ADU Electrical Service with Pasadena Water and Power
How to get a service upgrade, a new or separate meter, or a relocated service from Pasadena Water and Power when you add an ADU, and what our electrical plans give you for that application.
Who Pasadena Water and Power serves
Municipal water and electric utility of the City of Pasadena. Of the California places we cover, 1 is served mainly by Pasadena Water and Power, and together they issued 932 ADU building permits from 2021 through 2025.
How Pasadena Water and Power handles new and upgraded service
Pasadena Water and Power handles new service, service upgrades and meter changes through its Utility Services Planning Division. This is separate from the building permit, so start it as soon as the electrical load calculation shows what the ADU needs. The steps Pasadena Water and Power describes:
- Schedule a meter spot (field appointment) with PWP Electric Service Planning; a Utility Planner emails a panel upgrade questionnaire. For new construction, provide plans, sections, elevations and site survey plans before the meeting.
- An electric Service Planner meets you or your electrician at the site to determine the new service/panel location, then provides an approved meter spot and a quote/cost invoice.
- Obtain an Electrical Permit from Building and Safety's Permit Center.
- Submit the total payment to Electric Service Planning.
- New secondary service: open a new service account for each meter and obtain an address assignment for each meter from the Permit Center, then install the panel per the approved meter spot. Upgrade: schedule a meter unlock with Electric Service Planning (only PWP may unlock meters), then complete the electrical work.
- Request PWP Electric Service Planning inspection of the new panel and conduit.
- Request the City Building and Safety final electrical panel inspection.
- After all clearances are received and charges paid, PWP energizes the service.
What Pasadena Water and Power asks for
- Panel upgrade questionnaire (emailed by the Utility Planner)
- For new construction: plans, sections, elevations and site survey plans
- Electrical permit
- Address assignment for each meter and a new service account for each meter
- For new primary service (large projects): site survey plan, architectural/elevation/section plans, foundation plan, stamped electrical load calculations and single line diagram, electrical room layout and switchboard elevations
Our ADU electrical plans include the NEC Article 220 load calculation, panel schedule and single-line diagram, which cover the load and equipment information on this list. Site-plan and service-location details come from your architectural set.
A separate meter for the ADU
No ADU-specific statement was found. PWP states it will only provide electrical service to legal addresses recognized by the Planning & Community Development Department, and new secondary service requires an address assignment and a new service account for each meter. Regulation 21 (Section V.G, Multiple Metering) states: 'Multi-meter service upgrades shall have all meters grouped into a single panelboard. Having separately metered panels shall not be permitted' (exception for commercial right-of-way services with two service drops); Section V.H.3 says additional metering equipment will normally be grouped with existing meters, with an alternate location only where PWP judges grouping impractical.
Whether a separate meter makes sense depends on the load calculation, the existing service size and the cost of the utility work. See when a separate service is required instead of a subpanel.
Service requirements
Meter location, clearances and service equipment must follow Regulation 21 - Electric Service Requirements (approved October 2025; PWP notes changes effective September 1, 2025). We show the meter and service equipment on the electrical plan so the location can be confirmed with Pasadena Water and Power early.
Places Pasadena Water and Power serves that we cover
| Place | County | Climate zone | ADU permits 2021–25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pasadena | Los Angeles | CZ 9 | 932 |
Sources
- pwp.cityofpasadena.net/electricusp
- pwp.cityofpasadena.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Electric-Service-Requirements_2025_09_03.pdf
- pwp.cityofpasadena.net/newservices
- pwp.cityofpasadena.net/regulation-documents
Summarized from Pasadena Water and Power's published pages. Utility processes, forms and rules change, so confirm the current requirements with Pasadena Water and Power (contact) before you apply.
Need ADU electrical plans for a Pasadena Water and Power service request?
We prepare the load calculation, panel schedule and single-line diagram the utility and the building department both review.
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