Santa Clara County
Electrical Panel Upgrades in Los Altos, CA
For a Los Altos home with additions or detached buildings, panel planning starts with the existing service, subpanels and equipment.
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Serving homes and businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area and Santa Cruz.
(650) 550-0719Fox Electric is the marketing name of Fox Global Holdings LLC. CSLB #1145945, C-10.
Electrical Panel Upgrades for Los Altos Properties
For a Los Altos home with additions or detached buildings, panel planning starts with the existing service, subpanels and equipment. In Old Los Altos or Loyola Corners, review the renovation history and circuit routes before adding new work. A detached studio, pool or EV charger should be included in the assessment if it is part of the property or proposed project. A load calculation and utility review help establish the service rating; a larger panel alone does not resolve every capacity constraint. Los Altos and Los Altos Hills are separate jurisdictions, so confirm the parcel and permit authority when planning the work.
A Los Altos panel upgrade runs through PG&E for the service disconnect and reconnect, with the permit pulled through the City of Los Altos building department for most addresses and the Town of Los Altos Hills building department for addresses inside that separate town. The large-lot housing matters: meters and panels are often on a far exterior wall with long service runs, and bigger homes frequently justify a 320-amp or 400-amp service rather than a standard 200-amp swap. Hills properties on long driveways also have to weigh generator and PSPS readiness while the panel is open. We plan around all of it before quoting.
Electrical project resources for Los Altos
Los Altos uses electronic plan submission and requires approved permit documents to be available at inspection. Its eTRAKiT options cover only certain simple residential work, so a panel, charger, or smart-home remodel should be checked against the current scope and document route. City of Los Altos guidance does not establish the process for Los Altos Hills or nearby county parcels.
Prepare the city's required electronic files and retain printed approved documents for inspection.
Confirm whether the project needs emailed plan review or qualifies for the limited online permit options.
Official source checked September 12, 2026.
Why Fox Electric
Match the Scope to the Property
A house, condominium, and small commercial space can have different access, ownership, and approval requirements.
Permit coordination for Los Altos
We confirm the project address, proposed work, and current local instructions before identifying the applicable permit and inspection steps. Utility participation is scoped separately when the project requires it.
Licensed C-10 Electrical Contractor
Fox Electric · Fox Global Holdings LLC · CSLB #1145945
Los Altos FAQ
Does a Los Altos panel upgrade go through PG&E or the city?
Both play a part. PG&E handles the service disconnect and reconnect at the meter, while the electrical permit and inspection go through the City of Los Altos building department for in-town addresses, or the Town of Los Altos Hills building department for addresses in that town. We coordinate the PG&E window and pull the permit so you do not have to chase either one.
My older Los Altos ranch still has a 100-amp panel. Is 200 amps enough?
For a typical updated ranch in North Los Altos or Woodland Acres, a properly sized 200-amp service usually covers an EV, a heat pump, and modern kitchen loads with headroom to spare. We confirm it with a load calculation first. Larger expanded homes or those adding a pool, ADU, or second EV sometimes call for 320-amp service, and we size for what you are actually running.
Do large Los Altos Hills estates need more than a 200-amp panel?
Often yes. Multi-acre Los Altos Hills properties commonly combine well pumps, gates, extensive landscape lighting, a guest house, and EV charging, which can push demand past a standard 200-amp service. We run the load calculation and frequently land on a 320-amp or 400-amp service for these homes so nothing is starved when everything runs at once.
Can you handle a generator and PSPS readiness while the panel is open?
Yes, and the Hills are exactly where this pays off, since long rural feeders make Los Altos Hills more prone to PSPS shutoffs than the flats. Upgrading the panel is the natural time to add a transfer switch and the wiring for a standby generator, so the home is ready for backup power without tearing the panel apart twice.
How long is my power off during a Los Altos panel upgrade?
The outage window depends on the approved work, PG&E scheduling and the required Los Altos inspections. Confirm the disconnect and reconnect arrangements before the installation date, including what happens if work or inspection takes longer than planned.
My house is in the Country Club area. Is that Los Altos or the county?
Check the address. The Los Altos Golf & Country Club sits in Loyola, an unincorporated census-designated place between Los Altos and Los Altos Hills, and county parcels there get their permit from Santa Clara County rather than the city. PG&E and SVCE serve both sides the same way.
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Electrical Panel Upgrades in Los Altos
Choose a service, enter the project city, and share any details that may help us understand the work. You can edit these fields before sending the form.
Ask about the scope and fee for an assessment, diagnosis, or inspection before booking.
(650) 550-0719Related electrical guides
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