Storhäug Engineering Inc. is experiencing high demand for its engineering, design, and consulting services in Spokane County, prompting the Spokane-based company to expand its geographic reach, says principal Austin Storhäug.

Taking on new land development projects in large markets such as Boise, Idaho, and Tri-Cities, Washington, has helped Storhäug Engineering acquire new clients and grow in revenue while sticking to its employees' core competencies, he says.

“We’re pretty comfortable in our niche markets, and we're good at it,” Austin says. “Rather than adding additional services, we've been pushing out to Boise and pushing out to the Tri-Cities and expanding our borders a little bit rather than our services provided.”

Established in 1993, Storhäug Engineering handles between 50 and 100 projects each month with 30 full-time employees, says founder and civil engineer Jerry Storhäug.  

Jerry Storhäug, — father of company leader Austin Storhäug — attributes the steady workload to a strong mix of repeat business and new clients.

“Business is relational, and if you’re someone that needs a service from a professional, you want to know that you’re being heard,” Jerry says. “We strive to meet that with new and existing clients, and that makes them loyal clients with us, which is good with us.”

Demand for the company's land development services prior to and during construction projects keeps the work coming in, Austin says.

“There really aren't a lot of options for true land development consultants,” Austin says. “So, if you want to develop land and you’ve got a blank slate, that’s where we really shine.”

Because of that continual business, the company’s revenue has grown steadily at 10% a year for at least eight years, Austin says. He declines to disclose the company's latest annual revenue.

The pace allows Storhäug Engineering to grow while investing in its employees and clients, he adds. 

The company enjoys a low turnover rate and supports employees with training opportunities and promotions as a result, says Alex Durkin, Storhäug Engineering's vice president of operations.

“There's a lot of room for growth and advancement and a lot of room for self-actualization for ambitious people to come here and work hard and do well and be recognized,” says Durkin.

Storhäug Engineering works with clients in the public sector and government entities, including Spokane Airports and Fairchild Air Force Base. The company also works with residential developers, community organizations, individual homeowners, and corporations, such as Starbucks Corp., Austin says.

Recent projects include providing services for Lee Wade Landing, Habitat for Humanity-Spokane’s ongoing 25-unit affordable housing development at 228 S. Carnahan Road in Spokane Valley, which broke ground in July, says Durkin. 

Storhäug’s survey crew assisted with construction site administration and the initial development layout at the site of the $8 million project. 

Lee Wade Landing, named after a prominent community leader, is comprised of two duplex buildings featuring 1,500-square-foot, three-bedroom units and seven planned triplex structures. The first residential units are expected to be available in 2027, the Journal previously reported. 

The company also is contributing its services for the planned $275 million Rockwood Retirement Communities senior living campus, located in Liberty Lake's River District, Austin says.

Rockwood Retirement's proposed campus is planned to take shape on 15 acres of land north of Wellington Parkway and east of Harvard Road, near Trutina, the 55-and-older community developed by Liberty Lake-based Greenstone Corp., the Journal previously reported. The campus project currently is in the preliminary design stage of development. Construction is expected to begin in 2028, with occupancy planned in 2030.

“That's a community-building project,” Austin says of the Rockwood Retirement campus development. “Once it's built, Liberty Lake is forever changed, hopefully for the better. That's just a really fun project.”

Storhäug Engineering is providing site surveying, land use planning, and other services for the campus project, he adds.

Wildfire recovery has become another area of focus for the firm, which is providing rebuilding survey work for properties damaged in the Spokane Complex Fires, Durkin says.

Because intense wildfires can erase landmarks that delineate property lines, and cleanup efforts can displace or cover other markers, survey work is often needed before rebuilding, he explains.

The company has a few boundary surveys, monument flagging, easement identification, and other projects underway that aim to clarify property boundaries and prepare for rebuilding for homeowners impacted by the fires, says Durkin.

“We prioritize being responsive and finishing when we say we're going to finish, and keeping schedules,” says Durkin. “That makes us a pretty good partner for something like fire reconstruction.”

Looking ahead, Durkin says he expects the company’s wildfire survey workload to accelerate in 2027.

“We’re really tuned into the builders and the infill developers here in our community — the kinds of people who take on fire rebuilds for people,” Durkin says. “When they need something like reestablished property lines or an elevation certificate, we’re the first call for a lot of the builders and developers in the community.”