Cal. SHC § 5896.14

(a) Subject to applicable rules, regulations, tariffs, or ordinances, all electric or communication facilities, including connections to the owner’s premises, located upon any lot or parcel of land within the assessment district shall be constructed, reconstructed, relocated, or converted by the owner of the lot or parcel at his or her own expense. This work may be done by the contractor, or the public utility, cable operator, public agency, or city performing the conversion work, and the cost thereof included in the assessment to be levied upon the lot or parcel, provided that the owner shall execute a written request therefor and file it with the clerk. Any such request shall expressly authorize the contractor, public utility, cable operator, public agency, or city, and the respective officers, agents, and employees of each, to enter upon the lot or parcel for that purpose and shall waive any right of protest or objection in respect of the doing of that work and the inclusion of the cost thereof in the assessment.

(b) The provisions of this chapter shall not be deemed to diminish any right of an owner of a lot or parcel of land to contract any portion of work on his or her premises.