Where can the electric meter go for an ADU with its own service?

Where your utility says it can. Utilities set meter location rules in their service requirement manuals, and they commonly expect a new ADU meter to be grouped with the main house meter at a single service point on an exterior wall that crews can reach. PG&E, for example, wants the meter on an exterior wall, readily accessible, not behind fences or inside garages, and mounted with its center 48 to 75 inches above finished grade.

Grouping and a single service point

• LADWP calls for a single service lateral and service point per lot and, unless it approves otherwise, all meters grouped at one location on the primary residence, using options such as a residential two-position meter panel or a commercial safety-socket meter panel.
• Covina, served by SCE, states that all new and existing meters shall be ganged together at a single point of connection.
• Oakland allows only one electrical drop from PG&E to a parcel.

In practice, that often means a multi-meter panel at the main house, with a customer-owned feeder running from the ADU's meter position out to the ADU.

PG&E's location checklist

• On an exterior wall and readily accessible.
• Not behind fences, inside garages or blocked by other objects.
• Meter center 48 to 75 inches above finished grade.
• Not within 36 inches of a window.
• At least 12 inches horizontally from either side of the gas meter set, and outside the 36-inch radial clearance around the gas regulator vent.
• A permanent, weather-resistant address label visible from the street or access point.

SCE, SDG&E, LADWP and SMUD publish their own requirements, and the numbers are not interchangeable. Confirm with the utility serving your address before the plans are finalized.

Site planning issues

• A meter panel and its working space have to fit in the side yard you have, which can conflict with setbacks, fences and gates.
• A future fence or gate that encloses the meter can put it out of compliance, so plan the yard with the meter in mind.
• A larger multi-meter panel may not fit where the existing meter is, which can mean relocating the service.

What this means for your electrical plan

The site plan should show the meter location, the meter equipment type, address labels for each position, the service lateral and the feeder route from the meter to the ADU. The utility's design will finalize some details, so apply to the utility early. See whether your ADU needs its own meter, when a separate service is required and ADU setbacks.

Sources: pge.com, webprod.ladwp.com, covinaca.gov, cao-94612.s3.amazonaws.com.