Temporary Power Poles in Marin County
We set the pole, wire the meter base and panel, pull the electrical permit and chase the PG&E release so your crew has metered power on the first day of framing.
What goes into a temporary service on a Marin lot
A construction power pole is a small, complete electrical service. There is a treated pole or a steel post, a meter base PG&E will accept, a main breaker, a weatherproof panel with GFCI receptacles, and two ground rods bonded to the system. Once the county or town inspector signs off and PG&E sets the meter, your trades plug in and stop dragging cords from a neighbor’s garage.
Most Marin jobs run on 100A or 200A single-phase. That covers saws, compressors, a small office trailer and a few work lights on a remodel or a single-family rebuild. Larger projects, like a multifamily building in San Rafael or a commercial shell in Novato, may need 400A three-phase, which means a bigger meter section, more engineering and a longer wait on the PG&E side.
The pole is usually the first piece of equipment on site, and it decides what else you can run. Crews that stay past dusk in winter will want light towers and interior string lights fed from it. If PG&E is still weeks out, we can run the job on a trailer-mounted diesel set until the meter is live.
Get a Power Quote
Pole sizes, mounts and options
The right setup depends on your load, your lot and how long the build will run. These are the choices we walk through on most quotes.
100A single-phase
Enough for a remodel crew with hand tools, a compressor and a few lights.
200A single-phase
For new homes and larger remodels where a trailer, a spot cooler and several trades run at once. The extra capacity also lets you add a spot cooler for the site office without tripping the main.
400A three-phase
For commercial shells, multifamily work and any job with large motors. We coordinate the service design with your engineer before PG&E sees it.
Overhead or underground feed
PG&E decides which it will allow at your site. Overhead is usually quicker. Underground needs a trench and conduit, which takes careful planning on a sloped lot.
Steel posts and pedestal units
Where a wood pole will not fit, such as a tight side yard or a paved frontage, a steel post or pedestal may work. Check with us early, since PG&E and the inspector both have a say.
Add-on outlets and distribution
Extra GFCI drops, a spider box near the work area, or a dedicated circuit for the office trailer and a cellular internet kit.
Typical temp pole pricing in Marin
Installing a single-phase pole at 100A or 200A on most Marin jobs comes to somewhere from $1,800 to $4,500. Three-phase at 400A is a bigger job, typically $6,000 to $14,000 and up. Expect $150 to $400 each month while the pole stays, plus PG&E’s own fees, which the utility invoices directly.
- Amperage and single-phase versus three-phase service
- How far the pole sits from PG&E's line or transformer
- Overhead drop versus trenched underground feed
- Slope, soil, and how hard it is to get a truck to the spot
- Permit fees at the county or the town
- How many months the pole stays on site
We give you a written quote after the site walk, broken out by install, monthly rental and removal, with PG&E fees listed as a separate line so nothing surprises you later.
From site walk to meter release
1. Walk the lot
We look at where PG&E’s nearest pole or transformer sits, how a truck gets in, the slope and soil, and where grading will happen. Then we mark a pole location and agree on it with you.
2. Pull the permit
For unincorporated parcels, Kentfield among them, the permit office is the Marin County Community Development Agency. Lots inside a town go to that town’s building division. We file the electrical permit with whichever office has the parcel.
3. File with PG&E
We send PG&E the temporary service application within days of the permit filing. Their timeline is out of our hands, so we start early and keep you updated.
4. Set, wire and inspect
We set the pole, drive the ground rods, mount the meter base and panel, and call for inspection. Once it passes, PG&E gets the release and schedules the meter set.
5. Pull it when the house is energized
When the permanent service is live, we disconnect, pull the pole and close the permit.
Projects that call for a construction pole
If the trades need power for more than a few days and the house service is off, unsafe or does not exist yet, a temporary pole is the cleanest way to get it.
Whole-house remodels
Gutting a 1950s ranch in San Anselmo or Mill Valley usually means the existing panel comes out early. A temp pole keeps the saws running while the new service is roughed in.
Fire and teardown rebuilds
When the old house is gone, there is nothing to plug into. We set the pole close to where the new service will land so the eventual tie-in stays short.
New homes on hillside parcels
Upslope lots in Tiburon, Sausalito and Fairfax often have the utility line at the street and the pad far above it. We plan the pole and the feeder run around grading, retaining walls and the driveway cut.
Bayfront and flood-zone lots
Low ground near the bay in Corte Madera, Larkspur and parts of San Rafael can sit wet for weeks in winter. We mount the meter and panel high and keep receptacles off the ground.
Commercial and multifamily shells
Three-phase 400A service for elevators, welders and large HVAC startup on bigger buildings, planned with the general contractor and the engineer of record.
Why Marin builders hand us the pole and the paperwork
We are a licensed C-10 electrical contractor, and the same crew that digs the hole also files the permit and the utility request. On a steep or tight lot, the pole location matters more than anywhere else in the Bay Area, so we walk the site before we quote and pick a spot that PG&E can reach, the inspector can approve and your excavator will not have to work around.
- Site walk before the quote, with the pole spot marked on the ground
- Electrical permit filed with the county or the town building division
- PG&E service request submitted and tracked to meter release
- Small trucks and hand-carried gear for narrow hillside roads
- Panels set above expected high water on bayfront lots
- Removal and backfill booked when you give the word
Questions about Marin construction poles
How long does it take to get power on a temp pole?
We can usually set and wire the pole within days of permit approval. The wait is on PG&E, and it varies by job, so we file early and keep you posted.
Who pulls the electrical permit?
We do. It goes to the Marin County Community Development Agency for unincorporated land or to the local town building division. Check with us if you are not sure which one covers your parcel, and we will confirm it.
Can you set a pole on a steep lot with a narrow road?
Usually, yes. We use smaller trucks, hand-carry what we can and pick a spot the crew can reach safely. The site walk tells us what will work before we commit to a quote.
Will a PSPS shutoff kill my temp power?
A temp pole is on the PG&E grid, so a Public Safety Power Shutoff will cut it like any other service. If you cannot lose a day, ask about a standby generator wired to take over.
What happens at the end of the job?
Call us once the permanent service is energized. We disconnect, remove the pole and backfill the hole.
Other equipment for Marin job sites
Price out Temporary Power Poles for your site
Call 415-707-8725 or send the form with the address and start date. You get a written quote, usually the same day.