It is organized as a federation of 52 state and regional councils with national headquarters in Washington, D.C., comprising thousands of engineering practices throughout the country.

ACEC's advocacy activities covered a broad range of issues, sometimes necessitating the creation of spin-off groups to pursue specific goals.

In 2006, President George W. Bush gave a major mid-term address at the ACEC Annual Convention in Washington, D.C., recognizing the organization for its public policy advocacy.

ACEC today seeks to bolster and expand the reach of QBS as a business “best practice” to ensure innovation, successful performance and public safety.

The council is a strong proponent of both federal and state bodies contracting out engineering services, asserting that such work is not “inherently governmental” and can be best and most economically performed by the private sector.

In 2011, ACEC led a large business coalition that won repeal of the 3 percent withholding provision on federal, state, and local contracts.

In recent years, ACEC has won judicial or legislative victories on issues including indemnification provisions, the duty to defend, and the Economic Loss Doctrine.

Each year, ACEC conducts annual Professional Liability Insurance Surveys of member and carriers to gauge current market conditions.

ACEC's Senior Executives Institute (SEI) provides advanced management, leadership and public policy training for firm leaders.

Each spring, the ACEC Annual Convention and Legislative Summit is held in Washington, D.C., featuring political speakers and member visits to congressional offices, as well as business education.

The ACEC Fall Conference is held in different locations each year and focuses on business practice issues, markets, and political developments.