Last updated 2026-08-20
TL;DR
Temp power renewal in California is three tracks: extend the city or county electrical permit, extend utility temporary service, and keep a C-10 license current if you install for others. Construction power can run for the job. Other temp wiring is often capped at 90 days. Confirm fees and clocks with CSLB, the AHJ, and the utility. Nobody can promise an approval date.
What does temp power renewal mean in California?
Temp power renewal in California is not one statewide form. You extend a city or county electrical permit, you extend temporary service with the serving utility, and if you install temp power for other people you also keep a C-10 contractor license current with the Contractors State License Board. Those are different desks.
People mash them together. Then a meter gets locked and everyone acts surprised.
A construction temp pole, a rented 480V generator for a dark warehouse, and holiday lighting do not share one clock. The California Electrical Code lets construction-period installations stay up during the work. Decorative and similar temporary wiring is written as a 90-day class of work.[10]
If you only work on your own home and you are not selling the work, you may fit the owner-builder lane in Business and Professions Code section 7044. That lane is narrow. It does not let you contract temp power for a neighbor or a GC.[3]
I treat renewal as a calendar card. Permit end date. Utility temporary-service end date. CSLB expiration. The first date that hits is the one you work. Ask the GC which clock they mean before you price a "renewal."
Local building and safety issues the electrical permit. The utility owns the drop and the meter. CSLB owns the license if you contract. Write that down. Temp power california work fails when those three names get treated as one agency.
Do you need a license for temp power in California?
Yes, if you contract or install temp power for other people in California you need a CSLB C-10 Electrical contractor license, unless a statutory exemption actually fits. Selling the work without a license is a misdemeanor under Business and Professions Code section 7028.[2]
The statute is blunt. "It is a misdemeanor for a person to engage in the business or act in the capacity of a contractor within this state without having a license therefor, unless the person is particularly exempted from the provisions of this chapter." That is Business and Professions Code section 7028(a).[2]
CSLB describes the C-10 like this: "An electrical contractor places, installs, erects or connects any electrical wires, fixtures, appliances, apparatus, raceways, conduits, solar photovoltaic cells or any part thereof, which generate, transmit, transform or use electrical energy in any form or for any purpose." Temp poles, spider boxes, and generator tie-in gear sit inside that sentence.[1]
A C-61 limited specialty is the wrong tool for this. Specialty contracting is defined in Business and Professions Code section 7058. Temp power that generates, transforms, or distributes energy is electrical work, not a sideline card you invent.[14]
There is a minor-work dollar gate. Business and Professions Code section 7048 keeps the chapter from applying when the aggregate contract price for labor, materials, and all other items is less than five hundred dollars ($500), with limits on advertising and on splitting jobs. Real temp power jobs blow past $500. Do not build a business on that exemption.[4]
Owner-builders have a separate exemption in section 7044. Property owners doing their own work, under the statute's conditions, are not acting as contractors. The moment you offer the same pole to someone else, you are in the licensed trade.[3]
The people turning wrenches also have a second card. Labor Code section 108.2 says persons who perform work as electricians shall become certified, and uncertified persons shall not perform electrical work for which certification is required.[8][9]
I would not bid a temp pole as a handyman special. I would get the C-10, name a qualifier with real electrical hours, and put certified electricians on the feeders. Confirm current application rules on CSLB's original-license page before you spend a dollar. The board changes forms.[12]
How much does temp power cost in California?
There is no single California price for temp power. You are stacking a license path (if you contract), a local permit, a utility connection, gear, fuel, and inspection time. I will not invent a current CSLB fee. Confirm application and renewal amounts on the board's published schedule before you write a check.[12]
The one license number that is in statute is the bond. Business and Professions Code section 7071.6 requires a contractor's bond in the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) as a condition of issuing or renewing a license. That is the face amount, not what a surety charges you per year. Premiums move with credit. Get a quote.[5]
Local electrical permit fees for a temporary pole or temporary service are set by the city or county. I have seen over-the-counter temp permits in small departments and plan-check invoices in large ones. Nobody publishes an honest statewide average that I would use in a bid. Call the permit tech and ask for the current electrical permit valuation table.
Utility charges are a different pile. PG&E Electric Rule 16 is the service-extension rule that assigns what the applicant pays versus what the utility allows on a line or service extension. If your "temp power" needs a new transformer or a long run, you are buying infrastructure, not a meter socket.[11]
Southern California Edison, SDG&E, LADWP, SMUD, and the munis each have their own Rule 16 analog and their own temporary-service desk. Do not copy a PG&E number onto an SCE job.
Gear and fuel dwarf the permit on many jobs. A 208Y/120 spider-box setup is one budget. A 480V construction service with cam-lok tails is another. Weekly generator rental moves with demand and diesel. Get three local quotes the week you bid. National averages go stale.
Workers' compensation (if you have employees) and general liability sit on top. CSLB will ask about workers' comp. A sole owner with no employees can often file an exemption. Confirm that box with the board. GCs will still ask for GL limits that are not in the licensing statute. That is contract, not CSLB.
I would not hire a statewide "temp power consultant" to guess these numbers. I would price permit plus utility plus labor plus fuel with current quotes, then add contingency for Rule 16 work you cannot see from the curb.
How long does temp power take in California?
It depends which clock you mean, and nobody should give you a guaranteed California-wide number. A simple temp pole in a small city can go from permit to inspection in days if the utility already has a nearby tap. A new service that needs a line extension can sit for months. Confirm both the building department and the utility before you promise a GC a date.
CSLB original-license processing is not a promised calendar. The board's application page tells you what to file. It does not owe you a week-count. I have watched apps move quickly and I have watched them sit on fingerprints, experience affidavits, or a deficient qualifier. Do not bid a start date on an unissued license.[12]
Once you are licensed, a routine local temp-power permit is often same-trip or next-trip if the AHJ treats it as a counter job. Coastal cities and Los Angeles plan check can add review time. Unincorporated counties vary by office. Ask the permit tech whether temporary power is over the counter or routed.
The utility is usually the long pole. If they only need to set a temp meter on an existing secondary, you are in a shorter queue. If Rule 16 work, a design sketch, or a transformer is in play, plan for design and construction slots you do not control.[11]
Inspection has to happen before energizing. Budget a failed trip. Grounding electrodes, weatherproofing, bracing on a wood pole, and GFCI on temporary receptacles are where inspectors stop people.
Code time is not the same as permit time. Construction-period temporary installations may remain for the work. Non-construction temporary power and lighting is written at 90 days in Article 590.3(B). An expired permit is still expired even if the code would have allowed the installation to stay.[10]
I add buffer. Then I add more buffer in IOU territories during storm season. Anyone who sells you a fixed statewide timeline is guessing.
How do you renew a temporary power permit with the city or county?
You renew it with the same building department that issued it, on that department's form, before it expires. California does not run a single temp-power permit desk. Los Angeles is not Fresno. An unincorporated county is not a charter city.
Call the permit technician and ask four things. What is the exact permit number. What is the printed expiration. Is temporary power a standalone electrical permit or a child of the building permit. What is the extension request (a form, an inspection, a fee, or a whole new permit).
Some AHJs let the temp pole ride with the building permit. Extend the building permit and the power stays legal. Others issue a temporary power pole permit with its own term, often 90 days, 180 days, or a year. That second kind dies even if the building is still framed.
Do the extension before the sticker dies. Working on an expired electrical permit is how you get a stop-work and a dark site. I would not wait for the inspector to notice.
Bring the load path. Panel schedule or generator nameplate, grounding method, pole bracing, and the utility will-serve or design number if you have one. Counter staff approve faster when they can see it is still the same installation.
If the job changed (you went from 200A to 400A, or from 208V to 480V), that is not a renewal. That is a new permit. Say that out loud so the GC hears it.
Homeowners pulling their own permit still have to pass the same inspection. The owner-builder exemption in section 7044 does not rewrite the Electrical Code.[3]
I would not pay an expediter for a simple pole in a small department. I would pay one in a big coastal city if general conditions are burning faster than the expediter's invoice.
How do PG&E, SCE, and other utilities extend temporary service?
Each utility runs its own temporary-service process. There is no CPUC form that renews every temp meter in California. You talk to the serving utility's new-construction or temporary-service desk and you ask, in writing, whether the service is still classed as temporary and what date it ends.
PG&E Electric Rule 16 is the filed tariff that governs service extensions, allowances, and what the applicant pays when facilities have to be built or rearranged. Read the rule if someone tells you the utility "just has to set a meter." Rule 16 is how extra poles, secondary, and transformers get billed.[11]
SCE, SDG&E, LADWP, SMUD, Turlock, and the other munis have their own extension rules and their own portals. Do not reuse a PG&E sketch number on an SCE job. Do not assume a temp-to-permanent conversion is automatic. Some desks convert. Some want a new application and a new inspection.
Ask these questions and save the email. Is this account temporary or permanent. What is the end date. What load did they design. Who owns the pole and the socket. What inspection release do they need from the AHJ before they energize or re-energize.
If the project outgrew the original load letter, you are not doing a renewal. You are doing a redesign. That is when timelines jump.
I have no honest statewide week-count for a temp meter set. Urban secondary tap, short. Rural primary extension, long. Storms and public-safety power shutoffs scramble crews. Build that into the GC's schedule instead of smiling and hoping.
Keep the utility design, the permit card, and the inspection sign-off in one folder on site. When a field tech and an inspector disagree, paper wins faster than a phone call.
How long can temporary wiring stay up under the California Electrical Code?
Construction, remodel, maintenance, repair, or demolition temporary power may stay up for that period of work. Holiday decorative lighting and similar temporary installations are limited to 90 days. That split lives in California Electrical Code Article 590, which tracks the National Electrical Code language your AHJ enforces.[10]
Article 590.3(B) is the line people quote. Temporary electrical power and lighting installations shall be permitted for a period not to exceed 90 days for holiday decorative lighting and similar purposes. Construction work is the other paragraph. Do not apply the 90-day cap to a framed apartment building just because someone on the internet likes round numbers.[10]
Confirm which edition your AHJ is on. California cycles Title 24. The 2022 California Electrical Code is the edition cited here. Many departments moved with the next triennial code on the state's published effective date. Ask the inspector which book is on the counter in 2026.
Time in the code is not permission to skip the permit. An AHJ can still expire your sticker at 90 days, 180 days, or the building-permit end date. The stricter clock wins.
Removal matters. Temporary wiring is temporary. When the purpose ends, it comes down. Leaving a "temp" panel as a forever house panel is how people fail final.
GFCI rules in Article 590 are where temp power actually hurts people. Receptacles on construction sites need the protection the code edition requires. The Cal/OSHA Pocket Guide for the Construction Industry is the jobsite version of that warning, written for employers, not for code geeks.[13]
I walk 590 before I walk a sales brochure. The brochure does not sign the inspection card.
What paper do you file in the first year of a California temp power operation?
If you are contracting, the first-year pile is the C-10 application, proof of experience for the qualifier, Law and Business plus trade exams, Live Scan fingerprints, the $25,000 bond, and a workers' comp policy or exemption. CSLB's original-license requirements page is the checklist. Use that page, not a forum recap.[12][5][6]
Business and Professions Code section 7068 tells the board to require the knowledge and experience it deems necessary. In practice that is years of verifiable journeyman-level electrical work for the qualifier. Have the people who can certify your hours ready before you apply. Thin affidavits bounce.[6]
Then the local layer. City or county business tax certificate where you are based. A seller's permit if you resell gear. An employer account if you have payroll. None of that replaces the C-10.
On each job you file the electrical permit, the utility temporary-service application, and whatever load letter or single-line the utility and the AHJ want. After install you call for the energize inspection. After pass, the utility sets or releases the meter.
Certified electricians on the tools. Labor Code 108.2 is not optional because the job is "only temporary."[8][9]
I keep a one-page closeout for every pole: permit number, inspection date, utility order number, photo of labels, and the planned removal date. That page saves you when someone asks why a temp panel is still live 14 months later.
If you want a paper pack that lines cable, fuel, and 480V checklists in one place, TempPowerPath sells a $179 one-time Cable + Fuel + 480V Kit at /start. It is a reference. It does not file your CSLB app and it does not call PG&E for you. Public forms still work if you just want to print and go.
What bond, insurance, and electrician certification do you need?
The bond is statutory. Business and Professions Code section 7071.6 requires a contractor's bond in the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) before CSLB issues, renews, or maintains the license. File it with a surety the board accepts. Keep it alive. A dead bond is how licenses get suspended.[5]
Workers' compensation is required if you have employees. Sole owners with no employees typically file a CSLB exemption. Confirm the current exemption form on the board site. Hiring one helper without coverage is how a cheap job becomes an expensive claim.
General liability is mostly a contract problem, not a CSLB number I can quote from statute. GCs and owners will name limits and additional-insured wording. Read the exhibit. If you cannot buy the limit, do not bid the job.
Certification is separate from the contractor license. Labor Code section 108.2 states that persons who perform work as electricians shall become certified pursuant to that section, and that uncertified persons shall not perform electrical work for which certification is required.[8]
DIR's Electrician Certification Unit is the desk that runs that program. Apprentices and specified trainees have their own lanes. "My boss has a C-10" does not certify the helper.[9]
Cal/OSHA still applies on the site. The Pocket Guide for the Construction Industry is the short book I want in the truck. Temporary lighting, cords, and wet-site electrical are covered there in employer language.[13]
I buy the bond and the certs before I buy a new trailer wrap. Paper first. Vinyl last.
What gets people stuck on California temp power jobs?
The usual failure is treating three clocks as one. The permit dies, the utility still thinks the job is temporary, and the C-10 qualifier left the company. Any one of those goes dark.
Second failure: bidding a 480V service off a 208V load letter. The utility designed what you sent them. If the crane and the welders showed up later, that is on you.
Third: uncertified hands on feeders because "it is only temp." Labor Code 108.2 does not have a temp holiday.[8]
Fourth: using the $500 minor-work exemption as a business plan. Section 7048 is a small-job gate, not a temp-power franchise.[4]
Fifth: ignoring Rule 16 until the field tech asks who pays for the transformer. Then the GC learns the number in a trailer meeting.[11]
Sixth: leaving holiday-style temp wiring up past 90 days and arguing with an inspector who has Article 590.3(B) on a phone.[10]
Seventh: promising a date while the CSLB app is still in fingerprint land. There is no honest way to guarantee that clock.[12]
I would rather lose a bid than take a job that needs a license I do not have. Section 7028 is a misdemeanor, and it is also how you do not get paid.[2]
How does California temp power paper compare with other states?
California is heavier on licenses than a lot of states because CSLB classification, electrician certification, and a local AHJ all stack. The $25,000 bond and the two-year license cycle are state law, not a city quirk.[5][7]
Other states still have utility temporary-service desks and local electrical permits. The difference is how early they make you prove a classified contractor and a certified electrician. If you work more than one state, do not copy a California C-10 assumption onto a state that uses registration or no license at all.
We keep separate paper paths for temp power renewal in Arizona, temp power renewal in Colorado, temp power renewal in Florida, and temp power renewal in Georgia because the boards are not the same. Hawaii and Illinois are not California either. Read temp power renewal in Hawaii and temp power renewal in Illinois before you roll a trailer.
Alaska and Alabama look nothing like a Bay Area temp pole. Start with temp power renewal in Alaska or temp power renewal in Alabama if that is the next job.
I would not use a multi-state "one binder" pitch. I would keep a California folder and a folder per other state. The first page of the California folder is C-10, 108.2, Article 590, and the serving utility's Rule 16.
What should you confirm with the board before you spend money?
Confirm four things in writing. The current original-application fee and the current renewal fee on CSLB's schedule. The current processing posture (the board will not guarantee a date, and I will not either). Whether your qualifier's experience affidavits match what the board wants this year. Whether your workers' comp exemption still fits.[12]
Business and Professions Code section 7140 is the expiration rule. Licenses issued under the chapter expire two years from the last day of the month in which the license is issued, or on the registrar's renewal date, whichever occurs first. That is why "I thought I had a year" shows up in suspended-license searches.[7]
Confirm the AHJ edition of the California Electrical Code and the exact temp-permit term. Confirm the utility's temporary versus permanent designation and the Rule 16 cost path.[10][11]
Confirm DIR certification status for every person who will land a feeder.[8][9]
I do not trust verbal "you are fine" from a supply-house counter. I trust the statute, the classification page, and an email from the permit tech.
TempPowerPath is an independent publisher, not a law firm and not a service company. Use this as a map. Then read the pages cited below and call the desk that actually stamps the card.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a license for temp power in California?
Yes if you contract or install temp power for others. That work sits in the C-10 Electrical classification at CSLB. Contracting without a license is a misdemeanor under Business and Professions Code section 7028 unless a real exemption applies. Owner-builders on their own property may fit section 7044. Jobs under $500 may fit section 7048. Confirm your facts with CSLB before you bid.
How much does temp power cost in California?
There is no statewide sticker price. Budget the CSLB path (confirm current fees on the board schedule), a $25,000 license bond under BPC 7071.6, the city or county electrical permit, utility Rule 16 charges if facilities are needed, gear, fuel, and inspection time. Generator rental moves with diesel and demand. Get local quotes the week you bid. I would not use a national average in a California estimate.
How long does temp power take in California?
A simple pole on an existing secondary can move in days after permit and inspection. A service that needs a line extension can take months. CSLB original-license time is not guaranteed. Construction temp power may last the job under Article 590. Decorative-style temp wiring is written at 90 days. Confirm each clock with CSLB, the AHJ, and the utility. Do not promise a date you do not control.
Can a homeowner pull a temporary power permit in California?
Often yes, as an owner-builder, if the work is on their own property and they meet Business and Professions Code section 7044 and the local building department's owner-builder rules. They still need the electrical permit, the inspection, and the utility's approval to energize. The exemption does not let that homeowner sell temp power work to someone else. Ask the local permit tech what they require for owner-builders.
Does the 90-day temp wiring rule apply to construction sites?
Usually no. California Electrical Code Article 590 treats construction, remodel, maintenance, repair, and demolition installations as allowed during that period of work. The 90-day cap in 590.3(B) is for holiday decorative lighting and similar purposes. Your local permit can still expire sooner than the code would allow. The permit sticker is the clock that shuts the job down.
Do I need a certified electrician or just a C-10 contractor?
You need both layers when the work is certified electrical work. The C-10 is the contractor license. Labor Code section 108.2 requires persons who perform work as electricians to be certified, and bars uncertified persons from that work. DIR's Electrician Certification Unit runs the cards. A C-10 on the wall does not certify the helper on the feeder.
How do you renew a CSLB C-10 license in California?
CSLB licenses expire on a two-year cycle under Business and Professions Code section 7140. Renew on the board's renewal process, keep the $25,000 bond in force under section 7071.6, and keep workers' comp or an exemption current. Confirm the current renewal fee on CSLB's schedule. I would set a reminder 90 days out. A lapsed license is not a paperwork inconvenience. It is unlicensed contracting.
What if PG&E temporary service expires in the middle of a project?
Call PG&E's new-construction or temporary-service desk before it expires and ask whether they will extend the temporary designation or want a new application. Read Electric Rule 16 if extra facilities are in play. Get the new end date in writing. Keep the AHJ permit alive on the same timeline. An expired utility temp class can mean a locked meter even when the building permit still looks fine.
Is a C-61 license enough for temp power poles?
I would not treat it as enough. Temp poles, feeders, and generator tie-ins generate, transform, or move electrical energy, which is the C-10 description on CSLB's classification page. Section 7058 defines specialty contracting. If you are selling electrical installations, get the C-10 and put certified electricians on the tools. Confirm classification questions with CSLB, not with a competitor's flyer.
Do I need workers' compensation for a California temp power crew?
Yes if you have employees. File a policy and report it to CSLB. A sole owner with no employees can often use the board's exemption. The moment you hire a helper, the exemption is the wrong paper. GCs will also ask for general liability limits that are not set in the licensing statute. That is contract language. Read it before you sign.
Can a special-event generator stay on site past 90 days?
Treat decorative and similar temporary power as a 90-day class under Article 590.3(B) unless your AHJ says otherwise in writing. Events also pick up fire-department and special-event permits that electrical code does not replace. If the generator is truly for construction, the construction-period rule may apply. Ask the electrical inspector and the fire desk. Do not guess from a rental agreement.
Where do you confirm current CSLB fees and processing times?
Use CSLB's application-requirements page and the board's published fee schedule. Those are the documents that match what the cashier will charge. Processing time is not a promise in statute. I would not take a verbal week-count from anyone but the board, and I still would not bid a hard start date on an open application. Fees change. Confirm the number the week you apply.
Does Los Angeles handle temp power poles differently than a county building department?
Yes in the only way that matters. Each AHJ writes its own permit type, fee table, and expiration. Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and unincorporated counties do not share one temp-pole form. Ask whether temporary power is a standalone permit or rides with the building permit, and get the expiration in writing. Do not reuse one city's checklist in another city.
What happens if you keep working on expired temp power?
The inspector can stop the job and the utility can refuse to keep the meter live. If you are contracting, expired license status plus ongoing work is unlicensed contracting under section 7028. If only the local permit died, you are still working without a valid permit. I would shut the gear down and file the extension. Dark and legal beats energized and stupid.
Sources
- CSLB C-10 Electrical classification: C-10 contractors place, install, erect, or connect electrical wires and equipment that generate, transmit, transform, or use electrical energy
- California Business and Professions Code section 7028: Acting as a contractor in California without a license is a misdemeanor unless a statutory exemption applies
- California Business and Professions Code section 7044: Owner-builder exemption from contractor licensing for qualifying property owners doing their own work
- California Business and Professions Code section 7048: Minor-work exemption applies when the aggregate contract price is less than $500, with statutory limits
- California Business and Professions Code section 7071.6: CSLB requires a $25,000 contractor bond to issue, renew, or maintain a license
- California Business and Professions Code section 7068: CSLB must require applicants to show knowledge and experience in the classification applied for
- California Business and Professions Code section 7140: CSLB licenses expire two years from the last day of the month of issuance or on the registrar's renewal date
- California Labor Code section 108.2: Persons who perform work as electricians must be certified; uncertified persons may not perform work that requires certification
- DIR Electrician Certification Unit, Electrical Trade: DIR administers California electrician certification for persons performing certified electrical work
- 2022 California Electrical Code Article 590 Temporary Installations: Article 590.3 permits construction-period temporary power for the duration of the work and limits holiday and similar temporary installations to 90 days
- PG&E Electric Rule 16 Service Extensions: PG&E Rule 16 assigns applicant versus utility responsibility and allowances for electric service extensions
- CSLB Application Requirements for Original License: Original CSLB license applicants must meet the board's published application, exam, bond, and related requirements; confirm current fees on the board schedule
- Cal/OSHA Pocket Guide for the Construction Industry: Cal/OSHA construction guidance covers temporary lighting, cords, and electrical hazards employers must control on jobsites
- California Business and Professions Code section 7058: Specialty contractors are limited to the specialty classification; electrical generating and utilization work is not a catch-all specialty