New shop: electrical main Q-all new or pony from my house

[actionpaintball]

My new building pad is being poured and I am trying to think ahead to my electrical needs. My house that is about 160 feet away has a 200 amp main and my new building/garage/shop will have a 150 amp panel (already have).

What is everyone's' experience with running the main electrical to their building on a residential lot? I am going to call the electrical company later today and see if I can get a ballpark estimate on having them run and install and new meter and have a totally separate line....but I am also wondering if it would be better to jump off my house?

Any real world thoughts/suggestions/experiences?

Would you do anything different?

[dopeassjackson]

dont you just have to run the main wire to the peak of the roof and from the pole to the peak is the power companys $$? guess it depends on if they can make it from the street pole to the roof with out adding another pole.

[PAToyota]

Talk to the electric company. Around here a second service to a residential property is billed at commercial rates - only one residential meter per property.

[Mechanos]

Talk to the electric company. Around here a second service to a residential property is billed at commercial rates - only one residential meter per property.

In that case. Run one 400amp service to the house and convert the house panel to a subpanel. Then run a second feed to the subpanel in the shop.

[Todd W]

If you have 200 at the house why not just run 150 from the house to the shop anyway....

[RustoleumWhite]

I second service will almost always be WAY more expensive than running a sub off the house. Remember, there are a ton of 'basic' fees that your already paying on the house service... you'd be paying those again with a second service to the shop.


If your concerned about not enough juice, ask to upgrade your house panel to a "320" then run 200 to the house and 150 or 200 to the shop. Be prepared to upgrade your meter base and probably the line from the utility to you house ($$).

Never hurts to call and ask however, but I suspect you'll be better off just running a 150A sub from the house panel and call it good.

[James_Fendley]

Talk to the electric company. Around here a second service to a residential property is billed at commercial rates - only one residential meter per property.


I was just bitching about this yesterday.

House rate is .08
Shop rate is .26

If I used much power this would really suck. Duke Power never told me about the rate difference. My phone even though it is on the same number as the house, has it's own line from the switch. 1.26 extra per month.

James

[PAToyota]

In that case. Run one 400amp service to the house and convert the house panel to a subpanel. Then run a second feed to the subpanel in the shop.

Yep, exactly what I did. :smokin:

[Wyoming9]

Where I live in Pa the commercial rates are cheaper. The bill at the shop is cheaper than at home go figure.

I wouldn`t want to have two services run from the house.:D