19 Best Gifts for Civil Engineers in 2024

Last updated: September 15th, 2024

Civil engineers are notoriously difficult to find gifts for. They tend to want things that are practical, functional, and unique. Being an engineer myself, I wanted to assemble what I think are the best gift ideas for civil engineers and civil engineering students.

Whether it’s a graduation gift for a civil engineering student, birthday present, or Christmas gift, I hope this gift guide helps you finish your gift shopping faster than ever and brings a smile to an engineer’s face. Show them you understand their passion for civil or structural engineering and support them when they geek out over your perfect gift.

This list is a compilation of my favorites from around the internet. Some are our own Genius Lab Gear inventions and some we’re just jealous we didn’t think of first! Some external links in this page are from affiliates, which means that any purchase of the items after clicking the link will result in a small monetary referral fee paid back to Genius Lab Gear at no cost to you. We appreciate your support which allows us to continue inventing and testing the best tools for engineers on the planet!

1. The Pocket Engineer: Wallet Ruler and Unit Conversion Reference

The most practical and unique pocket tool for any student or professional in civil or structural engineering. It’s the size of a typical credit card and packed with functionality and information that a civil engineer will need on a daily basis both in school and on the job. The laser-cut and laser-engraved stainless steel has a thick black enamel coating to prevent scratching and stand up to years of abuse. It’s one of the best inexpensive gadget gifts that any engineer will geek out over. You can order directly through our site or on Amazon with the links below.

You can also add a custom logo to this for events, networking, or promotional giveaways! Custom orders start at 100 pieces - just email us for more info.

The Pocket Engineer at Genius Lab Gear

The Pocket Engineer on Amazon

2. Metal pen multi tool with screwdriver, light and ruler

This isn't the only writing accessory I have on this list, but honestly most civil engineers love to have the full assortment of tools available at any moment and redundancy is our blood! This particular little pen multi tool is a great stocking stuffer for engineers that will be at home in an office, a workshop or makerspace.

When the toolbox is out of reach and you just need a darn screwdriver, this one fits the need. I would recommend this for civil engineers, construction workers, and mechanics.

3. Funny Engineering-themed Word Magnets

We recently launched a full line of science and engineering-themed word magnets and of course made a set specifically for engineers! Each specialty pack comes with 144 tiles carefully designed by a PhD in that field for technical accuracy and tacit absurdity. These make for a funny civil engineering gift for students for a dorm, lab, or office that lets them express their technical side but isn't work-oriented.

You can check it out on Amazon.

You can also bundle it from our site with our newest "Engineering is for Everyone" sticker and The Pocket Engineer above!

4. High-end graphing calculator with touchscreen and stylus

Calculators may seem a bit old-fashioned but most civil engineers I know (includingn students) still prefer to have one on their desk. Instead of getting distracted with a browser-based or phone-based calculator, doing quick calculations next to your keyboard helps you stay focused.

This particular touchscreen graphic calculator is a high-end model that has everything a civil engineer will ever need out of a calculator - they'll never outgrow it. It stands out from other versions because of the full-color screen which IMO helps quite a bit by color-coding functions and different variables. The stylus is also a nice touch - pun intended!

5. Geekey Multi-tool

For a civil engineer who spends a lot of time in the field or at a construction site, we suggest this key-shapedmulti-tool paired with The Pocket Engineer. It’s easy to carry on their keychain so they will always have a Screwdriver, Wrench, Bit Driver, File, Scoring Tip, Serrated Edge, Can Opener, and Wire Stripper handy at all times!  You can’t beat that kind of convenience.

Check the price on Amazon

6. BOSCH Laser Distance Measure

Another tool that civil engineers use is the tape measure. Regular tape measures can be inaccurate and awkward to use. Fortunately, those problems can be solved with a newer technology called laser distance measurement. It’s truly a perfect gift for a civil engineer! We love that it’s accurate up to 65 feet, fits inside a pocket, and it provides live measurements that adjust as you move closer or further from the target. 

Check the price on Amazon

7. Magnetic Pocket Level Tool

Engineers love making home improvements, and when it comes to remodeling, straight lines are important. To make sure they get the most out of their space, gift them this magnetic pocket level tool! What we loved about this tool is that it can be stored in a pocket, can be put in a keychain, or they can stick it to a metal post within their workplace since it has a magnetic strip on the side. 

Check the price on Amazon

8. Flashlight that transforms into a magnetic lost screw finder

This is basically a Transformer disguised as a flashlight. The hidden feature engineers will love is the telescoping neck which turns into a magnetic pick-up tool!

I can't tell you how many times I've dropped screws and nails in places they would be lost forever. In grad school I dropped one into a half-million dollar sputtering tool and had to borrow a telescoping magnet to get it out. This would have been perfect! Very much recommended for any civil engineer who works with screws (which is about 90% of them!)

Check the price on Amazon

9. LEGO Architecture - Empire State Building

The Empire State Building is an iconic skyscraper for civil engineers. The American Society of Civil Engineers listed the Empire State Building as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. How can this not be a perfect gift for a civil engineer? It’s a fun way to “build” a structure without the extra pressure of being on the job! Let’s be honest - LEGOs were designed for kids but are secretly a ton of fun for adults too! It’s a great way to reduce stress, anxiety and exercise your creativity.

Check the price on Amazon

10. Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down - Book

Engineers, as we all know, enjoy reading. But what types of books do they actually enjoy? For a civil engineer who seeks to gain more knowledge about his or her profession, this book by J. E. Gordon is a perfect fit. “Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down” is for anyone who wants to know everything about how structures work. This book will calm your nerves and answer your questions about why suspension bridges don't collapse under eight lanes of traffic, how dams hold back—or give way under—thousands of liters of water, and what principles determine the construction decisions in a skyscraper. 

Check the price on Amazon

11. rOtring or Staedtler Mechanical Pencil

Mechanical pencils are considered a daily essential for civil engineers. They let you precisely draw diagrams for homework or professional work with the option to make fine adjustments with the eraser. In the new digital age, mechanical pencils are still required but civil engineers often find themselves using touch screens as well. 

That’s why my new favorite is the rOtring 800 Retractable Mechanical Pencil, (0.5 mm). This one turns from a pencil to a stylus on the fly, and also ensures the tip isn’t poking holes in your pocket all day like most other models. This is truly the top-end mechanical pencil and will make a special gift. 

Check price on Amazon

Staedtler is another brand much-loved by engineers. This model is cheaper and will last a long time, but just isn’t convertible to a stylus. You can’t go wrong with either one.

12. Deck vacuum the size of an avocado

The future is here and I'm adding this to the list to prove it. Somehow they made a vacuum the size of an avocado. My desk admittedly gets a bit...unclean after a few weeks of eating my lunch and snacks on it. A tiny vacuum is a much better solution than trying to sweep everything off with my hands.

Nature Valley bars are no longer contraband at work if you have a way to deal with the crumbs instantly!

Check the price on Amazon

13. eTape16 Digital Electronic Tape Measure

One useful gift that a civil engineer would truly appreciate is a tape measure. The tape measure is a trusty old tool but paired with 2022 technology the digital tape measure is quite the level-up.

These digital tape measures from eTape16 have a display at the top for a quicker and more precise read. Our favorite part of this newer technology is that it has a memory function. Let’s say you forgot to bring a pen to write down your measurements. Just use the built-in buttons to store your measurements for later!

Check the price on Amazon

14. KARECEL Rechargeable Hand Warmers

Civil engineers spend a lot of time in the field even in the winter months. If they struggle to stay warm, consider getting them these Rechargeable Hand Warmers from KARECEL. It’s a thoughtful gift they will surely appreciate!

This present isn’t just a hand warmer. It’s also a powerbank that they can use to charge their phones when they are stuck outside all day without access to outlets. You can even use different temperature settings to make them perfectly toasty depending on the weather that day. 

For other color options, you can check them out on Amazon. 

15. Rocketbook Matrix cloud-connected reusable paper notebook

This is my favorite clever invention. It was inevitable. Rocketbook finally solved the problem of merging your hand-written notes into your favorite digital services. You simply use their app to take a photo of your pages of notes and the QR code and marked symbols on each page trigger the app to send the digitized page to any of the 9 pre-set digital destinations you choose. This includes OneNote, Evernote, Google Drive, Dropbox and even specific emails. Want a shortcut to send notes via email straight to your colleague or boss? This is what you’re looking for.

The Rocketbook Matrix is my personal favorite because it's designed for more technical work. It's got 30 pages of graphing paper and one regular lined page for taking notes, plus a built-in ruler on the inside cover. Did I mention they are resuable? Use their "Pilot Frixion" pens and then wipe the page with a damp cloth after uploading your notes to use it all over again (and win one for the environment!). 

Check the price on Amazon.

16. KiwiCo Eureka Crate

For a civil engineer who wants to spend more time with their kids and get them engaged in STEM, a great approach is working on small engineering projects together. KiwiCo came up with a line of project boxes for different age groups and subjects. You get a new project box every month and can pause or cancel any time. They are often made of laser-cut wood which you assemble with included electronics to make things like a trebuchet, an adjustable desk lamp, or an automatic pencil sharpener!

The Eureka Crate is targeted at ages 12+ (shown below), so it's perfect for high school students and can also be a ton of fun for a passionate engineer who loves hobby projects. If these are too advanced, try the Tinker Crate instead!

Check the price on the KiwiCo website

17.  Tools: A Visual Exploration of Implements and Devices in the Workshop

From one of my favorite science communicators Theodore Gray, Tools is an amazingly visual coffee table book that explores the beautiful and technical aspects of the tools we use to build the world around us.

The photography is stunning, and it's written at a level that can be enjoyed from high schoolers interested in STEM all the way to professional civil engineers and handymen. Anyone with a workbench or tool shed will especially nerd out over the diagrams and illustrations in this book. Enjoy!

For any civil engineer involved in academic research and publishing papers, this new tool is a life-saver. SciSpace is a new software tool that combines AI search engines with reference/bibliography management to quickly get answers to highly technical questions - all sourced from peer-reviewed journals.

The Copilot feature is my favorite! It can scan those clunky PDF files to make summaries and even pull tables out into an editable format! That would have saved me hundreds of hours in grad school...The other neat thing is that it lets you take notes on every journal article, link it to that file, and search your notes later with the AI engine.

The best move here is to gift them a 1-year subscription! Make sure to use my ambassador code “DEREK40” to save 40% on the first year. Just create an account here with your email, and then print out the login details to put into a gift box for the big day! They can move the account to their email address right after.

19. Engineer’s Gift Bundle

If you can't decide by now, I can still help! Consider this decision made. I put together a Engineer Gift Bundle just to make it easy for you. It includes the Pocket tool and Word Magnets from above, plus a few fun science stickers. You'll save over 20% by bundling them together, so grab this and you can stop your search here!

• Engineering Word Magnets
• Physics Word Magnets
• Science Basics Word Magnets
• Starter Word Magnets (144 tiles of connector words)
• The Pocket Engineer pocket ruler and reference
• Engineering is for Everyone sticker

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

What is the best gift for a civil engineer?

Anything that's practical, functional, or can help them show their love for engineering. Here are our favorites:

• The Pocket Engineer - Credit card-sized engineering ruler and reference
• Engineering word magnets
• Metal pen multi-tool with screwdriver, light and ruler
• High-end graphic calculator with touch screen and stylus
• Geekey Multi-tool
• BOSCH Laser Distance Measure
• Magnetic Pocket Level Tool
• Flashlight that transforms into a magnetic lost crew finder 
• LEGO Architecture - Empire State Building
• Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down - Book
• rOtring or Staedtler Mechanical Pencil
• Desk vacuum the size of an avocado
• Tools: A Visual Exploration of Implements and Devices in the Workshop
• eTape16 Digital Electronic Tape Measure
• KARECEL Rechargeable Hand Warmers
• Rocketbook Matrix cloud-connected reusable paper notebook
• Eureka crate from KiwiCo
• Tzowla Travel Laptop Backpack
• SciSpace Subscription