Stephen Bugg, DL&E's eastern region managing partner, said Carter Walker chief executive Rod Exton was a building surveyor and would be used to develop that area of DL&E's business nationally.
He said: "Carter Walker is very strong in building surveying and we want to develop that side of our service. We'll be asking Rod Exton to lead that on a national level.
"We have some building surveying operations at the moment but they are a bit isolated and uncoordinated. This move will bring it all together and give us the opportunity to draw our resources together and offer something different," he said.
Bugg said growing its building surveying service was something DL&E had been considering.
This move will give us the opportunity to draw our resources together and offer something different
Stephen Bugg, partner, DL&E
"We've observed the benefits that building surveying can bring to our business," he said. "It's something we've seen the need for as we've done more project management work."
Bugg added that the deal would allow DL&E to offer clients a complete range of services.
Exton's fellow Carter Walker partners Peter Scaife, Peter Ryland, Nigel Tate and Roy Pett will become DL&E partners. The 25 Carter Walker staff will also be merged with DL&E's eastern region, bringing the total to 150.
Carter Walker, which was established in 1959, has also adopted the DL&E name.