Meter Housing Repair & Replacement in the Denver Metro
Repair or replacement of damaged, rusted or outdated meter housings, including the utility coordination that has to happen before anyone touches the meter.
The box the utility hands your power to
Your meter housing, or meter socket, is the enclosure the utility's service conductors land in before power enters the home. It lives outdoors, takes weather year round, and on a lot of Front Range homes it is older than the panel behind it. When it fails, it fails at the one point in the system nobody else is allowed to work on without coordinating the utility.
Homeowners usually find out about it one of two ways: an inspector or utility tech tags it, or a panel upgrade estimate reveals that the socket is not rated for the new service. Either way the fix is straightforward when it is done by a crew that schedules this work every week.
- Rust, pitting or water staining inside the enclosure
- Burn marks, melted insulation or a scorched meter base
- A cracked or missing cover, or a housing pulling away from the wall
- A socket rated below the service you are upgrading to
- A utility red tag or refusal to re-set the meter
What a meter housing job includes
We quote the socket, the mounting and weatherproofing, any conductor repairs inside the enclosure, the permit, the utility disconnect and re-set, and the inspection. Because the meter is utility-owned equipment, the sequence matters: disconnect scheduled, work done, inspection passed, meter re-set. We manage all four steps rather than handing you a phone number.
Where the housing has failed because water tracked down the mast or conduit, we address the cause at the same time. Replacing a socket under a mast that is still letting water in only buys you a few winters.
- Correctly rated 200-amp or 400-amp socket where required
- New weatherhead, hub and sealing where the housing was leaking
- Grounding and bonding brought current
- Siding and trim penetrations sealed properly
Doing it while the panel is already open
The most economical time to replace a meter housing is during a panel or service upgrade, because the utility disconnect, the permit and the crew day are already accounted for. If your socket is marginal and an upgrade is on your horizon, we will tell you at the estimate rather than letting you pay for two mobilizations.
Our process
How an EPO meter housing job runs
- 01
On-site look at the service
We inspect the socket, mast, conductors and grounding, and photograph what we find so you can see it too.
- 02
Written fixed price
Socket, labor, permit and utility coordination in one number, before anything is scheduled.
- 03
Permit and utility disconnect
We pull the permit and book the Xcel disconnect around a date that works for your household.
- 04
Replacement day
Power is off for the working window we gave you in advance, and the new housing goes in weathertight.
- 05
Inspection and meter re-set
We meet the inspector, close the permit and stay on the utility until the meter is back on.
Pricing
What moves the price on this job
We quote after seeing the equipment, because these details change the number more than anything else.
- Socket amperage rating and whether an overhead or underground feed
- Condition of the conductors landing in the housing
- Siding, stucco or brick restoration around the enclosure
- Whether the mast or conduit needs work at the same time
- Jurisdiction permit and utility fees
Monthly payments available through Hearth
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FAQ
Common questions
Can I replace a meter socket myself?
No. The conductors inside are utility-owned and energized until the utility disconnects them. It takes a licensed contractor, a permit and a scheduled disconnect, which is exactly what we handle.
Who pays for the meter housing, me or the utility?
In most Colorado jurisdictions the utility owns the meter and the conductors up to it, and the homeowner owns the housing, mast and everything downstream. So the socket is on you, and we price it up front.
How long will my power be off?
Typically three to five hours for a straightforward socket replacement. We give you the window before the crew arrives and we do not start until the utility has disconnected.
My meter housing was tagged. How fast can you get to it?
Utility tags come with a deadline, so tell us when you call and we will get the estimate and the disconnect scheduled around it.
Should I replace the panel at the same time?
If the panel is also aging, yes. One permit, one disconnect and one crew day is far cheaper than doing them a year apart, and we will show you the math both ways.
Still deciding?
The fastest way to get a real answer for your home is to have a tech open the panel. The on-site estimate is free, and you leave with a written price for meter housing.
Want the long version first? Read 9 Signs Your Electrical Panel Needs Replacing.
Where we work
Meter Housing Repair & Replacement across the Front Range
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