MEP Plans in Encinitas, CA

Encinitas project facts we design around

County	San Diego County
Title 24 climate zone	Climate Zone 7, confirmed by ZIP for every project
Electric utility (most addresses)	San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E)
Permit review	The City of Encinitas building department
ADU permits issued, 2021–2025	556 (#36 of 450 cities)
ADU approval timeline	Approve or deny within 60 days of a complete application (state law)

ADU building activity in Encinitas

Encinitas issued 556 ADU building permits from 2021 through 2025, the 36th most among the 450 California cities that reported ADU permits. Permits went from 115 in 2021 to 85 in 2025.

2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
115	122	106	128	85

Source: California Department of Housing and Community Development, Annual Progress Report data (ADU building permits by year).

Title 24 in Climate Zone 7

• Windows: U-factor 0.30 or lower and solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) 0.23 or lower, with total window area up to 20% of floor area (west-facing up to 5%).
• Solar PV sized by the CEC formula kW = (floor area x 0.572) / 1000 + 1.15; no PV is required if that is under 1.8 kWdc, which for a single ADU works out to about 1,136 sq ft or smaller.

Climate Zone 7 requirements in full →

HVAC design for Encinitas

The California Energy Commission's design-day data for Encinitas gives the outdoor conditions a Manual J load calculation uses: a summer design temperature of 81°F and a winter design temperature of 35°F.

Summer design (1%)	81°F dry bulb / 67°F wet bulb
Winter design (median of extremes)	35°F
Daily temperature range	10°F
Elevation	50 ft

Loads are small in this mild climate, so the common mistake is oversizing. A right-sized heat pump runs longer, quieter cycles and controls humidity better than a rule-of-thumb unit.

Electrical service from San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E)

If the load calculation shows you need a service upgrade, a second meter or a relocated service, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) handles that through its My Project Center portal, separately from the building permit.

ADU electrical service with San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) →

Plumbing and sewer

The plumbing plan shows the route, slope and cleanouts of the connection to the existing sewer lateral.

Pricing is flat statewide: ADU plans from $995, full ADU MEP package from $2,295, Title 24 add-on $240. See what's in a complete ADU MEP set.

Encinitas neighborhoods

Neighborhood	Climate zone	ADU permits 2021–25
Cardiff by the Sea	CZ 7	104