Electrician in Porter Ranch

Porter Ranch was the last part of the San Fernando Valley inside the city limits to be developed. A first tract went up along San Fernando Mission Boulevard around 1960 to 1963, very few homes stood north of Rinaldi Street before 1965, and most of the neighborhood was built from the 1970s on as master-planned communities, from Shapell's gated Renaissance Summit, opened in 1999, to the Vineyards in 2019. Today it is mostly gated communities of single-family homes.

For electrical work that means three things: capacity in large houses, the homeowners association's sign-off on anything outside, and wind. The estimate is on site, and the price is in writing before work starts.

What we do in Porter Ranch

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

Panel upgrades in Porter Ranch

Service upgrades for large Porter Ranch homes, including LADWP's extra planning step beyond a single 225-amp panel, and replacement of original panels in the 1960–63 tract.

More on panel upgradesCall (844) 430-7681

EV charger installation in Porter Ranch

A second charger on a 200-amp service through load sharing or load management, with the HOA application ready if anything shows outside.

More on EV charger installationCall (844) 430-7681

Electrical repair & troubleshooting in Porter Ranch

Outdoor fixtures, outlets and lighting circuits damaged by Santa Ana winds, and breakers that trip when air conditioning, pool equipment and chargers overlap.

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

Lighting & ceiling fans in Porter Ranch

Landscape, facade and holiday lighting anchored for 70-mph gusts and kept within the association's exterior rules.

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

Outlets, GFCI & new circuits in Porter Ranch

Exterior outlets with GFCI protection and in-use covers, so seasonal lighting runs from a proper circuit instead of an extension cord through a door.

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

Commercial electrical in Porter Ranch

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 Porter Ranch homes

Porter Ranch's newer houses raise capacity questions more than age questions; the oldest streets are the exception.

• Large houses on a 200-amp service. Renaissance Summit homes average about 4,000 square feet. Multi-zone air conditioning, a pool and two chargers can outrun 200 amps, and beyond a single 225-amp panel LADWP asks for an extra planning form, so the service size is settled before equipment is bought.
• The 1960–63 tract. The first houses, along San Fernando Mission Boulevard, are a generation older than the rest of Porter Ranch. If the panel is original it is past sixty, and it should be inspected before a charger or an induction range goes on it.
• Wind. Santa Ana gusts here have been clocked at 70 mph, strong enough to bring down trees and holiday lights. Outdoor fixtures need solid mounting into framing or a rated box, and exterior outlets need GFCI protection and covers that stay closed with a cord plugged in.

Permits and power in Porter Ranch

Porter Ranch (91326) is City of Los Angeles up to the Santa Susana foothills, so the citywide steps below apply. In a gated community there can be one step before them: the association's architectural approval for anything that changes the outside of the house, such as a new panel or meter location, conduit on an exterior wall or a charger on the driveway side. We can supply the equipment details for that application and pull the LADBS permit once it's approved.

Parts of Porter Ranch are inside the city's Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, and the 2019 Saddleridge Fire forced the whole community to evacuate.

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 Porter Ranch

Northridge to the south, Granada Hills to the east and Chatsworth to the west are City of Los Angeles neighborhoods, as are Mission Hills and Sylmar farther east, so permits and power work the same way there. Over the Santa Susana Mountains, Santa Clarita is a separate city that issues its own permits and is served by Southern California Edison.

• Northridge
• Granada Hills
• Chatsworth
• Mission Hills
• Sylmar
• Santa Clarita

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