Petra Geotechnical

What Petra Geotechnical does

Petra Geosciences, Inc. (operating as "Petra") is a privately held geotechnical engineering, engineering geology, and environmental engineering consultancy headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, founded in 1979 (per detailed records; 1988 also referenced) with six offices across Southern California (Costa Mesa, Corona, Los Angeles, Temecula, Palm Desert, Escondido). The firm delivers investigations concerning earth materials and their interaction with earthwork and structural foundations, plus a full environmental services suite and an in-house soils and materials testing laboratory supervised by a California Registered Civil Engineer.

The firm's service portfolio spans three divisions. The Geotechnical Division provides feasibility studies, geologic mapping, fault evaluation, earthquake engineering, foundation evaluation, pavement design, slope stability studies, liquefaction and lateral-spreading assessments, and laboratory studies. The Environmental Division delivers Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessments, soil and groundwater investigations, remedial design, methane investigations, and regulatory coordination. The Testing & Inspection Division operates an in-house laboratory accredited for ASTM, AASHTO, Caltrans, and CBC testing, paired with field observation services across grading, foundations, retaining walls, utility trenches, and post-construction monitoring. Technology is industry-standard: conventional geotechnical and environmental investigation methods, industry-spec lab equipment, and standard professional software rather than proprietary AI/automation.

Petra generates revenue through professional-services engagements structured as project-based quotes and multi-year on-call consultant contracts. The GTM motion is sales-led and relationship-driven, with deep incumbency at Southern California municipalities (City of Mission Viejo 25+ years, City of San Juan Capistrano 20+ years, City of Buena Park since 1995) plus enterprise residential developers (Tri Pointe Homes, Toll Brothers, Lennar, KB Home, Taylor Morrison, Meritage, Woodside, Richmond American) and commercial clients including Abbott Vascular and Lowe's. Average employee tenure exceeds 15 years, ownership appears founder/management-controlled under President Siamak Jafroudi, PhD, GE, with no disclosed external institutional investors or M&A history.

Name

Petra Geotechnical

Legal name

Petra Geosciences, Inc.

Website

https://petra-inc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Petra Geosciences, Inc. is a Southern California geotechnical, engineering geology, and environmental engineering consultancy serving government agencies and large residential and commercial developers through six regional offices across the region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Geotechnical Engineering Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (541360)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Geotechnical Design, Engineering & Consulting (Analysis, Design, Peer Review) (IMAFAOAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Geotechnical Investigation & Site Characterization (Boreholes, In-situ Testing, Lab Testing) (IMAFAOAG), Geotechnical Instrumentation & Monitoring (Settlement, Inclinometers, Piezometers) (IMAFAOAH), Geotechnical & Subsurface Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAB)

Keywords

• Geotechnical engineering services
• Environmental engineering consulting
• Construction materials testing
• Soil groundwater remediation
• Engineering geology investigations

Headquarters

HQ city

Costa Mesa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Geotechnical Engineering Services: Professional consulting services including feasibility studies, geologic mapping, fault evaluation, earthquake engineering, groundwater characterization, foundation evaluation, pavement design, slope stability studies, laboratory studies, and construction observation and testing.
2. Environmental Engineering Services: Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessments, soil and groundwater investigations, remedial recommendations and actions, methane investigations, and environmental remediation services.
3. Testing and Inspection Services: Construction materials testing and inspection services including mass/rough/precise grading observation and testing, settlement monitoring, shallow footing and caisson construction observation, and laboratory testing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Petra Geosciences, Inc. (Petra) provides comprehensive geotechnical engineering, engineering geology, and environmental engineering investigations concerning earth materials and their relationship with earthwork and structural foundations. Its work spans site acquisition, planning, design, earthwork observation, and construction testing through final construction, delivered through an in-house soils and materials testing laboratory operating to ASTM, AASHTO, Caltrans, and CBC standards.

Product overview

Petra Geosciences, Inc. (Petra) operates as a geotechnical engineering, engineering geology, and environmental engineering consultancy organized into three core divisions: the Geotechnical Division, the Environmental Division, and a Testing & Inspection laboratory. The Geotechnical Division provides investigation services (feasibility studies, geologic mapping, fault evaluation, earthquake engineering, foundation evaluation, pavement design, slope stability studies, and laboratory studies) along with grading and post-grading support services (observation, testing, and monitoring during construction). The Environmental Division offers Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessments, methane investigations, and soil and groundwater remediation services. The Testing & Inspection Division operates an in-house soils and materials testing laboratory meeting ASTM, AASHTO, Caltrans, and CBC standards. Additional pre-acquisition services include geophysical surveys and asbestos/lead-based paint abatement assessments. These divisions work together to serve residential, commercial, and infrastructure project sectors across Southern California.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Geotechnical Division Services Comprehensive geotechnical engineering services including feasibility studies, geologic mapping, fault evaluation, earthquake engineering, foundation evaluation, pavement design, slope stability studies, and laboratory studies for residential, commercial, and infrastructure projects in Southern California.
• Environmental Division Services Full range of environmental services including Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessments, soil and groundwater investigations, remedial recommendations and actions, methane investigations, and regulatory policy evaluations for public and private sector clients.
• Testing & Inspection Services Soils and materials testing laboratory supervised by a California Registered Civil Engineer, equipped with state-of-the-art equipment for construction materials testing and inspection per ASTM Standards, AASHTO, Caltrans, and CBC specifications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 45 years of successful project delivery
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• California Geotechnical Engineering Association (CalGeo)minorOthersProfessional industry association membership demonstrating involvement in the geotechnical engineering community.
• Business Development Association of Orange CountyminorOthersLocal business development association membership for networking and business development in Orange County region.
• Association of Engineering Geologists (AEG)minorOthersProfessional association membership for engineering geologists.
• Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI)minorOthersProfessional institute membership focused on earthquake engineering research and education.
• Building Industry Association of Southern California (BIASC)minorOthersBuilding industry association membership representing the residential construction and land development industry.
• American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)minorOthersProfessional society membership for civil engineers.
• South Coast Geological SocietyminorOthersRegional geological society membership for geology professionals in Southern California.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Kleinfelder: National engineering, environmental, and construction services firm with deep geotechnical and inspection capabilities. Competes with Petra for larger California public infrastructure and commercial work but with significantly broader geographic and service-line reach.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure consulting firm with significant geotechnical, environmental, and transportation engineering capabilities. Competes with Petra for large California public-sector and infrastructure engagements, including Caltrans and municipal work.
• Terracon: Large US national geotechnical, environmental, construction materials, and facilities engineering consultancy. Overlaps with Petra in residential and public-sector work but operates at a much larger scale with broader service breadth.

Direct peers

• Geocon: San Diego-based geotechnical and environmental engineering consulting firm serving Southern California. Closest direct peer — same regional footprint, same service mix (geotechnical, environmental, materials testing), and same client profile of homebuilders and public agencies.
• GeoEngineers: Geotechnical and environmental science firm serving the Pacific Northwest, California, and Mountain West. Directly comparable in service mix (geotechnical, environmental, materials testing) and customer types (developers, public agencies).
• Earth Systems Inc. California geotechnical, environmental, and geosciences consulting firm. Direct comparable — same regional focus on California, same core service lines (geotechnical, environmental, materials testing), and similar client mix of developers and public agencies.
• Converse Consultants: California-based geotechnical, environmental, and construction inspection consulting firm. Comparable in size, regional focus, and service mix to Petra, with overlapping homebuilder and public-sector clients.
• Black Eagle Consulting: California-based geotechnical, environmental, and construction inspection firm. Comparable regional consulting model serving Northern/Central California public agencies, developers, and infrastructure clients.
• Haley & Aldrich: National geotechnical and environmental engineering consultancy focused on complex site characterization and remediation. Comparable core services and customer profile, though more concentrated in complex/commercial projects and East Coast geographies.
• Ninyo & Moore: Southern California-founded geotechnical, environmental, and materials testing firm with offices across CA, AZ, and NV. Highly comparable service platform, customer base (developers, municipalities, agencies), and operating model to Petra.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/petra-geosciences

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Petra Geotechnical