About Us

Penfield & Smith was founded by Wallace C. Penfield and Delbert D. Smith in 1946. The firm’s roots go back to the Santa Barbara practice started by George A. Miller in 1924. In 1960, the practice was incorporated as an employee owned company. With over 50 years of experience, the firm has established itself as one of the most progressive and well-respected firms based in the Tri-Counties area. With a staff of over 140, corporate headquarters in Santa Barbara, and branch offices in Camarillo, Lancaster, and Santa Maria, Penfield & Smith is the largest company providing complete surveying, mapping, planning, engineering, and construction administration services to the Central and South Coast areas of California. We serve both the private and public sectors and specialize in providing professional services to our clients from project inception through construction.

Our 40 registered civil engineers have extensive experience in the design of roadways, bridges, water and wastewater systems, storm drainage, grading, and erosion containment systems. Our engineers also provide expertise in the areas of flood control, solid waste management, municipal financing, traffic engineering and transportation planning, transportation demand management, permit processing, and construction engineering.

The firm's survey department is staffed with 5 licensed professionals, 9 fully equipped field crews and sufficient office personnel necessary to respond to many projects including boundary surveys, right-of-way easements, ALTA surveys, field control for aerial mapping and GIS, subdivision mapping, and construction staking.

Professional Associations

Penfield & Smith is actively involved in numerous professional boards and associations. Our staff currently hold the following positions:

• American Public Works Association (APWA), Central Coast Chapter Vice President
• American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Santa Barbara/Ventura Branch Secretary and Director
• California Land Surveyors Association (CLSA), Channel Islands Chapter, Vice-President and Treasurer
• Consulting Engineers and Land Surveyors of California (CELSOC), San Luis Obispo Chapter Vice President and Membership Chairman
• Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), Central Coast Chapter Secretary

Just a few of our achievements…

• Approximately 90% of our business is repeat business or referrals. Penfield & Smith is a customer-focused business that is committed to solving our customers’ needs. This approach has resulted in a highly satisfied client base.
• We have an exceptionally low employee turnover rate. We go out of our way, every day, to provide our employees with the resources they need and to ensure that employee satisfaction is maintained.
• We've seen an average sales growth of 17% per year. Our net profit growth is increasing and we are continuing to improve our market position.