I am in the early stages of building a new garage, have yet to get the foundation trenched. I am running a separate service to the garage as it is cost-prohibitive to upgrade my older home to bring it up to code in addition to upgrading the service (currently only 80 amps). Do i wait until the foundation is poured before i trench in my electrical service?
New Garage build - when to run electrical service?
- Thread starter a3tripod
- Start date
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
U say its cost prohobitive to upgrade the existing service but your PoCo may charge fixed monthly service fees even if u dont use 1KW. That can add up over the years.
I would trench in the electrical service now.
Will u have a surface mount main service panel on the outside or just a meter?
I would trench in the electrical service now.
Will u have a surface mount main service panel on the outside or just a meter?
Notgrownup
Well-known member
My power co, told me it would be cheaper to do a sub panel because if I got a separate service I would have to pay for 2 meters therefore increasing my rate. I said thank you , drive thru. 100 amp sub it was...I would only trench it now if you are running it in the concrete , other than that it's just a trench, you can do it anytime after.
Call the power co, ask what they can do for you...
Call the power co, ask what they can do for you...
matt_i
Well-known member
As above, around here you are hit with a $20-25/mo "meter charge" which isn't itemized as such but its in-there.
I'd either run the house as a sub off the garage or vice versa.
In my experience you don't want the trench open longer than necessary as a heavy rain can collapse it (depending on soil) leading to frustrating hand digging. That said I think it would be better to have the foundation poured as a "hard point" so you know where to put the sweeps in the pipe asm (assuming u will use conduit & wires)
I'd either run the house as a sub off the garage or vice versa.
In my experience you don't want the trench open longer than necessary as a heavy rain can collapse it (depending on soil) leading to frustrating hand digging. That said I think it would be better to have the foundation poured as a "hard point" so you know where to put the sweeps in the pipe asm (assuming u will use conduit & wires)
Falcon67
Well-known member
Min meter charge here is $35/mth. Also - and I believe it's changed now - used to be the tarriff allowed for a 2nd meter to be dinged at commercial rates. My cost of materials to run a sub panel was right around $300, so that's under 10 months pay back vs a drop right to the shop. I would check, but bet the drop to your house is more than 80A - see if the poco will allow for a 100A box to be set next to the meter and double tap off the meter. Run your feed from that box, not the house.
And yes, I'd at least have your conduit stubbed before the pour.
Right side of picture
Aceman
Well-known member
Depending on the size and building type, sometimes it's beneficial to get pvc laid under the slab rather than running everything through the walls.
Junkman
Well-known member
I did mine after the garage foundation was in place, and the building completed. Trenched from the pole to the building, and installed 3" conduit up the pole with a weather-head, and a slip joint at the other end. I had to supply and install the meter socket, and put a 200 amp disconnect on the backside of the meter socket, so I didn't have to be concerned with hooking up the panel immediately. I used a deep trench, because I had an excavator on sight, and figured that it was better to put it lower, so if it were to ever get water in it, that the water wouldn't freeze. So far, the best that I can tell, the conduit is still dry. The meter is under a long overhang, and the wires all have a drip loop before they enter the weather-head.