Byer Geotechnical Inc

What Byer Geotechnical Inc does

Byer Geotechnical Inc (also operating under the J. Byer Group DBA) is a private geotechnical engineering and engineering geology consulting firm headquartered in Glendale, California. Founded by John W. Byer and joined by principals Robert I. Zweigler and Giuseppe Cugno, who collectively hold over 80 years of professional experience in Southern California geotechnical work, the firm delivers nine core services: geology and soils engineering reports (primarily for hillside sites), liquefaction investigations within state-mapped hazard zones, Alquist-Priolo seismic fault zone studies, compaction reports, consultation (including Real Estate Purchase Reports and expert witness work), field observation during grading with City of LA Registered Deputy Grading Inspector services, subsurface exploration and field sampling, and laboratory analysis of earth materials. Operations are run from a single Glendale office at 1461 E. Chevy Chase Drive, Suite 200, with an 18-person staff.

The firm's revenue model is straightforward professional services: project-based fixed fees ranging from $600 for a Real Estate Purchase Report up to $8,000 for a hillside project, with liquefaction investigations as a $1,500-$2,000 add-on and construction inspections billed hourly by scope. Distribution is direct: clients initiate engagement by phone (818-549-9959) or email, and President Giuseppe Cugno originates the majority of new project proposals. The firm serves three primary segments—commercial and mixed-use developers, residential homeowners and developers (including hillside and liquefaction-zone properties), and government/institutional clients—with named engagements spanning Grifols Engineering's $50M+ IVIG facility, Westfield's Fox Hills Mall expansion, J.H. Snyder's 245,000 sq ft Hollywood Studio Office, McGregor's One Santa Fe mixed-use project, and LA World Airports. Geographic scope is regional, confined to Southern California and concentrated in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. There are no software products, APIs, mobile applications, or digital platforms; service delivery rests entirely on conventional field instrumentation, soils laboratory testing, and professional geological and engineering interpretation.

Name

Byer Geotechnical Inc

Legal name

Byer Geotechnical Inc.

Website

https://byergeo.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Byer Geotechnical Inc is a private geotechnical engineering and engineering geology firm in Glendale, California, providing soils reports, liquefaction investigations, seismic fault studies, and construction inspections for residential, commercial, and municipal projects across Southern California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology Consulting

NAICS

Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

akta.pro primary industry

Geotechnical & Subsurface Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Geotechnical Design, Engineering & Consulting (Analysis, Design, Peer Review) (IMAFAOAK), Geotechnical Investigation & Site Characterization (Boreholes, In-situ Testing, Lab Testing) (IMAFAOAG)

Keywords

• Geotechnical engineering
• Engineering geology
• Soils reporting
• Seismic investigations
• Foundation consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Glendale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Consulting Services: Consultation services including Real Estate Purchase Reports, project consultations with architects, civil and structural engineers. Fees are based on hourly rates charged for professional staff.
2. Geotechnical Report Preparation: Preparation of geology and soils reports including fieldwork (test pits, borings), laboratory testing, and report preparation. Pricing varies by project type and scope.
3. Field Observation and Inspection Services: Construction related inspections during grading or construction. Hourly rates based on scope of work and estimated duration. Includes Deputy Inspector services for Cities of Los Angeles and Beverly Hills.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Byer Geotechnical Inc. is a geotechnical engineering and engineering geology consulting firm that delivers geology and soils reports, liquefaction and seismic fault zone investigations, compaction reports, field observation and deputy grading inspection services, subsurface exploration, and laboratory analysis of earth materials. The firm serves residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, and municipal construction projects throughout Southern California, with fees based on hourly rates and project scope.

Product overview

Byer Geotechnical Inc is a professional geotechnical and engineering geology consulting firm offering a comprehensive suite of services for construction and development projects. The company operates as a single-service consulting practice rather than a software platform, providing nine core service offerings: Geology & Soils Engineering Reports (including slope stability analysis for hillside areas), Geotechnical Engineering Reports with Liquefaction Investigation, Seismic Investigations within Fault Zones (Alquist-Priolo compliance), Compaction Reports, Fault Hazard Studies, Consultation Services (including Real Estate Purchase Reports), Field Observation During Grading with Deputy Inspector services, Subsurface Exploration & Field Sampling, and Laboratory Analysis of Earth Materials. These services are delivered through traditional geotechnical engineering and geology consulting methodologies, supporting projects ranging from single-family residential to large commercial, industrial, and municipal developments across Southern California.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Geology & Soils Engineering Reports Comprehensive geology and soils engineering reports primarily for hillside areas, including test pit and boring excavation, field sampling, slope stability analysis, and geotechnical recommendations for site development, foundation design, and retaining wall design. Delivered to property owners, developers, and architects requiring City of Los Angeles permit-grade documentation.
• Geotechnical Engineering Reports & Liquefaction Investigation Geotechnical engineering reports for sites located within Liquefaction Hazard Zones, including onsite boring drilling, groundwater depth determination, soil sampling for laboratory testing, and foundation design recommendations based on liquefaction analysis using historic and current groundwater levels. Intended for developers and property owners in liquefaction-prone areas of southern California.
• Seismic Investigations within Fault Zones Earthquake Fault Rupture Zone (Alquist-Priolo or AP Zone) investigations including backhoe trenching, active fault location mapping, and setback recommendations of 50 feet from fault traces for human occupancy structures. Delivered to developers and property owners in seismically mapped fault zones.
• Compaction Reports Compaction testing and reporting services for primary structural fill, retaining wall backfill, pool/spa backfill and abandonment, buttress fill, and landslide repair documentation. Delivered to contractors, developers, and homeowners requiring code-compliant compaction records.
• Fault Hazard Studies Soil engineering reports for fault hazard evaluation covering single family residences, multi-residential grading and development, commercial and industrial projects, liquefaction hazard studies, and infiltration studies for SUSMP compliance. Delivered to developers, builders, and public agencies.
• Consultation Services Expert consultation services including consultation with architects, civil and structural engineers; large master plan projects; residential distress evaluation; insurance claims consultation; third-party review; expert witness geologic/geotechnical services; earthquake damage assessment; and Real Estate Purchase Reports. Delivered to developers, attorneys, insurance carriers, real estate buyers, and design professionals.
• Field Observation During Grading Construction and grading field observation services including engineer and technician excavation/shoring observation, City of Los Angeles Registered Deputy Grading Inspections, fill control and compaction testing, tie-back and soil nail observations, subdrain observation, and deep foundation excavation observations. Delivered to contractors, developers, and municipalities during active grading and construction.
• Subsurface Exploration & Field Sampling Field exploration services including nuclear gauge testing, sand cone testing, downhole earth material observation, groundwater level measurement, geologic logging of test pits, trenches and borings, and geologic mapping. Delivered as the fieldwork component of geotechnical and geologic investigations for developers, builders, and design professionals.
• Laboratory Analysis of Earth Material Comprehensive soils laboratory testing including Atterberg limits, consolidation tests, expansion index, grain size analysis, maximum density testing (4" and 6" molds), moisture and density determinations, remolded saturated shears, sand equivalent, hydrometers, and specific gravity analysis. Supports geotechnical and geologic investigations for projects across southern California.

Named customers8 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The McGregor CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongtime client relationship on the One Santa Fe mixed-use project in downtown Los Angeles. Project includes one level of subterranean garage and six floors of mixed-use including retail, live/work areas, commercial, and apartments.
• Grifols Engineering, S.A.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal healthcare company based in Barcelona, Spain. The J. Byer Group has been providing geotechnical and geologic services at this site since 2002. New 92,000-square-foot IV immune globulin production facility represents over $50 million investment.
• Westfield Corporation, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFox Hills Mall expansion project. Byer Group providing geotechnical services including site observations, verification of nearly 1,600 driven piles capacity, and utility trench backfill testing.
• J.H. Snyder CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHollywood Studio Office project in Hollywood Media and Entertainment district. 245,000 square foot Class A office development with geotechnical issues including locating previous basement excavations and recommendations for limiting settlement.
• Los Angeles World AirportsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVan Nuys Airport projects including hangar building construction. Byer Group worked with owner 16700 Roscoe Associates, Tim Violé Construction, architect J.R. Miller, and civil engineer Huitt-Zollars, Inc.
• Habitat for Humanity (San Gabriel Valley)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity services partnership providing geotechnical services. Completed 15 projects over approximately 15 years for the City of Glendale Housing Authority and San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Group Delta Consultants: California-based geotechnical, environmental, and materials testing firm performing soils engineering, foundation recommendations, and construction inspection for residential and commercial developments — directly comparable in service scope and SoCal client base.
• Earth Systems, Inc. California-based geotechnical engineering, engineering geology, and materials testing firm serving residential, commercial, and public-sector clients — closely comparable in service mix and California-centric regulatory expertise.
• Geocon Incorporated: San Diego / Southern California geotechnical and environmental consulting firm offering geotechnical reports, fault and seismic hazard studies, and materials testing — directly overlapping Byer's hillside, liquefaction, and AP-zone work in the same regulatory market.
• Ninyo & Moore: San Diego-headquartered geotechnical, environmental, and materials testing firm serving Southern California with substantially overlapping services (geotechnical reports, soils testing, construction observation) and a comparable client mix of developers, municipalities, and homeowners.
• Leighton and Associates (Leighton Group): Southern California geotechnical engineering and geology consulting firm providing soils reports, slope stability, fault and liquefaction investigations, and construction observation — a near-direct counterpart to Byer across the same LA-area regulatory environment.

Broad incumbents

• Terracon Consultants, Inc. Large national engineering consulting firm offering geotechnical, environmental, construction materials, and facilities services across the U.S.; competes with Byer for larger SoCal projects but is not specialized to the LA hillside/AP-zone niche.
• Kleinfelder, Inc. Engineering, architecture, and science consulting firm with a strong geotechnical, materials testing, and construction observation practice across the western U.S., frequently competing for SoCal public works and municipal inspection contracts.
• Tetra Tech, Inc. International consulting and engineering firm with a water, environment, and infrastructure practice that includes geotechnical and geological services — comparable to Byer on public-sector and environmental site characterization work but at much greater scale.
• Jacobs Solutions Inc. Global professional services firm delivering geotechnical, environmental, and civil engineering consulting; competes for the largest LA infrastructure and airport projects (e.g., LAWA-adjacent work) where Byer has been engaged as a subconsultant.
• AECOM: Global engineering and infrastructure services firm with a geotechnical and tunneling practice that overlaps Byer's site investigation and foundation recommendation work, especially on large public-sector and transportation projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/byer-geotechnical-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Byer Geotechnical Inc