a prominent structural and forensic practice. Frequently engaged alongside Maffei on high-rise peer reviews and seismic retrofit of complex facilities, with the resources to lead large concurrent programs.

Regional players

• Holmes Group (Holmes Consultancy): New Zealand-headquartered structural and earthquake engineering consultancy with deep international seismic expertise. Comparable to Maffei in research-led practice and principal recognition (Fulbrights, post-doctoral work in NZ), though serving Oceania rather than North America.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maffei-structural-engineering

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Maffei Structural Engineering