Issue over 30,000 permits each year covering construction valued at approximately $2 billion. Eleven district and 17 branch offices enforce structural, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical codes through the plan check and inspection process in the unincorporated areas and in contract cities.

Ensure proper land development in the unincorporated areas from geology and soils engineering to subdivision mapping standards.

Provide for appropriate infrastructure installation by developers, involving the design and installation of sewers, storm drains, streets, lighting, and water mains.

Develop and implement complex capital projects, including project management; direct all technical aspects of the development process; and manage consultants involved in planning, procurement, design, construction, and project delivery within established budgets and schedules.

Administer and monitor contracts, and prepare requests for proposals for architectural and engineering services.

Design and prepare plans for small-to medium-sized County capital projects; review plans prepared by consultants for major capital projects and earthquake repair projects.

Employ over 400 professional engineers and approximately 250 graduate-level engineers in a variety of engineering disciplines, including civil, electrical, mechanical, structural and architectural, with numerous specialties within their fields.

Study traffic concerns and recommend solutions to improve mobility on our congested local highways and streets. Administer numerous multi-jurisdictional Intelligent Transportation Systems projects, as well as continue to provide innovative traffic control devices; adopt traffic regulations; design traffic signals and advanced technology traffic signal coordination systems; provide alignment, signing, and striping of complex, nonstandard intersections while encompassing pedestrian safety issues, install street lighting; and review and analyze development projects to determine their impact and required traffic mitigation.

Develop and direct the operation of the County's dams, spreading grounds, and seawater barriers; gather and disseminate hydraulic and hydrological data; create hydrologic computer models and build physical hydraulic models; perform frequency analysis of rainfall and runoff; and perform studies and improvement planning on facilities under its direction;

Permit, check plans, inspect, and monitor industrial waste facilities and underground storage of hazardous materials for the County and a large number of the incorporated cities.

Design, check plans, and inspect roads, road improvements, bridges, bicycle trails, sewers, street lights, traffic signals, and flood control facilities and watersheds.