What CECA does

CECA, LLC is a privately held, minority-owned full-service architectural and engineering firm headquartered in Lanham, Maryland, founded in 1998 by L. Terry Carnes. The firm operates four integrated service lines: Design Engineering (architecture, structural, mechanical, electrical, and fire protection design for projects typically ranging from 1,500 to 40,000 square feet), Third Party Inspection (independent certified inspections across electrical, mechanical, structural, fire protection, and commercial building specialties), MEP Commissioning (HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and fire protection system verification), and Construction Support (QA/QC, project management, draw inspections, and code reviews). CECA serves as a certified Third Party Inspection Agency (TPIA) in Maryland, DC, and Virginia, and holds MBE, SBE, DBE, and CBSB certifications, providing preferential access to government contracting opportunities.

The firm generates revenue through project-based, quote-priced professional services engagements delivered primarily in the Washington DC metropolitan area. Its customer base spans government agencies (e.g., DC Housing Authority, DC DMV), healthcare systems (Washington Adventist Hospital), educational institutions (Total Health Care Clinic), religious and nonprofit organizations (First Baptist Church of Glenarden), and commercial developers (National Harbor, Avocet Tower). A proprietary online Inspection Request Software portal supports client scheduling and account management for inspection engagements. Notable projects include the $2 billion National Harbor development and a $404 million, 472,000-square-foot hospital facility.

CECA reaches customers through a consultative, sales-led motion anchored on its corporate website, a 'Request a Quote' form, direct outreach, and a self-serve inspection portal, with supplementary LinkedIn presence for brand awareness. It operates as a single-office firm with 11-50 employees (30+ per disclosed benchmarks) and has no institutional funding, parent company, or public-market presence. A 2022 teaming partnership with Contest Engineering extends capacity for larger MEP and infrastructure engagements with agencies such as WMATA, MWAA, and state DOTs.

Name

CECA

Legal name

CECA, LLC

Website

https://cecallc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CECA, LLC is a privately held, MBE-certified architectural and engineering firm in Lanham, Maryland, providing design engineering, third-party inspection, MEP commissioning, and construction support services to government, healthcare, and commercial clients across Maryland, DC, and Virginia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural and Engineering Consulting Services

NAICS

Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Engineering Services (541330)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Engineering & Technical Professions (PE, Engineering CPD) (EDAAALAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Architecture, Planning & Surveying (AIA, Planning, Land Surveyor CE) (EDAAALAG)

Keywords

• Design engineering services
• Third party inspections
• MEP commissioning
• Construction support services
• Architectural engineering consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Lanham

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Design Engineering Services: Provides architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, and fire protection design engineering services for commercial and residential projects ranging from 1,500 sq. ft. to 40,000 sq. ft.
2. Third Party Inspection Services: Provides independent third-party inspections including electrical, mechanical, commercial building, structural, fire protection, and project management inspector of record services through TPIP program in Maryland, DC, and Virginia.
3. MEP Commissioning Services: Provides MEP commissioning services including HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and fire protection systems commissioning for new and existing buildings.
4. Construction Support Services: Provides construction support including QA/QC, consulting, draw inspections, surveys, construction progress monitoring, plan reviews, code reviews, and project management services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CECA is a full-service architectural and engineering firm providing design engineering (architecture, structural, mechanical, electrical, fire protection), third-party certified inspection (TPIP/TPIA), MEP commissioning, and construction support services (QA/QC, consulting, project management). The firm delivers projects for commercial, residential, institutional, and government clients throughout Maryland, DC, and Virginia, supported by an online Inspection Request Software portal for client scheduling.

Product overview

CECA is a full-service architectural and engineering firm offering an integrated portfolio of four core service lines: Design Engineering (architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, and fire protection design), Third Party Inspection (independent certified inspections for commercial buildings), MEP Commissioning (mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection system verification), and Construction Support (QA/QC, project management, and inspection services). The company also provides an online Inspection Request Software portal for scheduling and managing inspections. These services are designed to work together across the construction project lifecycle from design through commissioning and inspection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Design Engineering Comprehensive architectural and engineering design services including architecture, structural, mechanical, electrical, and fire protection design for renovation and rehabilitation projects ranging from 1,500 to 40,000 square feet, delivered to commercial, residential, and government clients throughout Maryland, DC, and Virginia.
• Architecture Quality Design Management Comprehensive architectural design services for residential, commercial, and government clients including sustainable design, additions, remodels, multi-family, historical reuse, and design-build projects.
• Third Party Inspection Independent third-party inspection services providing certified inspectors of record for electrical, mechanical, commercial building, structural, fire protection, and project management inspections under Maryland, DC, and Virginia TPIP programs.
• MEP Commissioning MEP commissioning services covering HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and fire protection systems, including planning, documentation, performance testing, adjustments, verification, and operational training.
• Construction Support Construction support services including QA/QC, consulting, draw inspections, surveys, construction progress monitoring, plan and code reviews, and project management.

Quantifiable outcome

• Completed $2 billion National Harbor project - one of firm's largest inspection projects
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Contest EngineeringminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 January 2022CECA, a Maryland-based business, and Contest Engineering, a DC-based business, have established a teaming partnership for providing direct MEP engineering services and construction support. The partnership leverages 20+ years of prior strong performances on institutional and commercial projects throughout the Washington, DC metropolitan area. The companies currently hold contracts or have provided services within the last 5 years to key institutional bodies allocating work under infrastructure plans, including WMATA, MWAA, WSSC, PEPCO, BGE, Dominion, Washington Gas, DDOT, MDOT, VDOT, and SHA.

Scale indicators4 records

Direct peers

• Alpha Corporation: MD/VA-based minority-owned engineering and construction services firm with overlapping inspection, design, and project management capabilities, including MBE certifications—competing head-to-head for set-aside contracts.
• Century Engineering: Maryland-based multi-discipline engineering firm providing design, inspection, and construction support across transportation, utility, and building sectors—directly overlapping CECA's service mix in the same regional market.
• AKF Group: Mid-size MEP engineering and commissioning firm with comparable service portfolio in design, commissioning, and inspection—competing in the same Mid-Atlantic commercial and institutional market segment.
• EBA Engineering: MD/VA-based civil engineering and inspection firm of similar scale offering construction management, design, and third-party inspection services to government and commercial clients in the Mid-Atlantic.
• RMF Engineering: MEP-focused engineering firm of comparable size providing design, commissioning, and inspection services. Direct competitor in MEP commissioning and design engineering, especially in government and institutional markets.
• Sabra & Associates (Sabra Wang): Mid-Atlantic engineering firm offering transportation, structural, and construction management services, including inspection work for public agencies—a direct competitor for CECA's government and infrastructure projects.
• WBCM (Whitney Bailey Cox & Magnani): Baltimore-based A&E firm offering structural, MEP, civil, and inspection services. Similar size and service mix to CECA, competing for the same regional commercial and government work.

Broad incumbents

• Pennoni: Mid-Atlantic-headquartered engineering consulting firm offering MEP, structural, civil, and inspection services. Competes with CECA on commercial and government projects, though at substantially greater scale.
• KCI Technologies: Mid-Atlantic-based engineering, inspection, and construction services firm with overlapping MEP, inspection, and design capabilities. Significantly larger and broader, competing for the same MD/DC/VA project pipeline.
• Whitman, Requardt & Associates (WRA): Mid-Atlantic A&E firm with strong government/infrastructure focus. Competes with CECA on inspection, MEP, and design for Maryland state and municipal clients, but with much greater scale and breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ceca-llc
• Xx.com/ceca_llc
• Facebookfacebook.com/cecallc

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 CECA