Tree limb landed on my electrical service..

[JTK]

I came home from work to this about a week ago. The wind and rain that day took down a dead branch that wasn't on my radar. What a mess. The power line running to my house is sagged about 7ft off the ground now. The force of the branch hitting the wires bent my mast/weather head over, stretched my service cables out of the mast and broke the guts out of the weather head. I called the power company to see if there was anything they could do. They came and looked at it, but won't touch it until I have the repairs done on my end. Of course repairs aren't an option as my 150A service is 50yrs old and not to code. I had a few estimates and I want to go underground with the service, as the above ground has been a constant source of stress for me given the amount of trees in the area. Right now, my wires are being precariously supported by the crimp lugs and everything is mashed together.

New 200A UG service, which includes moving my panel slightly to achieve 3ft clearance and all the current code stuff like hard wired smoke detector 10ft from furnace, pull chain light mounted near panel, GFCI outlet mounted near panel is $6500. Excavation for UG service $1500. My panel is in the back corner of my attached garage. $8K I did not anticipate at the moment. The joys of home ownership.

 

[Brian123]

Let's get those Wires Underground!

 

[loneryder]

Bummer. It sure wasn’t your day.

 

[Sumboodie]

I'd have DIY'd it all. Does your power company demand all that red tape?

 

[JTK]

I'd have DIY'd it all. Does your power company demand all that red tape?

You could DIY, but permits have to be pulled and the UG service plan and excavation has to be pre-approved by the power co, etc.

I talked to a few guys that do this kind of thing "on the side". Permits. scheduling and digging would be up to me, then most of them don't want to mess with the old mast on the metal roof. Poking another one through the roof was another thing I wanted to avoid (they did too), thus another reason for the UG service.

The base of the power pole on my side of the road where my lines connect to is about 6ft lower than the edge of my lawn. Lawn ends at a ~6ft drop off. The excavation towards the road will start very deep.

 

[IndyIan]

I doubt you have upgrade anything in the house? Just get a new mast and weather head installed?
That said, doesn't your house insurance cover this? You might take the money they would pay for the repair and then do the underground install?
My parents house and neighbors have had a few masts put in over the years and I think that's all they had done. They do get an arborist in every so often to take out the obvious problem branches and or trees, but it still happens.

 

[andrew_j]

Get another quote for repair. See if it can be repaired with wires new mast head with existing panel.

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

Should be covered under Home Owner Insurance policy? What have they said?

 

[JTK]

With how insurance is today, there's no way I'm filing a claim unless I absolutely must. As I've mentioned in previous posts, my homeowners just went from $1100 to $1350 in one shot. I've never filed a home claim in ~27yrs of homeownership. I pay just shy of $1000/mo (yes.. per month) to cover the 5 vehicles in my sig. I carry 3 kids on my policy 23,21,19. They have to contribute or they don't have a car.

Yes, I do know I could get away with running another rigid riser run near the old one, drilled though the soffet, run externally to a new meter channel, have a main disconnect installed and wired to my existing 50yr/old 150a panel. This would cost much less, but then I'm at the mercy of the next wind storm and tree branch. I've spend thousands on tree removal of the bigger trees I couldn't handle over the years to make things better and safer. It's barely a drop in the bucket given where I live.

The metal roof makes things a bit messier with the riser situation as well. Not as easy as repairs on a shingle roof.

 

[Sumboodie]

You could DIY, but permits have to be pulled and the UG service plan and excavation has to be pre-approved by the power co, etc.

I talked to a few guys that do this kind of thing "on the side". Permits. scheduling and digging would be up to me, then most of them don't want to mess with the old mast on the metal roof. Poking another one through the roof was another thing I wanted to avoid (they did too), thus another reason for the UG service.

The base of the power pole on my side of the road where my lines connect to is about 6ft lower than the edge of my lawn. Lawn ends at a ~6ft drop off. The excavation towards the road will start very deep.

What a headache!

permits aren't a thing here thankfully.

 

[Pablo]

Sounds like they are throwing some options. HW's smoke detectors? Wah?

You don't have that much choice than doing the thing correctly though. Get another quote

 

[OVERKILL]

I had my electrical service ripped off my house and it damaged my panel, resulting in full replacement during a recent ice storm. It was similar to what you've been quoted, I ran it through insurance, as it was stated it wouldn't have any impact on my rates.

 

[JTK]

The estimates I got were all w/in a couple hundred bucks. It seems the standard charge for a full 150A service replacement is around $4500-5K in my area. Add another $300-500 to go 200A. Add another $2-4K to go with an underground service.

It's a few weeks before anyone can get after it for me and the situation makes me nervous. All three lugs are mashed together and hanging by the lugs/crimps. I'm a gust away from no power.

 

[tbm5690]

Sounds like 200 amp service is worth the upgrade, but probably not digging unless you think this kind of thing is bound to happen again. That's one thing done right with new builds is everything is buried.

 

[Dave Hess]

Dang sorry to see the pictures.

 

[Leo99]

Sounds like they are throwing some options. HW's smoke detectors? Wah?

You don't have that much choice than doing the thing correctly though. Get another quote

My house has 9 hard wired smoke detectors. And they all have a battery backup. It's real headache when one starts beeping at 4am.

 

[Pablo]

I had my electrical service ripped off my house and it damaged my panel, resulting in full replacement during a recent ice storm. It was similar to what you've been quoted, I ran it through insurance, as it was stated it wouldn't have any impact on my rates.

That’s why I like asking and it’s often the case. No impact on rates

 

[GON]

Concur with the course of action of not filing a homeowners insurance claim unless a catastrophic loss.

The claim will be noted on your property for life. If you go to sell your property, the generally any insurance claims under five years old must be disclosed.

Lot more to insurance claims today than a few decades ago.

 

[Pablo]

Concur with the course of action of not filing a homeowners insurance claim unless a catastrophic loss.

The claim will be noted on your property for life. If you go to sell your property, the generally any insurance claims under five years old must be disclosed.

Lot more to insurance claims today than a few decades ago.

If the claim is noted? So?? Disclosure and proper remedy are good things
At least ask vs coughing up $6K plus

 

[GON]

If the claim is noted? So?? Disclosure and proper remedy are good things
At least ask vs coughing up $6K plus

That is a assumption the insurance company may pay out $6k USD. Maybe the insurance company only pays out less than the deductible, which means they paid out nothing. Yet the property has a reportable insurance claim. And the insured has a exposure to being rates raised or cancelled.

Something I was educated in by a insurance actuarial, it is not the amount of the claim the insurance company cares about, it is the amount of claims.

Filing a claim with an insurance company that results in zero payout by the insurance company, and filing a claim that the insurance company pays out $80k USD, are both viewed as placing a equal claim. Of course, a $80k USD payout by the insurance might get the insured dropped from coverage quicker than a $0 USd payout, but that is a separate subject.