DISCLAIMER: Electricity is DANGEROUS. This and other posts are a record of what I am doing. Not a recommendation, not a tutorial. Consult with a professional before doing any electrical work. In other words – don’t try this at home. And if you do try this yourself, and you get hurt or killed, it’s your own darn fault.
The house currently has 100A service, and I would like to upgrade to 200A service before I start rewiring the basement. I’m also trying to do everything above-board, legal, legit. Whatever you want to call it. The opposite of what the previous homeowner appears to have done!
I met with a representative of the power company on Thursday. I thought that based on current rules I would need to relocate the service entrance from the back of my house to the side of the house, near the street. He reassured me that since my neighborhood has the power running along the back of the property, I could keep the drop in the back. Center the new meter a bit better between the two windows (3′ clearance), a bit lower to meet the height restrictions (~6′), and I’m in business.
Also trying to coordinate the timing of this so that the new hole in the roof for the power service occurs before the new roof goes on.
I also contacted the local permit office, to make sure I can do all of this myself. My e-mail:
I would like to upgrade the electrical service at my house from 100A to 200A service. I have spoken with Rocky Mountain Power, and they identified the location for the new meter and service entrance. My plan is to install a 200A panel in my basement, then run a 100A breaker and treat my existing 100A panel as a subpanel.
My questions are:
1) As a homeowner, how much of this work is it legal for me to perform?
2) What do I need to submit in terms of plans, documents, etc? How detailed do they need to be? Down to the level of 4/0-4/0-4/0 for the service drop, specifying connection to the main box, 3-3-3-5 feeding the existing main panel?
3) Do I need to explicitly demonstrate in my plans how I conform to relevant code, like 230.70(A)(1)?
Right now I’m trying to figure out how to perform this legally, how much I can do myself, and what next steps to take to ensure that it is done safely.
Thanks,
And their response:
Hi Bill,
If you are just doing an electrical service upgrade, we do not require any plans. If you own the home and it is your residence, you can obtain the permit and do the work yourself.
You can apply for the permit at [Link Redacted]
Please let me know if you have further questions.
Thanks,
So, it’s all doable, and legal. Just need to pull a permit and get moving on this. And, the best part is that I can do all of this without playing with live power. I wire up the new meter and box, then they switch the feed from the old meter to the new meter. Then I turn the power off at the new meter and switch the inside feeds from the old meter to the new panel.
At Least the Roof Leaks 