Cost of underground wiring (30m/60m?)

[MickBee]

I am getting estimates for an alley gate (security gate for a back lane serving 15 properties with garages.) Some users have asked about having a powered gate, and I have had quotes which assume that the power can come from the nearest house.

My problem is that the owners of that nearest house may not agree to giving access to their power supply, in which case there would be a need for underground cabling of length either 30m or 60 m along the verge of the back lane (i.e. in a trench below it) to alternative properties.

Could anyone give me an approximate idea of the extra cost of such underground cabling, please? (it would be useful to know this before going back to the contractors who gave me the quotes.)

 

[riveralt]

Dig and lay cable £20 per metre plus price of cable - but depends on ground conditions.

Size of cable will depand on circuit requirements including demand, length and voltage drop.

You will probably need planning permission and/or permission of landowner(s) to dig up the verge on the back lane.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1793535#1793535

 

[flameport]

I have had quotes which assume that the power can come from the nearest house.

While it could come from one of the houses, if the gate provides access to a common area shared between multiple properties, this is creating a huge can of worms for the future.

What if:
- the person in the house decides they don't want to pay for the gate electricity any more?
- there is some fault causing the MCB or RCD to trip and the owner of that house is away on holiday for a month?
- the house is sold and is vacant for a few weeks/months
- and so on.

If a powered gate is required, a new separate supply will be required for it as well.
Either that or forget the powered gate completely.

 

[riveralt]

Some users have asked about having a powered gate....

Your just being posh now - around here we use good old fashion push/pull power - better than your steel wire armoured anyday

Listen to flameport!

 

[comms]

Just had a contractor quote to dig a 35 meter long trench across a carpark & make good tarmac & white lines after I've dropped in a 25mm 2 core swa.....£990 give or take a couple of pence.

 

[Chri5]

Just had a contractor quote to dig a 35 meter long trench across a carpark & make good tarmac & white lines after I've dropped in a 25mm 2 core swa.....£990 give or take a couple of pence.

That's cheap.

Hope he understands the depth of dig (600mm to surface from top edge of cable), soft sand, marker tape, fill, surface, seam, mark and clear debris issues.

Back in the 90's I had 1000m of digging at a uni, including roads and car parks- with duct it was £45 a metre and £300 for each inspection pit.

 

[MickBee]

Thank you to eveyone who has replied; in particular to comms, to riveralt and to Chri5 for giving me just the sort of figures I was after - so that I can explain, to the people who want the gates to be powered, (and to the others who would have to share the cost) just how much extra it would be.

I had seen the thread that ban-all-sheds pointed out, but thank you too, for making sure that I hadn't missed it.

I also agree with what flameport put about the potential difficulties - as did several people who spoke at the meeting to discuss what to do - but I think that spelling out what the extra cost is will also be effective in helping everyone to make up their minds.

 

[Stoday]

It may be possible for your DNO to provide an unmetered supply for the gate. Ask. If not, you'll need a pillar to hold the termination and meter.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Back in the 90's I had 1000m of digging at a uni

I'm surprised you had time for lectures - most students go for bar jobs, or shelf stacking etc....