Power from SCE
Electrician in Ontario: two housing eras and one utility, SCE
Ontario splits into older homes near Euclid Avenue and new builds in Ontario Ranch, all on SCE power. Half the homes predate 1980, and the city runs solar and panel permits through two different systems.
Permit office
City of Ontario Building Department (Community Development)
(909) 395-2023 · Permit page · Online portal
Permit fees in Ontario
City of Ontario Building Department (Community Development)
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Electrical permit issuance fee (each permit) The page also states a $47.50 minimum for any permit. System fees below do not include the issuance fee. | $41.00 |
| Electrical service, 600 volts or less, not over 200 amperes Over 200 to 1,000 amperes is $258.00; over 1,000 amperes or over 600 volts is $431.00. | $172.00 |
| Receptacle, switch and light outlets, first 20 Additional fixtures $2.90 each. | $129.00 |
| Temporary power pole or pedestal | $86.00 |
| Electrical apparatus, conduits and conductors not otherwise listed | $143.00 |
Taken from the city's fee page. Fees change, and other charges such as plan check can apply. Confirm at the permit counter. Compare permit fees across cities.
Turnaround. The Building page says permit applications go through the online Permit Portal and that residential solar and storage under 38.4 kW are approved through the Symbium portal.
EV charger permits. AB 1236 (Gov. Code 65850.7) requires every city to run an expedited, administrative review for EV charger permits and publish a checklist, and AB 970 (Gov. Code 65850.71) adds review timelines (GO-Biz). Ask the permit technicians how the city applies its checklist.
Inspections. Inspector line (909) 395-2362. The city posts a Daily Inspection Schedule and offers a Book an Appointment link on the Building page.
Rebates listed for Ontario
From SCE and the city
| Program | Amount |
|---|---|
 SCE Charge Ready Home SCE residential customers who are income-qualified or on a qualifying assistance program or live in a disadvantaged community; licensed contractor required; SCE takes applications while you plan, during the work or up to six months after | Up to $4,200 toward a panel upgrade to 200 amps plus a dedicated 240 volt circuit for income-qualified households whose main panel is under 200 amps; if the panel is already 200 amps or more, the outlet-only rebate is up to $1,000; check the current SCE terms. Does not pay for the charger. |
Amounts as listed by each program, October 2026. Programs have limits and rules.
$2,500 to $4,500
A regional range from the sources on the cost page. Your electrician gives the actual quote after a look.
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Two housing eras, two kinds of job
The old Model Colony grid around Euclid Avenue and downtown has mid-century and older houses. Citywide, about a third of homes predate 1970 and half predate 1980. The older houses are where panel upgrades come up most often. Rewires come up too, and the aluminum wiring guide covers a common one.
Ontario Ranch in the south is a different story. City materials say it added 1,200 homes in 2023 and plan about 69,000 units at buildout. Those homes usually start with a modern panel. The jobs there are added loads, like a charger, a heat pump or an ADU subpanel. See ADU electrical requirements before you draw plans.
Permits and the counter
The Building Department prices a service in tiers, and the fee table above shows them. There is no EV charger line, so ask the permit technicians how a charger circuit is priced. A second extension request on the same residential permit costs $150, effective January 3, 2024. That matters when a job waits on SCE. The counter is closed Tuesday 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. and the first Thursday of the month 8:00 to 10:00 a.m., so plan a permit pickup around those. Inspections are requested at (909) 395-2362. Compare the totals with the typical SoCal panel cost.
Only SCE for power
Power is SCE, so after the city signs off, the meter release is an SCE step. SCE’s timelines cover only its own work, so the permit and inspection add to the wait. The utility coordination guide explains how the two fit together.
Charge Ready Home helps with a panel upgrade but does not pay for the charger, and it is limited to income-qualified or disadvantaged-community SCE households, so check your address and current terms before you sign. SCE’s TOU-D-PRIME plan needs an EV, battery or heat pump on file. Details are in the time-of-use guide.
Summer load and outages
Ontario sits on the valley floor, with hot dry summers and a July high near 94 F at the airport. Central AC runs hard from June through September, so a load calculation matters before you add a charger. SCE’s 2019 shutoff lists for San Bernardino County named foothill cities, and Santa Ana winds can still bring down lines on the flats. A generator interlock is one option for a home that needs power through those.
Ontario homes: age, count and heating
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey; QuickFacts for Ontario. Climate zone 10.
Getting power work done with SCE
SCE sets and reconnects the meter. Its published targets cover only SCE steps, and city review time is extra. How the steps fit together.
Electricity is SCE. The city's own Ontario Municipal Utilities Company (OMUC) handles water and sewer only, so a panel or EV job never involves OMUC for power. SCE appears in a 2019 SCE service-area fact sheet that lists Ontario. The city site itself does not name the electric provider.
Backup power for shutoff days
Fire weather and power shutoffs
Shutoff record: Power was cut in a past event
SCE's January 17 to 27, 2025 PSPS event (509,245 customers notified, 152,393 de-energized across nine counties) opened San Bernardino County community resource centers in Fontana and Yucaipa, not Ontario. Santa Ana wind outages from downed lines can still occur.
Local details
- The city's economic development page says 1,200 new homes were built there in 2023, that it plans 69,000 residential units and a population of 193,000 at buildout. That it is the first gigabit community in Southern California. The same page reports 433 percent population growth since 2010, so these are recent builds. The electrical jobs they are most likely to need are added loads (EV chargers, heat pumps, ADU subpanels), not rewires. Source
- Ontario Ranch buildout also includes 12 million square feet of commercial and office space and 31 million square feet of industrial space, next to the Ontario International Airport logistics area. Growth of that size is why Ontario's building counter and online portal handle a high volume of new-construction work alongside homeowner permits. Source
- Since August 4, 2025 the city has used the Symbium platform for instant plan review of residential roof-mounted solar and energy storage systems under 38.4 kW and for single-family re-roof permits. The city encourages homeowners and contractors to use it. A panel or service change is a separate electrical permit through the regular permit portal. Source
- The city runs its own utility company for water and sewer (OMUC), billed separately from SCE electric. A house in Ontario therefore has one city account for water and a separate SCE account for power. Only the SCE side is involved when a meter is released after a panel change. Source
Jobs homeowners here ask about
Commercial electrical work in Ontario
Near Ontario
Questions about electrical work in Ontario
My Ontario Ranch house has a 200 amp panel. Is there room for an EV charger and a heat pump?
Maybe. A 200 amp panel on a newer home is often busy with central AC, a range and a dryer. A load calculation adds up what actually runs together and shows the space left. If it falls short, a load management device or a subpanel can fit the charger without a bigger service.
How do I get a panel upgrade permit in Ontario, and what does it cost?
Apply through the city's online Permit Portal. The fee page lists a $41.00 issuance fee plus $172.00 for a service of 200 amps or less, and $258.00 from over 200 to 1,000 amps. That page prints no date. Plan check, when plans are required, is 80 percent of the permit fee. Call (909) 395-2023 for the exact total.
Do solar and a home battery go through Symbium in Ontario, or the regular permit portal?
Residential solar and storage under 38.4 kW go through the Symbium instant review platform, which the city has used since August 4, 2025. A panel or service change is a separate electrical permit through the regular portal. If your solar needs a bigger panel, expect two permits.
Can I add an ADU in Ontario and what electrical service does it need?
An ADU usually needs its own subpanel, and sometimes a larger main service for the whole lot. The size depends on a load calculation for the main house and the new unit together. Ontario has a dedicated ADU page, so start there for the building rules, then have the electrical plan sized.
Does the city of Ontario supply my electricity?
No. The city's own utility company, OMUC, handles water and sewer only. Power comes from SCE, on a separate account. When a panel change is finished, only the SCE side is involved in releasing the meter, so a call to the city utility will not help. Use your SCE account number when you request service work.
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