New Power line costs

[firemen122]

I have a 80 acre parcel that has no power. The nearest power pole is appr 3000 ft from where the house is to sit. After speaking with power co. they only run 1200 ft free of charge, the next 1800 is my dime at 4-5.00$ per foot. So 7-9000.00 out of pocket. Is it any cheaper if I were to run underground and I buy and lay the pipe and power co. pulls thru it? Just fishing for suggestions hear. No cant move the home closer. Thanks

 

[kennyd]

Different power company's have different rules-you will have to ask then if you can provide conduit for them...

One of two local company's around me REQUIRE the customer to install 3" PVC gray conduit from the pole or transformer to the meter base...while the other (mine) has the same deal yours does...1,200' for free (buried or aerial) and the rest on your dime

 

[jdmar]

Seems different everywhere. I am putting service to a barn about 650 feet underground after about 150 feet to one new pole (electric Co designed). I will have a transformer near the barn. I think the quote is about $1800 (papers at home now and I am not.) This price does not include my trenching the 650 feet and digging a smooth spot and 8 inches of sand/gravel for the transformer. No free footage at all here. I guess total cost is about $4 per foot. They said the price would be higher for above ground/poles the whole way. I do not need conduit the whole length...this saves some cost. They put their cable up to the transformer. Call them and ask how you can save money. They usually do want your sevice and should try to help. Good luck.

Peter

 

[farmerjim]

in my area they give you a certain footage of wire free then the rest is up to you. as said previously if you go ug, i believe they will require min 3in pvc conduit. i would also add from experience that if you go ug please blow in a line or run it as you go, preferrably that yellow nylon "peanut" rope or other strong form of pull string, esp w/ the length of run you have. if you go the aerial route do they charge for the poles? if so you looking at about a 15 pole run if they are at a 200ft spacing, less if they go up span footage. also b4 you go about putting in the electric, i would also think about communication service wether from a telco or catv. for a ug run its going to get expensive fast w/ the amount of conduit you'll need for both communication and power. at least w/ the aerial run they can share poles, that said the pole will be def around 15 poles as telco and catv really can't run spans as far as power as their lines are a bit heavier. good luck,jim

 

[Soundguy]

I have a 80 acre parcel that has no power. The nearest power pole is appr 3000 ft from where the house is to sit. After speaking with power co. they only run 1200 ft free of charge, the next 1800 is my dime at 4-5.00$ per foot. So 7-9000.00 out of pocket. Is it any cheaper if I were to run underground and I buy and lay the pipe and power co. pulls thru it? Just fishing for suggestions hear. No cant move the home closer. Thanks

Check to see if you can lay cable down your own property line.. IE.. you hire a trencher and then trench it, then get n electrician/contractor to lay the line.. then let the power co. drop a pole and hookup at the corner of your property. You are lucky your power co runs any feet free.. mine only runs free from their pole to your meter... I am in the process of having 543' of line run from the road in front of my house to the well on my farm... costing me about 5k$...

soundguy

 

[firemen122]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Should be no catv as it will be satellite. I am going to call and check on underground. Soundguy why so costly for 540 feet? I would prefer undergroung myself, but like everything else the cost usually predicts how we can do things. Any ideas on where to price the conduit?

 

[Soundguy]

They are having to drop 3 poles.. one on the corner of my property.. that lets them get power from across the road to my property.. then another pole 400' down my line ( my PC only spans 400' per pole... ).. then the last pole just 100' from the previous one.. then from there.. it's 'free' to hang down to my 60a pole with meter box by my ag well.

all that $$ and not even any vasolene...

soundguy

 

[firemen122]

Soundguy They told me beteween 4-5.00 ft for overhead that included poles and labor. 7-8.00 if the have to clear trees which they do not. Sounds like your co. is breaking it off in you. I get 1200 ft free for residence and 200 ft for ag well needless to say the well and power plans got put on hold until we move out there. What co. are you with? I deal with suwannee valley electric all good folks around there.

 

[catvet]

Here in Vermont zero feet free. Burying it underground must be at least 3 ft deep and 3" conduit. The usual figure I hear is around $10/foot.

 

[ampsucker]

when you figure the cost of copper these days, $4-5/foot installed isn't such a bad deal. i mean regular ol' 12-3 romex is close to a dollar a foot just for the cable, no labor, poles or auger equipment included. and the stuff they are running is at least good for 200 amp service so probably 2 gauge or larger.

amp

 

[rutwad]

I have a 80 acre parcel that has no power. The nearest power pole is appr 3000 ft from where the house is to sit. After speaking with power co. they only run 1200 ft free of charge, the next 1800 is my dime at 4-5.00$ per foot. So 7-9000.00 out of pocket. Is it any cheaper if I were to run underground and I buy and lay the pipe and power co. pulls thru it? Just fishing for suggestions hear. No cant move the home closer. Thanks

Here, underground is more expensive. No exact figures, but I remember it being alot more.

Where will the transformer be, at the pole that is up now?

What if you were to place your house at 1200'. Then change your mind to the 3000' after the wire was run. That is only if you don't have wire stretchers of course.

 

[RadarTech]

wow...
1800 feet?
where I live we get 300 feet..
I squeezed in at 294 feet..
And I think the team fudged that..
Duke Power--
They had to bump the transformer and they trenched it all..
There was an elevation change from the pole to the house of about 80 feet..

I would hate to see what I would be charged in some of the areas you folks live in!

Later,
Jim

 

[saltman]

It's been a while but about two years ago I looked at getting power run about 3,000 feet here in California. San Diego Gas and electric wouldn't even look at it or give me a price, they simply quoted me about 1,000 to hook up from the street to my house?? I had no street or a house at that point. Private electrical companies quoted me 17 dollars plus a foot. Needless to say I decided to go solar and porpane when I do build out there.

At 4-5 a foot it would be cheaper than solar so I would be all over that.

The more I hear about costs in other states the more I think about just getting the **** out of this over taxed over regulated state. Some of the worst schools, worst air, worst roads, worst crime.. so all we have to offer is sunny days and foreign language?? Can't think of too many reasons to stay here other than my job and daughter. Oh back to reality!

 

[TedLaRue]

Underground ????????!!!!!!

You'll have a high-voltage line from the power company's lines to a transformer that reduces the voltage to three conductors which supply you with the 120VAC and 240VAC that you need.

But for the 1800' distance you're dealing with, you'll need high-voltage lines.

You can't economically run 120/240VAC lines that distance to supply a house. Low voltage lines lose power (they get hot!) when you draw a lot of current through them over a long distance, and that loss of power also reduces the voltage available to appliances plugged in, which can cause motors to overheat, etc.

I think you're stuck with having high-voltage lines strung across poles to a place closer to your house where they'll put a transformer. Maybe then you can run the 120VAC/240VAC lines underground into your house if you want.

I don't think underground is really a reasonable choice for you.

 

[rutwad]

Underground ????????!!!!!!

You'll have a high-voltage line from the power company's lines to a transformer that reduces the voltage to three conductors which supply you with the 120VAC and 240VAC that you need.

But for the 1800' distance you're dealing with, you'll need high-voltage lines.

You can't economically run 120/240VAC lines that distance to supply a house. Low voltage lines lose power (they get hot!) when you draw a lot of current through them over a long distance, and that loss of power also reduces the voltage available to appliances plugged in, which can cause motors to overheat, etc.

I think you're stuck with having high-voltage lines strung across poles to a place closer to your house where they'll put a transformer. Maybe then you can run the 120VAC/240VAC lines underground into your house if you want.

I don't think underground is really a reasonable choice for you.

You're right. For the power to my house (maybe 600' or so), the power company ran overhead across 2 new poles to the new transformer. I trenched from here to my meter 3' deep and ran the conduit.

My father got a price of $700 for underground service to his shop. It was approx. 200' and he was going to trench it and lay the conduit. Underground is expensive, but it has it's advantages.

 

[geobar]

I am working on a similar project except I am going 300' to a new pole and then 100' underground. Only the first 500' is free with my electric company and although 3 inch pipe is all that is required, they very strongly suggest 4 inch because of the bigger wire size required for the long run and the 300 amp service that I need. Just think about possible future requirements. I will be backhoeing the required 39 inch deep trench with a 12 inch wide bucket. The phone line must be 24 inches away minimum, but it is ok to put it above the electric in the trench. The phone company will leave a reel for me on site. They said that their wire can go directly in the trench, but it would be better to put it in 3/4 or 1 inch black poly pipe. I will be going 4 inch for the electric and 3/4 for the phone.

 

[flusher]

I have a 80 acre parcel that has no power. The nearest power pole is appr 3000 ft from where the house is to sit. After speaking with power co. they only run 1200 ft free of charge, the next 1800 is my dime at 4-5.00$ per foot. So 7-9000.00 out of pocket. Is it any cheaper if I were to run underground and I buy and lay the pipe and power co. pulls thru it? Just fishing for suggestions hear. No cant move the home closer. Thanks

Where is the existing power pole with respect to your property line? Is there a transformer on the pole? If so, does that transformer have enough extra capacity for your needs (which I assume is 230V/200 amp service)?

I was lucky. When I had power installed at my new place in 2005, the nearest pole and transformer was across the road from my fence and had enough capacity for my needs. I paid about $600 to have a pole with meter/disconnect box installed on my property about 125 feet from the existing pole. The power company ran the overhead line to my pole. Total cost to me was about $150 for that work. I had to trench about 330 feet and have my electrical contractor install the 230V/200 amp service from my pole to the outdoor load center near the house. That cost me about $6000, including about 175 feet of 100 amp service to the shop.

 

[Sully2]

Where I live the OWNER supplys the trench ( typically 3 ft deep and normally 3 ft WIDE) and the electric company lays the cable..regardless of length...no conduit required!

A friend just had 1300 feet dug and electric laid in it and phone cable laid on the opposite side of the trench because if there is problems..the ehelctric company or private contractor will dig up the electric and tear the phone cable if its laid ABOVE the electric.

My own run is close to 300 feet to the transformer thans "about" 40 feet from the house. Wire from the transformer to the house is "my cost" not the electric companys

 

[Soundguy]

Soundguy They told me beteween 4-5.00 ft for overhead that included poles and labor. 7-8.00 if the have to clear trees which they do not. Sounds like your co. is breaking it off in you. I get 1200 ft free for residence and 200 ft for ag well needless to say the well and power plans got put on hold until we move out there. What co. are you with? I deal with suwannee valley electric all good folks around there.

I'm with sumter electric ( seco ) for my ag property... They've always been uh.. can't say that word here.. anyway.. i used to have them for house power... As soon as a cloud went somewhere over florida.. seco power goes out. I actually moved to a place that did not have seco.. on purpose... If I was building a house out there they would ahve dropepd that charge to 3000$... still a bad deal....

At my hose witht he other power company.. they even trenched to put in underground power to my house... charged me a whopping 150$... yep.. SECO is the worst power company I've ever seen.... As a utility provider.. and I've never said this before... I hope they go under and are taken over by somebody else who knows how to manage their grid and treat their customers.... Their call center customer service is bottom of the bucket.. they give you inacurate into.. then once you get building.. you find out what they told you was wrong.. then it causes problems .. BTDT... there seems to be no inter-company communication.. and when they do communicate.. they pass bad info along!


soundguy

 

[schmism]

I have a 80 acre parcel that has no power. The nearest power pole is appr 3000 ft from where the house is to sit. After speaking with power co. they only run 1200 ft free of charge, the next 1800 is my dime at 4-5.00$ per foot. So 7-9000.00 out of pocket. Is it any cheaper if I were to run underground and I buy and lay the pipe and power co. pulls thru it? Just fishing for suggestions hear. No cant move the home closer. Thanks

make shure you keep up with your 1800' cost. if others move into the area and tie into the line in that 1800' you can recoupe some of the cost of the line from them. (least in my area you can)

had a friend that had to put in 3000' at $5 per foot overhead, but he gets to reclaim part of that if anyone else moves in and wants part of it.