Electrical work permit checklist — San Diego County, California
Assembled from San Diego County’s own published permit rules. Every line below is quoted from a city document and linked to it. Nothing here is generated, estimated, or inferred from another jurisdiction.
Do you need a permit?
San Diego County requires a permit for electrical work.
PDS 110 exempts only genuinely minor electrical repair, described as repairing a snap switch, replacing a fuse, or repairing a lamp socket or receptacle. Everything beyond that, including new circuits, panel and service upgrades, subpanels, feeders, EV charger circuits and rewires, needs an electrical permit. The building permit exemptions for sheds, fences and low decks do not waive the electrical permit if the exempt structure is wired.
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Sources
- electrical — permit rules ↗verified August 2026
Other permits San Diego County publishes rules for
Listed because the city publishes a separate rule for each type — not because this project necessarily triggers one. Whether it does depends on your scope of work.
- Deck permit checklist
- Fence permit checklist
- Shed permit checklist
- Water heater permit checklist
- Re-roof permit checklist
- Retaining wall permit checklist
- General building work permit checklist
BuildSpec is a reference, not the authority having jurisdiction. Confirm requirements with San Diego County before you build.