Contra Costa County Department of Conservation and Development

I do a lot of permitting throughout the Bay Area, and this department is by far one of the most pleasant to work with. The staff is friendly and quick to respond and help you, and the permitting process is straightforward. This department should be a model for others.

Friendly staff willing to help you through the planning and permit process. Location is easy to find with onsite free parking. If it's busy and you have to wait a bit there are plenty of food choices nearby. Sometimes you will have to wait if it is busy.

I had quite a few questions answered directly into details. Doreen Payton is friendly, knowledgeable and patient. one visit solved lots of doubts.

I always get friendly helpful service from those in the Building Department...today Ken Alava was just fabulous helping me walk through the steps and checklist for my Building Permit.

Surprised they got to me fast and were very helpful!

Today I came at 1:30 pm to this department. I planned to purchase a land and had questions about whether it is buildable etc. It is not the first time I am buying a property. In other counties of the state, I attended building and planning departments and always got qualified help. Unlike Contra Costa.

Here, at the reception I signed in and filed the initial paper with my name and parcel number of the land. The gentleman with naked head at the reception for some reason failed to put my paper in the right bin, as a result of that I lost my place in the line. A lot of people pass in front of me. I waited for two and a half hours. Then gentleman from the reception approached me and told that I should go to Environment Health Department, while the Conservation and Development Department will not help me. He told it, after I was sitting there for more than 2 hours. I did not see specialist, I did not talk to anybody before gentleman approached me.

I responded, I have a lot of other questions apart from the Environmental and Health Department. The gentleman attempted to briefly answer, interrupting every 5 seconds to serve the next person in the line. So I stayed another half an hour in the line while receptionist served other people. He still denied to assign me a place in the line.

He was very rude, pointed his finger to my direction and yelled at me in front of everyone: "Did you understand?!... I already told you!... etc"