Bay Area Utility Transfer Guides

Utility and city service contacts for 84 Bay Area cities, reviewed October 2026.

Start power, water, sewer and trash before move-in day so everything is on when you arrive. Internet and home phone can wait until you're in. Police and fire non-emergency lines, the school district and city departments are worth saving to your phone.

Across the Bay Area

These apply in almost every city.

Jump to a city

• Santa Clara County: Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Palo Alto, San Jose, Santa Clara, Saratoga, Sunnyvale
• Santa Cruz County: Capitola, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, Watsonville
• San Mateo County: Atherton, Belmont, Brisbane, Burlingame, Colma, Daly City, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Half Moon Bay, Hillsborough, Menlo Park, Millbrae, Pacifica, Portola Valley, Redwood City, San Bruno, San Carlos, San Mateo, South San Francisco, Woodside
• San Francisco County: San Francisco
• Alameda County: Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Dublin, Emeryville, Fremont, Hayward, Livermore, Newark, Oakland, Piedmont, Pleasanton, San Leandro, Union City
• Contra Costa County: Antioch, Brentwood, Clayton, Concord, Danville, El Cerrito, Hercules, Lafayette, Martinez, Moraga, Oakley, Orinda, Pinole, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Richmond, San Pablo, San Ramon, Walnut Creek
• Marin County: Belvedere, Corte Madera, Fairfax, Larkspur, Mill Valley, Novato, Ross, San Anselmo, San Rafael, Sausalito, Tiburon

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Santa Clara County

County basics. Most cities here share these. Each city below notes which apply.

Good to know

• One electricity bill, two providers. Silicon Valley Clean Energy generates the power; PG&E delivers it and bills for both on one statement. Enrollment is automatic, with GreenStart as the default plan. GreenPrime is the 100% renewable option. Call PG&E to start service. (Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Saratoga, Sunnyvale)
• Shared West Valley providers. County Fire, West Valley Sanitation District and West Valley Collection & Recycling also serve neighboring West Valley cities. (Campbell, Los Gatos)
• Police service comes from the county. These cities contract with the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office, West Valley substation. (Cupertino, Los Altos Hills, Saratoga)

Campbell

All county basics apply. Full guide

Cupertino

All county basics apply. Full guide

Gilroy

All county basics apply. Full guide

• City-run water and sewer. Utility Billing bills both together. Water is well-sourced.

Los Altos

All county basics apply. Full guide

Los Altos Hills

All county basics apply. Full guide

• Sewer or septic. Part of town is on the Town sewer and the rest is on septic. A property within 200 feet of a public sewer has to connect.

Los Gatos

Internet & TV isn't AT&T; Home phone isn't AT&T here; see below. All county basics apply. Full guide

• Frontier for landlines. The Town lists Frontier, not AT&T, as its landline phone company.
• Shared police department. Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police serves both towns. The Town Attorney sits in the Town Manager's Office, 110 E. Main St., with no direct line published.

Milpitas

All county basics apply. Full guide

• City-run water and sewer. Finance bills both.

Monte Sereno

Internet & TV isn't AT&T here; see below. All county basics apply. Full guide

• Everything runs through City Hall. City Hall (408.354.7635) is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Providers match Los Gatos, including the shared Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police.

Morgan Hill

All county basics apply. Full guide

• Utility inspections at sale. The city's Utility Services pages include a Utility Inspections at Property Sale program. Check it before listing.
• City-run water and sewer. Water is well-sourced. Fire has been staffed by CAL FIRE under contract since 2013.

Mountain View

All county basics apply. Full guide

• One bill for water, sewer and trash. The city bills all three together (650.903.6317, option 1). Recology collects the trash.

Palo Alto

Electricity & gas isn't PG&E here; see below. None of the county basics apply; everything is listed here. Full guide

• One utility, one bill. City of Palo Alto Utilities supplies electricity, gas, water, wastewater and fiber. PG&E is not involved and there is no community-choice program.
• Business Registry, not a license. Palo Alto issues a Business Registry certificate instead of a traditional business license.

San Jose

None of the county basics apply; everything is listed here. Full guide

• One electricity bill, two providers. San José Clean Energy, the city's own program, generates the power; PG&E delivers it and bills for both. GreenSource is the default plan; TotalGreen is the 100% renewable option.
• Look up your address. Water, trash and schools change by address. The city's Utility Services Lookup map at sanjoseca.gov shows the water and waste providers for any street address.
• Business tax certificate. Business owners get a business tax certificate instead of a license.

Santa Clara

Electricity & gas isn't PG&E here; see below. None of the county basics apply; everything is listed here. Full guide

• One city bill. Silicon Valley Power, owned by the city, supplies electricity. One bill (408.615.2300) covers electricity, water, sewer and garbage. PG&E supplies gas only.

Saratoga

All county basics apply. Full guide

• Start with City Hall. Department lines come from county and business directories. City Hall (408.868.1200) is the safest first call.

Sunnyvale

All county basics apply. Full guide

• One line for police and fire. Sunnyvale's Department of Public Safety handles both (408.730.7100).
• One bill for water, sewer and garbage. The city bills all three together (408.730.7400, also the 24-hour water and sewer hotline).

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Santa Cruz County

County basics. Most cities here share these. Each city below notes which apply.

Good to know

• One electricity bill, two providers. Central Coast Community Energy (3CE) generates the power; PG&E delivers it and bills for both on one statement. Enrollment is automatic, with 3Cchoice as the default plan. 3Cprime is the 100% renewable option. Call PG&E to start service.

Capitola

All county basics apply. Full guide

• City Hall covers most departments. The main line (831.475.7300) handles building, planning, finance and public works. Sewer is run by the County.

Santa Cruz

All county basics apply. Full guide

• One utility bill. Santa Cruz Municipal Utilities bills water, sewer and trash together. The city collects trash itself.
• One school administration. Santa Cruz City Schools runs both the elementary and high school districts.
• New city website. The city moved to santacruzca.gov.

Scotts Valley

All county basics apply. Full guide

• City-run sewer. Scotts Valley Water District serves most of the city. Confirm the water provider by address.

Watsonville

All county basics apply. Full guide

• City-run water, sewer and garbage. Public Works & Utilities (831.768.3133) handles all three.
• One counter for permits. Community Development (831.768.3050) handles planning, building permits and business licenses.
• New city website. The city moved to watsonville.gov.

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San Mateo County

County basics. Most cities here share these. Each city below notes which apply.

Good to know

• One electricity bill, two providers. WestLight Energy (Peninsula Clean Energy until July 1, 2026) generates the power; PG&E delivers it and bills for both on one statement. Enrollment is automatic, with ECOplus as the default plan. Call PG&E to start service. (Atherton, Belmont, Brisbane, Burlingame, Colma, Daly City, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Half Moon Bay, Hillsborough, Menlo Park, Millbrae, Pacifica, Redwood City, San Bruno, San Carlos, San Mateo, South San Francisco, Woodside)

Atherton

All county basics apply. Full guide

• Town Hall routes most questions. Call 650.752.0500 for anything not listed.

Belmont

All county basics apply. Full guide

• City-run sewer. Water comes from Mid-Peninsula Water District. Recology San Mateo County collects trash through RethinkWaste.

Brisbane

All county basics apply. Full guide

• City-run water and sewer. Finance bills both, including the Guadalupe Valley area. City numbers use the 415 area code.

Burlingame

All county basics apply. Full guide

• City-run water and sewer. Finance bills both, alongside business licenses.

Colma

All county basics apply. Full guide

• Two town lines. Town Hall (650.997.8300) handles administration, finance and the city attorney. Building, planning and public works share 650.757.8888.

Daly City

All county basics apply. Full guide

• One bill for water and garbage. Utility Billing (650.991.8082) bills city water and Republic Services garbage together. Cal Water serves some addresses instead of the city.

East Palo Alto

All county basics apply. Full guide

• Three water providers. The city bills water for most addresses. Confirm the water provider and sanitary district for each property.

Foster City

All county basics apply. Full guide

• One district for water and sewer. Estero Municipal Improvement District handles both, run by the city through Public Works.

Half Moon Bay

All county basics apply. Full guide

• Contracted police and fire. Police service comes from the San Mateo County Sheriff. Fire is Coastside Fire Protection District, run by CAL FIRE.
• New city website. The city moved to halfmoonbay.gov.

Hillsborough

All county basics apply. Full guide

• Town-run water and sewer. The Finance Department bills both.

Menlo Park

All county basics apply. Full guide

• Two water providers, three elementary districts. Confirm both by address.

Millbrae

All county basics apply. Full guide

• Sheriff-contract police. The San Mateo County Sheriff's Millbrae Police Bureau keeps its own lines. The city runs its own water utility and sewer plant.

Pacifica

All county basics apply. Full guide

• City-run sewer. The city runs its own sewer plant, billed through Finance. Water is North Coast County Water District.

Portola Valley

All county basics apply. Full guide

• One electricity bill, two providers. WestLight Energy (Peninsula Clean Energy until July 1, 2026) generates the power; PG&E delivers it and bills for both on one statement. Enrollment is automatic, with ECO100, 100% renewable, as the default plan. Call PG&E to start service.
• The only ECO100 default in the county. Everywhere else in San Mateo County defaults to ECOplus.
• Sewer or septic. West Bay Sanitary serves sewered properties. Many properties are on septic, so confirm by address.

Redwood City

All county basics apply. Full guide

• City-run water and sewer. Cal Water serves some west-side addresses instead.

San Bruno

All county basics apply. Full guide

• City-run water and sewer. Utility Billing handles both.

San Carlos

All county basics apply. Full guide

• Contracted police and fire. Police service comes from the San Mateo County Sheriff and fire from the Redwood City Fire Department.

San Mateo

All county basics apply. Full guide

• City-run sewer. Public Works runs the sewer system and wastewater plant.

South San Francisco

All county basics apply. Full guide

• One K-12 district. South San Francisco Unified covers elementary through high school.
• New city website. The city moved to ssfca.gov.

Woodside

All county basics apply. Full guide

• Mostly septic. Piped sewer exists only in three small districts. Check the town's sewer map for each address.

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San Francisco County

San Francisco

Full guide

• One electricity bill, two providers. CleanPowerSF, run by the SFPUC, generates the power; PG&E delivers it and bills for both. Green is the default plan; SuperGreen is the 100% renewable option and SuperGreen Saver is discounted for eligible customers.
• Hetch Hetchy Power areas. On Treasure Island, Yerba Buena Island, Hunters Point Shipyard, Candlestick Point (including Alice Griffith), Pier 70, other new redevelopment districts and some City-owned or affordable housing, the SFPUC is the electric utility and bills directly. Confirm the electric provider before quoting utility costs on new construction.
• Trash service is mandatory. Owners of occupied buildings must set up and pay for Recology service.
• 3R report at sale. The seller must get a Report of Residential Building Record and give it to the buyer before selling any residential building. It shows permit history, authorized use, energy compliance and soft-story retrofit status. One request per building or condo unit, 7 to 10 business days. sf.gov lists $286; DBI's June 2025 form shows $214, so confirm the fee.
• Energy and water conservation at sale. A certified inspector checks the property, the required measures get installed (low-flow fixtures, efficient toilets, insulation, weatherstripping and similar), and DBI issues a certificate of compliance. The water inspection is required before each sale of most residential buildings.
• Transfer tax on the full price. The Assessor-Recorder collects it when the deed records. The rate applies to the entire price: 0.50% up to $250,000, 0.68% under $1M, 0.75% under $5M, 2.25% under $10M, 5.50% under $25M and 6.00% at $25M or more.
• One sewer, one water agency. The SFPUC runs water and the combined sewer citywide, so there is no separate sanitary district to check. After-hours water, sewer and street problems go to 311.
• School enrollment. SFUSD assigns schools by application through the Enrollment Center at 555 Franklin St.

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Alameda County

County basics. Most cities here share these. Each city below notes which apply.

Good to know

• Sewer lateral certificate at sale. An EBMUD compliance certificate is required to close escrow. (Alameda, Oakland, Piedmont)
• One electricity bill, two providers. Ava Community Energy generates the power; PG&E delivers it and bills for both on one statement. Enrollment is automatic, with Renewable 100 as the default plan. Call PG&E to start service. (Albany, Berkeley, Dublin, Emeryville, Fremont, Hayward, Piedmont, Pleasanton, San Leandro)
• One electricity bill, two providers. Ava Community Energy generates the power; PG&E delivers it and bills for both on one statement. Enrollment is automatic, with Bright Choice as the default plan. Call PG&E to start service. (Livermore, Newark, Oakland, Union City)

Alameda

Electricity & gas isn't PG&E here; see below. County basics that apply: EBMUD. Full guide

• Its own electric utility. Alameda Municipal Power supplies electricity, so there is no PG&E or Ava bill for power. Gas is still PG&E.
• More internet options. Sonic and Monkey Brains also serve the island.

Albany

All county basics apply. Full guide

• Sewer lateral certification at sale. Laterals need certification under both the city's program and EBMUD's.

Berkeley

All county basics apply. Full guide

• Most city questions go to 311. Call 510.981.2489 for general city services.
• Sewer laterals at sale. Berkeley runs its own PSL program (510.981.6423), not EBMUD's.

Dublin

County basics that apply: Ava Community Energy. Full guide

• Contracted police and fire. Police service comes from the Alameda County Sheriff's Office and fire from Alameda County Fire.
• One district for water and sewer. Dublin San Ramon Services District handles both.

Emeryville

All county basics apply. Full guide

• Sewer lateral permit at sale. The city's lateral ordinance is stricter than EBMUD's. Passing the city test satisfies both, and the certificate lasts 20 years.

Fremont

County basics that apply: Ava Community Energy. Full guide

• Shared with Newark and Union City. ACWD water, Union Sanitary District sewer and Republic Services trash serve all three cities.

Hayward

County basics that apply: Ava Community Energy. Full guide

• City-run water. Hayward's own utility, supplied by SFPUC's Hetch Hetchy system, bills water and sewer through its Revenue Division.
• Two haulers. Waste Management collects trash and organics. Residential recycling goes to the nonprofit Tri-CED.

Livermore

County basics that apply: Ava Community Energy. Full guide

• Two water providers. Livermore Municipal Water serves the north and east, Cal Water the rest. Check the city's Find My Provider map for your address.

Newark

County basics that apply: Ava Community Energy. Full guide

• Shared with Fremont and Union City. ACWD water, Union Sanitary District sewer and Republic Services trash. Fire is contracted to Alameda County Fire.

Oakland

All county basics apply. Full guide

• Two haulers. Waste Management collects garbage and compost. California Waste Solutions collects recycling.

Piedmont

All county basics apply. Full guide

Pleasanton

County basics that apply: Ava Community Energy. Full guide

• Shared fire department. Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department serves both cities.

San Leandro

All county basics apply. Full guide

• Split by address. Most of the city uses the city sewer plant and ACI for trash. The Oro Loma Sanitary District area in the south uses Oro Loma sewer and Waste Management.

Union City

County basics that apply: Ava Community Energy. Full guide

• Two haulers. Republic Services collects garbage and organics. Tri-CED collects recycling.

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Contra Costa County

County basics. Most cities here share these. Each city below notes which apply.

Good to know

• PG&E supplies the power. These cities are not MCE members, so PG&E generates, delivers and bills for electricity. (Antioch, Brentwood, Clayton, Orinda)
• One electricity bill, two providers. MCE generates the power; PG&E delivers it and bills for both on one statement. Enrollment is automatic, with Light Green (60% renewable) as the default plan. Deep Green is the 100% renewable option. Call PG&E to start service. (Concord, Danville, El Cerrito, Hercules, Lafayette, Martinez, Moraga, Oakley, Pinole, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Richmond, San Pablo, San Ramon, Walnut Creek)
• RecycleSmart contract. Trash service is a RecycleSmart contract (925.906.1801) collected by Republic Services. (Danville, Lafayette, Moraga, Orinda, Walnut Creek)

Antioch

County basics that apply: Contra Costa County Fire (Con Fire). Full guide

• City-run water. Contra Costa Water District supplies the city utility. After hours, water and sewer emergencies go through the police non-emergency line.

Brentwood

County basics that apply: Contra Costa County Fire (Con Fire). Full guide

• One call for city utilities. Utility Billing (925.516.5415) starts water, wastewater and garbage service.

Clayton

County basics that apply: Contra Costa County Fire (Con Fire), Central San. Full guide

• Contracted services. Concord collects the sewage and Central San treats it. Building permits are handled by contract.

Concord

County basics that apply: Contra Costa County Fire (Con Fire), Central San, MCE. Full guide

• Start with City Hall. Several department lines come from secondary directories, so City Hall (925.671.3000) is the safest first call. Building, engineering and planning applications go through the online Virtual Permit Center.

Danville

County basics that apply: Central San, MCE, EBMUD. Full guide

• Sheriff-contract police. Danville Police is staffed under contract with the County Sheriff.

El Cerrito

County basics that apply: MCE, EBMUD. Full guide

• Sewer lateral certificate at sale. EBMUD's private sewer lateral program applies in the Stege Sanitary District. Check lateral compliance before closing.
• Own fire department. El Cerrito Fire also covers Kensington.

Hercules

County basics that apply: Contra Costa County Fire (Con Fire), MCE, EBMUD. Full guide

• Newest MCE city. MCE service began in April 2025. Rodeo-Hercules Fire was annexed into Con Fire in December 2024.

Lafayette

All county basics apply. Full guide

• Sheriff-staffed police. Lafayette Police is staffed through the County Sheriff.
• No business license. The County lists Lafayette as not requiring one.

Martinez

County basics that apply: Contra Costa County Fire (Con Fire), Central San, MCE. Full guide

• Sewer depends on the address. Central San covers most of the city, Mt. View Sanitary District the east side, and the Stonehurst subdivision is a small county district run by the city.

Moraga

County basics that apply: Central San, MCE, EBMUD. Full guide

• Permits start with the Town. The County's Lamorinda permit office closed in 2023. The County lists Moraga as not requiring a business license.

Oakley

County basics that apply: Contra Costa County Fire (Con Fire), MCE. Full guide

Orinda

County basics that apply: Central San, EBMUD. Full guide

• Sheriff-contract police. Orinda contracts with the County Sheriff. Use Sheriff's dispatch for officer response.

Pinole

County basics that apply: Contra Costa County Fire (Con Fire), MCE, EBMUD. Full guide

Pittsburg

County basics that apply: Contra Costa County Fire (Con Fire), MCE. Full guide

• Police dispatch via the Sheriff. Non-emergency calls go through the County Sheriff's dispatch center.

Pleasant Hill

All county basics apply. Full guide

• Three water providers. EBMUD, Contra Costa Water District or City of Martinez water, depending on the address.

Richmond

County basics that apply: MCE, EBMUD. Full guide

• Sewer depends on the neighborhood. Most of the city is the Richmond Municipal Sewer District. Some northern and hill areas are West County Wastewater. The Richmond Annex is Stege, where the EBMUD lateral certificate applies at sale.

San Pablo

County basics that apply: Contra Costa County Fire (Con Fire), MCE, EBMUD. Full guide

• One counter. Community Development (510.215.3030) handles building, planning and business licenses.
• Check the jurisdiction. Some San Pablo mailing addresses are unincorporated county land, served by the County and the Sheriff.

San Ramon

County basics that apply: Central San, MCE, EBMUD. Full guide

• Water and sewer by address. EBMUD and Central San serve the older parts of the city. Dougherty Valley and some southern areas get both from DSRSD.

Walnut Creek

All county basics apply. Full guide

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Marin County

County basics. Most cities here share these. Each city below notes which apply.

Good to know

• One electricity bill, two providers. MCE generates the power; PG&E delivers it and bills for both on one statement. Enrollment is automatic, with Light Green as the default plan. Deep Green is the 100% renewable option. Call PG&E to start service.
• Resale inspections. Ross Valley Fire sells resale inspections through its fire prevention office (415.258.4673). Ask whether one is required for the sale. (Fairfax, Ross, San Anselmo)

Belvedere

All county basics apply. Full guide

• Two inspections at sale. The city requires a Report of Residential Building Records (RBR) inspection (415.435.3838). Sanitary District No. 5 requires a CCTV sewer lateral inspection, exempt if the lateral was replaced within 20 years or inspected within 3.

Corte Madera

All county basics apply. Full guide

• Shared police and fire. Central Marin Police serves Corte Madera, Larkspur and San Anselmo. Central Marin Fire serves Corte Madera and Larkspur.
• Town-run sewer. The town runs Sanitary District No. 2 through Public Works.

Fairfax

All county basics apply. Full guide

Larkspur

All county basics apply. Full guide

• Shared police and fire. Central Marin Police and Central Marin Fire also serve Corte Madera. The incorporated part of Greenbrae is in Larkspur.

Mill Valley

All county basics apply. Full guide

• Residential Building Report at sale. Order one from the Building Division early (415.388.4033).
• Lateral grants. The Sewerage Agency of Southern Marin offers Cash for Sewers grants toward lateral replacement.

Novato

County basics that apply: MCE. Full guide

• Outside Marin Water. North Marin Water District supplies Novato. The city moved its websites from novato.org to novato.gov.

Ross

All county basics apply. Full guide

San Anselmo

All county basics apply. Full guide

San Rafael

All county basics apply. Full guide

• Lateral report at sale in the north. In the Las Gallinas Valley district (Terra Linda and north), the seller submits a sewer lateral inspection report before close of escrow.

Sausalito

All county basics apply. Full guide

• New sewer district. Since August 22, 2025, the Sausalito-Marin City Sanitary District owns and runs the city sewer. Older documents may still name the city.
• Lateral test at sale. A pressure test or video inspection is required, with the compliance certificate from the district. Properties with an ejector pump also need an on-site test.

Tiburon

All county basics apply. Full guide

• Lateral inspection east of Gilmartin. Sanitary District No. 5 requires a CCTV lateral inspection when buying or selling, exempt if the lateral was replaced within 20 years or inspected within 3.

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Coming soon

• Sonoma County: Cloverdale, Cotati, Healdsburg, Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, Sonoma, Windsor
• Napa County: American Canyon, Calistoga, Napa, St. Helena, Yountville
• Solano County: Benicia, Dixon, Fairfield, Rio Vista, Suisun City, Vacaville, Vallejo

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Contact details change. Confirm with each provider before you schedule service. Browse every guide at agnsy.com/guides.