What is a Temp Pole?

How do we ensure your new home build happens in a timely matter? We’re going to need power. More power! Power in the form of electricity, that is. Enter, your new favorite interim landscaping fixture: A Temporary Power Pole, aka, a Temp Pole.

This simple gray beauty, partnered with our local power supply company (e.g. Mid-American Energy), supplies our new construction job-sites with electricity.

Why is that so important? Electricity is required by various construction trades in your new home build. THINK-Saws, air compressors for nail guns, and even construction machinery, such as a forklift powered by diesel fuel. Electricity allows construction machinery to be plugged in overnight for an easy start on a cold morning!

Unmetered temp pole at our Shadow Creek Personal Build, November 2019, needing connected to our local power company.

It’s that easy? Well, almost, there’s more to it. Let’s back up a little: When a bare piece of ground is developed by a land developer, in addition to streets and parceled build-able lots for home builders, electrical power lines are buried along the streets to ensure each future home has easily accessible electricity.

After your temp pole box is installed by our electricians, it’s in the hands of our local power company to connect the power from the street, to your new home build job site. This sounds like a simple task, yet, we’re at the mercy of a very large company’s schedule, and their long list of power-needing clients.

Here’s some keys to ensuring a connection to our local power company is made in a timely manner for your new build:

• Properly completed paperwork submitted to our local power company, as early in your build as possible.

• Trusted elections to install the temp pole properly.

• Your new build job site cleared of any obstructions from the temp pole to the street’s power supply.

• City job site inspection passed concerning the placement and installation of your temp pole.

• Good weather. Pretty please with sugar on top, Mother Nature.

With those items above in place, we can insure you new build will move right along!

The temp pole at our Sandstone Custom Build metered and ready to supply electricity to our job site, November 2019.

We hope you enjoyed learning one of they key element behind a well managed and timely home build. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out!

All Things New Construction,

Jenni Pierce

(Aka Wife of Mr. Husband Builder)