Hillsborough Municipal Code Ch. 15.08 Electrical Code

Footnotes:

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Editor's note— Ord. No. 799, § 3(Exh. A), adopted December 9, 2025, in effect repealed Ch. 15.08 and enacted a new Ch. 15.08 as set out herein and as may later be amended. Former Ch. 15.08 pertained to similar subject matter and derived from Ord. No. 690, adopted December 13, 2010; Ord. No. 712, adopted November 12, 2013; Ord. No. 742, adopted November 14, 2016; Ord. No. 758, adopted November 12, 2019; Ord. No. 786, adopted November 28, 2022; and Ord. No. 788, adopted January 9, 2023.

The purpose of this chapter is to regulate the sale, installation, repair, maintenance, use, connection, and alteration of all electrical wiring, fixtures, appliances, devices, meters, switches, motors, generators, transformers, signs, and other equipment of the consumer's facilities, and to regulate the erection, installation, alteration, addition, repair, relocation, replacement, maintenance, or use of any solar system, and to provide for inspections, issuance of permits, collection of fees, imposing of penalties for violations, and to adopt uniform rules, regulations, and standards in respect thereto.

Sections within this chapter may include both local amendments to Title 24 as adopted therein and local development standards related to construction in the town that are not part of Title 24.

(Ord. No. 799, § 3(Exh. A), 12-9-2025)

A. The rules and regulations and standards printed in the California Electrical Code, Title 24, Part 3 2025 Edition, together with Article 89. Provisions thereto as incorporated by reference in the California Building Standards Code (California Code of Regulations, Title 24), 2025 Edition, (hereinafter referred to as the "Electrical Code" respectively) (including the Appendix thereto) is hereby adopted as the rules, regulations, and standards for the town as to all matters contained therein except as herein provided.

B. One copy of the Electrical Code shall at all times be kept on file at the town building department. The copy shall be accompanied by a copy of this chapter (as well as any additional subsequent amendments) to show the town amendments to the 2025 California Electrical Code.

C. In the event of any conflict or inconsistency between the provisions of the this code and the California Electrical Code when applied to any particular case, that requirement which establishes the higher degree of safety shall be complied with unless otherwise specifically stated in this code.

D. No provisions of the California Electrical Code as amended hereby, shall be deemed to supersede any other provision of this code.

(Ord. No. 799, § 3(Exh. A), 12-9-2025)

The Electrical Code as adopted by this chapter is hereby amended, in its application to the town as set forth within Sections 15.08.040 through 15.08.140.

Any section within 15.08 that modifies the 2025 California Electrical Code shall include the code section being changed or modified and language which describes the nature of the change or modification. Sections that do not include such reference or language are local development standards and are not amendments to Title 24.

(Ord. No. 799, § 3(Exh. A), 12-9-2025)

Section 89.3.3(B) is replaced in its entirety to read as follows:

89.3.3(B) Schedule of permit and penalty fees.

A. The fee schedule for a permit shall be as established by resolution or ordinance adopted by the city council, plus any additional fees which may be established or mandated by state or federal law or city ordinance the applicable permit fees shall be as established in the master fee schedule.

B. The value to be used in computing the electrical permit fee, the plan review fee and other fees shall be the total value of all construction work for which the permit is issued as well as all finish work, electrical, and any other permanent construction or equipment.

C. A fee for each permit shall be paid as required, in accordance with Table No. 1-A of the Town of Hillsborough Master Fee Schedule.

1. Whenever a permit fee is required by this ordinance to be paid prior to starting work and such work is started prior to obtaining a permit, the scheduled fee shall be the applicable permit fee as set forth in Table No. 1-A found in the master fee schedule, plus an additional amount of up to ten times the applicable permit fee. The exact amount shall be set by the building official in the amount that will, in his or her good faith estimate, recover the cost of town staff time expended to deal with the problems caused by the unpermitted work.

2. If a stop work order is issued, it may not be lifted until a permit reactivation fee has been paid in an amount not less than two hundred fifty dollars up to one thousand dollars, the exact amount to be set by the building official in the amount that will, in his or her good faith estimate, recover the cost of town staff time expended to deal with the problems involved in the issuance of the stop work order.

3. A document imaging charge may be charged upon submission of every application for an electrical permit. The applicable fee shall be found in the master fee schedule.

(Ord. No. 799, § 3(Exh. A), 12-9-2025)

A. When, in the judgment of the building department, it is reasonably necessary to amend the provisions of the California Electrical Code due to local climatic, geological, topographical, or other statutorily permissible conditions, the building official shall prepare and submit the proposed amendments to the city council for consideration at the next regularly scheduled city council meeting. Before adopting any changes or modification in the requirements contained in the provisions published in the California Electrical Code, or in any other regulations adopted hereunder, the city council shall make an express finding that such modifications or changes are reasonably necessary because of local climatic, geological, topographical, or other statutorily permissible conditions. Such finding shall be made available as a public record. Upon approval by the city council and filing of the city council's findings with the California Building Standards Commission (CBSC) or other governing body, such amendments shall be added to and become a part of the provisions of this chapter.

B. From October 1, 2025, through June 1, 2031, the town is limited in its ability to modify provisions related to residential units. Allowable findings for modifications during this time are limited to:

1. Modifications previously adopted and filed with the CBSC before September 30, 2025;

2. Administrative changes related to administration of the code;

3. Emergency health and safety measures as deemed by the CBSC;

4. Needed to implement a greenhouse gas emissions reduction strategy as outlined in a general plan adopted before June 10, 2025; or

5. Related to fire home hardening.

(Ord. No. 799, § 3(Exh. A), 12-9-2025)

As successive editions of the California Electrical Code are promulgated and incorporated by reference in the California Building Standards Code, the building department, under the guidance and direction of the building official, shall review the provisions of the new version(s) of such code(s) in order to determine whether they are consistent with the provisions of the California Electrical Code then in force, as modified by the provisions of this chapter. The building official shall submit a list of recommendations with respect to such changes (if any) to the city council. Upon review and adoption by the city council, according to the procedure set out at Section 15.08.150 above, such revised version of the California Electrical Code, together with all amendments thereto which are recommended by the building official and/or required by the provisions of this chapter, shall govern all buildings and construction within town limits.

(Ord. No. 799, § 3(Exh. A), 12-9-2025)