Cato Bolam

What Cato Bolam does

Cato Bolam Consultants Ltd is a New Zealand-based, privately held land development consultancy founded in 1972, providing integrated multi-disciplinary services across Planning, Surveying, Civil Engineering, Architecture, and Environmental specializations. The firm employs over 100 staff across six offices (Henderson, Orewa, Manukau/Highbrook, Whangarei, Waiheke, and Mangawhai) serving the Auckland and Northland regions. Its core offering is full-lifecycle project delivery for property developers, rural landowners, and government clients — from feasibility assessment through resource consent, design, and final delivery — eliminating the need to coordinate multiple separate consultancies.

The company's service portfolio includes Development Feasibility, Land Development Project Management, Resource Consents, Plan Changes, Cadastral Surveying (including 3D laser scanning and UAV capture), Civil Engineering, Flood Assessments and Modelling, Architecture and Landscape Architecture, Ecology, and Land Contamination assessment. Notable technical capabilities include proprietary 3D laser scanning, XRF soil contamination detection, and an innovative fish passage/fish ladder design developed in collaboration with NIWA that enables development over significant elevation differences. Project values across the firm's portfolio range from approximately NZ$15 million (rural subdivisions) to over NZ$100 million (large master-planned communities such as Whitianga Waterways with 1,500+ homes and Riverhead South with 400+ residential sites).

Cato Bolam operates a sales-led, project-based professional services model with fees structured around scope of work; resource consent applications start from approximately NZ$2,000 for simple cases, while free initial development-potential assessments serve as a top-of-funnel acquisition mechanism. Customers span enterprise property developers (Clarke Group, Hopper Developments, Mike Greer Homes, Kaipura Development Holdings), infrastructure contractors (Fletcher Construction), and government bodies (Auckland Council, Department of Conservation). The firm is independently owned by its directors and principals, with no disclosed external investors or parent entity.

Name

Cato Bolam

Legal name

Cato Bolam Consultants Ltd

Website

https://catobolam.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Cato Bolam Consultants is a New Zealand land development consultancy founded in 1972, providing integrated planning, surveying, civil engineering, architecture, and environmental services to property developers, rural landowners, and government clients across Auckland and Northland through six regional offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Land Development Consulting Services

NAICS

Landscape Architectural Services (541320), Landscape Architectural Services (54132), Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (236220)

SIC

Land Subdividers & Developers (No Cemeteries) (6552)

akta.pro primary industry

Construction Management & Delivery (EPCM/CMAR/Design-Build Oversight) (EUANALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Construction Management & General Contracting (EPCM, Scheduling, QA/QC, HSE) (EUAMAFAJ), Civil & Site Works EPC (Earthworks, Roads, Drainage, Foundations) (EUAEADAA)

Keywords

• Land development consulting
• Resource consent services
• Civil engineering consultancy
• Cadastral surveying services
• Subdivision planning services

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Land Development Consulting Services: Project-based professional consulting fees for comprehensive land development services including planning, surveying, civil engineering, architecture, and ecology services from feasibility through to resource consent and final delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cato Bolam is an integrated land development consultancy delivering planning, surveying, civil engineering, architecture, and environmental/ecology services for housing, subdivision, and infrastructure projects across New Zealand. Engagements span the full project lifecycle from development feasibility and project management through resource consents, plan changes, surveying and engineering design, to architecture, flood modelling, and contamination assessment, all delivered by an in-house multidisciplinary team.

Product overview

Cato Bolam is a fully integrated land development consultancy offering comprehensive, multi-disciplinary services for housing, land development, subdivision, and infrastructure projects. The company's service portfolio spans Planning, Surveying, Engineering, Architecture, and Environmental specialties, all delivered by an expert in-house team that works collaboratively from concept through to resource consent and final delivery. Core services include Development Feasibility, Land Development Project Management, Resource Consents, Plan Changes, Surveying (with 3D Laser Scanning capability), Unit Titles, Rural Subdivisions & Land Use, Industrial and Commercial Development, Large and Infill Urban Subdivisions, Civil Engineering, Flood Assessments & Modelling, Architecture & Landscape Architecture, Housing Projects, Ecology, and Land Contamination assessment. The integrated service model enables seamless project delivery without requiring clients to engage multiple separate consultancies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Development Feasibility Assessment of site potential and development opportunities for housing, land development, and infrastructure projects, provided to property owners and developers to determine feasibility before committing to a development.
• Land Development Project Management Project management services that keep land development projects on track, on time, and on budget through all phases from concept to delivery, for property developers and landowners running subdivision or infrastructure projects.
• Planning Planning services including resource consent applications, approvals, and compliance management for development projects, delivered to property developers, landowners, and government clients.
• Resource Consents Management of resource consent applications, approvals, and compliance throughout the development process for property developers, landowners, and commercial clients.
• Plan Changes Navigation of zoning changes through district plan amendments to unlock new development opportunities for landowners and developers.
• Surveying Cadastral surveying, topographical surveys, GNSS/GPS surveys, and set-out surveying services using 3D laser scanning capabilities, provided to developers, landowners, and home builders.
• 3D Laser Scanning Advanced 3D laser scanning service for capturing detailed 3D spatial data of development sites to support surveying, design, and engineering work for property developers and project owners.
• Unit Titles Unit title subdivision services for higher density residential developments such as apartments and commercial buildings, delivered to property developers.
• Rural Subdivisions & Land Use Sustainable, practical subdivision solutions for rural land including countryside living and agricultural subdivisions, provided to rural landowners and farming operations.
• Industrial and Commercial Development Strategic, efficient, and innovative solutions for industrial and commercial land development projects, provided to commercial and industrial developers.
• Large Urban Subdivisions Comprehensive and integrated large-scale urban subdivision developments from master planning through to completion, delivered to property developers and landowners.
• Infill Urban Subdivisions Smart infill subdivision solutions that maximise land use in established urban areas, provided to property developers.
• Civil Engineering Civil engineering design, construction supervision, and certification services for land development infrastructure, delivered to developers, landowners, and contractors.
• Flood Assessments & Modelling Detailed flood assessments and hydrological modelling to define flood levels and inform development design for property developers, landowners, and council clients.
• Flood Hazard Review Flood hazard assessment service to determine whether building sites and access routes meet required flood level standards, provided to property owners and developers.
• Architecture & Landscape Architecture Architectural design and landscape architecture services from concept through construction documentation for residential, commercial, and master-planned developments.
• Housing Projects Tailored multidisciplinary solutions for residential projects at all scales, from single houses to multi-unit developments, delivered to home builders and developers.
• Ecology Ecological impact assessments, wetland identification, stream delineation, and ecological enhancement design services for developers, landowners, and council clients.
• Land Contamination Contaminated land assessment, remediation planning, and validation reporting services for development sites, provided to developers and landowners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Delivered over 400 residential sites on Riverhead South project
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNIWA provided professional advice and expertise for the innovative fish passage design at Westgate Town Centre. The collaboration enabled development of a 4-meter fish ladder that allows fish passage over significant elevation differences, a solution previously considered infeasible.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCsH8pA-rSChFpYRi03osUyg
• Facebookfacebook.com/CatoBolam
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cato-bolam-consultants-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/catobolam

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 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 Cato Bolam