From city permit to PG&E meter in Los Gatos
- City permit. Building permits go through Community Development (Building Division), using Town of Los Gatos Permits (Accela); panels of 200A or less can be applied for online.
- PG&E application. The new service, upgrade or disconnect is a separate application to PG&E. A complete package the first time is what keeps it moving.
- PG&E design and scheduling. PG&E assigns a job owner, designs the service and schedules its crews. This is where most jobs stall without follow-up.
- City final and release. The town's conditions of approval tie occupancy to the release of utilities at final, and the town asks for PG&E will-serve letters at planning. PG&E will not start new gas or electric service until permits and final inspections are complete, and many cities forward the inspection result to PG&E directly.
- Meter set. PG&E sets the meter and energizes once it has the release and its own work is done.
Los Gatos rules that affect PG&E work
Undergrounding
Town Code 27.50.015(b) requires underground service lines for new buildings and for remodels that install new service lines; 27.50.020(8) exempts remodeled one- and two-family homes. A teardown and rebuild is a new building: plan the trench.
Demolition
A demolition permit needs written verification from PG&E that all utilities are disconnected, plus the Bay Area Air District job number for asbestos.
Electrification
Ordinance 2365 repealed the all-electric rules on December 17, 2024. Ordinance 2380 (December 2, 2025) adds air-conditioner replacement and electrical-readiness rules for renovations.
What MeterSet handles in Los Gatos
- New electric and gas service for new homes and rebuilds, from application to meter set
- Panel and service upgrades to 200A and 400A, including Express Connect where the job qualifies
- Temporary construction power
- Electric and gas disconnects and the PG&E letters your demolition permit needs
- Escalation when a PG&E date slips, measured against PG&E's own published timelines
Questions Los Gatos builders ask
What PG&E paperwork does a Los Gatos demolition permit need?
Written verification from PG&E that all utilities have been disconnected, along with the Bay Area Air District asbestos job number.
Does a Los Gatos remodel have to underground its service?
Only if it installs new service lines, and remodeled one- and two-family homes are exempt. New buildings, including rebuilds after a teardown, must have underground service.
Want PG&E off your desk?
MeterSet files, tracks and escalates PG&E work for Bay Area builders — new service, upgrades, temp power, disconnects. Flat fees. Weekly updates. 250+ utility engagements.