The two approvals every temporary pole needs
Construction power is approved in two separate places, and both have to line up before the utility energizes your pole.
- Electrical permit: issued by the city or county building department that has jurisdiction over the job address.
- Utility temporary service request: filed with the electric utility that serves the address. The utility's planner sets the pole location and the service point, then sets the meter after the inspection is released.
GDV Utilities handles both as part of every temporary power pole job, so you do not have to chase the building department and the utility separately.
Who issues the electrical permit
The permit comes from the building department for the job address, not the utility. Inside city limits that is the city; in unincorporated areas it is usually the county.
- City of Los Angeles: the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS), including the San Fernando Valley and Pacific Palisades.
- Other cities: the city's building and safety division, for example Corona, Riverside, Chino or Redondo Beach.
- Unincorporated areas: the county building department, such as Riverside County or Los Angeles County.
- Arizona and Nevada: the city development services department (for example Phoenix or Mesa) or the county for unincorporated addresses.
The permit is pulled under a licensed contractor. GDV Utilities pulls it under California license A & C-10 #1163710, Arizona license A & C-11 ROC #345427 or Nevada license C-2 #0093534.
What the permit and utility request need
- The job address (and parcel number for vacant lots without an address yet)
- The owner or general contractor's contact information
- The temporary panel size, usually 100A or 200A
- A simple site plan showing the building, the nearest utility pole or transformer and the proposed pole location
- For the utility: the permit number, the panel size and the expected load, plus access for the utility planner to see the site
When you request a quote, a photo of the whole lot showing the nearest utility pole(s) answers most of these questions up front.
How the utility service request works
The serving utility decides where your temporary pole can go and where it will connect. Its planner reviews the request, may visit the site, and confirms the service point. After the building department releases the inspection, the utility sets the meter and energizes the pole.
Which utility you deal with depends on the address:
- SCE: most of the Inland Empire, Orange County, Ventura County and Los Angeles County outside the City of LA. See Chino, Corona and Redondo Beach.
- LADWP: the City of Los Angeles. See North Hollywood, Sherman Oaks and Pacific Palisades.
- Municipal utilities: cities such as Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena and Riverside run their own electric systems.
- SDG&E and PG&E: San Diego County and most of Northern and Central California. See San Diego and Sacramento.
- APS, SRP and NV Energy: the Phoenix metro, including Mesa, and Nevada.
Inspection and release
Once the pole is set and wired, the building inspector checks the installation, typically the pole set and bracing, grounding, the meter base and panel, and the GFCI-protected receptacles. When it passes, the building department releases the inspection to the utility, and the utility schedules the meter set.
We meet the inspector on site so corrections, if any, get handled the same day.
What slows permitting down
- No address yet on a vacant lot, or an address that does not match the parcel
- A pole location the utility will not accept, which means a new site plan
- Failed inspections, most often grounding or GFCI protection
- Blocked access for the utility planner or the meter crew
- Utility backlogs in high-demand areas, such as fire rebuild zones
Most of these are avoided by getting the pole location right the first time, which is why we ask for a photo of the lot before we quote.