Guides
30 guides on permits, utilities, code and rebates in Southern California. Each one names its sources.
2025 California Electrical Code: what changed for homeowners
Which code edition applies in October 2026 and the 2023 NEC changes that most often touch a home project.
AB 1236 and EV charger permits: what California cities must offer
What Government Code 65850.7 requires of cities for EV charger permits, and how a few SoCal cities put it into practice.
ADU electrical requirements
Subpanel or new service, feeder, meter choice, EV and heat pump loads, and typical cost for a backyard or garage ADU.
Aluminum wiring: the risks and what fixes it
How to tell if your house has aluminum branch wiring, why the connections fail, and the repair paths with typical costs.
City utility rebates in Pasadena, Burbank, Glendale, Riverside and Anaheim
What Pasadena Water and Power, Burbank, Glendale, Riverside and Anaheim utilities pay for chargers, panels and batteries, with links.
Do I need a panel upgrade for an EV charger?
How to tell if your panel can carry a Level 2 charger, when a load manager saves the upgrade, and what each path costs.
Electrical permits in Southern California: what needs one and who pulls it
What needs an electrical permit, who pulls it, what the inspector checks, and what happens if the work was never permitted.
Federal tax credits for home electrical work: status in 2026
What each federal credit covered, the dates it ended, who might still claim, and where to look for money that is still open.
Generator vs battery backup
A decision guide for outages and wildfire shutoffs: runtime, typical cost, fuel, permits, noise and incentives, side by side.
Going all-electric: what to do first, and when the panel comes in
A sensible order for EV charger, heat pump, water heater, range and solar, and when a load manager saves a panel upgrade.
HOA EV charger law in California: Civil Code 4745 and how to ask
How Civil Code 4745 works, the 60-day clock, common-area conditions, and the steps to send an HOA a charger request.
How to hire an electrical contractor in California
What to check before you hire an electrical contractor: license, bond, insurance, bids, contract terms, payments, permits and warning signs.
How to prepare for the electrician's visit
A ten-minute checklist: panel photos, clear work space, utility data, appliance list, HOA papers and the questions to ask.
How to read your electrical panel
A safe five-step read of your panel: main breaker, label, brand, free spaces and directory, plus when to call an electrician.
How to verify an electrician's license in California
A five-minute CSLB check: license status, C-10 class, bond, workers' comp, and the contract terms the law requires.
Knob and tube wiring: how to tell, whether it is safe, and what it means for insurance and a sale
How to spot knob and tube, why insulation is the main danger, what insurers and buyers do about it, and what replacement involves.
LADWP EV charger rebate and home programs: the terms and the order of steps
LADWP's charger rebate, meter rebate and EV rate discount, who qualifies, and how the city permit and utility steps fit together.
Load calculation explained in plain English
The 220.83 method step by step with a worked example for a 1,800 sq ft home, and the 220.87 option based on a year of meter data.
Panel upgrade timeline: permit, meter spot, disconnect, inspection, reconnect
The step-by-step sequence of a panel upgrade, and where SCE, SDG&E, LADWP and city utilities each add their own wait.
PSPS power shutoffs explained: how they work and how long they last
What a PSPS is, how utilities warn you, how long outages last, and four dated SoCal examples.
PSPS prep checklist: what to do at home before the power goes out
Eight steps to prepare a home before a public safety power shutoff, from alerts to a backup power plan.
SCE Charge Ready Home: what it pays, who qualifies and the order of steps
What Charge Ready Home covers, who qualifies, the order of steps, and what to check before you apply.
SDG&E EV and panel programs: what is available and what is not
A sorted list of SDG&E and state programs for San Diego County homeowners, with what to check before you apply.
Selling a house in SoCal: the electrical inspection
What inspectors flag at sale, what a California seller must disclose, and which electrical repairs pay off before you list.
Time-of-use rates for EV owners
Plan names, peak hours and sign-up rules for SCE, SDG&E and LADWP EV owners, with no price claims that go stale.
What a heat pump needs from your electrical system
Circuit size, breaker, disconnect, permit and panel room for a heat pump or heat pump water heater, with costs and rebates.
What an electrical quote should include
Twelve lines every written electrical quote needs, so three bids can be compared on the same job.
Who files, who pays and who to call in a service upgrade
The four parties in a panel or service upgrade, what each files, what each pays and what to say when you call.
Wildfire zones and electrical work
What the fire hazard zone map means for panels, meters, outdoor wiring, backup power and shutoffs, with local examples.
Your solar installer went bankrupt: what to do next
Who owns your system, which warranties survive a solar company bankruptcy, and who can service it now.