New Electrical post and meter?

[Scott K]

I am getting electricity finally at my cabin. And I need to install a post and meter, and service box For them to hook into.

First question, is this something I can do? I am mechanically inclined.

The utility company gave me a guide line sheet, but I dont know where to buy this stuff from. The utility co. said they sell a kit for $650, but said you might be able to find it cheeper. Where would I look to buy this stuff? Is the $650 a good price? They said that they dont install them, that I would have to have some one else do it, can I be that someone else, or do I have to be an electician? Are there tips that I would need to know?

Thanks!

[iffy]

You can buy the materials from Menards, Fleet Farm, or home Depot for less than a utility company will sell them. Yes you can install everything yourself. Just be aware that you will need to have it inspected before the utility company will turn the power on. So study up on the applicable codes. Its not that hard to do.

[JohnMickish]

You can do it IF you are the homeowner. Not if you are a renter, brother in law, grandson or anything but the homeowner. You will need to get a permit BEFORE any work starts and it will more than likely get inspected a total of three times. Once for the service (what you are doing now), once for the rough-in inspection and once for the final.

What parts are you getting for that $650? Are you getting underground or overhead service? If it's just a meter can you are getting you are getting hosed but if it's a post, meter can, panelboard, wire and mast then you are getting a fair deal.

It's a pretty easy job to do but it's not something you can start your research on Friday night and think you can get it done by noon on Saturday.

Do it right because if you don't you won't pass your inspection. One thing to keep in mind it's not the inspectors job to tell you how to do it, only to tell you you did it right or wrong.

[Scott K]

Thanks iffy, and mnfishingguy,

I believe they said everything needed is in the kit?

If I went to menards to buy this stuff would anyone there know what I would all need, or will I need a list of things and find them myself? Or does menards have kits for it?

[Valv]

I though lines up to the meter was power company responsibility, beyond that it's landowner's, I just had my house redone last year and they paid for everything up to meter.

[slotlimit]

I'm not sure what it is where you live Valv. But out in the country in meeker county i believed they paid for the first 250'

[Valv]

It could be my line is primary residential, not second/vacation home.

I am in Rice County we have Steel Waseca Power.

[Scott K]

I wish that was the case with me. The closest place with electricity is 1 mile up the road, there is 7 of us wanting to get electricity down this road. The utility company for this area isnt a co-op so if we want electricity we need to pay for it to come down the road, pay for the posts and meters, and up our driveways to our cabins. To run the power from the closest house to us is $40,000. Then its $550 to dig under the roads per outlet on the oppisite side of the road. I was told $650 fot the post-meter box, then my driveway is 350ft so the utility company pays the first 90ft then its $10 a ft after that, so if you add all that up it comes to alot. But I guess having power I heard is nice, so I am ready to try it now!

[iffy]

4wanderingeyes: Yikes, that comes to a heck of a bill. The farthest I've had to go was about 700 feet at a cost of 3500 plowed in. To answer your questions though, No Menards nor any store carries kits. There's too many variables involved. You need to know what size of service you are going to need, now and in the forseeable future, how far between meter and service entrance, overhead or underground, brand desired, grade of equipment, etc etc. Get the point? You need to know what you need. I have done the same job you are doing both in Becker and Hubbard counties. I also completeley wired my home. The electric coops neither one paid for any lines before the meter. They did however plow them in. I beleive it was around 3.50 a foot. The meter box and everything after that is your own responsibility. If you don't know much about electricical code or wiring, I'd just have an electrician do it. It's easy to make small mistakes that will cause the whole job to not meet code. Inspectors can tend to be fussy. Its about safety. I have worked around electricians enough to be comfortable with what I was doing, and didnt have any problems with the inspections, but the inspector did point out a couple things that needed to be changed, or could have been done better. They really do try to be helpful and fair. If you aren't an electrician its just about impossible to keep up on all the codes. But if you are wiring, its your responsibility to know those that apply to your job. Hope that makes sense to you. Good luck.

[Scott K]

Thanks iffy,

I priced out everything individually for the meter box, it came to about $250, wire 4ot, 4ot, 2ot, $2.17 per foot, so I m going to try to run it myself from the road to the box, and install the box, one of the other land owners I talked to last night said he installed his own and it was inspected with now problems so he is going to help me with mine. Menards was the cheepest I found for the wire, is there a better option to go to then that, or is that about the best price I will find for the wire?

[iffy]

I've found that all the big boxes tend to run about the same prices for electrical supplies. Thats probably as good a price as you will find. And thats great that you have a helpful neighbor with experience. Just don't advertise the help when the inspector comes around. Its not legal for anyone but the homeowner or a liscensed contractor to be doing electrical work on any residence. Now go and git er done.

[JohnMickish]

When going under a road, driveway or parkinglot you must be at least 24" deep. Dosen't matter if it's direct bury tri-plex or in conduit.

Don't forget to run your warning ribbon at least 12" below grade unless you plan on concrete encasing your conductors.

[waterwolff]

250.00 for every thing are you sure?. This service is being mounted remote from the cabin right?. Sounds way low to me. Are you sure you priced out a 200 amp rain tight disconnect or panel board, I am assuming it is a 200 amp service being you are going to bury a 4/0 UD. Sch 80 PVC out of the ground, connectors, bushings, glue, 2 ground rods, acorns, # 4 bare copper, Conduit clamps, No-Lux or some type of anti oxidant,

[Scott K]

I guess what I priced was the posts to mount it to, the meter box, and the 200 amp service, I didnt price all of it, but I cant imagine the rest to be $400.

[Scott K]

Warning ribbon 12 " below grade? what do you mean?

Sorry rookie question!

[stmichael]

I may be wrong in assuming this, but, would this be a ribbon meant to run above the wire/conduit to inform people that they are close to hitting underground wires? So, if you have 24" trench you would have 12" of soil over the conduit run the ribbon and then add the remaining soil? Thus the 12" below grade. I am not an electrician by any means, I apologize for jumping in here.

[Scott K]

Is this a ribbon you lay over the entire length of the trench?

[JohnMickish]

Yes, when you run conduit under a driveway or anything else that supports vehicle traffic you must be AT LEAST 24"

and the warning ribbon MUST BE AT LEAST 12 inches under grade. We usually try to put 6-8" of fill then the ribbon then fill. Don't forget to tamp with 4" lifts or you will have a bad setteling problem.

Yes, this ribbon is there so if there is another guy trenching he will hit the ribbon first and warn him that there is other stuff in the ground if he didn't call gopher one call. The ribbon is available at any big box home improvement store.

[Scott K]

Thanks this helped to clairify it abit for me. The more Im digging into this its all starting to make sense.