GFE Structural

What GFE Structural does

GFE Structural, Inc. is a privately held structural engineering firm headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, providing complete analysis and design services for residential, commercial, and public works buildings across the Colorado Front Range. Founded in 1988 as Glenn Frank Engineering, Inc. and rebranded to GFE Structural around 2021, the firm has operated continuously for over 35 years under the same ownership lineage, with no disclosed external investment or parent company. The firm employs between 1 and 10 people and is led by experienced principals including Billy Schoelman, who authors detailed technical content covering wind design history, frost-protected foundations, and structural connection detailing.

The firm's service portfolio spans structural engineering for residential projects (new construction, remodels, cantilevers, decks, retaining walls), commercial buildings (steel frames, masonry cores, lateral force systems), and recreational facilities, anchored by the 2019 Spot Climbing Gym warehouse-to-bouldering-gym conversion with seismic retrofitting. Technical capabilities include wind design analysis under evolving ASCE 7 standards, foundation engineering including shallow frost-protected foundations, seismic retrofitting, and complex cantilever design, with documented recognition through the 2019 Colorado Green Building Guild "Green Building of the Year" award for the Boulder County Outcrop passive solar residence.

GFE Structural generates revenue through project-based professional engineering fees quoted per engagement, serving owners, architects, and contractors primarily in the Colorado Front Range market including Boulder, Denver, Erie, and Louisville. The go-to-market is sales-led through direct relationships and repeat collaborations with a long tail of small-to-mid architectural firms and general contractors, supplemented by a technical blog, Instagram presence, and email newsletter. The firm operates as a single-service engineering consultancy rather than a platform or productized offering, with no disclosed subscription, SaaS, or licensing revenue streams.

Name

GFE Structural

Legal name

GFE Structural, Inc.

Website

https://gfestructural.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

GFE Structural is a Boulder, Colorado-based structural engineering firm founded in 1988 providing analysis, design, and site observation services for residential, commercial, and public works buildings across the Colorado Front Range, serving owners, architects, and contractors on a project-based professional services basis.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Structural Engineering Services

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAA)

Keywords

• Structural engineering services
• Residential structural design
• Commercial structural engineering
• Foundation design services
• Wind load engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Boulder

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Structural Engineering Consulting: Professional engineering services provided to owners, architects, and contractors for building projects. Services include design, analysis, site observations, and technical consultation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

GFE Structural provides complete structural engineering services for residential, commercial, and public works buildings across Colorado's Front Range. The firm delivers analysis, design, site observations, and technical consultation with specialized expertise in steel frames, concrete foundations, retaining walls, cantilever designs, and seismic retrofitting. Since 1988, the firm has supported owners, architects, and contractors on projects ranging from custom hillside homes to commercial remodels and recreational facility conversions.

Product overview

GFE Structural provides complete structural engineering services to owners, architects, and contractors across the Front Range of Colorado. The firm offers a unified portfolio of services centered on structural analysis and design for residential, commercial, and public works buildings. The core service offering encompasses wind design analysis, foundation design, and roof structural design, complemented by specialized expertise in areas such as seismic retrofitting, cantilever construction, and sustainable/green building practices. The company operates as a single-service engineering firm rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Structural Engineering Services Complete structural engineering services for residential, commercial, and public works buildings, including analysis and design, wind design, foundation design, and roof structural design, delivered to owners, architects, and contractors.
• Residential Structural Engineering Structural engineering services for residential projects including new construction, remodels, cantilevers, decks, retaining walls, and hillside residences for homeowners and residential architects/contractors.
• Commercial Structural Engineering Structural engineering services for commercial buildings including new construction and remodels with steel frames, masonry cores, and complex lateral systems, serving commercial property developers and architects.
• Recreational Structural Engineering Structural engineering services for recreational facilities including gymnasiums and climbing walls with seismic retrofitting, serving owners of recreational and fitness facilities.
• Wind Design Analysis Specialized wind design engineering following evolving standards from UBC to ASCE 7-22, including tornado load provisions for residential and commercial structures in high-wind Colorado Front Range environments.
• Foundation Design Services Foundation engineering including shallow frost protected foundations, spread footings, and over-excavation with structural fill tailored to Colorado Front Range conditions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Largest cantilevered steel beam specified by firm: W21x57 with 14' cantilever and 14' backspan
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Simpson Strong TiecoreTechnology or IntegrationMaterial supplier partner referenced in technical blog posts about nail selection. Simpson Strong-Tie provides engineering guidance charts that GFE Structural uses to specify proper connections and nail requirements for structural hangers, shear walls, and framing connections.
• Red Sky PhotographyminorOthersPhotography partner credited on multiple projects including The Spot Climbing Gym and Steel Deck in the Foothills. Provides professional photography services for project documentation and marketing materials.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• AECOM: Global infrastructure consulting firm with a substantial structural engineering practice. Comparable at the service-line level for structural design, though most of its structural work is delivered as part of larger multi-discipline engagements.
• Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates (WJE): National engineering consultancy with strong structural engineering practice including investigation, design, and rehabilitation. Comparable in core structural-engineering technical expertise, though significantly larger and more diversified.
• Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH): National engineering firm specializing in structural design, investigation, and applied science. Comparable in structural-engineering focus and complexity of projects, though serving a broader geographic and project footprint.
• Arup: Global engineering and design consultancy with structural engineering as a core service. Comparable in structural-design technical depth, though much broader in scale, services, and geographic reach.
• Burns & McDonnell: Engineering, architecture, and construction firm with structural engineering capabilities across multiple market sectors. Comparable in offering structural engineering services, though operating at much larger scale and project scope.
• Thornton Tomasetti: Global engineering consultancy with deep structural engineering practice. Comparable in structural design expertise and complexity of buildings, though significantly larger and more diversified across markets and services.

Direct peers

• Martin/Martin: Colorado-based structural and civil engineering consulting firm serving the Front Range with similar scope (residential, commercial, institutional). Directly comparable in geography, service mix, and client base.
• KL&A Engineers and Builders: Colorado structural engineering firm with offices in Golden, Loveland, and Basalt. Comparable in regional focus, structural-engineering consulting services, and serving similar architect and contractor clients in the Front Range.
• JVA Consulting Engineers: Colorado-based structural, civil, and environmental engineering firm with offices in Boulder, Fort Collins, and Denver. Direct peer in market geography and service scope, particularly for residential and commercial building projects.
• S.A. Miro Engineers: Structural engineering consulting firm specializing in complex building structures including residential, commercial, and high-end custom projects. Comparable in service offering and project complexity tier.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/gfestructural
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gfe-structural

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 GFE Structural