Saunders Construction, Inc. "commercial Seismic Retrofit"

What Saunders Construction, Inc. "commercial Seismic Retrofit" does

Saunders Construction, Inc., operating commercially as Saunders Seismic, is a Costa Mesa, California-based specialty contractor focused on industrial and commercial seismic retrofitting, with secondary lines in structural repair, soft-story retrofits, and roof condensation repairs. Founded by Steven Saunders, the firm traces its seismic specialization to 1984 and reports more than 40 years of operating history with 2,000+ completed retrofits, claiming that approximately 95% of projects are delivered while buildings remain occupied. It holds California contractor license CA 616856 and serves customers in five Western states (California, Nevada, Utah, Washington, Oregon).

The company's service portfolio centers on engineering-driven structural work rather than technology products, supported by partnerships with structural engineering firms including J.S. Dyer & Associates and Insight Structural Engineers. Its offerings include project budgeting (early cost estimation), soft-story retrofits, industrial and commercial seismic retrofitting, structural repair, and roof condensation repair, with a stated emphasis on in-house crews and constructability reviews to reduce client disruption and cost (the firm claims over $3M in annual client cost savings).

The business model is project-based and service-driven, generating revenue through one-time construction contracts with a diversified customer mix of REITs, property owners, property managers, commercial real estate brokers, structural engineers, and general contractors. Go-to-market combines direct sales across its five-state region with content-led demand generation through a blog of 65+ articles, a technical resources library, a project gallery, an FAQ section, and LinkedIn presence under the Saunders Seismic brand.

Name

Saunders Construction, Inc. "commercial Seismic Retrofit"

Legal name

Saunders Construction, Inc.

Website

https://saundersseismic.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Saunders Construction, Inc. (DBA: Saunders Seismic) is a Costa Mesa, California-based specialty contractor performing industrial, commercial, and soft-story seismic retrofits, plus structural and roof condensation repairs, for REITs, property owners, and brokers across five Western US states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Seismic Retrofit Services

NAICS

Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (23622), Nonresidential Building Construction (2362)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540), Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700)

akta.pro primary industry

Renovation, Remodeling & Tenant Improvements (General Contracting) (IMAFAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Real Estate Development Asset Management (Project/Construction-to-Stabilization) (BPAJAMAL)

Keywords

• Seismic retrofit services
• Structural repair services
• Soft-story retrofits
• Commercial construction contracting
• Earthquake retrofitting

Headquarters

HQ city

Costa Mesa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Seismic Retrofit Projects: Project-based construction services for seismic retrofitting of commercial and industrial buildings. Revenue is earned through fixed-price bids or budgets converted to firm bids upon completion of engineering plans. Services include project budgeting, permitting coordination, deputy inspection, and construction execution.
2. Structural Repair Services: Restoration and repair of structural elements including damaged columns, beams, framing, and roof condensation damage. Typically bundled with seismic retrofits or sold as standalone projects.
3. Project Budgeting Services: Preliminary cost estimation services providing Low/Medium/High budget ranges to help clients plan, secure financing, and make informed decisions before final engineering is complete.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Saunders Seismic is a commercial and industrial construction contractor that performs seismic retrofits, soft-story upgrades, structural repairs, and roof condensation repairs on existing buildings. The company serves property owners, REITs, property managers, engineers, brokers, and general contractors across California, Nevada, Utah, Washington, and Oregon. They also provide early-stage project budgeting services with low/medium/high cost estimates to help clients plan and secure financing before engineering is finalized.

Product overview

Saunders Seismic is a commercial and industrial seismic retrofit and structural repair contractor offering five core services: Industrial & Commercial Seismic Retrofitting (the primary offering that upgrades buildings to meet modern seismic standards), Structural Repair Service (restoring damaged building elements), Soft-Story Retrofits (reinforcing vulnerable open-ground-floor buildings), Roof Condensation Repairs (addressing moisture damage), and Project Budgeting (providing early cost estimates for planning). The company, in business since 1979, specializes in retrofitting tilt-up concrete, non-ductile concrete, steel frame, unreinforced masonry (URM), and soft-story buildings across five Western states. Saunders does not perform engineering in-house but partners with structural engineers to develop retrofit designs, then executes construction using in-house crews. The company is not a software or technology product—it is a construction/contracting firm.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Industrial & Commercial Seismic Retrofitting
• Soft-Story Retrofits
• Structural Repair Service
• Roof Condensation Repairs
• Project Budgeting

Quantifiable outcome

• Every $1 spent on seismic retrofitting can save up to $4 in future earthquake damage costs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• J.S. Dyer & Associates, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStructural engineering firm that has completed numerous seismic retrofits alongside Saunders for clients in California, Washington, and Nevada. J.S. Dyer & Associates has recommended Saunders to their clients with confidence in the firm's execution according to construction documents and tenant care requirements.
• Insight Structural EngineerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStructural engineering firm that collaborated with Saunders on a 57,000 square foot building retrofit project. The project was completed on-time with cost-effective solutions that reduced expenses compared to other retrofit systems.
• Structural Engineers (Partner Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSaunders works closely with trusted structural engineers who specialize in seismic retrofits. They ensure engineering designs are constructible, cost-efficient, and aligned with property goals. Saunders helps identify potential issues before city review to prevent delays and costly revisions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Clark Construction Group: Large diversified general contractor performing commercial building construction and major renovation work nationwide. Represents a broader incumbent that competes for large nonresidential retrofit and structural scopes alongside specialty firms like Saunders.
• Sundt Construction: Established Western U.S. general contractor delivering commercial, industrial, and infrastructure projects. Larger incumbent with overlapping geographic footprint and capacity to compete for commercial retrofit and structural repair scopes.
• Webcor Builders: California-headquartered commercial general contractor with deep experience in commercial building construction and renovation in the Western U.S. Comparable regional incumbent competing for nonresidential building scopes.
• Level 10 Construction: California-based general contractor focused on commercial and institutional building construction. Comparable Western U.S. incumbent that can deliver retrofit and structural scopes at scale.

Direct peers

• QuakeWrap: Specialty contractor offering seismic retrofit and FRP strengthening solutions for commercial and infrastructure assets. Overlaps directly with Saunders on soft-story upgrades and structural reinforcement for existing Western commercial real estate.
• Earthquake Protection Systems: Specialty provider of seismic isolation and energy dissipation products used in retrofit applications. Adjacent seismic-retrofit specialist serving structural engineers and contractors on Western commercial projects.
• Freyssinet (VSL): Global specialist contractor in structural repair, post-tensioning, and seismic retrofit for buildings and infrastructure. Comparable specialty contractor model addressing structural strengthening and seismic upgrades for commercial property owners.
• Structural Preservation Systems: National specialty contractor focused on structural repair, restoration, and seismic strengthening of existing buildings. Directly comparable to Saunders in delivering structural repair and retrofit services to commercial and industrial property owners.

Regional players

• Nabih Youssef & Associates: California-based structural engineering firm with deep seismic retrofit expertise on commercial and institutional buildings. Functions as an upstream partner and comparably positioned regional specialty engineering firm.
• Degenkolb Engineers: West Coast structural engineering firm specializing in seismic design and retrofit of healthcare, education, and commercial buildings. Named structural engineering partner comparable to those Saunders collaborates with on retrofit projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/saundersconstructioninccommercialseismicretrofit

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 Saunders Construction, Inc. "commercial Seismic Retrofit"