Gilroy, CA Building Safety: Electrical Permits (2026)

City Code § 6.6(b)(3) adopts the 2025 California Electrical Code, published by the National Fire Protection Agency and the California Building Standards Commission in Part 3 of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, "and by this reference expressly incorporated and made a part of this chapter as though fully set forth herein," designating it as the "electrical code" for the City of Gilroy, with one copy on file in the office of the building official for public examination. Section 6.7(a)(3) amends Section 109.2, Schedule of permit fees, so that a fee is charged for electrical systems or alterations requiring a permit, set by the currently adopted City of Gilroy Comprehensive Fee Schedule.

Article II's electrical amendments in § 6.7(c) go further than fees: subsection 230.2(F) requires all new electrical services to be installed underground per Section 230.30, and requires existing overhead utilities in existing commercial and industrial areas, and in residential areas developing four or more dwelling units, to be placed underground in connection with new development. Section 230.70(A)(4) requires the building's main service disconnect to be installed on the first-floor level. Section 250.50(A) requires grounding electrode systems in new buildings to use a concrete-encased electrode of at least 20 feet of steel reinforcing bar or bare copper conductor.

The building official administers these permits, and, as with all Chapter 6 permits, work started before the permit issues doubles the fee under Section 109.4.