What Ellis Architects does

Ellis Architects is a woman-owned, full-service architectural design firm founded in 2007 by Sarah Ellis and headquartered in Sacramento, California. The firm operates with a team of 11 professionals, delivering architecture, design, and master planning services across three primary project types: multi-unit residential, commercial (including hospitality, restaurants, entertainment venues, and adaptive reuse), and custom residential. Notable completed projects include Paragary's restaurant renovation (2015), Market Club at The Mill adaptive reuse within the 31.7-acre Northwest Land Park Master Plan (2023, with CSI Construction as general contractor), and Channel 24, a 40,517 sq ft, 2,150-capacity ground-up entertainment venue in midtown Sacramento completed in 2025 in partnership with CAW Architects and Mason Builders.

The firm's underlying technology stack centers on Building Information Modelling (BIM) Management for design coordination and clash detection, supplemented by Matterport 3D imagery and data capture for existing conditions documentation, and photorealistic 3D renderings for client visualization. Supporting service capabilities include interior design and programming, landscape design, documentation of existing conditions, project planning and entitlement processing with municipal authorities, building code compliance analysis, and full project management and contract administration through construction completion. The firm holds SBA Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) certification and has earned multiple regional and national industry awards, including Sacramento Business Journal Best Real Estate Project awards in 2015 and 2025 and Structural Engineers Association Excellence in New Construction awards in 2025.

Ellis Architects generates revenue through professional services fees billed on a project-specific, quote-based engagement model, with no public pricing and no standardized fee schedule disclosed. The go-to-market approach is sales-led and direct, leveraging a portfolio-driven website, an Instagram presence at @ellisarchitects, a LinkedIn company page, and likely repeat-client and referral dynamics given the prominence of named enterprise clients (Another Planet Entertainment, Paragary's Hospitality Group, The Mill at Broadway developer). Distribution is exclusively direct client engagement, the firm serves only the Sacramento regional market, and it operates without institutional investors, parent entities, or disclosed funding events. Customer segments are horizontal, spanning multi-unit residential developers, commercial property developers, custom residential clients, and hospitality/restaurant operators.

Name

Ellis Architects

Legal name

Ellis Architects

Website

https://ellis-architects.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ellis Architects is a woman-owned, SBA WOSB-certified full-service architectural firm in Sacramento, California, delivering architecture, design, master planning, interior design, and adaptive reuse services to residential developers, commercial clients, and hospitality operators across the Sacramento region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310), Interior Design Services (54141), Landscape Architectural Services (54132)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB), Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Master planning
• Adaptive reuse design
• Interior design
• Construction administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Sacramento

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. Architecture and Design Services: Professional architectural services including design, documentation, project management, and contract administration for residential and commercial projects
2. Interior Design Services: Full interior design and programming services as a standalone or integrated offering with architectural services
3. Master Planning Services: Large-scale development planning and entitlement processing services

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Ellis Architects provides full-service architectural design, master planning, interior design, landscape design, BIM management, and construction administration for commercial, multi-unit residential, hospitality, public-sector, and custom residential projects. The firm delivers projects from feasibility and conceptual design through construction documents and construction administration, with a stated emphasis on sustainable design and adaptive reuse.

Product overview

Ellis Architects is a woman-owned, full-service architectural design firm offering a unified suite of professional services rather than a software product platform. The core offering centers on Architecture, Design, and Master Planning complemented by Interior Design, Landscape Design, and Project Planning services. Supporting technology services include Matterport 3D Imagery and Data capture, Building Information Modelling (BIM) Management, and Three Dimensional Renderings and Visualizations. The firm specializes across three project types: Multi-Unit Residential, Commercial (including adaptive reuse, entertainment venues, and restaurants), and Custom Residential. All services are delivered by an integrated team of professionals providing end-to-end project delivery from initial concept through construction administration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Design Full-scope architectural design services from feasibility and conceptual design through construction documents for commercial, multi-unit residential, hospitality, public-sector, and custom residential clients.
• Master Planning Site master planning services supporting developers and property owners with site evaluation, density studies, and phased planning for commercial and residential developments.
• Interior Design In-house interior design services for commercial, hospitality, multi-unit residential, and custom residential projects, delivered alongside architecture under a single contract.
• Landscape Design Landscape architecture and site landscape design services coordinated with building design for residential, commercial, and public-sector projects.
• Construction Administration Construction-phase architectural services including submittal review, RFI response, site observation, and project closeout for active construction projects.
• Feasibility Studies Pre-design feasibility and due-diligence studies assessing site constraints, code compliance, entitlements, and project viability for prospective developers and owners.
• Adaptive Reuse Design Specialized architectural design services for the rehabilitation and conversion of existing buildings into new uses, including historic preservation considerations.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CAW ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Ellis Architects served as local architect while CAW Architects was the Prime Architect for the Channel 24 entertainment venue project. Ellis provided design and coordination services through City of Sacramento planning entitlements, construction documents, interior design, and construction administration.
• Mason BuildersminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGeneral contractor for Channel 24 entertainment venue project (completion 2025)
• CSI ConstructionminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGeneral contractor for Market Club at The Mill adaptive reuse project (completion 2023)

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• SmithGroup: Large national architecture and engineering firm with offices across California including the Sacramento region. Competes for the same higher-education, civic, and commercial clients but with significantly broader capabilities and scale.
• Gensler: Global architecture and design firm with a Sacramento office and significant commercial, hospitality, and adaptive reuse practice. Sets the upper bound of competitive intensity for Sacramento-based developers seeking design services.
• HKS: National architecture firm with deep entertainment, hospitality, and large-venue experience, including venues comparable to Channel 24. Represents the larger incumbent competitive threat for marquee entertainment and hospitality commissions.
• HGA Architects: National architecture, engineering, and interior design firm with a Sacramento-area presence. Overlaps with Ellis on commercial, cultural, and adaptive reuse work but operates at much larger scale and broader geography.

Direct peers

• Lionakis: Sacramento-headquartered design firm offering architecture, interior design, and master planning with comparable service breadth. Direct competitor for Sacramento civic, education, and commercial projects.
• Dreyfuss + Blackford Architecture: Long-established Sacramento architectural firm with a similarly broad portfolio across commercial, civic, residential, and adaptive reuse. Competes directly for the same Sacramento developer and institutional clients as Ellis Architects.
• LPAS Architecture + Design: Sacramento-based architecture and design firm with similar full-service offerings spanning commercial, residential, and adaptive reuse. Competes directly for the same regional developer clientele.
• CAW Architects: Sacramento-based architectural firm that served as prime architect with Ellis as local architect on the Channel 24 entertainment venue. Comparable in scale and service breadth, directly overlapping on Sacramento commercial and entertainment projects.
• Rainforth Grau Architects: Sacramento-area architecture firm of similar size and service offering, including residential, commercial, and adaptive reuse. Competes for similar developer-led and custom residential projects in the region.
• Nichols, Melburg & Rossetto Architects + Planners: Sacramento-based architectural firm with a long regional history and comparable portfolio across education, civic, and commercial work. Direct competitor within the Sacramento architectural services market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ellisarchitects
• Instagraminstagram.com/ellisarchitects

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 Ellis Architects