The firm was founded in 1954 by former Santa Rosa city engineer Frank Sarles, who was joined shortly thereafter by Walt Brelje and Ben Race. The following decades saw major growth in Sonoma County and the firm provided civil engineering services to many landmark projects including the Sea Ranch, Oakmont, and the Geysers geothermal generation complex. The firm also supported the expansion of local public services. For example, in 1963 Brelje & Race designed a sewage treatment plant for the newly formed Windsor County Water District. Following incorporation of the Town of Windsor in 1992, Brelje & Race designed major upgrades for the same plant, making it the region’s first Advanced Wastewater Treatment plant utilizing UV disinfection and adding an extensive recycled water system. In recent years we have contributed to building up key local institutions, including new facilities for Santa Rosa Junior College, the new Sutter Santa Rosa Medical Center, and the expansion and modernization of many K-12 school campuses. Brelje & Race also guided rebuilding and resiliency efforts following several devastating wildfires in the region.

To this day we remain locally owned and based out of a single office in Santa Rosa. We proudly continue the firm’s legacy of local service and look forward to the next seventy years of improving life in the place we call home.