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Service Riser and Meter Base Replacement in Hudson, FL
Risers, Meter Bases, and Service Cable|Where the Meter Goes When a House Is Lifted|Licensed & Insured, EC13011268
Mention whether the line comes in overhead or underground.
One Hudson house that flooded during Hurricane Helene now sits 12.5 feet higher than before, and the wall that held its meter went up with it. The riser, the meter base, and the cable from the meter to the panel were cut to fit a house at ground level. After a lift, that part of the service is rebuilt at the new height.
Call (352) 251-2795, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., or send a request online. Calls after hours are returned the next business day.
What a Lift Does to the Service
What a House Lift Does to the Service on the Wall
The 12.5-foot lift was reported by Tampa Bay 28 in September 2025. Lifting a house starts with disconnecting it. The power company's line, overhead from a pole or up from the ground, can't stay attached to a wall that's about to move, so the service comes off before the house is raised and goes back on once the house is set on its new foundation. By then, three parts of the old service no longer fit.
- The riser's height: Where the line comes in overhead, the mast has to clear a roof that went up with the house, and the power company's line lands at a new height. Where it comes in underground, the conduit stops far below the wall it used to reach.
- The meter's wall: The spot where the meter hung at eye level is overhead now. The meter needs a new mounting location, and choosing it will shape the rest of the job.
- The run to the panel: The old cable was cut for the distance between the meter and the panel as they stood. A new one, sized for the service, connects wherever the two end up.
The grounding is also rebuilt because the connection from the service equipment to the ground rods has to account for the added height.
Where the Meter Goes
Where the Meter Goes on a Raised House
The meter is the power company's to read and work on, so its rules set how high one can be mounted. FEMA's guide to protecting a home's utility systems from flood damage puts the typical meter about 5 feet above the ground, a height floodwater can reach.
The meter goes up with the house
The meter is mounted beside the raised floor, above the flood height the lift was designed for, and the panel sits a short run away inside. The power company still has to get to it, which takes a deck or platform under the meter. A platform built only for the meter is a poor answer, because a single-use deck can fall into disrepair. A landing or deck the household uses anyway is the better base for it.
The meter stays low, and the panel goes up
Where the meter can't be raised, the alternative arrangement is a combination of a meter socket and a service disconnect. The meter stays at reading height with a main breaker in the same enclosure, and the panel moves up into the house on a feeder from that breaker. The panel is then above the flood height the lift was designed for, and the equipment left at the lower level is still below it.
Florida's residential building code puts electrical equipment in a flood hazard area at or above the required flood elevation unless it's designed and installed to keep water out. Wiring can run below that height when it meets wet location rules, and conductors pulled through conduit can be replaced after a flood without tearing out the run.
What the low equipment can't hang on
A raised house may have its ground level enclosed by walls designed to break away under flood loads. The same code doesn't allow equipment to be mounted on those walls or to pass through them. FEMA's guide adds that in coastal areas, equipment below the flood elevation should run along the landward side of the structure. A low meter base, its riser, and the conduit climbing to the raised floor need something else to carry them: a foundation pier or column, or a post of their own.
Estimates
A Riser and Meter Base Estimate for a Hudson House
We don't do upfront pricing. No job has a standard price with us: each one is tailored to the property and the work you've asked for, and priced once we've seen it.
We offer free estimates on installs, upgrades, and replacements in our service area. Estimates aren't free when the job needs troubleshooting or testing to price, falls after hours or outside our service area, needs several meetings to gather information, or is new construction or a custom remodel with multi-party walk-throughs. For most jobs, estimates arrive by email by the end of the next business day, and quotes are good for 30 days.
Custom homes and large or multi-phase projects are estimated as soon as we can, or on the timeline your project sets.
A new riser or meter base and our warranty
03If something we installed fails because of our workmanship within 30 days of completion, we waive the hourly labor to put it right. Materials Kennedy Electric purchases for your job carry the manufacturer's one-year warranty. To replace defective materials we supplied, or materials damaged by storm, flood, fire, or other acts of God, we charge a reduced warranty labor rate of $50 an hour residential and $75 an hour commercial. The warranty does not cover materials not purchased by Kennedy Electric, work performed by the customer, or materials the customer purchased or damaged. Our warranty terms are printed on the estimate, the invoice, and the receipt, and the product boxes stay with you so you can register each product with its manufacturer.
Can the panel be moved upstairs while the meter and the equipment at it remain as they are?
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Get a Hudson Riser or Meter Base Replaced
Send the address. If the house is being raised, add how high and where the lift stands now. Our office will reach you during business hours.