Days 1–30
Equipment selection
Operator finalizes kitchen equipment list with the kitchen vendor (Hobart, Vulcan, True, etc.). We require this BEFORE pulling electrical permit.
Commercial Electrical Services · Pillar Guide
Restaurant electrical that opens on schedule.
Commercial kitchen circuits, hood interlocks, walk-in compressors, POS dedicated outlets — the electrical scope that determines whether your restaurant opens on time.
11 yrsMarin electrical work
C-10CSLB licensed contractor
1st passInspection rate
48 hrTypical estimate turnaround
Key Takeaways
- Every major piece of cooking equipment (range, oven, fryer, dishwasher) requires its own dedicated circuit sized per manufacturer nameplate.
- Hood exhaust must interlock with cooking equipment per California Mechanical Code 508.1.1 — fans run whenever cooking equipment is on.
- Walk-in refrigeration compressors typically need 3-phase 208V or 480V circuits — sizing varies by compressor manufacturer.
- POS systems need dedicated circuits with surge protection — a kitchen-circuit power surge that takes down POS at dinner service is a real bad outcome.
- Restaurant electrical inspections are typically stricter than office TIs — health department coordination is downstream of electrical signoff.
01 — OverviewWhat Restaurant Electrical Services actually covers in Marin.
Restaurant electrical is the most demanding commercial TI subcategory because the coordination overhead is enormous. A typical 4,000 sq ft full-service restaurant has 30-50 dedicated circuits — each cooking appliance, each refrigeration unit, each major kitchen tool gets its own. The circuits have to be sized to the specific equipment the operator is installing, which means we need equipment specs from the kitchen supplier BEFORE we pull permit.
The most common preventable issue on restaurant TI electrical is spec mismatch — the contractor installs circuits sized for equipment the operator changed mid-project, and the new equipment doesn't match. The fix is more expensive than getting it right the first time. We coordinate directly with the kitchen equipment vendor (Hobart, True, Vulcan, etc.) to confirm voltage, amperage, and connection requirements before any circuit work happens.
Definition
Restaurant electrical work covers the scope unique to food service properties — kitchen equipment circuits, hood interlocks, refrigeration compressors, customer-facing electrical (lighting, music, POS), and the inspection sequencing required for health department signoff and opening.
Hood interlock requirements
California Mechanical Code 508.1.1 requires hood exhaust fans to interlock with cooking equipment — meaning the fan runs automatically whenever cooking equipment is energized. Implementation typically uses a contactor or relay tied to the hood control circuit. Missing this is the most common reason for restaurant inspection failure.
Walk-in refrigeration circuits
Walk-in cooler and freezer compressors typically need 3-phase circuits — sizing varies by compressor (Bohn, Heatcraft, Kolpak are common brands). Each unit needs its own dedicated circuit; freezer compressors need slightly higher amperage than coolers. We pull manufacturer specs before sizing.
For the broader context this guide supports, see our Commercial Electrical Services overview.
Explore the Full Guide
Restaurant electrical work clusters around kitchen, hood, refrigeration, and customer-facing scope. This pillar links to specifics.
Three guides to read first
Browse the Full Library
Kitchen equipment
Customer-facing
02Restaurant electrical scope by restaurant type.
Different restaurant formats have different electrical scope. Counter service is simplest; full-service with bar and extensive kitchen is most complex.
| Restaurant type | Typical circuit count | TI electrical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee shop (no cooking) | 8 to 14 | $22,000 to $48,000 |
| Counter-service quick service | 18 to 28 | $48,000 to $95,000 |
| Fast-casual with limited cooking | 22 to 36 | $65,000 to $125,000 |
| Full-service no bar | 30 to 45 | $95,000 to $175,000 |
| Full-service with bar | 38 to 58 | $130,000 to $235,000 |
| Fine dining with extensive kitchen | 45 to 70 | $175,000 to $325,000 |
03The kitchen equipment coordination workflow.
Restaurant electrical succeeds or fails on kitchen equipment coordination. Here's the sequence that prevents the spec mismatches we've seen at competitors.
Days 31–60
Spec verification
We confirm voltage, amperage, and connection type for each piece of equipment directly with the vendor. Specs go into the permit application and the circuit design.
Days 61–90
Rough-in to spec
Circuits installed to the documented specs during rough-in phase. Photos taken of every termination for the equipment vendor's reference at install.
04Why hood interlocks are non-negotiable.
California Mechanical Code 508.1.1 requires hood exhaust to interlock with cooking equipment. This isn't a 'nice to have' — it's gating for inspection and ultimately for health department signoff.
The Problem
San Rafael restaurant client hired a non-restaurant-specialty contractor for TI electrical. Hood install completed, equipment installed, ready for inspection. Inspector finds no hood interlock — the fan runs on a separate switch from cooking equipment. Restaurant can't open.
The Solution
We get the emergency call. Implementing the interlock retroactively requires running a relay-controlled contactor from the cooking equipment circuits to the hood fan circuit. Three days of work plus re-inspection.
The Resolution
Final outcome: 1-week opening delay, ~$45,000-$80,000 in lost opening-week revenue, plus the cost of the remediation. Doing it right the first time would have added $1,800 to the original TI bid.
05Choosing a restaurant electrical contractor.
Restaurant electrical has the highest stakes-per-dollar of any commercial scope. Three things to verify.
Recent restaurant references in your service category
Restaurant electrical has subcategories — coffee shop is different from full-service with bar is different from fine dining. Ask for 2-3 recent references in your specific category within the past 18 months.
Kitchen equipment vendor familiarity
Familiarity with the specific equipment brands you're installing (Hobart, Vulcan, True, Bohn, etc.) prevents spec mismatches. Ask which vendors the contractor has coordinated with on recent jobs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does restaurant electrical TI cost in Marin?
Pricing ranges from $22,000-$48,000 for coffee shops with minimal cooking equipment up to $175,000-$325,000 for fine dining with extensive kitchens. For typical full-service Marin restaurants (3,500-5,000 sq ft with full kitchen and bar), expect $130,000-$235,000 in electrical TI scope. Variance is driven primarily by kitchen equipment count (each dedicated circuit), hood scope, walk-in refrigeration, and customer-facing electrical complexity. We provide itemized quotes after the kitchen equipment list is finalized.
How long does restaurant TI electrical take?
For a typical full-service Marin restaurant TI, electrical work runs 5-7 weeks of active install time across an 10-14 week total buildout. The phases: 1-2 weeks rough-in during framing, 1-2 weeks trim after drywall, 2 weeks of kitchen equipment installation coordination, 1 week of final inspection coordination. Coffee shops and counter-service restaurants run shorter — 3-5 weeks active install on 6-10 week buildouts.
What's the most common restaurant electrical mistake?
Missing or improperly implemented hood interlocks. California Mechanical Code 508.1.1 requires hood exhaust to interlock with cooking equipment — meaning the fan runs whenever cooking equipment is energized. Non-restaurant-specialty contractors miss this requirement regularly because residential and office work doesn't require it. The remediation costs more than getting it right the first time, and worse, it can delay opening by 1-2 weeks while the rework happens.
Do you coordinate with the kitchen equipment vendor?
Yes, directly. We require the kitchen equipment list to be finalized with the kitchen vendor BEFORE pulling electrical permit. We then confirm voltage, amperage, and connection type for each piece of equipment with the vendor directly — typically Hobart, Vulcan, True, Bohn, Heatcraft, Kolpak are the brands we coordinate with most often. The specs go into the permit application and the circuit design. By the time the vendor installs equipment, the circuits match the specs.
Can you do hood and fire suppression electrical?
Yes — hood electrical (interlock with cooking equipment per CMC 508.1.1) and fire suppression interlock (shutting down cooking equipment when the Ansul system activates) are both standard scope. The fire suppression interlock is required by code on all Type I hood installations. We coordinate with the fire suppression vendor (typically the same vendor that installed the Ansul system) to ensure the interlock wiring matches their control panel requirements.
What about restaurant POS and customer-facing electrical?
Included in scope. POS systems need dedicated circuits with surge protection (a power event that takes down POS at dinner service is a real bad outcome — we install dedicated surge-protected circuits for every POS terminal). Customer-facing electrical includes dining-area lighting (typically 2700-3000K with dimming for ambiance), music/audio system electrical, and front-of-house dedicated circuits for displays and other operator-facing electronics.
How We Reviewed This Page
- Reviewed against current California Electrical Code (Title 24, Part 3) and 2023 NFPA 70 (NEC) provisions applicable to the topic.
- Pricing ranges reflect actual 2026 Towery Electric quote data from Marin County jobs — not third-party industry averages.
- Permit and inspection timing reflects current AHJ practice in Novato, San Rafael, Mill Valley, and unincorporated Marin County as of mid-2026.
- Technical review by Alex Towery, founder and C-10 #989290 holder, with 11+ years of California electrical work.
- All factual claims about code requirements were verified against primary sources (CSLB, CARB, PG&E, AHJ) at time of publication.
References
This guide reflects Towery Electric's professional standards as a California-licensed C-10 electrical contractor and is for general information. Site conditions, panel configurations, code amendments, and permit-authority requirements vary; final scoping, sizing, and code compliance for your specific address are determined on a paid site assessment. We follow California Electrical Code (Title 24, Part 3) and applicable NFPA 70 (NEC) editions adopted by your AHJ.