Electrician in Sherman Oaks

Sherman Oaks was subdivided and built from 1927, so its houses span four decades of building: late-1920s to 1950s houses on blocks like Stansbury Avenue, William Mellenthin's post-war ranch tracts in the 1950s, and hillside houses south of Ventura Boulevard from the 1950s and '60s. About six in ten homes were rented in 2000, many of them in apartment buildings along the larger streets.

Each era leaves its own electrical question, and we answer it by looking, then put the price in writing.

What we do in Sherman Oaks

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

Panel upgrades in Sherman Oaks

Upgrading original services in the 1950s ranch tracts and in the older houses of the flats.

More on panel upgradesCall (844) 430-7681

EV charger installation in Sherman Oaks

Chargers for tenants' assigned spaces under California's tenant charging law, with the landlord's agreement and the building's capacity checked first.

More on EV charger installationCall (844) 430-7681

Electrical repair & troubleshooting in Sherman Oaks

Exposed or weathered wiring under raised hillside floors and decks, and faults where pre-war wiring meets later additions.

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

Rewiring in Sherman Oaks

Replacing knob-and-tube and ungrounded circuits in Sherman Oaks' pre-war houses, room by room or before an insulation upgrade.

More on rewiringCall (844) 430-7681

Outlets, GFCI & new circuits in Sherman Oaks

Grounded outlets and GFCI protection where pre-war houses still have two-prong receptacles.

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

Commercial electrical in Sherman Oaks

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 Sherman Oaks homes

Sherman Oaks electrical work follows the decade a building went up.

• Pre-war houses. Built while knob-and-tube was still in use, they may have some left, spliced into later circuits and covered by attic insulation, and few grounded outlets.
• Post-war ranch tracts. Mellenthin's tracts, such as Longridge Avenue to Atoll Avenue and Ethel Avenue to Otsego Street (1950–57), were wired before central air and EV charging; where the original panel survives, a load calculation comes before either.
• Hillside houses. Built on steep lots in the 1950s and '60s, some on stilts, like the street of Richard Neutra platform houses from the 1960s in the hills above Sherman Oaks. Wiring and conduit under raised floors and decks is exposed to weather and damage, and new work there in the fire zone has to be enclosed.
• Apartment buildings. With most homes rented, owners deal with house panels for laundry and common lighting, unit circuits, and tenants' requests to charge a car at their assigned space.

Permits and power in Sherman Oaks

Sherman Oaks (91403, 91423, part of 91401) is City of Los Angeles from Van Nuys to Mulholland Drive, so the citywide steps below apply. On the hillside south of Ventura Boulevard, parts of the neighborhood are in the city's Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, and LADBS applies the fire-zone construction rules to additions and new structures there at plan check, including how utilities under a raised floor are enclosed.

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 Sherman Oaks

Encino to the west, Van Nuys to the north and Studio City and North Hollywood to the east border Sherman Oaks, and Valley Village and Toluca Lake are a short drive east; all are City of Los Angeles neighborhoods on LADBS permits and LADWP power. South over Mulholland, Bel Air and the Beverly Hills Post Office area are inside the city too.

• Studio City
• Encino
• Van Nuys
• Valley Village
• North Hollywood
• Toluca Lake

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