How much for electrician to replace my service?

[reader2580]

How much does it generally cost to have an electrician replace a 200 amp service with a new meter main to meet the NEC 2020 requirement for an exterior emergency disconnect? I know each situation is unique, but I am guessing at least $3,000 for an electrical contractor to do the work.

I really, really want to do the work myself, but I am running into all kinds of roadblocks trying to figure out what is legal under the 2020 NEC, or even the 2017 NEC. An electrical contractor should know what is legal.

My understanding is the 2014 NEC included language that stated for solar that the 120% rule for bus bar capacity in the panelboard only applies to the panelboard that the solar first connects to. Some AHJ require the main panelboard to also meet the 120% rule. I asked the local inspector what he requires and he wanted to know what section of the NEC I was looking at. I have read large portions of the NEC and a lot of it might as well be in Chinese for what I can understand of it.

 

[nadogail]

So many answers will depend on your local authority having jurisdiction, not all communities are using the same versions of the electrical code.

IMHO, taking a box of doughnuts to the Building Inspection Department might save you big bucks.

Electrical Contractors sell work; the more they sell, the better they eat.

Building Inspectors don't sell anything, their job is to keep you and your neighbors safe.

My advice is Guaranteed to be worth exactly what I am charging you for it.

 

[Norcal]

Has Minnesota adopted the 2020? To my knowledge only Massachusetts has thus far, read that Washington is going to adopt it in August. The outside disco is new in the 2020 NEC.

 

[Stuart in MN]

If you're looking for an order of magnitude guesstimate, $3k is a reasonable place to start.

Minnesota uses the 2017 NEC for now. They are reviewing the 2020 NEC and may adopt it in August, but that is still pending. https://www.dli.mn.gov/business/electrical-contractors/electrical-codes-and-standards

I don't have any experience with solar installations, so I can't comment on what is required other than referring to Article 690 of the NEC for information on photovoltaic system requirements.

 

[reader2580]

I want to get ahead of the 2020 NEC. I don't want to replace my meter base now and then find out that making changes due to building a new garage triggers upgrading the service to the 2020 requirements.

Minnesota had planned on adopting the 2020 NEC on July 1, 2020, but they cancelled a required hearing back in March due to COVID. My guess is it will be Oct 1st.

 

[Bert_]

What are you doing that requires replacing the meter socket?

 

[reader2580]

What are you doing that requires replacing the meter socket?

I have a load side tap for my solar service. I am increasing the size of the load size tap.

The current tap is in a junction box below the meter base that is packed full and probably exceeds NEC guidelines for fill. The electrician friend of mine who did the work on the tap said if I went to a larger wire size it wouldn't fit. (My friend moved away so can no longer help.)

A meter base that I can add a second set of terminals to the load size connections seems to be the easiest way to deal with this. The current meter base has a different style of terminal that Milbank doesn't have an extra lug for.

 

[sberry]

I like a simple 200 8 space and feed thru. Can save a lot of wire, spaces in other panels.

 

[driftpin]

Usually, once your permit is issued, as-long as you meet the schedule of inspections, the permit stays valid, under the year of the NEC adopted by the AHJ at the time the permit was issued.

Miss one of the deadlines, which should be in your local code of ordinances, ( you can usually find a link to your building, zoning, life safety and land development codes at the building dept. website) and you could find yourself being forced to have the work approved under the currently-adopted NEC edition. The permit expires because of a lack of passing required consecutive inspections, within the stipulated timeframe, or abandonment of the job by the person to-whom the permit is issued. In some circumstances, a letter to the chief building official may allow you time to complete the work outside of the required inspection pass schedule, such-as having the job abandoned by a contractor, and presentation of adequate documentation by the RPO (registered property owner) such-as a letter to the contractor of record requesting completion of contracted work, prior to the expiration of the issued permit, a copy of the contract and your payments, or notification to the contractor of record he/she is being discharged because of a failure to perform according to the contract.

It is the decision of the chief building official to allow additional time, or to not-allow additional time to close the permit under the scope of work for-which the permit was issued. Hopefully, the contractor in-question who has abandoned the job isn't related to the chief building official!

I had replaced everything from the weatherhead to and including the Square D 200 amp main branch circuit panel, including the main disconnect and meter can, a sub-panel outside which went to a detached 1-car garage, an entirely new service for the 1-car garage, which was a made ground, outside disconnect, 100 amp main branch circuit panel, three 20 or 30 amp 240 v single outlets; eight duplex 120 v outlets, ceiling duplex outlet for lighting; two exterior LED floodlights for the exterior passage door and a roll-up overhead door. and an exterior rain-tite 120 v duplex outlet. The service from the new SFR exterior panel to the detached garage was a below-grade service, trenched by the contractor's laborer, in PVC, and a separate data PVC conduit for data cable, to be installed at a later date. All of that was $5,500. The local power co. did the main disconnect and re-connect to the installed weatherhead, at no-cost. My wife was an E.E. employed by the power co. at the time of the changeout, of 41 years duration. The house was not lived-in during the change-out, it was never left without power overnight, and the work for the garage took the longest. I think the entire thing took 6 part-time days, some days were longer than others. I was happy with the scope of work performed, I had gone to an acquaintance in a local building dept. to ask for the name of a reputable contractor. I got a good recommendation, and have recommended him to others. I asked that they mention my address when they have work done by him. You never-know when you may need more work!

 

[wyliesdiesels]

What are you doing that requires replacing the meter socket?

here is his other thread

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=457817

 

[reader2580]

I suspect it might be a bit difficult to get an electrical permit in advance for a building that I don't even have a building permit for yet. I've never checked to see if the NEC code cycle at the time of permit issuance or at time of inspection takes precedence.

 

[mcbane]

So many answers will depend on your local authority...

Building Inspectors don't sell anything, ...

Only works that way in honest cities and counties. In corrupt places, you need to pay a "permit expediter" to launder your bribe money. Otherwise the inspector will find fault no matter what you install.

 

[egdede]

So many answers will depend on your local authority having jurisdiction, not all communities are using the same versions of the electrical code.

...

My advice is Guaranteed to be worth exactly what I am charging you for it.

Might be free, seems good to me. for example; I live in a small suburb bordering Los Angeles. My Jx has a local code requirement to use some weird kind of old-school rubber-wrapped service wires. Every electrician says $500 extra bucks please...Local supply houses stock it.

 

[reader2580]

Anybody have any guesstimates on much an electrician might charge for this?

Minnesota is on NEC 2017 at present. I am not aware of any local changes to the code.

 

[mikepelchy]

I paid $400 to have my meter base replaced on a short notice type call. I had called the PC to have them check my lines as one of my lines was only at 114v and when they remove the meter the socket fell apart, everything for the one line had melted inside the meter base. The electrician came over that afternoon and had it replaced with help from the PC by like 4.