Taft Municipal Code Ch. 7 Electrical Code

This chapter may be cited as the TAFT ELECTRICAL CODE. (Ord. 696-02, 10-1-2002)

The Taft Electrical Code shall apply to new construction, relocated buildings and to any alterations, repairs or reconstruction of buildings in the incorporated territory of the City of Taft. (Ord. 696-02, 10-1-2002)

These regulations known as the "California Electrical Code," 2025 Edition, California Code of Regulations, Title 24, Part 3, which incorporate by adoption the 2024 Edition of the National Electrical Code, with necessary California amendments, including all the Annexes A through J, as published by the International Code Council, is hereby adopted and made part of this Chapter by reference with the same force and effect as if fully set forth herein. (Ord. 826-17, 6-20-2017; amd. Ord. 834-20, 1-20-2020; Ord. 851-23, 1-17-2023; Ord. 855-25, 12-16-2025)

(A) The Taft Electrical Code shall apply to all electrical wiring and electrical equipment which is installed and used in the City of Taft.

(B) This chapter does not apply to electrical wiring in:

1. Buildings owned or controlled by the Federal or State government;

2. Signal or communication equipment, including building wiring of an interstate railroad;

3. Facilities of an electrical public utility, including:

(a) Facilities of a communication public utility where the wiring supplies electricity to communications apparatus, including lighting;

(b) Facilities for the production, generation, storage or transmission of water or electrical energy by a local agency. "Local agency" means an agency of the State of California for the local performance of governmental or proprietary functions within limited boundaries. (Ord. 747-07, 12-18-2007)

No person shall install, alter or repair electrical wiring unless he is a qualified electrician or under the supervision of a qualified electrician, except that:

(A) A property owner may do electrical work on his own property;

(B) A homeowner or a member of his immediate family may do electrical work on his residence. (Ord. 747-07, 12-18-2007)

In dwelling occupancies, the overhead service entrance conduit shall be rigid metallic conduit, when required by the serving utility. (Ord. 747-07, 12-18-2007)

(A) Securing A Permit: It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, corporation, owner of the land, or possessor to install, energize, reenergize, use or maintain any electrical equipment or wiring system within or on any building, structure, or premises within the jurisdiction of the enforcing official, nor shall any alteration or addition be made thereto, without first securing a permit therefor from the building official, with the following exceptions:

1. Minor repair work, the replacement of lamps or the connection of portable electrical equipment to suitable permanently installed receptacles;

2. Electrical wiring expressly exempted from this chapter;

3. Reenergization of a meter and/or service where the meter and/or the service drop or lateral has not been removed or disconnected.

(B) Separate Permits Required; Exceptions: A separate permit shall be required for electrical installations, alteration, reconstruction or repair of electrical wiring or application in each building, except that the permit covering a main building for a dwelling occupancy may include electrical wiring for an accessory building having a floor area of one thousand (1,000) square feet or less, located on the same premises as the main building, and supplied from the main building.

(C) Penalty Fees: Any person who commences any electrical work for which a permit is required, without first having obtained a permit therefor, shall pay double the permit fee. This subsection shall not apply if in the opinion of the building official it was for emergency work when such work was urgently necessary and it was not practical to obtain a permit before commencement of the work. In all cases, a permit must be obtained as soon as it is practical, and if there is unreasonable delay in obtaining the permit, a double fee as herein provided shall be charged.

(D) Plans And Specifications: Each application for a permit shall be accompanied by plans and specifications or by a suitable diagram subject to approval by the building official.

(E) Plans And Specifications; Requirements:

1. Plans, specifications, computations and other data shall be prepared by persons properly authorized by the State of California. The plans and specifications submitted with permit applications shall be subject to the following conditions:

(a) The information contained on the plans shall be clearly legible. No plan for electric wiring in a building shall be in scale less than one-eighth inch to one foot (1/8" = 1').

(b) Two (2) sets of plans and specifications shall be filed for checking when the application is submitted. If the building official finds that the work described in the plans and specifications conforms to the requirements of this Code and other pertinent laws and ordinances, one set shall be approved and returned to the applicant; the other approved set(s) shall be retained by the department for field checking.

(c) If the plans or specifications do not comply with all provisions of this Code, the necessary changes or revisions shall be made thereto by the person who originally drew the plan or his duly authorized agent.

(d) Plans and specifications on file with the department may only be inspected pursuant to Health and Safety Code 19850 et seq.

(F) Plans And Specifications; Minor Additions: If an application for permit is filed for work involving wiring or electrical applications which constitute minor "installations" or alterations to an existing electrical system, the building official may waive the requirements for plans and specifications.

(G) Permit Issuance:

1. The application, plans, specifications, computations and other data filed by the applicant for permit shall be reviewed by the building official. If the building official finds that the work described in an application for a permit and the plans, specifications and other data filed therewith conforms to the requirements of this code and other pertinent laws and ordinances, and that the fees specified herein have been paid, he shall issue a permit therefor to the applicant.

2. When the building official issues the permit where plans are required, he shall endorse in writing or stamp the plans and specifications "APPROVED". Such approved plans and specifications shall not be changed, modified or altered without authorization from the building official, and all work regulated by this code shall be done in accordance with the approved plans. (Ord. 747-07, 12-18-2007)

(A) Inspection Of Work Required: All electrical work and wiring installed under a permit shall be inspected and approved by the department before it is concealed, energized, placed in service, or used. (Ord. 747-07, 12-18-2007)

(A) No person shall use or energize electrical work or wiring installed under permit, or allow its use or energizing, until it has been inspected and approved by the department.

(B) No utility or service agency shall supply electrical energy, or cause it to be supplied, to electrical equipment or to a wiring system which has not been inspected and approved unless temporary connections are authorized by the department.

(C) No utility or service agency shall supply electrical energy, or cause it to be supplied, to electrical equipment or wiring systems where the meter and/or service drop or lateral has been removed or disconnected until it has been inspected and approved by the department. (Ord. 747-07, 12-18-2007)

If necessary to prevent hardship and if inspection will not be impeded, temporary connection of electrical energy and use of electrical work or wiring may be authorized by the department prior to inspection and approval of the electrical work. (Ord. 747-07, 12-18-2007)

(A) Each obstruction which renders impracticable a complete and thorough inspection of electrical wiring shall be removed following notice to do so; wiring shall remain unobstructed until the wiring has been inspected and approved by the department.

(B) If there is reasonable evidence that conductors are damaged or do not comply with code requirements, the inspector may require the conductors to be replaced or removed from raceways for inspection.

(C) Fixtures, appliances, devices, and equipment shall not be connected to electric wiring until the rough wiring, including conductors, has been inspected and approved.

(D) All grounding terminations shall be made up, except for attachment to devices, prior to rough electrical inspection.

(E) Wiring shall be free from grounds, shorts or other defects before approval by the department.

(F) Upon request of the inspector, ladders or other means suitable to aid inspections of any electrical wiring shall be provided. (Ord. 747-07, 12-18-2007)

The building official may, upon the presentation of proper credentials to the occupant or owner, enter any premises, building or structure at any reasonable time for the purpose of investigating and inspecting such premises, building or structure to determine whether the same is being used in compliance with the provisions of this title (including codes which have been adopted by reference). If admission or entry is refused, the building official may apply to obtain an inspection warrant. (Ord. 747-07, 12-18-2007)

(A) Whenever any work is being done contrary to the provisions of this code or when a hazard to life or property is created, the building official may order the work stopped by notice in writing served on any persons engaged in the doing or causing such work to be done, and any such persons shall forthwith stop such work until authorized by the building official to proceed with the work.

(B) No person shall fail, neglect or refuse to comply with a stop order. (Ord. 747-07, 12-18-2007)

(A) If the department determines that an electrical installation is in violation of this code, an order shall be given to the owner to correct the violation. The order shall be in writing and shall specify the particulars in which the installation is in violation; and it shall specify a reasonable time for compliance with the order. In cases of extreme danger to life and property, the order shall further require that all persons cease using electric current throughout the installation and the installation be disconnected immediately.

(B) If the violation continues to exist beyond the time fixed by the order, the department is authorized to disconnect physically the portion of the installation in violation, or to order the serving agency to disconnect electric service to the wiring system.

(C) Where a disconnection has been made by the department, a seal shall be attached to the electrical wiring at the point of disconnect.

(D) When an electric wiring installation has been sealed by the department, no person shall use, cause or permit the use of the installation prior to the removal of the seal by the department.

(E) No person shall break, destroy or remove a seal or tag attachment to a disconnection without the written consent of the department. (Ord. 747-07, 12-18-2007)

The electrical maintenance permit (EMP) is an authorization for a business or industrial firm with ongoing, repetitive and routine electrical work to comply with certain minimum standards regarding the plan checking and inspection of such activity through a quarterly reporting program where:

(A) A qualified electrical activity is performed by a C-10 (electrical) contractor or qualified electrician.

(B) The work performed is tracked by the permittee and is reported to the department on forms provided by the building official on a quarterly basis by the business or industrial firm's designated contact person.

(C) The department's inspection staff meets with the firm's contact person to perform representative spot inspections on the work performed. (Ord. 747-07, 12-18-2007)

(A) Electrical work requiring any other type of building permit under this code of building regulations shall obtain a separate electrical permit; however, if the permit is only for construction of oil field pipe racks and/or oil field foundations and the electrical work is otherwise applicable to the EMP it may be reported on the EMP form and a separate permit is not required.

(B) Electrical work not considered appropriate to be reported on the EMP, or exempted work. (Ord. 747-07, 12-18-2007)

Such minor new electrical construction and/or maintenance work as:

(A) All new installations and related electrical wiring used by a business or industrial firm of an ongoing, repetitive and routine nature at a new or reworked location that results in an overall net increase in horsepower at the service drop(s), or any location requiring a new or larger service drop as long as they do not exceed the limitations indicated in subsection (B) of this section. The qualified electrician or C-10 contractor who makes the new or reworked installation must prepare and sign a complete one line load diagram of the new electrical installation after the installation is complete, and prior to submittal with the EMP report. If a standard (typical) one line load diagram which matches the installation has been approved by this department, a reference to the standard plan number on the EMP may be used in place of submitting the one line load diagram.

(B) New construction small site electrical installations (no occupancy) used by a business or industrial firm of an ongoing, repetitive and routine nature: All electrical equipment with a four hundred eighty (480) volt maximum and/or two hundred fifty (250) horsepower maximum, all transformers less than five hundred (500) kVA, and connected loads with a two hundred fifty (250) horsepower maximum. The qualified electrician or C-10 contractor who makes the installation must prepare and sign a complete one line load diagram of the new electrical installation after it is complete, and prior to submittal with the EMP report. If a standard (typical) one line load diagram which matches the installation has been approved by this department a reference to the standard plan number on the EMP may be used in place of submitting the one line load diagram.

(C) All electrical installations are subject to the current provisions of the Code of Building Regulations, the California electrical code and approval or exemption from the permit process by the Taft building department.

(D) Separate electrical permits are required for all other installations, unless specifically exempted herein. (Ord. 747-07, 12-18-2007)

(A) The following oil field electrical construction is exempt from the requirement for reporting on the EMP report:

1. Repair or replacement of existing electrical equipment with like or smaller equipment (like for like change outs);

2. Relocation of pumping units or artificial lift devices to existing locations (250 horsepower maximum);

3. All overhead electrical distribution line(s) and apparatus regulated under general order 95 (GO 95) twelve (12) kV or less;

4. Repair or replacement of fixed motors, transformers or fixed approved appliances of the same type and rating in the same location;

5. Temporary or emergency lighting;

6. Repair or replacement of current-carrying parts of any switch, contactor or control device;

7. Repair or replacement of any over current device of the required capacity in the same location;

8. Removal of electrical wiring.

(B) Exemption from the permit requirements of this code shall not be deemed to grant authorization for any work to be done in any manner in violation of the provisions of this code or any other laws or ordinances of this jurisdiction. (Ord. 747-07, 12-18-2007)

The quarterly EMP reports must be mailed to this department within thirty (30) days of the close of the quarters and failure to provide the report may result in the reporting party losing eligibility for future electrical maintenance permits. The following chart depicts the periods covered by the quarterly reports and the deadlines for mailing the reports:

(Ord. 747-07, 12-18-2007)

Upon notice from the department that the business or industrial firm or qualified electrician is not complying with this chapter the electrical maintenance permit may be canceled. Any paid fees will be forfeited. (Ord. 747-07, 12-18-2007)