Siding - moving electric meter
#1
Siding - moving electric meter
Not sure if this question belongs here, but --
I'm in the process of having vinyl siding installed on my house. My contractor has just informed me that he can't move my electric meter, attached to the outside of my house, so he recommends not siding the one panel (leaving it as the existing T-111). He told me that he didn't take the meter into consideration originally.
This sounds like a load of ---. I've never heard of a house that didn't have a meter box on its outside, and I'm certain it's something all siding contractors have to take into consideration when undertaking a job. I think he just doesn't want to be bothered paying an electrician to come out and move the thing.
I have a feeling that if I confront him on this, he may say something like "well, it is possible to move the box, but it will cost you X dollars over the estimate...", when I feel that this is something totally routine and should be built into the cost of the job.
Any advice on this one?
I'm in the process of having vinyl siding installed on my house. My contractor has just informed me that he can't move my electric meter, attached to the outside of my house, so he recommends not siding the one panel (leaving it as the existing T-111). He told me that he didn't take the meter into consideration originally.
This sounds like a load of ---. I've never heard of a house that didn't have a meter box on its outside, and I'm certain it's something all siding contractors have to take into consideration when undertaking a job. I think he just doesn't want to be bothered paying an electrician to come out and move the thing.
I have a feeling that if I confront him on this, he may say something like "well, it is possible to move the box, but it will cost you X dollars over the estimate...", when I feel that this is something totally routine and should be built into the cost of the job.
Any advice on this one?
#2
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It seems to me that if the estimate is for siding the house, it should cover siding the house. If the meter has to be moved in order to accomplish this, then it needs to be moved at the contractor's expense. The estimate should cover anything of this nature that is excluded or needs to be done otherwise.
#4
Gary7, that is a poor detail that will look that much worse if the electric company ever replaces the meter. The correct way is to temporarily relocate the meter onto a pole and restore it and all other line connections (phone, cable, etc.) aftehr the siding is complete. That should have been in the estimate. The contractor blew it on the utility coordination and I would check the permit too.
#5
Dev1, Jeff is absolutely correct. The siding contractor is liable for the proper installation. However, the meter base should also be mounted to a 3/4" piece of material larger than the base itself. So whether the power company decides to change the base at some point or not, the appropriate application should still apply here. I know what the proper application is, I just don't know if the meter base was installed correctly to begin with, and that is the real issue with regard to whether or not the job would cost x number of dollars more than bid.
Sounds to me like the meter base was not installed correctly or there would not be an issue.
Bottomline here: Keep a close eye on the siding contractor. Anyone that suggests you leave some of the original siding is obviously learning his trade at your expense.
Sounds to me like the meter base was not installed correctly or there would not be an issue.
Bottomline here: Keep a close eye on the siding contractor. Anyone that suggests you leave some of the original siding is obviously learning his trade at your expense.
#6
Weeeell.....here's what I do.
I never figure have the meter base "brought out"......you're looking at some fair expense to do that. You've basically got to have the power cut off, an electrician right there to install slightly longer service wire and a nipple between the meter base and the panel, and then get the job inspected ( that alone may take a couple days of waiting ) and then get the power company back...WOW....major hassle and you without juice for a few days....and in this part of the country, the homeowner is responsible for everything from the weatherhead down....the power company will NEVER replace a meter base here.
Relocating a meter to a pole and running a temp service for a whole house will cost even more.....never seen that done here.....
It would be GREAT if meter bases were mounted on a pc of 3/4 plywood out from the existing siding, but it's almost never done. They ARE generally mounted right on the siding just like yours is....
But IF you'll look at your meter, you'll find the conduit coming in the top and going out the bottom to your panel ( if it does that ) actually sits out from the wall the way it mounts to the meterbase. So all that is required is J channel around the base itself, and the service riser conduit can be taken loose from the straps that hold it and siding run behind it and then the straps redone. If you have conduit coming out the bottom, you can generally slide the siding behind it and just cut a halfround cut from each side if the conduit turns a 90 into the siding.
Another option since you have a fairly flat siding like T1-11 now is to slide a pc of matching color trim coil behind the riser and make a flashing down to the meter base, the use J channel on the side of the coil stock about 2-3" out from the riser, with the coil showing.....IF you can't get siding behind it.
I never figure have the meter base "brought out"......you're looking at some fair expense to do that. You've basically got to have the power cut off, an electrician right there to install slightly longer service wire and a nipple between the meter base and the panel, and then get the job inspected ( that alone may take a couple days of waiting ) and then get the power company back...WOW....major hassle and you without juice for a few days....and in this part of the country, the homeowner is responsible for everything from the weatherhead down....the power company will NEVER replace a meter base here.
Relocating a meter to a pole and running a temp service for a whole house will cost even more.....never seen that done here.....
It would be GREAT if meter bases were mounted on a pc of 3/4 plywood out from the existing siding, but it's almost never done. They ARE generally mounted right on the siding just like yours is....
But IF you'll look at your meter, you'll find the conduit coming in the top and going out the bottom to your panel ( if it does that ) actually sits out from the wall the way it mounts to the meterbase. So all that is required is J channel around the base itself, and the service riser conduit can be taken loose from the straps that hold it and siding run behind it and then the straps redone. If you have conduit coming out the bottom, you can generally slide the siding behind it and just cut a halfround cut from each side if the conduit turns a 90 into the siding.
Another option since you have a fairly flat siding like T1-11 now is to slide a pc of matching color trim coil behind the riser and make a flashing down to the meter base, the use J channel on the side of the coil stock about 2-3" out from the riser, with the coil showing.....IF you can't get siding behind it.