Silva Consultants

What Silva Consultants does

Silva Consultants is an independent, fee-based physical security consulting firm founded in 1985 by Michael A. Silva and headquartered in Covington, Washington, near Seattle. The firm delivers a portfolio of professional services — Physical Security Assessments, Security Planning & Design, Security RFP Preparation, Security Policies & Procedures, Security Design Standards, Security Proposal Review, Security Design Review, Home Security Assessments, and Multi-Family Security Assessments — using a proprietary assessment methodology developed and refined over 39 years across more than 2,000 major projects. Silva differentiates by maintaining strict vendor neutrality: the firm does not sell security equipment or guard services, positioning its recommendations as unbiased relative to systems integrators and guard agencies.

The firm's go-to-market is sales-led and content-driven, with lead generation supported by more than 80 free Security Tips articles, three published books on Amazon authored by the founder, and direct inbound via website and toll-free phone. Pricing is quote-based, with security assessments ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 depending on facility size, number of employees, and complexity; initial consultations are free. Customers span corporate and institutional facilities, data centers, healthcare, real estate and property management, government, private high-net-worth residences, and non-profits, with primary service concentration in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and California, and selective nationwide engagements. Silva is founder-owned, bootstrapped, and operates with 1-10 employees, with no external funding or institutional investors disclosed.

Name

Silva Consultants

Legal name

Silva Consultants

Website

https://silvaconsultants.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Silva Consultants is an independent, fee-based physical security consulting firm founded in 1985 in Covington, Washington, providing security assessments, planning, RFP preparation, and policy development to corporate, institutional, government, multifamily, and private clients across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Security Consulting Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Enterprise Security Strategy & Program Advisory (BPAKADAA)

Keywords

• Physical security consulting
• Security assessments
• Security planning design
• Security RFP preparation
• Security policies procedures

Headquarters

HQ city

Covington

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Security Consulting Services: Fee-based independent security consulting services billed at hourly rates or fixed project fees. Initial consultations are free. Assessment costs range from $5,000 to $50,000 depending on facility size, number of employees, and complexity of operations. The company provides written proposals outlining scope of work, schedule, and cost estimates for consulting fees and expenses.
2. Pro Bono Consulting Services: The company donates a percentage of billable time each year to provide free security consulting services to qualified non-profit organizations and charities. Last year, over $50,000 in free security consulting services were provided to the community.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Silva Consultants is an independent, fee-based security consulting firm that helps businesses, organizations, property managers, and private clients better manage physical security risks, reduce losses, and operate safe facilities. The firm delivers comprehensive security assessments, security planning and design for new construction and renovations, RFP preparation for security system procurement, written security policies and procedures, security design standards, and independent review of vendor proposals and architectural designs.

Product overview

Silva Consultants is an independent security consulting firm (not a software/technology product company) that offers a portfolio of professional consulting services focused on physical security. The core offerings include Physical Security Assessments, Security Planning & Design, Security RFP Preparation, Security Policies & Procedures, Security Design Standards, Security Proposal Review, Security Design Review, Home Security Assessments, and Multi-Family Security Assessments. These services are delivered through direct consultant engagement rather than a software platform. Additionally, the firm provides educational content through its Security Tips articles (80+ free articles) and published books by founder Michael A. Silva. The company does not offer a software product, API, or technology platform—all services are human-delivered consulting engagements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Physical Security Assessments Comprehensive evaluation of existing security programs examining risks, vulnerabilities, policies, physical and electronic security systems, and security management to identify weaknesses and provide recommendations for improvements. Used by organizations lacking internal security expertise and those needing independent evaluation.
• Security Planning & Design Planning and design services for new construction and renovation projects, including identification of security risks, determination of security requirements, development of preliminary security concepts, creation of security zones, and preparation of Building Security Plans.
• Security RFP Preparation Assistance with preparing Request for Proposal documents for competitive procurement of security systems, guard services, and other security-related products and services, including technical specifications and bid evaluation criteria.
• Security Policies & Procedures Development of comprehensive written security policies and procedures manuals using a structured workshop method to address 50-500 security-related topics tailored to each client's organization.
• Security Design Standards Development of Security Design Standards for companies with ongoing design and construction projects in multiple locations, providing guidance on how security features are to be incorporated into building designs.
• Security Proposal Review Independent review and analysis of bid proposals from security system equipment manufacturers, systems integrators, alarm companies, and guard agencies to help clients evaluate and select vendors.
• Security Design Review Review of architectural design and construction documents to determine if physical security requirements have been properly incorporated, identifying deficiencies before construction begins.
• Home Security Assessments Comprehensive physical security assessments for private residences, including review of exterior and interior security, physical security devices, security systems, and preparation of a Home Security Assessment Report with prioritized recommendations.
• Multi-Family Security Assessments Physical security assessments for multi-family residential complexes including apartment buildings, condominiums, and gated communities, including review of crime statistics, security incidents, policies, and electronic security systems.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• International Association of Professional Security Consultants (IAPSC)minorOthersSilva Consultants maintains membership in the IAPSC, an organization with strict guidelines that generally limits membership to independent security consultants as defined by the association. Many independent security consultants belong to this organization. However, this appears to be a professional membership association rather than a commercial partnership.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Control Risks: Independent security and political risk consultancy providing corporate security assessments, travel risk, and security program design. Comparable to Silva Consultants in independent advisory stance, but with a global footprint and broader risk coverage.
• FTI Consulting: Global advisory firm with a dedicated Security and Risk Consulting practice offering assessments, investigations, and program design. Comparable on physical security advisory work for enterprise and institutional clients.
• International SOS: Global security and travel risk consultancy providing site security assessments and program advisory. Comparable in advisory framing but with a security-and-travel-risk focus rather than pure physical security design.
• Securitas: World's largest security services provider (parent of Pinkerton) with a global security consulting and design practice. Adjacent rather than direct — predominantly guard/integrator with embedded advisory — but competes for the same client RFPs.
• Kroll: Global investigative, security, and risk consulting firm offering security assessments, design, RFP advisory, and program reviews. A scaled-up analog of Silva's service portfolio, competing on similar advisory work for enterprise and institutional clients.
• Allied Universal: Large North American security services and solutions provider (including G4S integration) with security consulting and risk assessment capabilities. Competes as a bundled provider versus Silva's pure-advisory model.
• Pinkerton: Corporate security and investigative consulting firm (now part of Securitas) offering security consulting, threat assessments, and design advisory. Overlaps with Silva Consultants on the independent advisory side of physical security.

Direct peers

• Guidepost Solutions: Independent security and investigative consulting firm providing security assessments, design, and policy services to corporate, institutional, and government clients. Closely comparable to Silva Consultants in positioning, vendor neutrality, and service mix.
• Hillard Heintze: Boutique independent security consulting firm specializing in physical security assessments, threat management, and security program reviews for corporations and institutions. Operates in the same niche as Silva Consultants with a comparable independent, advisory-only model.

Emerging players

• S-RM: Independent security and risk consultancy providing physical security assessments and design advisory across multiple industries. Operates in the same niche as Silva Consultants with a similar independent advisory model, though typically with broader geographic scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/silvaconsultant

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Silva Consultants