Who to call for a home problem in Orange County, California
Updated . By Landen Chu, Co-founder of OakTend. How we research
This is general information. The utility, city or agency named in each section has the final word.
What if it is an emergency?
Call 911 if anyone is hurt or in danger. For a gas smell, a downed power line, a burst pipe or sewage backing up, our home emergency page has the steps and the gas, power and water company numbers for Orange County.
Who relights a pilot or checks a gas furnace?
If SoCalGas is your gas company, it relights pilots at no cost and can do a no-cost furnace safety check on the same visit. Book it in your SoCalGas account or at 1-877-238-0092.
If the gas meter was shut off, do not turn it back on yourself. SoCalGas says to call it to turn the meter on and relight the pilots.
Who trims a tree growing into power lines?
Report it to your electric company. If Southern California Edison sends your bill, SCE takes reports of trees growing into or near power lines at 1-800-655-4555. Before you trim a tree anywhere near a line, call 1-800-611-1911. If SDG&E or Anaheim Public Utilities sends your bill, call them instead.
Keep up with your home
Start my free home planWho do I call before I dig?
Call 811, or use DigAlert online, at least two working days before you dig. The service is free, and California law requires it for digging of any size, including planting a tree or setting a fence or mailbox post. DigAlert covers Orange County. The utilities then mark their lines.
They do not mark lines you own. SDG&E, for one, says it does not mark the gas or electric lines that run from the meter to your equipment, so hire a private locator for those.
Who fixes the street, a storm drain or a pothole?
Inside a city, call the city's public works department. In unincorporated areas, OC Public Works takes pothole requests online through myOCeServices or at (714) 955-0200. During a storm, the county's Storm Center takes reports about county roads and flood control channels at (714) 955-0333.
A couch dumped on the sidewalk is a city job too. Anaheim, for example, takes those reports through 3-1-1. For your own old furniture, see bulky item pickup by city. For a leak at the water meter, call the water provider on your bill; the water provider guide shows which one serves your area.
Who fixes things inside my home?
Pipes, wiring, the roof and appliances in your home are yours to repair. Before you hire anyone, check the license on the Contractors State License Board's site, and read our deposit rules guide before you pay. Some or all of the sewer pipe from your house to the street may be yours too, depending on your city; the sewer line guide has each city's rule. Seniors and lower-income owners can look at home repair assistance programs.
City pages: Anaheim, Irvine, Santa Ana, San Clemente and Huntington Beach, or every city on the Orange County hub.
Sources
- SoCalGas: Pilot Relight
Schedule a no-cost pilot relight in My Account or at 1-877-238-0092; a technician can also do a no-cost furnace safety check during the visit. - SoCalGas: How to shut off your natural gas
Do not turn the meter back on yourself; contact SoCalGas to turn the meter back on and relight the pilots. - Southern California Edison: Power safety
To report trees growing into or near power lines, call 1-800-655-4555; before trimming trees around power lines, call 1-800-611-1911. - SDG&E: Dial 811 before you dig
California law requires contacting DigAlert before any excavation, big or small, at least two working days ahead by calling 811 or online; the service is free; examples include planting trees and installing a mailbox or fence; SDG&E does not mark customer-owned gas or electric lines from the meter to the customer's equipment and suggests a qualified locating professional for those. - California Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety: DigAlert
DigAlert covers the counties of Imperial, Inyo, Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Riverside and Ventura. - OC Public Works: Pothole repair
OC Public Works Operations and Maintenance handles pothole repairs for unincorporated areas of Orange County; request online through myOCeServices or call (714) 955-0200. - OC Public Works: Storm Center
To report problems with a county road or flood control channel during an active event, call (714) 955-0333; in an emergency, call 911. - City of Anaheim: Bulky Item Collection
Abandoned bulky items on public property such as alleys, streets or sidewalks are reported to 3-1-1 or through an Anaheim Anytime request. - Contractors State License Board: Check a License
Look up a California contractor's license or a home improvement salesperson registration online.