Power from SCE
Electrician in Temecula: load calculation for Level 2 chargers
Temecula sits in SCE territory, and SCE has put the Wine Country area on its shutoff lists more than once. The city's permit rules ask for a load calculation, a single-line drawing and form CD-44 for any Level 2 charger.
Permit office
City of Temecula Community Development, Building and Safety
951-694-6444 (888-TEMECULA toll free) · Permit page · Online portal
Permit fees in Temecula
City of Temecula Community Development, Building and Safety
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Permit issuance / administrative fee, simple project (includes 1 inspection visit) City of Temecula User Fee Schedule, FY 2026-27, Building - MP&E. Each additional trip is $73.00. Unit fees are added on top. | $142.00 |
| Electrical service 600V or less, not over 200 amps (each) FY 2026-27 User Fee Schedule. Over 200 to 1,000 amps is $92.00; over 1,000 amps is $107.00. Added to the $142.00 issuance fee. | $71.00 |
| Appliances, up to and including 1 (each) FY 2026-27 User Fee Schedule electrical unit fees. Over 1 and not over 10 is $56.00. A Level 2 charger is not a named line; the unit fee that applies is set by the city. | $28.00 |
| Receptacle, switch and lighting outlets, first 10 / each additional 10 FY 2026-27 User Fee Schedule. | $43.00 / $13.00 |
| Misc. apparatus, conduits and conductors with no set fee (each item) FY 2026-27 User Fee Schedule; not charged when a fee is paid for services, outlets or fixtures. | $101.00 |
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 EV page says the city checks the submittal for completeness, then sends next steps and an invoice. No review time is stated.
EV charger permits. Register at TemeculaCA.gov/CSS (contractors need a business license), then submit a building permit application, site plan with circuit routing, single-line drawing with wire and conduit sizes, partial floor plan, panel load calculation and panel schedule, manufacturer spec sheets and the completed EV Checklist CD-44. The EV Charger Guidelines are CD-42. Level 1 on an existing permitted 120V outlet needs no permit. A Level 2 (240V) needs an electrical permit and inspection. The page does not mention AB 1236 by name.
Inspections. After the permit issues, request the inspection online through the CSS portal. City hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday.
Rebates listed for Temecula
From SCE and the city
| Program | Amount |
|---|---|
 SCE Charge Ready Home SCE residential customers in single-family homes who are income-qualified or live in a disadvantaged community, with a licensed C-10 contractor | Up to $4,200 toward a 200 amp panel upgrade and dedicated 240V circuit for a Level 2 charger (per SCE page excerpt; other sources list different amounts) |
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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Shutoffs shaped the questions here
In October 2019 the city warned that part of Temecula Valley Wine Country was at risk of an SCE shutoff. SCE’s November 6 and 7, 2024 Santa Ana wind shutoff cut power to more than 13,500 Riverside County customers, in an area reported to include Temecula and Murrieta. A later wind event closed wineries on Rancho California Road, including Europa Village and Peltzer. Wine Country and the hills on the east and south edges are the shutoff-prone areas. Look up your own lot on the CAL FIRE map.
The city’s outage page says about one quarter of SCE’s service area is in high-risk fire areas and links SCE’s Critical Care Battery Backup program. Start with the PSPS prep checklist, then weigh a generator interlock kit against a home battery.
What the city asks for
Temecula’s online portal takes the application. The paperwork list is longer than in many cities, with a panel load calculation and panel schedule, both needed for a charger. Home chargers follow the residential guidelines, not the commercial ones. The reasoning behind a load calculation is in the linked guide.
The EV page states no review time, and it does not name AB 1236. Read the state rule for what you can expect, and ask the city to confirm it applies the checklist the same way for a simple home charger.
Fees you can total yourself
The fee schedule has no EV line. A panel is the issuance fee plus the service fee, and receptacles and lights are priced in blocks of ten. Use the panel upgrade cost page for the full price, since the permit is a small part.
Tract homes, newer panels
Almost nothing here is old: only about 1 in 14 homes predate 1980, over 4 in 10 went up after 2000, and the median is 1998 in a city incorporated in 1989. About 80% are single-family and 68% are owner-occupied. This is mostly newer breaker-panel housing, so the problem is open breaker space for air conditioning, a charger and solar rather than old wiring. July highs average about 97 F. A subpanel at a garage or detached building is a common answer. Charge Ready Home can help when a full panel blocks a charger, but it is limited to income-qualified or disadvantaged-community SCE households, so read the current terms first. Across the line, Murrieta files with its own city.
Temecula homes: age, count and heating
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey; QuickFacts for Temecula. 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.
The City of Temecula's Power Outage Preparedness page names SCE as the electric provider and links SCE's PSPS pages; SCE's service-territory city list includes Temecula.
Temecula's EV page states electrical changes need a permit and inspection through the city. The city does not publish its own SCE coordination sheet.
Backup power for shutoff days
Fire weather and power shutoffs
Shutoff record: Power was cut in a past event
SCE shutoffs have reached the valley more than once.
Local details
- Temecula publishes separate residential (CD-42) and commercial (CD-43) EV charger guidelines, so a home charger follows the residential checklist (CD-44) and not the commercial rules. Source
Jobs homeowners here ask about
Near Temecula
Questions about electrical work in Temecula
How do I add up the Temecula permit fee for a 200 amp service?
The FY 2026-27 user fee schedule charges $142.00 to issue a simple electrical permit, which includes one inspection visit, plus $71.00 for a service up to 200 amps. That adds up to $213.00 before other unit fees. The sum is arithmetic, not a city quote, and each extra inspection trip is $73.00.
What do I need to submit for a Level 2 charger in Temecula?
Register on the city's CSS portal, then file a building permit application with a site plan showing circuit routing, a single-line drawing with wire and conduit sizes, a partial floor plan, a panel load calculation and schedule, spec sheets and the completed CD-44 checklist. Guidelines for homes are CD-42. A Level 1 plug on an existing permitted outlet needs no permit.
Should I add a battery for Wine Country power shutoffs?
It is a fair question there. SCE put part of the Wine Country at risk of a shutoff in 2019, and its November 2024 shutoff reached Temecula and Murrieta. A battery covers short outages, but a long one can outlast it, so size it to the circuits you must keep running. Compare it with a generator before you buy.
How do I request an electrical inspection in Temecula?
After the permit issues, request the inspection online through the city's CSS portal. City hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, and the Building and Safety line is 951-694-6444. The simple permit fee includes one inspection visit, and each additional trip is billed, so have the work ready before you book.
Do I need a permit to hook up a generator or transfer switch at my Temecula house?
Yes, assume so. Temecula says electrical changes need a permit and inspection through the city, and a transfer switch or inlet box is an electrical change. The fee schedule has no named line for it, so the city sets the unit fee. Ask Building and Safety at 951-694-6444 before you buy equipment.
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