Skip to main content
Back to Glossary
Electricalaka: serviceaka: service dropaka: service lateral

Service Entrance

In Plain English

Where the electric utility's power lines connect to a building's electrical system, including the meter and main disconnect.

Definition

The conductors and equipment used to deliver electricity from the utility's distribution system to the building's wiring system, including the service conductors, meter socket, and main disconnect. The service entrance establishes the point of utility responsibility versus building owner responsibility. Service entrance conductors carry the full building load and must be properly sized.

Why It Matters in Bidding

The service entrance is a high-cost, long-lead item that estimators must scope carefully on any project involving new or upgraded power, because conductor sizing, the main disconnect, and utility coordination drive both material cost and schedule. It defines the legal demarcation between utility-owned and owner-owned equipment, which affects who pays for and maintains what — a frequent source of scope-gap disputes between the electrical sub and the utility. Underestimating service capacity at bid time can force an expensive change order when actual building load exceeds the installed gear.

Example

The service entrance upgrade from overhead to underground required coordinating with the utility for a new transformer, adding a six-week lead time that the electrical subcontractor flagged as a schedule risk in its bid.

Related Terms

MeterElectrical PanelFeederGrounding

Frequently Asked Questions

A service drop is the set of overhead conductors running from the utility pole to the building's service-entrance point. A service lateral is the equivalent connection run underground from the utility's distribution system. Both deliver utility power to the service entrance; the choice affects trenching, transformer coordination, and cost, which estimators must capture in the electrical scope.
The service entrance establishes the demarcation point. Generally the utility owns and maintains equipment up to a defined point, often the meter or weatherhead, while the building owner owns the service-entrance conductors, main disconnect, and everything downstream. The exact boundary varies by utility, so confirming it during preconstruction prevents disputes over who installs each component.
Service-entrance conductors and the main disconnect must carry the full calculated building load, determined through a load calculation per the applicable electrical code that accounts for lighting, receptacles, HVAC, and large equipment. Estimators size the gear to the design load plus required spare capacity; undersizing forces a costly upgrade later, while oversizing inflates the bid unnecessarily.

Need more than definitions?

Get AI-powered bid alerts, automated form filling, and proposal drafting.

Start Free Trial

© 2026 ConstructionBids.ai — A LaderaLabs Product