Quest Design Group
Quest Design Group is a privately held MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection) engineering firm headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, with four offices across Illinois, Tennessee, and Florida. The firm provides building-system design services to architects, developers, and contractors across commercial, hospitality, residential, institutional, and government projects.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersOak Brook, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Quest Design Group does
Quest Design Group (QDG) is a privately held professional engineering firm specializing in mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection (MEP) design services for building construction projects. Founded in 2003 by Michael A. Janis and headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, the firm operates four offices across Illinois, Tennessee, and Florida, with professional licensure to work in more than 20 U.S. states. Its core deliverables are MEP system design packages, supplemented by LEED/sustainable building certification support, construction administration, third-party plan reviews, feasibility studies, lightning protection design, and geothermal engineering. The firm's technical platform is centered on Autodesk Revit and Building Information Modeling (BIM) for 3D coordination of building systems, with a dedicated BIM Manager role formalized in 2020.
The firm's customer base is diversified across hospitality, commercial, multi-family residential, government, healthcare, religious, and institutional end markets. Notable engagements include the Marriott Waterside Hotel and Marina (719-room renovation), Sarasota County Fire Station No. 12, a $4.5 million renovation of the Sailor Circus Arena, and 230,000+ sq ft multi-family developments for architecture firms such as OHM Advisors, KTGY Architecture + Planning, and 2RZ Architecture. The firm cites experience with more than 5,000 projects and 35+ LEED-certified projects including four LEED Platinum and three Net Zero Energy projects. Sustainability and green-building design, led by LEED AP-qualified staff, is a stated specialty and a recurring element of project credentials.
The business model is B2B professional services, with revenue generated through project-based fees for design services rather than subscription, licensing, or recurring contracts. Distribution is direct — QDG works with architects and contractors from initial consultation through construction administration and final seal of approval, with projects sourced via referrals, relationships, and competitive bidding. Growth to date has been a mix of organic office openings and tuck-in acquisitions (Stewart Engineering Consultants in 2015 for the Sarasota market, MP&E Engineering in 2017 for the Nashville market), with a fourth office in Tampa opened organically in January 2020. Marketing channels are limited to a company LinkedIn presence, a "QDG-Report" newsletter, technical blog content, and industry-organization involvement (AIA, ASHRAE) — there is no channel or platform distribution model.
Quest Design Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Quest Design Group
- Legal name
- Quest Design Group
- Website
- https://questdg.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Quest Design Group is a privately held MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection) engineering firm headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, with four offices across Illinois, Tennessee, and Florida. The firm provides building-system design services to architects, developers, and contractors across commercial, hospitality, residential, institutional, and government projects.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Quest Design Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, and Fire Protection (MEP) Engineering Design Services
- NAICS
- Other Specialized Design Services (54149)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering Services (8711), Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Construction Engineering & Constructability Consulting (BPAHAIAN)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Building Information Modeling (BIM) & Digital Design Services (BPAHAKAK)
Keywords
Where Quest Design Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oak Brook
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Quest Design Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Engineering Design Services: Professional engineering services for MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing) and Fire Protection systems for the building construction industry. Revenue is generated through project-based fees for design services, likely billed by project scope or hourly rates.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Quest Design Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Quest Design Group is a professional engineering services firm that designs mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection (MEP) building systems for commercial, residential, hospitality, institutional, healthcare, and government construction projects. Work is delivered through BIM/Autodesk Revit-based 3D design and includes LEED/sustainable certification, construction administration, feasibility studies, plan reviews, and specialty services such as site lighting, geothermal, and lightning protection. Revenue is earned through project-based professional services fees for each building engagement.
Product overview
Quest Design Group (QDG) is a professional mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection (MEP) engineering services firm. The company operates as a single integrated service offering rather than a modular software product. Core services include MEP engineering design, supplemented by specialized offerings such as LEED/sustainable building certification services, construction administration, site lighting, building reviews, third-party plan reviews, lightning protection systems, feasibility studies, specification development, and geothermal engineering services. Projects span commercial, residential, institutional, healthcare, hospitality, and industrial building types across the United States.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Mechanical Engineering Services Design of HVAC systems (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) and mechanical systems for commercial and residential building projects. Delivered by licensed mechanical engineers using BIM/Autodesk Revit.
- Electrical Engineering Services Design of electrical power distribution, lighting systems, and electrical infrastructure for building construction projects across commercial, residential, institutional, healthcare, and government segments.
- Plumbing Engineering Services Design of domestic water, sanitary, vent piping systems, and plumbing fixtures for commercial and residential building applications, with code review included.
- Fire Protection Engineering Services Design of fire sprinkler systems, standpipe systems, and fire alarm systems for building life safety across commercial, residential, hospitality, government, and institutional facilities.
- LEED and Sustainable Building Services USGBC LEED and FGBC certification guidance, administration, and commissioning for sustainable building projects; track record of 35+ LEED projects including 4 LEED Platinum and 3 Net Zero Energy projects.
- Construction Administration Construction-phase oversight including submittal reviews, shop drawing reviews, and contractor progress reviews for projects where QDG designed the MEP/Fire Protection systems.
- Site Lighting Design Exterior site lighting design for parking lots, walkways, and building exteriors, integrated with broader electrical engineering deliverables.
- Building Reviews and Due Diligence Reporting Technical review and assessment of building systems and construction documentation for owner and investor due diligence purposes.
- Third Party Plan Reviews Independent review and assessment of engineering plans and specifications prepared by other engineering firms, for jurisdictions and owners requiring independent peer review.
- Lightning Protection Systems Design of lightning protection systems for buildings and structures, integrated into the building's electrical engineering scope where required.
- Feasibility Studies Technical and economic feasibility assessments for building projects and MEP system options, supporting owner and developer go/no-go decisions.
- Specification Development Development of technical specifications for engineering systems and construction requirements, paired with construction drawings prepared under QDG's other services.
- Geothermal Engineering Services Design and engineering services for geothermal heating and cooling systems, supporting sustainable and Net Zero Energy project goals.
Quantifiable outcome
- Completed over 5,000 projects across multiple market segments
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Quest Design Group
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Quest Design Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Quest Design Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- MP&E EngineeringcoreQDG expanded into the Nashville market through the acquisition of MP&E Engineering in August 2017. The acquisition added three fulltime engineers and experience in retail, commercial, government, and healthcare sectors. MP&E was founded in 2005 by Todd Fogelberg and had developed an excellent reputation providing MEP services in Middle Tennessee.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Quest Design Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Affiliated Engineers, Inc. (AEI): AEI is a national MEP and building systems engineering firm with offices across the U.S. It competes directly with QDG on large institutional, healthcare, and science & technology projects and represents a scaled incumbent in the same core service category.
- Stantec (Buildings practice): Stantec is a global design and engineering consultancy with a substantial buildings MEP group. It competes with QDG on multifamily, hospitality, healthcare, and government work where larger programs favor incumbents with broader reach.
- WSP USA (MEP/Buildings practice): WSP is a global professional services firm with a large buildings-MEP practice that competes for the same hospitality, healthcare, and large commercial assignments as QDG, typically at the upper end of project scale.
Direct peers
- Smith Seckman Reid (SSR): SSR is an employee-owned engineering firm with MEP, structural, and commissioning practices serving healthcare, higher education, and commercial clients. It is comparable to QDG in employee ownership, private status, and end-market mix.
- ESD (Engineering Services & Design): ESD is a privately held MEP, technology, and commissioning engineering firm with offices in the Midwest and East Coast. It shares QDG's focus on sustainability and high-performance buildings and competes for similar commercial and institutional clients.
- RMF Engineering: RMF Engineering is a privately held MEP and structural engineering firm with multiple regional offices and a similar mix of healthcare, higher education, government, and commercial clients, making it a close comparable to QDG in scale and service mix.
- Karges-Faulconbridge, Inc. Karges-Faulconbridge is a regional MEP and structural engineering firm serving commercial, healthcare, and institutional clients. It is a strong comparable to QDG as a similarly sized, privately held practice with a similar service line and client profile.
- CMTA Engineering: CMTA is a Midwestern-rooted MEP engineering firm with a strong focus on energy-efficient and net-zero design. It overlaps directly with QDG on K-12, higher education, healthcare, and public-sector projects in similar geographies.
- ME Engineers: ME Engineers is a private MEP engineering consultancy with a similar boutique, owner-led culture and comparable service offering (mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, sustainable design). It targets the same architect-and-developer client base.
- Jordan & Skala Engineers: Jordan & Skala is a national MEP and fire protection engineering firm with offices across the Sun Belt. It competes with QDG in multifamily, hospitality, healthcare, and commercial work, particularly in Florida and Tennessee.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Quest Design Group social profiles
Digital presenceQuest Design Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Quest Design Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Quest Design Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Quest Design Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Quest Design Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Quest Design Group
What does Quest Design Group do?
Quest Design Group is a professional engineering services firm that designs mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection (MEP) building systems for commercial, residential, hospitality, institutional, healthcare, and government construction projects. Work is delivered through BIM/Autodesk Revit-based 3D design and includes LEED/sustainable certification, construction administration, feasibility studies, plan reviews, and specialty services such as site lighting, geothermal, and lightning protection. Revenue is earned through project-based professional services fees for each building engagement.
Is Quest Design Group a public or private company?
Quest Design Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Quest Design Group founded?
Quest Design Group was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Quest Design Group based?
Quest Design Group is headquartered in Oak Brook, United States, in the North America region.
How does Quest Design Group make money?
One revenue line is on record: engineering Design Services.
Who are Quest Design Group's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Affiliated Engineers, Inc. (AEI), Stantec (Buildings practice) and WSP USA (MEP/Buildings practice). Direct peers are Smith Seckman Reid (SSR), ESD (Engineering Services & Design), RMF Engineering, Karges-Faulconbridge, Inc., CMTA Engineering, ME Engineers and Jordan & Skala Engineers.
Does Quest Design Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Quest Design Group.
What industry is Quest Design Group in?
Quest Design Group's product category is Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, and Fire Protection (MEP) Engineering Design Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAIAN, Construction Engineering & Constructability Consulting, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAK, Building Information Modeling (BIM) & Digital Design Services. Its NAICS code is 54149 and its SIC code is 8711.