Electrician in Northridge

Northridge's farms and ranches were subdivided from the late 1940s, and most of the neighborhood was built between the 1950s and the 1970s, from tract houses to custom homes on half-acre lots and Palmer & Krisel's modernist Northridge College Estates. It is also home to CSUN, which enrolls nearly 40,000 students, and almost half of its homes were renter-occupied in 2000.

The 1994 earthquake carries the neighborhood's name. Scores of buildings collapsed or were damaged beyond repair, many more were repaired and some were rebuilt, so the age of a Northridge building isn't always the age of its wiring. We check what's actually there on a site visit before recommending anything.

What we do in Northridge

Everything we do in Northridge, with what each job usually involves here. The photos are from our own jobs.

Panel upgrades in Northridge

Replacing original Northridge panels, and checking panels swapped in during earthquake repairs that may still feed 1950s circuits.

More on panel upgradesCall (844) 430-7681

EV charger installation in Northridge

Chargers in detached garages at the back of half-acre lots, on a feeder sized for the distance.

More on EV charger installationCall (844) 430-7681

Electrical repair & troubleshooting in Northridge

Fixing what LAHD rental inspectors cite: exposed or unsafe wiring, dead outlets and switches, missing or broken light fixtures.

More on electrical repair & troubleshootingCall (844) 430-7681

Rewiring in Northridge

Rewiring rental units between tenants, and replacing branch circuits that post-1994 repairs left untouched.

More on rewiringCall (844) 430-7681

Outlets, GFCI & new circuits in Northridge

Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, which rental inspectors check, and GFCI protection in rental kitchens and baths.

More on outlets, GFCI & new circuitsCall (844) 430-7681

Commercial electrical in Northridge

Tenant improvements, lighting, meter banks, dedicated circuits and service upgrades for shops, offices, warehouses and multi-unit buildings.

More on commercial electricalCall (844) 430-7681

Also: subpanels, dedicated circuits, 240-volt outlets for dryers and ranges, exterior and security lighting, hard-wired smoke alarms, and small repairs of every kind.

What's common in Northridge homes

In Northridge the useful question is what has happened to a building since it was built.

• Tract houses from the 1950s to the 1970s. Where the original panel survives, it was sized before central air and EV charging were part of anyone's plans; a load calculation shows how much room is left.
• Earthquake-era repairs. After 1994 some houses got a new panel or new circuits and others got nothing, and the records don't always survive a sale. A 1990s panel feeding 1950s branch wiring is worth checking for.
• Rentals near CSUN. Apartment buildings near the campus range from originals to post-1994 rebuilds. Meter banks, house panels and the items rental inspectors cite are the electrical side of owning them.
• Half-acre lots. Some subdivisions were sold as custom homes on half-acre lots, with detached garages, workshops and pool equipment well away from the panel. Feeders to those buildings are long, and older ones may be undersized for what they now carry.

Permits and power in Northridge

Northridge (91324, 91325, 91327 to 91330) is City of Los Angeles throughout, so the citywide steps below apply. Landlords deal with a second city office as well: the Los Angeles Housing Department's Systematic Code Enforcement Program inspects every multi-family rental property in the city once every four years, and electrical defects are on its list. Almost half of Northridge homes are rented, so many owners here are on that cycle.

Permits come from the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS). A new circuit, an EV charger, a sub-panel or a panel replacement is permitted work, and LADBS will not send an inspector until the permit is issued. We pull it under our license and meet the inspector at the end.

Power comes from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), not Southern California Edison. For repairs, lighting, new outlets and a charger that fits on the existing panel, LADWP is not involved. For a panel or service upgrade it is: the job starts with LADWP's free meter spot, where an Electric Service Representative visits within five to fifteen business days, confirms where the new equipment may go and leaves a sketch at the job (single-family services up to 320 amps can be requested online). When only the meter needs setting, LADWP says that generally happens within ten working days. If the existing LADWP service can carry the new load there are generally no LADWP charges; work in the street, on a transformer or on the lines can add cost and time, and we find that out before you commit.

The permits and utilities guide explains the whole picture for the three counties we serve.

Around Northridge

Every neighbor here is in the City of Los Angeles, from Porter Ranch and Granada Hills on the north to Reseda, Lake Balboa and Van Nuys on the south, so permits and power don't change as you cross into them. The fire map does: Porter Ranch, Granada Hills and Chatsworth have land in the city's Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, while Northridge isn't on the Fire Department's list.

• Porter Ranch
• Granada Hills
• Chatsworth
• Winnetka
• Reseda
• Lake Balboa
• Van Nuys

See the full list of areas we cover across Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties.