How Are Electrical Boxes Attached to Houses in Florida?

The electrical box on the outside of your home is not just a box. It is the point where Florida Power and Light (or your local utility) hands power off to your home's wiring system. Most homeowners in Palm Beach County and Brevard County have never thought much about it until something goes wrong.

Here is what it is, how it attaches, and when it needs to be replaced.

What Is the Electrical Box on the Outside of Your House?

The box mounted to the exterior of your home is called the meter base or meter socket. FPL installs their revenue meter into it. The meter is FPL's equipment. The meter base belongs to you.

Above the meter base, a conduit riser runs up to the weatherhead, the point at the roofline where the utility's service drop connects to your home's service entrance conductors. All of that, from the weatherhead down through the meter base and into your main panel, is your service entrance. FPL owns the wires up to the weatherhead. You own everything from the weatherhead down.

How Is the Meter Base Physically Attached to the House?

In Florida, most meter bases are mounted one of two ways depending on the age and construction of the home.

On wood-frame homes, the meter base is typically lag-bolted directly to the exterior wall sheathing or to a dedicated wood backing installed behind the siding. The conduit riser is secured with straps fastened into the wall framing or rafter tails above.

On CBS (concrete block structure) homes, which are common throughout Palm Beach County and the Space Coast, the conduit is anchored with masonry anchors set into the block wall. FPL requires at least 18 feet of clearance over driveways and 12 feet over general yard areas for the service drop.

Who Is Responsible for What?

This is the question we hear most often, and the answer matters when something fails.

FPL is responsible for the service drop wires from the utility pole to the weatherhead, and for the meter itself. If the meter fails, FPL replaces it at no cost to you.

You are responsible for everything else. The weatherhead, the conduit riser, the service entrance conductors, and the meter base are all your equipment. If the meter base corrodes, if the mounting hardware fails, or if the service entrance conductors deteriorate, that is your repair to arrange and pay for.

In Palm Beach County and Brevard County, any work on the service entrance requires a permit. This is not optional and it is not a job for a handyman. The work must be performed by a licensed electrical contractor, inspected by the county, and coordinated with FPL before the meter is pulled and reinstalled.

When Does the Meter Base Need to Be Replaced or Moved?

Four situations come up repeatedly in our service area.

Hurricane damage. Flying debris and sustained wind load can pull the conduit riser away from the wall, crack the meter base housing, or damage the service entrance conductors. After a major storm, if your power is out and your neighbors' power is restored, a damaged service entrance is a common reason.

Rotted wood behind the mounting surface. On older wood-frame homes in Palm Beach County and the Space Coast, water intrusion behind the meter base is common. The rot weakens the mounting and in some cases the meter base is no longer adequately supported. This is usually discovered during a roof replacement or exterior renovation.

Failing service entrance conductors. The conductors running from the weatherhead into the meter base are insulated wire exposed to Florida sun, heat, and humidity. Over time, that insulation degrades. When the conductors fail, the risk is arcing and fire at the service entrance.

Home renovation that moves the panel. If an addition or renovation moves the main electrical panel to a different location inside the home, the service entrance may need to be relocated or extended. This requires a new permit and FPL coordination.

The Permit and FPL Coordination Process in Florida

In Palm Beach County, service entrance work requires a permit through the Palm Beach County Building Division or the appropriate municipality. West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and Wellington each have their own building departments. In Brevard County, the permit goes through the Brevard County Building Department or the city if the home is within city limits.

After the work is complete and the inspection passes, the contractor submits the results to FPL and schedules the meter reinstall. FPL does not reinstall the meter until the inspection is approved. The process typically takes one to two weeks from permit application to power restoration.

Others Electric Handles Service Entrance Work in Both Service Areas

We are licensed in Palm Beach County and Brevard County. We handle the permit, coordinate with FPL, and get your service entrance in compliance. If you have questions about the meter base on your home or think something looks wrong after a storm, call us before FPL shows up and tells you the meter cannot be reinstalled.

Call us at (561) 567-7929 or request a free estimate at otherselectric.com.