Where Do Utility Stub-Outs Go? A Guide for Developers and Architects

Utility stub-outs must terminate at or near the property line in a location that is safe, accessible, and in compliance with local utility company standards and Title 24 requirements. The exact placement depends on three things: the specific utility (water, sewer, electric, gas, telecommunications), your local jurisdiction’s standards (Oakland, Berkeley, Dublin each have their own rules), and whether the project triggers Subdivision Map Act compliance under Government Code §66426. If you’re subdividing or creating new parcels, you’ll need to dedicate utility easements and locate stubs where the utility provider can actually connect them—typically at or just beyond the property line in a publicly accessible right-of-way or easement, not in the middle of your driveway.

The stub-out location is not an afterthought. It drives grading, drainage, landscape design, and access. Get it wrong and you’ll face field changes, cost overruns, and utility company rejections. We see this every month: a developer designs the site plan without checking sewer connection standards, then discovers PG&E won’t accept the gas stub location, or East Bay MUD requires the water meter in a different spot than the civil drawings show. This guide walks you through where stubs actually go, why, and what codes control the decision.

What Do the Codes Actually Say About Stub-Out Location?

California’s Subdivision Map Act (Government Code §66426) and local improvement standards (usually adopted via Tentative Map conditions or Improvement Standards ordinances) mandate that utilities be stubbed to the property line or right-of-way boundary. But the specific location is negotiated between your engineer and the utility company’s standards.

For water service, Title 24 Part 5 (California Building Standards Code, Section 422) requires the meter to be in an accessible, weather-protected, easily readable location—typically at or near the street frontage. East Bay MUD, for example, requires the water meter vault to be within 3 feet of the curb and accessible for replacement without trespassing on private property. The stub itself terminates at the property line in the public right-of-way or an easement.

For sewer (sanitary and storm), Title 24 and the California Plumbing Code (Title 24 Part 4) govern the invert elevation and slope, but local sanitary district standards (Dublin Sanitary District, Livermore Valley Joint Powers Authority, EBMUD, etc.) define where the clean-out or connection point can be located. Typically, the sewer lateral stub must be accessible from the property—often in a public easement near the front property line—with grade sufficient to allow gravity flow from the building to the public main.

For electric and gas, PG&E’s Rule 20 (Electric) and Rule 21 (Distributed Generation) set stub-out standards. Gas meter locations must be externally vented, not in enclosed spaces, and typically on the street-side of the building. The gas regulator and meter are often located near the property line, with the stub terminating where PG&E can tap the main.

For telecommunications, the utility provider (Comcast, Zito Media, AT&T, etc.) dictates stub location. Most require stubs at or very near the property line in an accessible, conduit-protected location.

When Are Utility Stub-Outs Required—and When Are They Exempt?

Stub-outs are required whenever you are creating new parcels or subdividing land under the Subdivision Map Act. This includes:

• Tentative Maps (TM) — any division into 2 or more parcels
• Parcel Maps (PM) — divisions of 4 or fewer parcels in unincorporated areas or per local code
• Lot splits and lot line adjustments that change utility service boundaries
• New construction on a single parcel that requires new utility connections

Exemptions are rare. A single-family home addition on an existing parcel typically does not require new stubs if it connects to existing utilities on the same parcel. However, if the addition is in a different drainage basin, sewer district, or water service area, a new stub may be triggered. Always confirm with your local planning department and the applicable utility company.

How Do Local Codes Interact with Utility Company Standards?

Your local jurisdiction (Oakland, Dublin, Berkeley, Livermore, etc.) adopts Improvement Standards that reference both Title 24 and the utility provider’s standards. For example, the City of Oakland’s Subdivision Improvement Standards require that utility stubs “comply with the standards of the respective utility company and shall be located in a manner that does not interfere with public improvements or emergency access.”

This creates a hierarchy: Title 24 sets the floor; local code is more restrictive; the utility company’s standards are binding and often override both. In practice, your engineer must:

1. Check Title 24 Part 5 (general building and utility requirements)
2. Review the local jurisdiction’s Improvement Standards or Tentative Map conditions
3. Contact the utility company early (water provider, sanitary district, gas, electric, telecom) and request their specific design standards
4. Design the site plan to accommodate all three layers

Real Example: A 10-Unit Multifamily Project in Oakland

You’re designing a 10-unit condo on a 0.5-acre infill site in Oakland, with frontage on both an east-west street and a north-south alley. Here’s where the stubs go:

• Water: New meter vault on the east-west street frontage within 3 feet of the curb, per EBMUD. Stub terminates in the public right-of-way.
• Sanitary sewer: New lateral connecting to the public main in the east-west street. Clean-out and stub must be accessible—typically installed in a public easement or the ROW near the property line.
• Storm drain: Stubs in the alley (if the alley is designated for drainage) or in the street right-of-way, sloped to drain toward the public system. Title 24 Part 5 and Oakland’s SAMP (Stormwater Addendum to the Master Specification) require on-site detention/infiltration before discharge, so the stub serves the on-site system’s overflow point.
• Gas: PG&E regulator and meter on the street-facing elevation of the building or a utility enclosure visible from the street, not in the alley. Gas stub in the street ROW or PG&E easement.
• Electric: PG&E primary service and transformer location determined by PG&E based on service demand. The service entrance and meter are typically on the building; the stub and transformer pad may be in the street or on-site, depending on PG&E’s analysis.
• Telecom: Conduit stub in both the street and alley (for redundancy). Location per the telecom provider’s design.

The Tentative Map conditions will require that all utility easements be dedicated, and your engineer will show the stub locations on the improvement plans for city and utility review before construction.

How We Can Help

Stub-out location is one of those details that looks simple until you’re 30% through construction documents and discover PG&E won’t accept your meter placement, or the sewer invert is 4 feet too high. We work with developers and architects across the Bay Area—OUSD projects, multifamily, office, and mixed-use—to get utility coordination right the first time. Reco Prianto, PE, QSD/QSP, has 15+ years of grading, drainage, and infrastructure design. Reach out early in your design phase and we’ll coordinate with your utility providers and local jurisdiction to lock in stub locations that work.