Does my ADU need its own address before the utility sets a meter?

If you want a separate electric meter, plan on it. Utilities set meters for a specific premises and address, and PG&E says an exact address is required when an additional meter is for an ADU, while the City of Covina tells applicants that SCE and SoCalGas will not set an additional meter for an existing billing address. If your ADU will share the main house meter through a subpanel, the address question is mostly a local one.

Who assigns the address

Your city or county assigns addresses, usually through public works, planning or the building department. Some want it settled before plan check: Covina requires the new ADU address before plan check submittal and asks that all plans reference it. LADWP's service requirements say that when more than one meter will be installed, both attached and detached ADUs need a separate, unique legal address approved by the city's public works department.

How an address can trigger a meter

The connection can run the other way, too. PG&E's Rule 18 says separate premises, even when owned by the same customer, will not be supplied through the same meter except as a rate schedule allows. A joint City of Oakland and PG&E bulletin relies on that rule and states that Oakland requires separate electrical meters when a separate address must be issued for an ADU. Not every jurisdiction takes that position, so ask your building department how it handles ADU addresses and meters before you apply for either.

Labels and identification

• PG&E asks for a permanent, weather-resistant address label on the meter panel, clearly visible from the street or access point.
• On a multi-meter panel, each meter position needs to be marked for the unit it serves.
• Cities such as Oakland also require address numbers on buildings that can be read from the street.

Timing tips

1. Request the ADU address as soon as your project is defined.
2. Use it on the permit application, the plans and the Title 24 documents.
3. Use the same address on the utility application, such as PG&E's Your Projects portal.

What this means for your electrical plan

The title sheet should carry both addresses, and the site plan and single-line diagram should label which meter and panel serve which address. A mismatch between the permit, the plans and the utility application is an avoidable source of delay. See whether your ADU needs its own meter, utility coordination for ADU electrical and permit application documents.

Sources: pge.com, covinaca.gov, webprod.ladwp.com, cao-94612.s3.amazonaws.com.