Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Need estimate help - Rural West Virginia powerline

No, keyboard fool... I am chasing estimates any way I can.



And I always thought shallow water sailors said "hipboot on the bottom... AFTER their vessel sank"... my bad.

The rest of you guys... I REALLY REALLY appreciate the help.

If you go overhead, you'll have to maintain lines (trim the trees, etc.). If you bury it, it will cost more up front. Either way you'll need to come in at line voltage and step it down with a transformer. Generally, you'll need a contractor who's approved by the local utility. Each utility dictates their own standards for distribution and drop infrastructure. These should be be available from the local utility. Ask a nearby business or farm or sawmill with a private line who maintains it for them. Who do they call when a tree falls on it?

I've seen people zig-zag power poles along a road to avoid tree cutting/trimming. Most of the actual line footage doing this is over the road. Takes a few more poles and a little more line depending on distance.

If going solar, check with Solar City/ Tesla, party owned by Elon Musk. They now have solar singles coupled with a Tesla car battery for night use. Probably in the $30,000 range for whole house power, but with no electric bills that would probably pay for itself or the life of the shingles. The solar shingles are nailed down like real shingles but have a wire to connect with the next shingle. The shingles produce 2-3 times the power you need so the excess can store in the battery for 2-3 days of power. Now if you use propane for heating/water heating/cooking, you wouldn't need a large solar system (mostly refrigeration and AC). Also use LED lighting. If the propane truck can deliver up the road, you are good to go. If you have to spend $20 to get power, use the money for solar with no bills.

Around here, a number of years ago the cost around here would've been around $10k per mile.

I wouldn't give up on the ripping a line in with a cat. Depending on what the utility company would require/accept. Busy worked for a line layer around here and they ripped in a lot of electric for rural subdivisions because it is so much more efficient.

if the power company can’t tell you how much it costs, I’m not sure who will. That’s who I’d be dealing with here in your shoes.

LOTS of city boys from the DC area are always bringing their skinny jean asses to rural areas... looking to buy up mountains, make "get away farmettes" for other suburbanites... bucket of money and such.

Their attitude and skinny jeans cause a lot of static... and wasted time for the designers/engineers





They had gotten an estimate for the power WELL OVER 10 years ago... when they inherited the land... their quote was WELL OVER $100k (as a 17-20 lot sub-division). Totally different critter than my intentions, thus the request for help.

Thanks again to all that have offered opinions (here or by PM). WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT!!!

It is a big day when certain men buy the farm.

Just be absolutely sure about power supplier and jurisdiction.
A co-worker set a trailer on family land. With our new code laws setting a trailer is crazy expensive. They found that their trailer, which was 100' from a family home and 100' from co-op lines, was in the Pennelect designated area. They could not get a waiver, and they were required to put in almost 1/4 mile of lines, $25k.
Price was about the same above/below ground. Mostly wooded, they needed around a 50' right of way cut clear to the sky.

It was a huge boondoggle, and scrapped the whole project. A bunch of money lost, but they ran out of money.

Roger that...

Plan A... is to get options after we buy. Underground installed/maintained/responsibility by the power company would be preference. Turn key.

Plans B thru Z... have a few of those in the back of my mind as well.



You bet... a lot of new and improved technology every year...

Nice looking property. Have you considered locating the house closer to accessable utillities? Save the expense and trouble. Put the savings toward design and features. You would still own the land and be able to enjoy it living on site.

I went through what your dealing with 25 years ago on a much smaller scale. Very frustrating, time consuming and expensive. Just a thought, good luck.

I paid $5809.57 two years ago for about 500 feet of underground line, 175 feet of overhead line (on existing poles owned by the phone company), and a transformer set on my property. That was Penelec prices with me doing the excavation. They didn't split out the cost of the transformer, but I assume that was a big component of the price. Underground was cheaper than setting poles for me, but I wasn't running it as far.

Cash,

Sounds like the power Co. Is being lazy. You could call some local builders to get a ballpark price. That’s their job.

Are there no line-laying companies in the area? They should be able to drive out and give the property y a once-over and give you a rough idea.

If you have a signed buy-sell or some type of contract with the sellers, I would think the electric company could be persuaded to speak with you and respond to some requests for info. Great thing about dealing with a co-op like we have here, they are very responsive.

Wish you luck.

As to another option, it is WV isn't it? By that I mean, what's to keep you from just laying out some line on the ground to your homesite? I have spent time in WV and have seen things similar to this in action.

In 2010, I got the local power coop to run a 3 phase overhead to an irrigation well. I provided the right of way clearing and they provided the installation. Cost was $16,000. In 2015 on the same property, local power coop ran a single phase underground cable to a new home site. Cost was $3,000 which included 1,000 feet of underground cable to transformer base and connection to meter base on house. Georgia Power is another power supplier in my area. If my property had been in their service area, my cost would have been a good bit higher. Your local power supplier should be able to tell you what they charge for x number of feet overhead or underground.

Again... thanks to everyone on this game of "pin the estimate on the Mon Power donkey".

$15k-$25k is what I am holding as reserve... if it is less... beers are free for a year.

-------------------------------------------

Went up to WV again yesterday for a final look see... wife told me to try a little "Southern Sugar" on the ladies at the courthouse and see if I could get the scoop on the local well drillers, taxes and such.

She also told me to look for a "Sign from God" if we should proceed (we are a very Faithful family).

Recap... taxes are about $8 per acre per year, but can be reduced significantly if land is "Timber Managed".

Building permits are free and there is no Certificate of Occupancy... i.e. you get a free permit, build a house and move in. They do ask you to notify them when the house is finished so they can come by for a tax assessment review. They do have a Building Inspector, but when I asked what Code was used... UBC etc. she said I don't know... use anyone that you want. She was a SUPER NICE lady.

Well, septic and Outhouse (YES, Outhouse) permits do cost money. $25 IIRC (different office from the Tax ladies at the Courthouse).

Taxes on a $300k house would be about $1,200 a year they told me...

The other pros were TONS of deer and bear... even cougars. I saw so many yesterday that I couldn't even keep track of a count (deer that is).

Everyone I have ever met in the area was SUPER FRIENDLY...

Back to... "Signs from God"...

1) There was snow on the ground yesterday when I got there and the mountain air was as crisp as a fresh apple.

2) Notice something MISSING on my grocery ("Snack food of Champions") receipt?



3) Lastly, I did NOT take this as a Sign from God... or maybe I did (God puts humor on all things if you look close enough).

Good luck on your new adventure.