From city permit to PG&E meter in Saratoga
- City permit. Building permits go through Community Development (Building Division), using eTRAKiT; panel upgrades can also go through the city's Symbium express permits.
- 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. 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. In Saratoga an electrical service upgrade needs only a final inspection, so the PG&E side is usually the long pole, not the city.
- Meter set. PG&E sets the meter and energizes once it has the release and its own work is done.
Saratoga rules that affect PG&E work
Undergrounding
Saratoga's zoning code (Article 15-80) requires electric and communication lines to be underground citywide. There is a limited exception for an overhead drop to a structure that already has one, when no new poles are needed and the run is 500 feet or less. A new home usually means a trench; settle it before you design the service.
Electrification
The city repealed its mostly-electric requirement on September 18, 2024. Ordinance 414, effective January 1, 2026, allows mixed-fuel homes and adds electric-readiness rules for remodels, which can change your panel size.
What MeterSet handles in Saratoga
- 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 Saratoga builders ask
Do I have to underground the electric service on a Saratoga new home?
Almost always. Saratoga requires electric lines to be underground citywide; the exception covers only an existing overhead drop that needs no new poles and runs 500 feet or less.
Does Saratoga still require all-electric new homes?
No. The mostly-electric requirement was repealed on September 18, 2024. Since January 1, 2026, Ordinance 414 allows mixed-fuel homes but adds electric-readiness rules for remodels.
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.