What Cowal Design does

Cowal Design Consultants Limited is a private UK civil and structural engineering consultancy founded in 2005 and headquartered in Glasgow. The firm delivers multidisciplinary design services across the building and infrastructure lifecycle, covering structural engineering (foundations, reinforced concrete, steel frames via TEKLA 3D modelling, timber frames with NHBC certification, and SIPS), civil engineering (roads, drainage, water mains with WIRS approval, flood risk assessments, and ground modelling), and BIM Level 2 coordination using REVIT as the defacto structural modelling standard. The offering is supplemented by in-house surveying (topographical, drone, and 3D laser scanning), temporary works design, and construction management services, providing an end-to-end consultancy proposition from site appraisal through construction supervision.

The firm operates from five offices (Glasgow HQ, Edinburgh, Oban, Stornoway, and London) with 26 staff, having completed over 4,500 projects across the UK and Ireland. Its client base is diversified across housing associations, local authorities, private developers, contractors, commercial operators, and non-profits, with portfolio project values ranging from under £1m to £40m. Directors act as leads on every engagement, and the owners' blended designer–contractor–developer background is positioned as a differentiator against pure-play design practices.

Revenue is generated through project-based professional services fees, with no standard pricing tiers publicly disclosed. The company has reported a strategic plan of 10% year-on-year growth that has been exceeded for five consecutive years, with current expansion focused on the central belt of Scotland and the education, healthcare, and multi-unit housing segments. No external funding, parent company, or acquisition activity is disclosed.

Name

Cowal Design

Legal name

Cowal Design Consultants Limited

Website

https://cowaldesign.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cowal Design is a Glasgow-based civil and structural engineering consultancy founded in 2005, delivering multidisciplinary design, surveying, temporary works, and construction management services to public and private sector clients across the UK and Ireland from five offices with 26 staff.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil and Structural Engineering Consultancy

NAICS

Nonresidential Building Construction (2362), Residential Building Construction (23611)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540), General Bldg Contractors - Residential Bldgs (1520)

akta.pro primary industry

Design-Build / EPC General Contracting (IMAFAAAD)

Keywords

• Civil engineering services
• Structural engineering design
• BIM consultancy
• Temporary works design
• Infrastructure engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Glasgow

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Engineering Consultancy Services: Professional engineering consultancy providing civil and structural engineering design services, temporary works design, infrastructure design, and construction management. Revenue generated through project-based fees for design services, site supervision, and consulting engagements with both public and private sector clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Cowal Design is a multi-disciplinary civil and structural engineering consultancy providing design solutions for buildings and infrastructure. Its core offering combines structural engineering (foundations, reinforced concrete, steel frame, timber frame, SIPS), civil engineering (roads, drainage, water mains, flood risk assessments) and BIM Level 2 modelling using TEKLA and REVIT. These are delivered alongside in-house surveying, temporary works design, and construction management to provide a one-stop-shop consultancy service across the UK and Ireland.

Product overview

Cowal Design is a multi-disciplinary civil and structural engineering consultancy offering a unified suite of engineering design services. The core offering combines Structural Engineering Services (foundations, reinforced concrete, steel frames, timber frames, SIPS) and Civil Engineering Services (roads, drainage, water mains, flood risk assessments) delivered alongside BIM Level 2 capabilities using TEKLA and REVIT. These are supplemented by in-house Surveying Services (topographical, drone, laser scanning), Temporary Works Design, and Construction Management. The company operates as a single integrated consultancy rather than a platform with modular products, providing end-to-end engineering solutions from site appraisal through construction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Structural Engineering Services Comprehensive structural engineering design for foundations, reinforced concrete, steel frame (with 3D Tekla modelling), timber frame (NHBC certified), SIPS, and SER-certified structural design work across residential, commercial, industrial, healthcare, education and conservation sectors.
• Civil Engineering Services Civil engineering design covering early stage appraisals, planning liaison, roads design, drainage systems (including SuDS), foul and surface water drainage, water mains (WIRS approved), sewage treatment, flood risk assessments, drainage impact assessments, traffic audits, and cut-and-fill ground modelling.
• BIM Level 2 Services Building Information Modelling (BIM Level 2) services using REVIT and TEKLA for 3D civil and structural analysis and design, enabling fully integrated project information sharing with architects and the wider design team.
• Surveying Services In-house surveying capabilities including topographical surveys, site investigations, drone surveys, 3D laser scanning, measured building surveys, and geotechnical investigations, with data feeding directly into civil and structural colleagues.
• Temporary Works Design Design of temporary works including structural support systems, facade retention, and construction-phase methodology to facilitate building projects.
• Construction Management and Site Supervision Construction management, site supervision, and Principal Designer services including site appraisals, cut-and-fill ground modelling, and construction-phase oversight.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 4500 projects completed across the UK and Ireland
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Trimble (TEKLA)coreTechnology or IntegrationSoftware partnership for TEKLA 3D structural modelling used for steel frame design and detailing
• Autodesk (REVIT)coreTechnology or IntegrationREVIT software used as defacto standard for structural models enabling sharing with architects on projects
• WINDESsupportingTechnology or IntegrationCivil and structural analysis software for drainage and infrastructure design
• Autodesk (Civils 3D)supportingTechnology or IntegrationInfrastructure design software for roads and drainage projects
• NHBCcoreTechnology or IntegrationNHBC timber frame certification for housing developments meeting National House-Building Council standards
• Structural Engineers Registration (SER)coreTechnology or IntegrationSER certification for structural design work in Scotland
• WIRS (Water Industry Registration Scheme)coreTechnology or IntegrationWIRS Lloyds approved designers for water mains design
• SEPAsupportingTechnology or IntegrationLicence consents for septic tank registration and environmental compliance

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Fairhurst: Scottish-headquartered civil and structural engineering consultancy serving the UK. Directly comparable geographic roots, public-sector client mix, and project portfolio type including housing, education, and infrastructure.
• Waterman Group: UK engineering consultancy delivering structural, civil, and infrastructure design across buildings and transport. Comparable service offering with multi-office UK footprint, though materially larger scale than Cowal.
• Curtins: UK-based civil and structural engineering consultancy with multi-office presence and similar sector exposure across residential, education, healthcare, and commercial. Closest scale comparable to Cowal with a similar reputation-led, mid-tier positioning.
• McBains: UK property and construction consultancy with structural and civil engineering capabilities serving public and private sector clients. Comparable mid-tier positioning with overlap in education, residential, and heritage sectors.
• Pell Frischmann: UK-headquartered multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy covering structural, civil, and infrastructure design. Comparable consulting-led business model serving public and private sector clients across residential, education, and transport.

Regional players

• David Narro Associates: Scotland-based structural and civil engineering consultancy with similar mid-tier profile. Closely comparable in geographic roots and project mix, though primarily Scotland-focused without Cowal's London and Ireland reach.

Broad incumbents

• WSP: Global professional services consultancy with extensive UK property and infrastructure design capability. Competes on virtually every UK public and private sector structural/civil brief but at vastly larger scale.
• Buro Happold: Global engineering consultancy with strong structural and civil design heritage and UK presence. Operates at materially larger scale but competes with Cowal on education, healthcare, and conservation projects.
• RPS Group: UK-headquartered consultancy with strong built environment, planning, and engineering services across public and private sectors. Comparable in serving UK housing associations and local authorities, though significantly larger and broader in scope.
• Mott MacDonald: Global engineering, management, and development consultancy with major UK infrastructure and buildings practices. Competes with Cowal on public-sector frameworks and large housing/infrastructure commissions at significantly greater scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cowal-design-consultants-limited
• Xx.com/cowalcon

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Cowal Design