What Geotech Drilling Services Pty. Ltd. does

GDS Consulting Engineers (legal entity: Geotech Drilling Services Pty. Ltd.) is a Queensland-based geotechnical and structural engineering consultancy founded in 1998 by principal Carl Conran and rebranded to its current trading name in 2014. The firm delivers an integrated service stack across five lines: geotechnical investigation, soil testing and drilling (executed with owned rigs and lab equipment), structural engineering design, wastewater disposal design, and light commercial engineering. All work is certified in-house under RPEQ registration #7799 and QBCC builder licence #740483, with deliverables including Form 8, Form 12, and Form 15 compliance certifications. Standard turnaround times are 7 days for soil tests and wastewater design, 2-4 weeks for residential structural design, and 48 hours for fee proposals on confirmed scopes.

The firm serves a diverse customer mix spanning residential homeowners, builders and developers, architects, light commercial property owners, institutions, and selected mining/industrial operators. Active client references include Rolleston Coal Mine (BMA), Warwick Meats, Hoppy's Car Wash, Iona College, and Mosasa, with mining-side work historically performed for Bechtel/BMA at Daunia Coal Mine. Revenue is generated on a project-based, fee-for-service basis, with engagements typically bundled across service lines (geotechnical + structural + wastewater) for a single development. Go-to-market is direct and referral-driven, leveraging relationships with named regional architecture and builder firms (BAA House Studio, Myers Elliott Architects, Focus Architecture, Kirby Saunders, Shawgroup) plus organic channels via website and social.

The business is founder-owned and independent, with no disclosed external investment, parent company, or subsidiaries. Headquartered in Stafford, Queensland, the 5-person core team operates across South East Queensland (Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast), Northern NSW, and select regional Queensland mining corridors (Bowen Basin, North Queensland). Operations are owner-managed with field work and certification handled internally rather than subcontracted.

Name

Geotech Drilling Services Pty. Ltd.

Legal name

Geotech Drilling Services Pty. Ltd.

Website

https://gds.net.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

GDS Consulting Engineers is a Queensland-based geotechnical and structural engineering consultancy serving residential, light commercial, institutional, and mining clients across South East Queensland, Northern NSW, and regional Queensland with integrated drilling, soil testing, structural design, and wastewater disposal services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Geotechnical and Structural Engineering Services

NAICS

Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (54136)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Geotechnical & Subsurface Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAB)

Keywords

• Geotechnical engineering services
• Soil testing and drilling
• Structural engineering consulting
• Wastewater disposal design
• Site classification investigations

Headquarters

HQ city

Stafford

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Engineering Consulting Services: Project-based professional services for geotechnical, structural engineering, soil testing, and wastewater disposal design. Revenue generated through fee proposals and project-based engagements. Services include site inspections, Form 15 certification, structural design, and engineering reports.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

GDS Consulting Engineers provides geotechnical site investigation, soil testing and drilling, structural engineering design, and wastewater disposal design services for residential, light commercial, and selected mining/industrial construction projects across South East Queensland and Northern NSW. Services are typically bundled as an integrated consulting package covering site classification, footing and slab design, framing design, and Form 15 certification. Delivery is performed by RPEQ-certified engineers using the company's own drilling rigs and soil testing laboratory equipment.

Product overview

GDS Consulting Engineers is a geotechnical and structural engineering consulting firm offering integrated engineering services for residential and commercial construction. The company provides five core service lines: Geotechnical Services (site classification, soil testing, drilling, and slope stability assessment), Soil Testing & Drilling (contract drilling with company-owned equipment), Structural Engineering Services (footing, slab, framing, and retaining wall design with Form 15 certification), Wastewater Disposal Design (council-approved designs for unsewered properties), and Light Commercial engineering. These services are typically bundled as combined consulting packages, allowing clients to engage one firm for complete project engineering needs from site investigation through to structural certification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Soil test turnaround: 7 days from order (with site access, building plans, and services location)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• BAA House StudiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitectural firm that collaborates with GDS on residential renovation and new build projects across Brisbane. Projects include Norman Park Queenslander renovations, Everton Park renovations, and The Gap residence. BAA House Studio designs and GDS provides structural engineering and geotechnical services as a combined package.
• Myers Elliott ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitectural firm partnered with on award-winning residential projects including Red Hill additions and Mitchelton Backyard Room. GDS provides structural engineering design in collaboration with the architects for residential projects.
• Kirby Saunders (Builder)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBuilder who works regularly with GDS on residential renovation projects including Everton Park, Norman Park, and The Gap projects. GDS provides structural engineering while builder delivers construction.
• Focus ArchitecturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitectural firm partnered with on Paddington renovation project. GDS provided structural engineering solutions for challenging inner-city property including basement garage and suspended slabs.
• BaahouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompany specialising in designing small houses and granny flats. Partnership on Pullenvale granny flat project where GDS provided structural, geotechnical engineering, timber framework and foundational footing design.
• ShawgroupminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBuilder partnered with on Nundah raise and renovation project (Mondernovation package) including house raise, new pool, carport, and entertainment areas.
• Bechtel & BMAmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor mining and construction companies. GDS founder Carl Conran provided Senior Geotechnical & Structural Engineer services for Daunia Coal Mine redevelopment in 2012. This represents GDS's engagement with major resource sector clients.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• BG&E Pty Ltd: Australian engineering consultancy delivering structural, civil, and geotechnical services for buildings and infrastructure. Comparable in core structural engineering delivery, though operating at significantly larger scale.
• Meinhardt Group Australia: International engineering consultancy with a significant Brisbane structural engineering practice. Competes for similar residential, commercial, and light industrial structural design work in SEQ.
• GHD Group: Global Australian-headquartered engineering, architecture, and environmental services firm with substantial Queensland structural and geotechnical practice. Competes for the same mid-market commercial and institutional clients.
• Coffey Services (Tétra Tech): Established Australian geotechnical and environmental engineering consultancy, now part of Tétra Tech. Directly overlapping in soil testing, geotechnical investigation, and engineering services, but at a much larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Stantec Australia (formerly Cardno): International engineering consultancy with deep Australian structural and geotechnical capability following the Cardno acquisition. Direct overlap in residential, commercial, and mining-adjacent structural engineering.
• Aurecon Australia: Major Asia-Pacific engineering, design, and advisory firm offering structural and geotechnical engineering across all major Australian markets. Represents the scaled, multi-disciplinary competitor GDS could face if it expands upstream.
• WSP Australia: Global professional services firm with a large Queensland structural and geotechnical team (incorporating Golder Associates). Comparable across the full geotechnical-to-structural value chain but at much greater scale.

Regional players

• SMEC Australia (Surbana Jurong): Australian-origin engineering consultancy (now part of Surbana Jurong) with strong Queensland presence in structural and geotechnical engineering. Comparable for institutional and remote-site projects like mining accommodation villages.

Direct peers

• Douglas Partners: Australian geotechnical engineering consultancy providing site investigation, soil testing, and foundation design across residential, commercial, and infrastructure markets. Closest comparable in service mix and delivery model to GDS, though larger and geographically broader.
• PSM (Pells Sullivan Meynink): Boutique Australian geotechnical and tunnelling consultancy. Comparable as a specialist engineering firm focused on subsurface investigation and structural design, though oriented toward larger infrastructure projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/682689998504679
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gdsconsultingengineers
• Instagraminstagram.com/gdsconsultingengineers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Geotech Drilling Services Pty. Ltd.