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Knob-and-tube and tiny services
Many Victorians and Edwardians still have knob-and-tube wiring and services of 60 amps or less. Electrification projects almost always start with a service upgrade.
House RewiringLocal guide
The San Francisco electrical guide
History, housing, weather and rules that shape electrical work in San Francisco, CA.
CleanPowerSF and PG&E
Most San Francisco homes buy electricity from CleanPowerSF, the city’s community choice program run by the Public Utilities Commission, which emphasizes renewable sources. PG&E still owns most of the distribution system, meters and service connections, so service upgrades and solar interconnection go through PG&E. Some new developments are served directly by the city’s Hetch Hetchy power system instead.
Victorians and Edwardians
San Francisco’s painted ladies and Edwardian flats are famous, but behind their facades many still run on knob-and-tube wiring, early cloth-insulated cable and services sized for a few light bulbs. Converting a gas furnace, water heater and stove to electric — plus adding an EV charger — usually requires a full service upgrade, new panel and substantial rewiring. Because many buildings have multiple units, those projects often involve every unit at once.
The Sunset and Richmond row homes
The Outer Sunset and Richmond districts were built largely in the 1920s through the 1940s, often as nearly identical row homes over ground-floor garages. Developer Henry Doelger built thousands in the Sunset. These homes typically have small services in the garage, wiring that runs through narrow walls, and garages being converted to in-law units, all of which shape electrical work.
Soft-story retrofits
After the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake exposed the danger of buildings with weak ground floors, San Francisco adopted a mandatory soft-story retrofit program in 2013 for many multi-unit wood-frame buildings. Retrofitting the garage level frequently requires relocating meters, panels and wiring attached to walls being strengthened. Coordinating the electrician with the engineer and contractor saves time.
Legalizing in-law units
San Francisco has a program to legalize existing unpermitted units and allows new accessory dwelling units in many buildings. Legalization usually requires proper circuits, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, adequate light and ventilation, and sometimes a separate meter. Older garage conversions often have wiring that does not meet code.
Tenancies in common and condos
Many San Francisco buildings are owned as tenancies in common or condominiums, so electrical upgrades affecting shared services require agreement among co-owners. Upgrading a building’s service often makes sense for everyone at once rather than unit by unit.
Earthquake readiness
San Francisco sits near the San Andreas and Hayward faults. Beyond structural retrofits, practical electrical preparation includes knowing how to shut off the main breaker, securing water heaters and appliances, and having battery backup for communications and medical devices.
Steep hills and garages
San Francisco’s hills mean many homes have garages at street level beneath living space, with meters and panels in the garage. EV chargers usually go there, but small services and tight spaces require planning. Street-parking residents rely on public chargers.
Heat pumps in a mild climate
San Francisco’s mild climate makes heat pumps efficient year-round, and many homes are adding them to replace old gas wall heaters or furnaces. Ductless units suit the city’s small rooms, but each needs a circuit.
Typical San Francisco electrical jobs
Common requests include service upgrades and rewiring, soft-story retrofit electrical work, in-law unit legalization, heat pump circuits, EV chargers, lighting upgrades and smart home wiring.
Bernal Heights and Noe Valley
Bernal Heights and Noe Valley are filled with Victorian and Edwardian cottages and flats on steep streets, many expanded with rear additions and dug-out lower levels. Expansions add circuits that small original services cannot carry, and excavated lower floors often house new in-law units or family rooms that need their own panels. Renovations there typically include a service upgrade coordinated with PG&E and complete rewiring of the original house.
The Mission and flats
The Mission’s Victorian flats and apartment buildings house many renters, and buildings often have several meters crowded into a small space. Upgrading services in occupied buildings requires planning around tenants, following city rules on notice, and scheduling short shutdowns. Window units and space heaters on old circuits are common hazards in older flats.
Pacific Heights and large homes
Pacific Heights and Presidio Heights have large homes and mansions with extensive lighting, elevators, wine cellars and smart home systems. These homes often have multiple panels and services and require careful load planning during renovations.
Fog, salt and the western neighborhoods
The Outer Sunset and Outer Richmond, near Ocean Beach, are foggy and salty much of the year. Moisture and salt corrode exterior meters, outdoor outlets and solar connections, so corrosion-resistant equipment and periodic inspection help.
Solar on city roofs
Many San Francisco row homes have flat or gently sloped roofs suitable for solar. Installers must account for fire setbacks, neighboring walls and historic district rules, and every system needs DBI permits and PG&E interconnection approval.
Typical timelines
Simple jobs can often be permitted over the counter, but service upgrades depend on PG&E engineering and scheduling, which can take months. Planning early is essential for electrification projects.
Haight-Ashbury and Cole Valley
The Haight and Cole Valley are lined with Victorian and Edwardian homes and flats, many divided into apartments in the twentieth century. Restoring or reconverting them usually means consolidating meters, upgrading the service and rewiring each unit. These buildings often share walls, so fire-safe wiring protects neighbors as well.
Heat tape is rare, but wall heaters are common
Instead of furnaces, many older San Francisco apartments use electric or gas wall heaters. Old electric wall heaters can overheat and should be inspected or replaced, while replacing gas wall heaters with ductless heat pumps is a popular electrification step.
Older panels and Zinsco
Many San Francisco buildings from the 1950s through the 1970s have Zinsco or Federal Pacific panels, which electricians often recommend replacing. Replacement is commonly combined with a service upgrade.
Bayview and the southeast
Bayview-Hunters Point and Visitacion Valley in the southeast have post-war homes and older housing, along with large new developments. Older homes often need panel upgrades and rewiring, and some low-lying areas near the bay face flooding and rising groundwater concerns.
Typical San Francisco permit path
A typical project starts with a DBI electrical permit filed by a licensed contractor, often over the counter. Larger renovations need building permits and plan review, and work in historic buildings may need Planning Department review. Inspections follow at rough-in and final.
Glen Park and Diamond Heights
Glen Park’s older cottages and Diamond Heights’ 1960s homes and townhouses sit on steep hillsides. Older homes need rewiring and service upgrades, and hillside lots complicate service runs and garage EV charging. Homes from the 1960s may have original panels that electricians recommend replacing during renovation.
