Department of Public Works
Board of Public Works
Bureau of Contract Administration Bureau of Engineering Bureau of Sanitation Bureau of Street Lighting Bureau of Street Services
City of Los Angeles

THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS

The Department of Public Works, the City's third largest Department, is responsible for construction, renovation, and the operation of City facilities and infrastructure. The Department builds the City streets, installs its sewers, constructs storm drains as well as public buildings and service facilities.

The Department is comprised of a staff of over 5500 employess who design and execute public projects from sidewalks and bridges to wastewater treatment plants and libraries. Throughout its history, the Department of Public Works has been responsible for construction, renovation and improvement programs involving such projects as the Los Angeles International Airport, City Hall, Hyperion and Tillman Treatment Plants, Hyperion and North Spring Street Bridges, plus hundreds of major public facilities and systems throughout the City of Los Angeles.

Directors of the Department's five Bureaus report to the Board of Public Works, whose five members oversee administration, operations, fiscal systems, and contracts and agreements of the Department.

Click here for the Department of Public Works FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

THE BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS

As Los Angeles keeps pace with the needs of its people, the Board of Public Works continues its leadership tradition after more than 90 years of service. The Board of Public Works is the City's only full time, policy making board.

The Board is an executive team composed of five members, selected and appointed by the Mayor of Los Angeles, and confirmed by City Council to five year terms. Board of Public Works Commissioners are the chief administrators of the Department of Public Works.

Residents may appear before the Commission during regular Board meetings, Board sponsored public hearings and through the Board's appeal process.

For more information, please call -
The Public Works Hotline: 213-978-0265
TTY: 213-978-2310

The Bureau of Contract Administration

The Bureau of Contract Administration administers contracts and permits for public works construction and improvement projects (streets, sewers, storm drains, streetlighting and all other public improvements).

  • Inspects projects daily to ensure work constructed on public property is the highest possible quality, meets specifications, and is completed on schedule.
  • Reviews and approves construction and non-construction affirmative action plans.
  • Enforces Minority Women and other Business Enterprise Subcontractor outreach programs.
  • Certifies Minority, Women and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises for all City departments.
  • Enforces federal and state prevailing wage and labor laws on public works projects.

If you have questions about a project in your neighborhood, you may call:

General Information/Project Complaints (213) 847-1922

Contract Compliance (213) 847-1922

The Bureau of Engineering

The Bureau of Engineering prepares preliminary designs, specifications and estimates of major public improvement projects.

  • Responsible for subdivision requirements and checking public improvement plans of private developers.
  • Issues Engineering permits.
  • Prepares construction cost estimates and provides construction contract management.
  • Responsible for Capital Improvement Projects for the City, including stormwater, sewer systems, street and other infrastructures, including planning and design.

    If you have questions about a project in your neighborhood, you may call:

    General Information: (213) 485-5400

    The Bureau of Sanitation

    The Bureau of Sanitation provides refuse, recyclables and yard trimmings collection, sewer and storm drain maintenance and repair, wastewater collection and treatment, and many other related services to the residents of Los Angeles. To accomplish these tasks, the Bureau has more than 2,600 employees distributed throughout 15 divisions, including:

    • Solid Resources Collection
    • Solid Resources Engineering and Construction
    • Solid Resources Citywide Recycling Division
    • Watershed Protection Division
    • Industrial Waste Managment
    • Wastewater Collection Systems
    • Hyperion Treatment Plant
    • D. C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant
    • L.A. Glendale Water Reclamation Plant
    • Terminal Island Treatment Plant
    • Environmental Monitoring

    For information on:

    • General Recycling and Refuse Collection Information
    • Refuse Collection
    • Recycling
    • Dead Animal Collection
    • Bulky Item Pickup
    • Tire Recycling

    please call: 1-800-773-2489 (TTY: 213-473-5663)

    For information on:

    • Sewer and Storm Drain Problems
      please call: 1-323-342-6006 or 1-213-342-6012 (TTY: 213-276-8862)
    • Sewer Service Charge Hotline
      please call: 1-800-540-0952 or 213 473-8413
      (TTY: 213-847-8622)
    • Household Hazardous Waste/Used Oil Recycling
      please call: 1-800-988-6942 (TTY: 213-473-5664)

    The Bureau of Street Lighting

    The Bureau of Street Lighting designs, constructs, operates, maintains and repairs the City's street lights. It is also responsible for the financial administration of the Lighting District.

    The City's streetlight system:

    • Has more than 230,000 streetlights incorporating over 400 different varieties of lights.
    • Covers 4,500 of the City's 7,000 mile area.
    • Provides quality, timely, cost effective and courteous service to the community of Los Angeles in meeting the needs for lighting of streets and public ways within established authorities.
    • Encourages residents to report damaged or out-of-service street-lights in their neighborhoods.

    Request for improved lighting, call: Community Liaison (213) 847-1455

    Street Lights Out or Damaged, call: Street LIghting Field Operations 311

    Emergency Calls After Hours, call: Department of Water and Power Electric Trouble Board
    (1-800) 821-5278 (213, 310, 232 Areas)
    (1-800) 821-5279 (818 Area)

    General Information:
    (213) 847-1456

    The Bureau of Street Services

    The Bureau of Street Services provides roadway maintenance, improvement, resurfacing and reconstruction of streets and related structures and engineering design of streets and streetscapes in the City of Los Angeles.

    • Provides maintenance, repair and improvement of approximately 7,300 miles of public streets, alleys and related structures, making about 200,000 repairs per year and resurfacing and reconstructing 150 to 200 miles of streets annually.
    • Cleans public streets and alleys using a variety of methods including machine sweeping over 600,000 curb miles per year.
    • Trims, plants and maintains the City's 680,000 tree urban forest, trimming approximately 90,000 trees annually, maintains over 290 acres of landscaped median islands and enforces street tree and oak tree ordinances.
    • Enforces the Annual Weed Abatement Ordinance, including the removal of illegally deposited debris from approximately 5,000 private and public lots.
    • Enforces the Los Angeles Municipal Code governing the use of public rights of way to correct defective and hazardous conditions affecting the public health and safety.

    For general information or requests for service, call:

    General Information and Requests:
    (213) 473-8410
    (818) 756-8121
    (310) 548-7721
    TTY (213) 473-6600