Electrician in Pasadena

Pasadena runs its own electric utility, so a panel upgrade inside the city answers to Pasadena Water and Power, not SCE or LADWP. PWP's published order is specific: its meter spot and quote come before the city electrical permit, only PWP may unlock the old meter, and PWP inspects the new panel and conduit before the city's final. We start with the utility so the rest of the job lines up behind it.

They are among the oldest houses in our service area. Bungalow Heaven's roughly 800 Craftsman homes went up between 1900 and 1930, and Hastings Ranch filled in below the San Gabriel Mountains in 1950 and 1951. Whether it's a 1912 bungalow or a 1950 ranch house, the work starts with an on-site visit and a written price.

What we do in Pasadena

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

Panel upgrades in Pasadena

Service upgrades run in PWP's order: meter spot and questionnaire first, then PWP's quote and the city permit, PWP's own meter unlock, its panel-and-conduit inspection, the city final and energizing.

More on panel upgradesCall (844) 430-7681

EV charger installation in Pasadena

Level 2 chargers in detached garages behind Craftsman bungalows and in Hastings Ranch garages, with a load check first; if the service has to grow, the job follows PWP's upgrade steps.

More on EV charger installationCall (844) 430-7681

Electrical repair & troubleshooting in Pasadena

Dead circuits and tripping breakers in houses wired a century ago and rewired piecemeal since, and outdoor faults after Santa Ana winds bring down branches.

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

Rewiring in Pasadena

Room-by-room and whole-house rewiring for 1900s–1930s bungalows, routed inside the walls so a landmark-district house looks the same from the street when we leave.

More on rewiringCall (844) 430-7681

Lighting & ceiling fans in Pasadena

Fixtures that suit a Craftsman interior, recessed lighting in remodeled kitchens, and outdoor circuits sized for the December displays in Hastings Ranch.

More on lighting & ceiling fansCall (844) 430-7681

Outlets, GFCI & new circuits in Pasadena

Grounded and GFCI outlets in place of two-prong originals, and weatherproof outdoor outlets for porches and holiday lighting.

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

Commercial electrical in Pasadena

Tenant improvements, lighting retrofits and dedicated circuits in the older commercial buildings of Old Pasadena's 21 downtown blocks, the Playhouse District and South Lake.

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 Pasadena homes

Pasadena's housing runs from Craftsman bungalows to 1950s tracts at the foot of the mountains. Electrically, that means old wiring extended many times, often inside houses whose outsides are protected.

• Craftsman bungalows in Bungalow Heaven and the landmark districts. Inside, the usual story is original wiring extended through a century of kitchens and bathrooms. Bungalow Heaven's guidance exempts interior work and mechanical upgrades that can't be seen from the street; visible exterior changes go through design review first.
• Hastings Ranch. Nearly 1,900 homes finished in 1950 and 1951 below Mount Wilson. Upper Hastings is known for its December displays, which put real load on outdoor outlets.
• Fire-zone properties. The 2025 state map put 4,610 Pasadena properties in the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, and the fire department inspects them every year. Santa Ana winds bring heat, tree damage and outages, so outdoor equipment should be rated for the weather and kept clear of vegetation. The January 2025 Eaton Fire hit the city hardest in its northeast: the city counted 185 structures destroyed inside Pasadena, mostly houses and accessory buildings in Upper Hastings Ranch, Victory-Rose, Dundee Heights and NATHA. If you're rebuilding, the new service follows PWP's service steps and current code from the start.

Permits and power in Pasadena

Pasadena is an independent city (ZIP codes 91101, 91103 to 91107) with its own building department and its own electric utility. The unincorporated areas on its edges, Altadena to the north and East Pasadena to the east, are a different case: Los Angeles County permits and SCE power.

Permits come from the City of Pasadena's Building & Safety Division, part of Planning & Community Development, through the Permit Center on North Garfield Avenue. In a landmark district, an exterior change visible from the street needs a Certificate of Appropriateness before the building permit, so where a new meter or panel will sit is part of the plan from the first visit.

Power comes from Pasadena Water and Power, and its procedure for a panel upgrade runs in a fixed order. It starts with a meter spot request to PWP's Electric Service Planning and a questionnaire from a utility planner. Next come the approved meter spot and PWP's quote, then the electrical permit. PWP's charges are paid by check only, and nothing is connected until every charge is paid. Only PWP may unlock the meter. After the work, PWP inspects the panel and conduit, the city does its final, and PWP energizes the service, within 14 business days for a small residential service and 21 for larger and commercial ones.

One more PWP rule shapes the design: a new or upgraded service above 200 amps single-phase, or 100 amps three-phase, has to make room for a city-owned transformer on the property, which can decide where equipment goes on a tight lot. Repairs, lighting, new circuits and a charger that fits on the existing service involve the city permit only.

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

Around Pasadena

Altadena, to the north, and East Pasadena, whose addresses still read Pasadena, are unincorporated Los Angeles County: permits come from Los Angeles County Public Works Building and Safety and power from SCE. Glendale is its own city with its own utility, Glendale Water and Power, and a service procedure of its own. La Cañada Flintridge, South Pasadena, San Marino, Sierra Madre and Arcadia are separate cities, so the permit comes from that city, and all five are SCE territory. Eagle Rock and Highland Park are City of Los Angeles neighborhoods (LADBS, LADWP).

• Altadena
• La Cañada Flintridge
• Glendale
• South Pasadena
• San Marino
• Sierra Madre
• Arcadia
• Eagle Rock
• Highland Park

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