Temporary Power for a New Build: What the Builder Needs From You
Before the framing crew plugs in a single saw, your lot needs power. That means a temporary service pole, a weatherproof panel, and a connection coordinated with the utility. Here is what that involves and what you need to have lined up to keep the build moving.
What is temporary power on a new build?
Temporary power, or a temp pole, is a free-standing service you set on the lot before the house itself is wired. It gives the trades a safe place to pull power for tools, lighting, and equipment during construction.
It is usually a post set in the ground with a meter base, a small panel, and weatherproof receptacles. The utility runs a line to it and sets a meter, the same way they eventually will for the finished house.
On a new build around Sunbury or out in Delaware County, this is the first electrical work on the property. Everything else, framing, drywall, finish trades, depends on it being in place and inspected.
What does the builder actually need from me?
Most of what we need from you is information and timing, not materials. The pieces that keep a temporary electrical service on new construction in Ohio moving are usually the same from lot to lot.
Here is what helps us get set:
- The lot address and a clear point of access to the property
- Where you and your builder want the pole, so it is out of the way of excavation and framing
- Confirmation that your utility account for the new service is set up, since the meter gets tied to that account
- Any site plan or plot layout your builder already has, so we place the pole where it will not get buried or run over
The order you set things in matters. The pole needs to be placed, inspected, and ready for the utility before they will come out to connect and set the meter.
Who handles the pole, the meter, and the connection?
This is where people get crossed up, so it is worth walking through.
We build and set the temporary service pole and the equipment on it. That is our side of the line. We make sure it is wired correctly, grounded, and ready to pass inspection.
The utility owns the wire that feeds it and the meter that goes in. In most of Central Ohio, the service drop and the meter itself belong to the power company, and the equipment on the pole is the homeowner's side. We coordinate the connect with them so the pieces line up, but they control when their crew shows up.
That handoff is why it pays to get the pole set early. You do not want framing crews waiting on a meter that could have been requested two weeks sooner.
What about permits and inspections?
Plan on temporary power being permitted and inspected work. A temp service gets looked at before the utility will energize it, the same as any other electrical work on the build.
What exactly is required and who issues it depends on your jurisdiction. A build inside Columbus is not always handled the same as one in Delaware County or out toward the Hocking Hills. Your local building department can confirm what applies to your specific address, and your builder usually already knows the process for the area.
We handle the electrical work to the standard the inspector is going to hold it to. If something needs a correction, we take care of it so the meter set does not get held up.
How does this fit the rest of the electrical work?
The temp pole is step one, but it is worth thinking about the whole build at once. The layout you decide on now, panel location, circuit planning, where the permanent service enters, affects how smooth the rest of the job goes.
We do custom electrical design and layout for new builds, and planning the permanent service alongside the temporary one keeps you from doing the same work twice. If you are early enough in the process, it is a good time to talk through new build wiring and custom design before the slab goes in or the trenches get dug.
Central Ohio weather is part of this too. Spring and summer storms roll through fast out here, and a temp service sitting on an open lot takes the same wind and water a finished house would. Setting it right the first time means you are not calling about a soaked panel in the middle of framing.
What tends to go wrong?
A few things slow builds down more than anything else, and most of them are avoidable.
- The pole gets set in a spot that conflicts with excavation, then has to be moved
- The utility account is not open yet, so the meter set gets delayed
- The pole is not ready when the utility crew arrives, and they move on to the next job
- Nobody confirmed what the local inspector wants, so the connection gets flagged
None of these are hard to get ahead of. They just need someone paying attention to the sequence instead of calling it in at the last minute.
When to Give Us a Call
If you are building in Sunbury, Delaware, New Albany, or anywhere across our Central Ohio service area and need temporary power set, reach out early. The sooner we can look at the lot and talk through placement with your builder, the smoother the meter set goes. Estimates are free, and Erinn answers every call herself to get you on the schedule.
Call or text (614) 301-3697.