Specialist companies are dedicated to this niche sector of the building industry and engineers operate within technical divisions of façade manufacturing companies. Generally, facade engineers are specifically qualified in the discipline of facade engineering and consultants work with the design team on construction projects for architects, building owners, construction managers and product manufacturers.

Facade engineers must consider aspects such as the design, certification, fabrication and installation of the building façades with regards to the performance of materials, aesthetic appearance, structural behavior, weather tightness, safety and serviceability, security, maintenance and build ability. The skill set will include matters such as computational fluid dynamics, heat transfer through two- and three-dimensional constructions, the behavior of materials, manufacturing methodologies, structural engineering and logistics.

Over time, the specialist skills necessary in this niche sector have surpassed the capabilities of architects, structural and mechanical engineers as buildings are designed with more complexity and with the introduction of Building Information Modelling (BIM).

Building facades are considered to be one of the most expensive and potentially the highest risk element of any major project. Historically building facades have the greatest level of failure of any part of a building fabric and the pressure for change and adaptation due to environmental and energy performance needs is greater than any other element of a building. As a consequence, façade engineering has become a science in its own right.