Underground Utilities

[2forISU]

Who owns the underground utilities running into a building in the state of Iowa?

I have to pour new footers and there is gas & electric that sit right under where those footers are going to sit. I was told by MidAm that owner owns everything underground that is electric to the transformer and that MidAm owns everything gas underground to the meter.

 

[AllInForISU]

Who owns the underground utilities running into a building in the state of Iowa?

I have to pour new footers and there is gas & electric that sit right under where those footers are going to sit. I was told by MidAm that owner owns everything underground that is electric to the transformer and that MidAm owns everything gas underground to the meter.

The utility almost always owns everything to the line side of the meter in a residential setting.

One way you can verify, is call Iowa one call, they will mark the utilities, anything they don’t mark is on you.

I’m an electrician and my brother is a lineman for a utility and we both said the same thing. There are some situations where that isn’t the case, but unless the utility told you that it’s a special circumstance, that’s how residential situations work.

 

[wxman1]

Who owns the underground utilities running into a building in the state of Iowa?

I have to pour new footers and there is gas & electric that sit right under where those footers are going to sit. I was told by MidAm that owner owns everything underground that is electric to the transformer and that MidAm owns everything gas underground to the meter.

Electricity wise I believe they own it up to the meter. If so you are going to have to change your design because I highly doubt they will come out to move them unless you pay them to do so.

 

[AllInForISU]

Electricity wise I believe they own it up to the meter. If so you are going to have to change your design because I highly doubt they will come out to move them unless you pay them to do so.

Correct. If you go overhead to underground they will generally take the cost, but if you need to reroute, they will have you pay them/an electrician to do the trench/run the new wire.

Before you do anything, make sure you talk to Mid-Am and get the service manual to verify everything is done to spec.

 

[2forISU]

The utility almost always owns everything to the line side of the meter in a residential setting.

One way you can verify, is call Iowa one call, they will mark the utilities, anything they don’t mark is on you.

I’m an electrician and my brother is a lineman for a utility and we both said the same thing. There are some situations where that isn’t the case, but unless the utility told you that it’s a special circumstance, that’s how residential situations work.

This is 6-unit complex that we are rebuilding the decks/stairs on, but MidAm told me that I own the electrical and they own the gas. MidAm did tell me it varies from property-to-property in the state of Iowa. In all the states we do work in, I usually see what you described and it doesn't matter what type of asset.

 

[clone4life82]

Electricity wise I believe they own it up to the meter. If so you are going to have to change your design because I highly doubt they will come out to move them unless you pay them to do so.

They’d move it for a cost.

 

[clone4life82]

This is 6-unit complex that we are rebuilding the decks/stairs on, but MidAm told me that I own the electrical and they own the gas. MidAm did tell me it varies from property-to-property in the state of Iowa. In all the states we do work in, I usually see what you described and it doesn't matter what type of asset.

Assume that’s because you have Meters at each apartment unit for gas so they’re owning up to the meters?

 

[2forISU]

Assume that’s because you have Meters at each apartment unit for gas so they’re owning up to the meters?

Each unit is individually metered too for electric.

From the Gas standpoint-MidAm will handle everything before the building meter.

 

[AllInForISU]

This is 6-unit complex that we are rebuilding the decks/stairs on, but MidAm told me that I own the electrical and they own the gas. MidAm did tell me it varies from property-to-property in the state of Iowa. In all the states we do work in, I usually see what you described and it doesn't matter what type of asset.

Then they are correct. I was assuming single/two family dwelling. The multi tenant dwellings the property owner is generally responsible from the transformer.