Cost for electric service replacement?

[FireInTheWire]

Hey, I catch heat for it too. Lol

I bet you do, brother.

 

[benenglish]

Have you thought about...

I've thought about a lot of things.

I discussed earlier that if the electrician I'm probably going to use would just adhere to the CenterPoint service standards so conveniently linked by Lead Belly upthread, they only need to switch to metal conduit and dig a trench maybe 8 inches deep, decreasing the volume of dirt to move by more than 80%. By my reckoning , that should reduce the cost by ~$1000. Well, the owner of that company has a pretty damn inflexible attitude of ”We do it the way we do it and that we know CenterPoint accepts. If you want something different, go somewhere else." The kicker is that his bid is still the lowest I've seen and I really like the electrician who will be doing the work.

Assembling an ad hoc team of other trades to dig, etc., would be cheaper but take enough time to require me to get a temporary line from CenterPoint, something that costs enough to eat up all the savings. It seems. Probably.

I'm not 100% sure of anything right at this moment.

 

[benenglish]

Wish I was closer to you. I'd come help. F those guys. 500 a month is a F'ing joke.

I'd dig down right by the splice box, cut those wires hot, tap your new temp service wire and run it over to the meter. Just cut everyone out of the ordeal since that service "before" the meter is "your responsibility." What a crock of crap.

I like the way you think.

 

[DoubleDuty]

I've thought about a lot of things.

I discussed earlier that if the electrician I'm probably going to use would just adhere to the CenterPoint service standards so conveniently linked by Lead Belly upthread, they only need to switch to metal conduit and dig a trench maybe 8 inches deep, decreasing the volume of dirt to move by more than 80%. By my reckoning , that should reduce the cost by ~$1000. Well, the owner of that company has a pretty damn inflexible attitude of ”We do it the way we do it and that we know CenterPoint accepts. If you want something different, go somewhere else." The kicker is that his bid is still the lowest I've seen and I really like the electrician who will be doing the work.

Assembling an ad hoc team of other trades to dig, etc., would be cheaper but take enough time to require me to get a temporary line from CenterPoint, something that costs enough to eat up all the savings. It seems. Probably.

I'm not 100% sure of anything right at this moment.

Sorry this is happening to you.

 

[benenglish]

Sorry this is happening to you.

When it rains it pours. I'm just having problems concentrating on one thing at a time. I only like overloaded plates at a BBQ.

 

[TexasRedneck]

@benenglish, FWIW, whether 8" or 3', basic trenching costs don't change much, so I honestly doubt you'd see more than a couple of hundred dollars "savings". If I didn't have so much on my plate right now, I'd come dig the ditch and bury the conduit for my "uncle" and tell 'em to bite me. Kinda like when the city here told me I "should have gotten a permit" to build my workshop. Told 'em it's MY land....now you know why I got the screen name I do!<evil grin>

 

[benenglish]

I'm in an unincorporated part of the county. Thank God I don't have to deal with permitting for this.

 

[TexasRedneck]

I'm in an unincorporated part of the county. Thank God I don't have to deal with permitting for this.

Yeah....well I buried 140' of #4 stranded in 2" PVC conduit to power it, as well. There's something to be said about being raised by an old German that was also a Field Engineer for RCA......lol The panel for my 16' x 20' workshop is the same size as for my entire house. I don't like lights flickering when I put a load on my circuits.

 

[benenglish]

@benenglish, FWIW, whether 8" or 3', basic trenching costs don't change much, so I honestly doubt you'd see more than a couple of hundred dollars "savings".

Does that apply equally to using equipment to dig and to digging by hand? This installation will be in a short, tight space where no equipment can be brought in. All digging will be done by guys with shovels.

Does your statement still apply?

 

[TexasRedneck]

Does that apply equally to using equipment to dig and to digging by hand? This installation will be in a short, tight space where no equipment can be brought in. All digging will be done by guys with shovels.

Does your statement still apply?

Actually, yes - when you take the transit time to/from the jobsite into account, the actual dig time isn't much. Just to put into perspective - when we do an installation, the difference between having the truck 20' from the equipment location vs 45' away adds almost an hour. The install itself - doing a pex install w/crimp rings vs 1" sweated copper - within minutes of the same time. Give me some good trench diggers, that extra depth just doesn't factor as much, believe it or not.

 

[benenglish]

Wow. That's seriously counterintuitive but your explanation was very useful. In fact, it helps me decide which contractor to use.

TYVM.

 

[TexasRedneck]

Wow. That's seriously counterintuitive but your explanation was very useful. In fact, it helps me decide which contractor to use.

TYVM.

Hope it helped a bit....like I said - seems dumb, but when you see the actual results, you come to realize that there's more than one factor in costing out a job. Anything you can do to make things easier/faster for them, offer to do so.

 

[Lonesome Dove]

I've routinely seen 4-5 guys trench dig 1/4 acre front yards for sprinklers in a short day. At $10-$15 per hr tops that's minimal payout.

 

[Paul Saver]

I've routinely seen 4-5 guys trench dig 1/4 acre front yards for sprinklers in a short day. At $10-$15 per hr tops that's minimal payout.

Exactly.. Ben, find a couple of day workers and supply them with 3 shovels. Pay them $15 per hour. they will have it done in 1 day (16 total hours) x 15.00 hourly. Total approx. $ 250.00 , and buy their lunch.....

 

[AZ Refugee]

Negative. Oncor owns/services it up to the meter. Period.

CenterPoint sounds like an absolute SHIT utility for doing this to you, Ben. That's absurd.

Have you thought about just having someone coming out, locating and digging up the bad spot and splice the wire where its bad? We can usually do this in about 3 hours. It's a band-aid but could be a quick fix and cheaper. Considering your sis and all. Might call and ask some companies if they locate, hand dig and splice residential underground service wire.

https://www.oncor.com/content/dam/o...idelines/Electric Service Guidelines 2021.pdf

See 400.03

 

[Whistler]

Does that apply equally to using equipment to dig and to digging by hand? This installation will be in a short, tight space where no equipment can be brought in. All digging will be done by guys with shovels.

Does your statement still apply?

Good to know, was working out how to get my backhoe down there. Sadly I can't "do" shovels anymore.

 

[FireInTheWire]

https://www.oncor.com/content/dam/oncorwww/documents/electric-service-guidelines/Electric Service Guidelines 2021.pdf

See 400.03

I understand the confusion on that... but this line is crucial. "Customer will furnish and Company will install physical connections at POD." With Oncor, the POD will always be the meter.

On pages 48-55 it states- Company Provided and Installed Conductor.

POD is the meter. Everything before is Oncor's. Everything after is customers.

Clear as mud? Hope this helps...

 

[benenglish]

Good to know, was working out how to get my backhoe down there. Sadly I can't "do" shovels anymore.

After all the cable television and other wires and pipes in that area get marked, you wouldn't want to use a backhoe, anyway.

 

[TexasRedneck]

After all the cable television and other wires and pipes in that area get marked, you wouldn't want to use a backhoe, anyway.

Ain't MY yard....wanna bet?

LOL

 

[AZ Refugee]

I understand the confusion on that... but this line is crucial. "Customer will furnish and Company will install physical connections at POD." With Oncor, the POD will always be the meter.

On pages 48-55 it states- Company Provided and Installed Conductor.

POD is the meter. Everything before is Oncor's. Everything after is customers.

Clear as mud? Hope this helps...

Page 49, "greater than 20kw... Company from transformer to POD (j box), customers from POD to meter.