Cotton, Shires and Associates

What Cotton, Shires and Associates does

Cotton, Shires and Associates, Inc. (CSA) is a privately held geotechnical engineering and engineering geology consulting firm founded in 1974 in Los Gatos, California, as the successor to William Cotton and Associates. The firm provides a full range of engineering geologic and geotechnical services across seven integrated service lines: Landslides and Rock Mechanics, Faults and Seismic Hazards, Investigation and Design, Construction Observation and Testing, Peer Review, Expert Witness litigation support, and Aerial Photogrammetric Surveying and 3D Modeling. Notable technical capabilities include FAA-certified small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) producing sub-centimeter accuracy 3D models via Structure from Motion, multi-channel seismograph and ReMi geophysical exploration, in-house soils laboratory testing, and installation of piezometers and slope inclinometers for ongoing ground and slope monitoring. CSA operates from three California offices (Los Gatos, Thousand Oaks, and San Andreas) and serves clients throughout California and the Western United States.

The firm's go-to-market is direct, project-based B2B professional services engagement with municipal governments, utilities, public agencies, private corporations, law firms, and homeowner associations. Revenue is generated through fee-for-service consulting engagements rather than subscription or product sales, with pricing typically arranged on a quote-based or project-fee basis. Its client base includes more than 50 law firms, 35 private corporations, 15 municipal peer review clients (including the City and County of San Francisco, Pacific Gas and Electric, East Bay Municipal Utilities District, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the City and County of Honolulu), and residential slope stability clients. CSA also provides litigation support and expert witness testimony, with senior staff having collectively investigated over 600 earth movement cases and testified at over 83 trials.

The firm is independently owned, has no external institutional investment, and employs a small team of approximately 14 professionals. Its value proposition rests on the combination of detailed geologic observational capability, advanced geotechnical analysis, and a multi-decade library of hazard maps for Bay Area communities that municipalities rely on to mitigate geotechnical liability before development approval.

Name

Cotton, Shires and Associates

Legal name

Cotton, Shires and Associates, Inc.

Website

https://cottonshires.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cotton, Shires and Associates is a privately held geotechnical engineering and engineering geology consulting firm founded in 1974, serving municipalities, utilities, law firms, and private clients across California and the Western United States through project-based consulting and expert witness services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Geotechnical Engineering Services

NAICS

Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (54136), Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (541360)

akta.pro primary industry

Geotechnical & Subsurface Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Geotechnical engineering services
• Engineering geology consulting
• Slope stability analysis
• Seismic hazard assessment
• Landslide investigation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Gatos

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Geotechnical Engineering Consulting: Professional consulting services providing geotechnical engineering investigation, design, construction management, inspection, and litigation support for clients throughout California and the Western United States. Revenue is generated through project-based consulting engagements.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Cotton, Shires and Associates provides engineering geologic and geotechnical engineering services, including site investigation, foundation and grading design, slope stability and landslide analysis, seismic and fault hazard evaluation, construction observation and soils testing, peer review for municipalities, and expert witness testimony for litigation. The firm also performs aerial photogrammetric surveying using small unmanned aircraft systems to generate high-precision 3D models for geotechnical and mapping applications. Services are delivered on a project basis to government agencies, utilities, law firms, and private clients throughout California and the Western United States.

Product overview

Cotton, Shires and Associates, Inc. (CSA) provides a comprehensive suite of geotechnical engineering and geology services organized as distinct service offerings rather than a unified software platform. The core portfolio consists of seven integrated service lines: Landslides & Rock Mechanics (slope stability and rockfall analysis), Faults & Seismic Hazards (fault investigation and liquefaction evaluation), Investigation & Design (subsurface exploration and foundation/grading design), Construction Observation & Testing (field monitoring and laboratory soil testing), Expert Witness (litigation support and forensic analysis), Peer Review (municipal hazard verification), and Aerial Photogrammetric Surveying and 3-D Modeling (drone-based topographic mapping). These services work together as a complete project lifecycle solution—from initial site investigation and hazard assessment through design, construction monitoring, and expert testimony—serving clients throughout California and the Western United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Landslides & Rock Mechanics Characterization and analysis of earth movement including landslides, levee failures, dam instability, and soil creep. Includes slope stability analysis, seismic-triggered landslide analysis, and rock slope mechanics with anchors, scaling, tie-backs, and rockfall catchment design. Intended for municipalities, utilities, and private clients facing slope instability and earth movement hazards.
• Faults & Seismic Hazards Investigation and characterization of active faults and seismic hazards including surface mapping, aerial photography interpretation, LIDAR imagery, geophysics, subsurface investigation with exploratory trenches, liquefaction hazard evaluation, and ground shaking determination using deterministic and probabilistic methods. Intended for municipalities and property owners in seismically active regions of California and the Western United States.
• Expert Witness Forensic geotechnical investigation and expert witness testimony for litigation cases involving earthquake damages, expansive soil distress, water/mold damages, levee stability, coastal bluff retreat, debris flows, foundation distress, and mitigation design with construction cost estimates. Intended for law firms requiring qualified expert witnesses with extensive trial experience.
• Investigation & Design Geologic mapping, geotechnical and geophysical investigations, subsurface exploration, foundation design, grading and drainage design services including civil drawings, specifications, cost estimates, and construction inspection for residential, commercial, and civil works projects. Intended for property owners, developers, municipalities, and public agencies requiring site-specific engineering investigation and design.
• Peer Review Independent geotechnical peer review services for municipalities to identify and verify adequate mitigation of potential geotechnical hazards such as landslides, earthquake faults, expansive soils, liquefaction, settlement, and adverse drainage conditions. CSA currently serves 15 peer review clients, acting as an extension of city, town, or county staff and participating in meetings with planners and applicants.
• Construction Observation & Testing Construction monitoring and soil testing services including earthwork observation, quality control, instrumentation installation (piezometers, slope inclinometers), ground compaction testing, nuclear density testing, and routine soils tests (moisture/density, Atterberg limits, sieve analysis, direct shear, consolidation, R-value). Includes a sophisticated in-house soils lab for timely results. Intended for project owners and contractors needing construction quality assurance.
• Aerial Photogrammetric Surveying and 3-D Modeling Aerial surveying using small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) with FAA-certified commercial remote pilots to create high-precision 3D models, point clouds, orthophotomosaics, and contours using Structure from Motion (SfM) technology, with accuracy to less than 1 centimeter in optimal conditions when using ground control points. Intended for clients needing topographic, geologic, and engineering mapping inputs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced risk associated with building in hazardous terrains through hazard maps and companion regulatory procedures
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments5 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

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Shannon & Wilson: Geotechnical and environmental consulting firm with strong emphasis on slope stability, seismic, and tunnel work; highly comparable to CSA in technical focus, client mix, and reliance on senior practitioner expertise.
• GeoEngineers: Earth science and engineering consulting firm offering geotechnical, geological, and geophysical services closely aligned with CSA's slope stability, seismic, and dam/water infrastructure work.
• Leighton and Associates: California-based geotechnical and engineering geology firm with deep Southern California municipal and landslide experience; closely comparable in size, geography, and service mix to CSA.

Broad incumbents

• AECOM: Global infrastructure consulting firm with a large geotechnical practice that competes with CSA on major California municipal, transportation, and water infrastructure programs.
• Stantec: Multi-disciplinary engineering firm whose geotechnical and environmental practices compete with CSA on California municipal infrastructure, water, and land development projects.
• Haley & Aldrich: Geotechnical and environmental consulting firm serving infrastructure, utilities, and real estate clients with subsurface and foundation engineering services overlapping CSA's investigation and design practice.
• Kleinfelder: National engineering, geotechnical, and environmental consulting firm that competes with CSA on California geotechnical, seismic, and dam safety projects, but offers a much broader multi-discipline platform and deeper staffing for larger pursuits.
• Fugro: Global geotechnical and geo-data specialist whose site characterization, geophysics, and geotechnical consulting overlap with CSA's investigation, geophysical, and aerial surveying services.
• Terracon Consultants: Large U.S. geotechnical, environmental, and materials testing firm with national reach; competes with CSA on commercial and municipal geotechnical investigations, construction observation, and peer review.
• WSP (formerly Golder Associates): WSP's Golder-legacy geotechnical practice is a direct competitor on California slope stability, dam, and seismic projects, with significantly greater scale and international technical resources.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Cotton, Shires and Associates