I will be building a summer home over the next three years. I would like to build the garage during the first year, and bring in services. I ultimately will build the house. If I were not going to build in stages, I would have a 200A service in the house with branch circuits feeding the well pump, power to the garage, and a septic tank pump up to the leach fields. However, to conserve budget dollars, and phase the project, I would like to build the garage with a 60A distribution panel to pick up construction power in the garage, the well pump, and the septic pump. I would then get to the house as time permits.

I intend to have an underground feed to a meter pedestal approximately 150 feet from the house/ garage. That is where I am noodling. Can I run two separate circuits from the meter lugs... one for the garage, one for the house. If I want a full 200A panel in the house, wouldn't I need some sort of two breaker distribution at the meter. If I run 60 to the garage, I could go with a 150A main in the house. If so, could I eliminate distribution at the meter, and run both garage and house feeds off the meter lugs?

For cost purposes, I would most likely leave the circuits as built. i.e. I would not go back and refeed the garage from the main.

Does this make sense? If so, what are some options.

Thank you sincerely.

Art

Here is a pedestal meter with a 200 amp main and can have an additional 2 pole breaker. With using the parallel arrangement, I believe this would solve your problem of having two breakers off one meter.

http://www.milbankmfg.com/Products/catalogs/CatalogFiles/PDF/TTF%205706%201-07.pdf

Be sure to check with your utility company for their requirements and approved equipment. Each utility has their own list of approved meter sockets.

If you check the entire Milbank catalog (http://www.milbankmfg.com/Products/catalogs/index.asp), you will see that they have it broken down by geographical area and utility groups.

With this meter you can have a 150 amp main for the home and a 50 for the garage. The breaker ratings cannot exceed the 200 amp rating of the meter socket. What you should do is to have the service rating calculations performed to be sure 150 amp is sufficient for the home. If you need 200 amp for the home, and 50 or 60 for the garage, the meter will need to be the next size, which is 320 amps, and the feeder from the utility to the meter rated the same.