I’m curious what would be needed to add electricity to a pole barn. This would be something done in the future well after the pole barn is built. It would be about 100’ from the house. I would like 240v to be available.

Currently the fuse panel is in the garage in the very front of my house and over a slab. It looks to be 100amps. The house has a crawl space. The pole barn will be in the very back.

I thought the line would go through buried conduit of some size - which is the main planning aspect and the part I would like to have in place from the beginning.

I plan to build the pole barn first, later have a concrete slab poured with places for the conduit to enter, and some time later, have power run to it.

Thoughts?

Sorry Oz but I'm just following. I like your idea as an alternative to my plan. Mine was build a shed/ workshop with a lean-to for my well, bike, mowers and firewood. O have a shed that I reload in now But it is right behind the house in the way of a future addition. But maybe a pole barn and LATER finishing would suit so we can do this in stages...

How big of a pole barn? Dimensions? I would pour the slab first then put the pole barn on top of it. I'm not a licensed electrician.

You have 2 options.

1. Have the power company run a new account and seperate drop and meter right to the pole barn, you'll generally have a small monthly fee on the electric account whether or not you use it. Generally the power company will run the line right to the pole barn for free. This might be your most cost effective. Have it run right to an outside breaker box on the exterior wall. Then run wiring in conduit through wall and where it needs to go in conduit.

2. Run wires from your existing box all of the way to the pole barn in buried conduit, have a sub- breaker box there and run from there. Herein lies the problem, 100 amp service to your house most likely isn't enough (doesn't have enough reserve power) to run enough electric needed in your pole barn for a 240 v air compressor or whatever you're planning on running there. Most likely will have to have an electrician upgrade your existing box to 200 amps and the power company upgrading the service to your house to 200 amps.

You can get direct bury wire, no need for conduit for the 100'+. My 100A/240v is ran from my house box ~200' along with gas & water in a trench.
You don't even need an entrance through the slab, just conduit where it comes up & goes in. Mine goes in right at a studwall (bathroom/closet/compressor room) - made it easier to mount breaker box & run wire up to attic.

You could rearrange your plan in any order you like, but I'd build the polebarn first. Then you're going to want electric & concrete ASAP, so you might as well bite the bullet.

Ballpark size is 36x36. The transformer pole is in the backyard.

I'm no expert, but I think I'd call the electric provider company and find out how much power is supplied to your pole.

Since you have probably already have a 100 amp service for your home, and we don't know how much of that you use at a peak demand, they might have to bring in more power to service your pole barn too???

If they provide 200 amps to your pole then you should be fine to run service to your pole barn.

I think I'd call an electrician too, in addition to your electric provider. That should give you dependable answers and info to go forth with.

Good luck to you.

For numbers to compare, I have a 3 bedroom home, 200A service to the house and a sub panel in the barn of 100A and 220v. I use the 220v for a MIG or stick welder.

It may be possible to use that 220 line to feed generator power back to the house if you decide you need it. A good electrician could advise you.

If you have 100amp in the house you aren't stealing any for anything. If that's a sub panel then maybe. It's easy to trench to a new building I've done it quite a few times. You don't need conduit, but in my experience its simply better since you otherwise have to deal with making sure the trench is pretty much free of debris like rocks and has some sort of filler like sand. So that depends on your terrain. If the actual power company pole isn't too far away a new line is an option.

quote:

1. Have the power company run a new account and seperate drop and meter right to the pole barn,

That's how I'm set up here currently. Outbuilding has its own service.

quote:

2. Run wires from your existing box all of the way to the pole barn in buried conduit,

This is how I had it at my old place. I was limited to 100 AMP there due to dealing with the existing box in the house.

What about a separate service to the pole barn? Could be overhead or underground. Then you know exactly what it costs/month for the pole barn. If not in use, costs should be minimal just to keep the meter spinning.

You might find this to be a cost effective way to get what you want with a bit less hassle.

Looks like others said the same while I was typing.

Be careful with that separate service idea. I have a shop that has had separate service for fifty years. It used to cost $3 a month base rate. The base rate is now up to $19, with plans for the base rate to get to $30. When I asked, I was told that the installations of solar power no longer allow the cost of electricity to subsidize the service, so they are lowering the power rate and upping the base rate. Their suggestion was for me to eliminate the extra service and install service from the house to eliminate the extra meter, but because it was done fifty years ago, it would cost me big moola to bring it up to current code, so that’s a no go.

This is just a scenario to watch out for.

I suspect if you wanted to hook up to your house you are going to need to upgrade that service to 200 amps... 1oo is pretty minimum for a residential service....

I'd go with the separate line... transformer at the pole has to be rated to at least 1500 amps I think.... run 200 to your barn and you will be set for anything.... ark welders and such....

With only a 100A panel at the house and wanting 240V in the shop, I’d forget about a sub panel and go with a separate service to the workshop. Like our saying here, but once cry once.

Question/observation: if we are talking welders, compressors, and other high electrical demand items, would it be beneficial to consider more than a single phase service coming to the pole barn?

quote:

Originally posted by Oz_Shadow:


Currently the fuse panel is in the garage in the very front of my house and over a slab. It looks to be 100amps.

If you have a "fuse panel" then you may want to consider biting the bullet and upgrade to new breaker panel and get higher amp service.
you could probably use the higher amp service just in the house.