Commercial electrical work in Los Angeles

Two city agencies, one release

In Los Angeles the building department and the power company are both city departments, and a new or changed service needs both to sign off. The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) inspects the wiring. It then sends a release to LADWP by computer. LADWP’s service guide says the service data on that release, such as address, main switch size, phase and voltage, must match the electrical permit, and that the release can take several days to arrive.

LADWP also inspects the metering equipment and wants a service application on file. It will not schedule its own crews until the inspections and releases are in. So a panel change that passes the city inspector can still leave a business without power if the paperwork does not agree.

Where the request goes depends on size. LADWP says commercial service equipment rated 400 amps or less, single phase, goes to the area Electric Service Representative, with a site plan, a single-line diagram, a load schedule and the Service Planning Information Form. Larger or three-phase services go through service planning. For a big job, LADWP’s guide asks for plans four to six weeks before the building is finished so cable and transformers can be set in time. See commercial panel and service upgrades for how the utility step fits into a schedule.

Which LADWP rate schedule a business lands on

LADWP prices commercial customers by demand, not by building type. Schedule A-1 covers small commercial accounts with facility demand under 30 kW. Schedules A-2 and A-3 apply at 30 kW and above, depending on whether LADWP delivers at 4.8 kV or 34.5 kV. A customer moves up when maximum demand reaches or exceeds 30 kW in any three billing months in the previous 12, and moves back to A-1 if demand falls below 30 kW.

Summer rates apply from June through September, and winter rates from October through May. Time-of-use pricing has high peak, low peak and base periods. This is why a restaurant adding a second oven line or a retailer adding chargers should ask for a load calculation before ordering equipment. A jump over 30 kW changes the bill, not just the panel.

LADWP also publishes monthly EV commercial charging service rates in three customer categories, EVA1 through EVA3, updated each quarter. Demand charges are still part of them, so a charger site is not free of demand billing. The LADWP programs guide covers the household side.

Express permit or plan check at LADBS

LADBS splits electrical work into express permits and plan check. Its express list covers installations under 600 volts and up to 400 amps of total load in existing office, retail and residential buildings, for non-engineered wiring. Plan check is expected for loads above 400 amps, equipment rated 600 amps or more, installations over 600 volts, hazardous locations, exit, egress and security lighting, and systems such as fire alarm and standby power. LADBS also publishes document requirements for commercial and industrial tenant improvements. The details are on the tenant improvement electrical page.

Which path a job takes can change the schedule by weeks, so ask LADBS before the permit is filed. The permit guide explains how permits work across the region.

Fire department review

The Los Angeles Fire Department reviews new construction, change of use and remodeling projects in buildings with a state fire marshal occupancy, and its engineers review fire alarm systems. A lighting retrofit is usually outside that, but a change to exit lighting, alarm devices or panels can bring a second reviewer into the job. The LED lighting retrofit page covers when lighting work needs a permit.

Charger rebates are closed for now

As of October 2026, LADWP’s commercial EV charger rebate says applications are closed, with the next enrollment planned for November 2026. The last published amounts were up to $4,000 per Level 2 charger for workplace and non-equity sites, up to $5,000 at equity sites for multifamily or public use, and DC fast tiers from $20,000 to $100,000 for non-equity sites. Chargers must be permanently installed by a licensed electrical contractor. The page lists a limit of 80 Level 2 rebates per premises and 20 DC fast rebates. Read the commercial EV charging page before planning a project around a rebate.

What to send

Commercial electrical work in Los Angeles is available through the partner electrician. To start, send the building type, the address, whether you are the tenant, the owner or the property manager, and what is wrong or planned. A photo of the main panel and the meter helps. Start from the commercial hub or the Los Angeles residential page, and see the county overview for other cities nearby.