Buying an engineering or architecture firm in Jacksonville and Northeast Florida

• A backlog of signed work several months deep, with proposals out for more.
• Continuing public contracts the firm has kept through more than one selection round.
• Several licensed professionals, so no single person signs everything and the firm can survive a departure.
• Repeat clients spread across developers, contractors and public agencies, so a slowdown in one doesn't stop the firm.
• A clean record on claims and solid professional liability insurance.
• Project managers who track hours against fees, so fixed-fee jobs stay profitable.
• Current design software, drone or scanning equipment for survey work, and well-kept project files.
• Younger engineers or architects working toward licenses: the firm's future signers.

• Backlog and proposals still out, by client.
• Which licensed people sign and seal the work, and whether they'll stay. Consider employment agreements or a share of ownership.
• Professional liability insurance and claims. Claims can come years after a project, so arrange coverage for past work.
• Public contracts: how they were awarded, whether they transfer, and any certifications (small, women- or minority-owned) that depend on the current owners. A firm holding federal small business contracts must recertify its size and status within 30 days after an acquisition (13 CFR 125.12).
• Work in progress and unbilled fees on long projects.
• Reliance on one developer or government client, and how the firm did in the last construction slowdown.

• Who signs and seals the firm's work today, and do they plan to stay?
• How many months of signed work do you have lined up?
• Which public agencies do you have continuing contracts with, and when do they renew?
• Have you had any professional liability claims in the last ten years?
• How much of your work comes through you personally?
• Do any contracts depend on certifications tied to you as the owner?
• What software or equipment is due for replacement soon?

This region covers Duval, St. Johns, Clay, Nassau, Baker and Putnam counties: Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach, St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra Beach, Orange Park, Fleming Island, Green Cove Springs, Fernandina Beach, Yulee, Macclenny and Palatka. Jacksonville merged with most of Duval County in 1968, which makes it the largest city by land area in the lower 48 states.

The economy leans on logistics, the Navy and financial services. Logistics runs through JAXPORT, major rail lines and the meeting of Interstates 95 and 10. The Navy has Naval Air Station Jacksonville and Naval Station Mayport. Insurance and health care matter too. St. Augustine, founded by the Spanish in 1565, and Amelia Island draw steady tourism. Trucking and logistics firms, the building trades, medical practices and home services all fit this market.

Northeast Florida is less seasonal than South or Southwest Florida, with fewer winter residents and more year-round employers. Direct hurricane landfalls have been less common here than on other parts of the coast, but storms still bring flooding along the St. Johns River and the beaches, so check insurance costs and flood zones.

Military families bring skilled workers and working spouses into the labor pool, though they also move on when orders change. St. Johns, Clay and Nassau have added the most new homes, and companies serving those suburbs have grown with them. Georgia is close, and some companies here serve customers across the state line. Work in Georgia may need Georgia licenses, so ask how much revenue comes from there and who holds those licenses.