Kern County Public Works

Public Works / Municipal Serviceskernpublicworks.com

Kern County Public Works is a government department delivering development services, transportation infrastructure (including Kern Transit's 12 bus routes and 6 dial-a-ride services), and solid waste management (6 landfills, 8 transfer stations) to Kern County, California residents and businesses, funded by tax allocations and user fees.

Company typePrivate
Founded2015
HeadquartersBakersfield, United States
Headcount51–100
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What Kern County Public Works does

Kern County Public Works is a government department of the County of Kern, California, headquartered in Bakersfield, that delivers three core service lines to county residents and businesses: Development Services, Transportation, and Solid Waste. Development Services encompasses building inspection, code compliance, engineering, surveying, GIS, floodplain management, and sewer service for approximately 100 County Service Areas covering roughly 40,000 residents. Transportation covers road maintenance, road and encroachment permitting, and the Kern Transit system — 12 fixed bus routes plus 6 dial-a-ride services — along with the Walk Kern pedestrian infrastructure program. Solid Waste operates 6 landfills, 8 transfer stations, 1 bin site, plus recycling and household hazardous waste programs county-wide.

The department's technology stack is built around conventional government workflow platforms: Accela for citizen access and online permit applications, SolarAPP+ for automated residential solar permit issuance, Esri-based GIS for spatial data management, and PlanetBids for procurement. Coordination with Caltrans handles state highway interface. Leadership is led by Director Joshua Champlin, with division heads Lisa Shreder (Solid Waste), Adrian Nava (Development), and Salvador Gomez (Transportation), supported by a senior engineering and inspection management team.

Revenue mechanics combine general fund tax allocations with a diversified fee portfolio: land use fees (tax-receipt-backed), gate fees on nonresidential waste disposal (transaction-based), sewer service fees (subscription-based on approximately 100 CSAs), bin fees, and permit fees. The customer base is the captive Kern County population and business community, with no ability to serve customers outside county boundaries. Fee adjustments — including a July 2026 gate fee restructuring and a proposed 2026–2031 CSA 71 sewer rate increase — are subject to Board of Supervisors approval, embedding political oversight into the pricing model.

Kern County Public Works firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Kern County Public Works
Legal name: Kern County Public Works Department
Website: https://kernpublicworks.com
Company type: Private
Founded year: 2015
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 51–100 employees
Short description: Kern County Public Works is a government department delivering development services, transportation infrastructure (including Kern Transit's 12 bus routes and 6 dial-a-ride services), and solid waste management (6 landfills, 8 transfer stations) to Kern County, California residents and businesses, funded by tax allocations and user fees.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Kern County Public Works industry classification

Industry

Product category: Public Works / Municipal Services
NAICS: Executive Offices (921110), Executive Offices (92111), Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (924110)
SIC: Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950)
akta.pro primary industry: Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities) (BPAIACAF)
akta.pro secondary industries: Public Works Departments (Streets, Bridges, Stormwater, Fleet, Maintenance) (BPAIALAD), Public Works General Contracting (IMAFAAAG)

Keywords

Solid waste management
Building inspection services
Public transportation services
Road maintenance
Sewer services

Where Kern County Public Works is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Bakersfield
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices19 records

Markets served

Kern County Public Works business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

Land Use Fees: Annual land use fees charged to all residential parcels within Kern County, appearing on property tax bills as KCSWMP Land Use. This fee covers household trash disposal costs for residents.
Gate Fees: Fees charged for nonresidential waste brought to Kern County solid waste facilities. Includes commercial disposal, tires, and construction debris. Fees are site-specific based on programs available.
Sewer Service Fees: Sewer service fees collected through tax roles for Kern Sanitation Authority and Ford City/Taft Heights Sanitation District. Calculated based on Equivalent Single-Family Dwellings (ESFDs).
Bin Fees: Fees for bin site operations as part of the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund revenue mechanism.
Permit Fees: Fees collected for building permits, road permits, encroachment permits, oversized load transportation permits, filming permits, and event-related road permits.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Other	Annual	Standard Residential Waste Disposal
Unit Pricing	Pay-as-you-go	Tire Disposal Fees
Unit Pricing	Pay-as-you-go	Dead Animal Disposal
Other	One time/ perpetual license	Building Permit Fees
One time/ perpetual license	Annual	Oversized Load Transportation Permits
Other	Pay-as-you-go	Administrative Citation Fines

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Kern County Public Works product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Kern County Public Works is a county government department that delivers municipal infrastructure and development services across Kern County, California. It operates three divisions — Development, Transportation, and Solid Waste — providing building inspections, code compliance, road maintenance and permits, public transit (Kern Transit), wastewater/sewer services, GIS mapping, and solid waste disposal through six landfills, eight transfer stations, and one bin site.

Product overview

Kern County Public Works provides government infrastructure and public services through a multi-divisional structure consisting of Development, Transportation, and Solid Waste service areas. The Development Division offers building inspection, code compliance, surveying, GIS mapping, floodplain management, and sewer information services. The Transportation Division manages road maintenance, road permits, Kern Transit (12 fixed bus routes and 6 dial-a-ride areas), and pedestrian/bicycle improvement projects through Walk Kern. The Solid Waste Division operates six landfills, eight transfer stations, and one bin site; manages hazardous waste through permanent facilities and collection events; administers SB 1383 organics recycling compliance; and provides community programs including Adopt-A-Road and household hazardous waste collection events. These services are delivered through both physical facilities (disposal sites, offices) and online portals (permit applications, report submissions) rather than a unified software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Disposal Sites (Landfills, Transfer Stations, Bin Sites) Solid waste disposal and recycling services for residential and commercial waste, operating six landfills, eight transfer stations, and one bin site across Kern County.
Road Permits Issuance of transportation permits for oversized load vehicles, encroachment permits for work in county road rights-of-way, and special event/filming permits for county roads.
Road Maintenance Road status monitoring, closure notifications, pothole repairs, traffic sign maintenance, and sand location services for county-maintained roads.
Building Inspection Building permit issuance, plan review, inspections, and electronic document review for residential and commercial construction in unincorporated Kern County areas.
Kern Transit Public bus transportation service providing 12 fixed bus routes and 6 dial-a-ride areas throughout Kern County, including medical dial-a-ride for transfer passengers.
Solid Waste Management Comprehensive solid waste services including landfill operations, special waste facilities, residential hazardous waste collection, and community outreach programs.
Hazardous Waste Services

Quantifiable outcome

4 million gallons of wastewater treated daily from nearly 40,000 people
+4 more outcomes

Companies that use Kern County Public Works

Customer profile

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Kern County Public Works technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Kern County Public Works partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

Caltrans (California Department of Transportation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKern County Public Works coordinates with Caltrans on federally-funded transportation projects. The department follows Caltrans Local Assistance Program Manual guidelines and uses Caltrans Unified Certification Program (CUCP) DBE Query for Disadvantaged Business Enterprise compliance on federal projects.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Kern County Public Works competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Broad incumbents

Waste Management Inc. Largest private sector solid waste and recycling operator in North America. Directly comparable for the landfill, transfer station, and recycling operations that Kern County Public Works runs, though Waste Management operates as a fee-for-service commercial business rather than a government department.
Republic Services: Second-largest North American solid waste services company operating landfills, transfer stations, and recycling facilities. Comparable to Kern County's solid waste operations at the facility-management level, with overlapping customer base in commercial and residential waste.
Veolia North America: Private environmental services company operating water, wastewater, and solid waste infrastructure under municipal contracts. Comparable to Kern County's wastewater treatment operations and provides a private-sector benchmark for service delivery efficiency.

Direct peers

San Bernardino County Public Works: Adjacent California county public works department providing land development, transportation, and solid waste services. Similar mix of unincorporated area governance, county service areas, and Caltrans coordination in a geographically dispersed service territory.
Fresno County Public Works: Central Valley California county public works offering comparable development, transportation, and solid waste services. Operates in a similar agricultural-adjacent county with extensive unincorporated area service responsibilities.
Tulare County Public Works: Central Valley county public works department providing road maintenance, development services, and solid waste management. Similar agricultural county profile with comparable small unincorporated community service demands.
Riverside County Public Works: Southern California county public works department with analogous functions including transportation, solid waste, flood control, and building permitting. Operates one of the largest geographic footprints in California with similar service area challenges.
Ventura County Public Works Agency: California coastal county public works agency providing water, sanitation, transportation, and development services. Comparable structure with centralized county government oversight and similar fee-based revenue model.
Los Angeles County Public Works: Largest county public works department in California, providing identical service categories including building permits, road maintenance, solid waste, and floodplain management. Comparable governance structure under a Board of Supervisors and County Counsel oversight.

Others

Caltrans: California Department of Transportation, a direct partner of Kern County Public Works. Not a direct competitor but a regulatory and funding counterparty that sets standards for county transportation projects and provides federal-aid funding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Kern County Public Works financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Kern County Public Works leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Kern County Public Works funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Kern County Public Works M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kern County Public Works

What does Kern County Public Works do?

Is Kern County Public Works a public or private company?

Kern County Public Works is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.

When was Kern County Public Works founded?

Kern County Public Works was founded in 2015. It employs 51 to 100 people.

Where is Kern County Public Works based?

Kern County Public Works is headquartered in Bakersfield, United States, in the North America region.

How does Kern County Public Works make money?

Five revenue lines are on record. Land Use Fees are the primary driver. The others are gate Fees, sewer Service Fees, bin Fees and permit Fees.

Who are Kern County Public Works's main competitors?

Broad incumbents on record are Waste Management Inc., Republic Services and Veolia North America. Direct peers are San Bernardino County Public Works, Fresno County Public Works, Tulare County Public Works, Riverside County Public Works, Ventura County Public Works Agency and Los Angeles County Public Works. Caltrans is listed as an others.

Does Kern County Public Works have an API?

No public API is recorded for Kern County Public Works.

What industry is Kern County Public Works in?

Kern County Public Works's product category is Public Works / Municipal Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIACAF, Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities), with a secondary code of BPAIALAD, Public Works Departments (Streets, Bridges, Stormwater, Fleet, Maintenance). Its NAICS code is 921110 and its SIC code is 4953.