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We are in the process of selling our home and are also looking for land to build on in Maine. The problem I am having is trying to get an idea of how much its going to run us for electric. I know that if we are within 150ft of an existing pole there is no fee other then a hook up fee of $35. but what it it isnt? There have been a few nice lots that I am worried to move forward with because of this. One of them is 2/10 of a mile (1056ft) to electric. CMP is of NOOOOOO help.
Thanks for any help my wife and I are new to this whole building (moduler) thing and I will have many many questions.
I would call the local electric company and ask - even if you have to file a 'request' in order to get them to answer (had to do this for Va Natural Gas for our house. Extremely irritating that they couldn't just give me an estimate, they had to give me a 'quote'). You can always 'cancel' the order (Note - request and promise-to-pay forms should be different. Read them carefully and verify with the company that the request is not final until cost is approved.)
Otherwise, with the new boring machines they have now, I don't believe that an underground cable would be that expensive. Electric doesn't have to be very deep - I think the one back to our house (about 300+ ft) is only about 1.5 ft down - so a small ditch-witch could dig the trench.
You could also ask if you could get a discount if YOU do the trench (with a rented ditch-witch) and they just lay the wire - OR...YOU even lay the wire and they just make the connections at either end. (Hint on the ditch-witch, however...get the self-propelled one. You do NOT want to be pulling on a 1/2 ton hunk of machinery for that distance ;-) )
Since we went the under-ground route, I don't know that much about the cost of more poles for over-head lines.
ouch! You might also ask them what the required spacing is between poles, so you can estimate how many you'd need. Hopefully underground would be cheaper though (and safer, I would think, in a Maine winter)
The problem with that is much of the state is granite, and not far from the surface. And the frostline is four feet. I've seen house sites up there close to a road where they trucked in lots of gravel and buried some cable but it's seldom done there, at least where I lived. I know Bangor Hydro charges an arm and a leg, but last I heard you were allowed to use do it yourself cedar poles - maybe possible to get cheaper than $1250.
If you're looking at places Downeast, I know a very reputable master electrician who could advise you about options in that area, just let me know.
We are in the midcoast Belfast area and its 150 feet between I believe. I am far from a doityourselfer...LOL. Our house finally hit the MLS. Realitors dont seem to be in much of a hury once you sign with them. it took almost two weeks. Thanks for the help folks.
Just listen to me. Tell me us phone no. i'll call my friends in US and they will help you out very easily coz many of friends are in business of buying/selling houses. Just be relax and i'll help you. Cheers.
