Utility and site due diligence before you buy or price a lot

01

Existing connection is not capacity

A lot can have a water meter, a sewer lateral or an electric service sized for a small older house. A new home with heat pumps, EV charging or fire sprinklers may need a larger or relocated service. Only the provider can say what a new service requires.

No public map tells you a parcel's available capacity, and this guide does not estimate it. Ask each provider what information it needs to answer.

02

Electric service

In the City of Los Angeles, LADWP takes requests for single-family residences through its residential construction service pages and publishes a Guide to Electric Service. LADWP says a meter spot verifies the correct placement of a new service panel. Safety or code rules may require a different location, and new construction is handled through its Connection Center.

Elsewhere, the serving utility may be Southern California Edison or a municipal utility. Confirm which utility serves the parcel before asking about service.

03

Sewer or onsite system

Sewer connection is a public-agency process. In the City of Los Angeles, the Bureau of Engineering's S-Permit FAQ says the permit can be issued once all documents are ready, including Sewerage Facilities Charges, any required easement, sewer capacity and the constructed building. It also says the charge is due when construction and use trigger a net increase in flow or sewage strength.

Where no public sewer is available, an onsite wastewater system may be needed, with its own health-agency review. Ask the local building and health agencies which applies to the parcel.

04

Water service and fire flow

Water purveyors differ by parcel. Los Angeles County Public Works says its Waterworks Districts oversee water service installation in their district areas, including new service for properties that never had water service. Its process starts with a Service Locator lookup by address or parcel number to identify the purveyor, then a Fire Department contact.

Fire-flow and sprinkler requirements can affect the water service size. Ask the fire authority and purveyor early.

05

Gas, easements and access

If the design includes gas, ask the gas utility how a new or modified service is requested and whether the existing line can be reused. Check the title report for utility easements that limit where you can build. Confirm legal and physical access for utility trenching and construction equipment.

06

Who answers what

Utility companies decide service design and requirements for their systems. Public agencies decide permits, sewer connection and code compliance. Your engineers and designer translate the house into loads and demand. A seller or listing can describe what exists, but not what will be approved.

07 · What to ask for

Document handoff and an illustrative sequence

Start by identifying the provider for each service from the parcel's actual location; a city name does not settle it, and this guide does not claim any provider serves a given address. Then separate existing service from proposed demand: the load and fixtures of the new design, not the old meter, determine what the provider reviews. Only the provider can confirm capacity, the service path, any easement it needs and whether an upgrade applies; none of that is assumed here, nor is it free or completed within a set time.

Illustrative sequence, not a project record: the designer lists proposed electrical load and fixture counts; the owner confirms each provider for the parcel; the team submits the provider's application with the site plan; the provider responds with a service path or questions; temporary construction power is arranged separately from the permanent connection; the permanent service is coordinated with inspections. Keep account numbers and addresses inside provider applications, never in public tools.