pole barn under power lines

rick165 · Jul 24, 2011

the wife picked out the perfect spot for her horse barn just a small 36x 40 but there are overhead power lines going to be right over the center of it they come down the lane from the main lines a quarter mile away and they end at our house.they would still be 20 feet above it but i dont think its a good idea might even be illegal to build it under there anyone out here know the details about something like this thanks.
RICK

Nebraska Cowman · Jul 24, 2011

I'd say if it's the "perfect" spot, move the line. Talk to your electric supplier about it.

thurlow · Jul 24, 2011

Around 'here', a building can't be under a power line and must me 25 ft from them; cost us $700.00 to get the lines moved when we added on to the house in '96.

Zachary Hoyt · Jul 24, 2011

We have a pole barn that was built before we came here that was built directly under the main line that runs the whole road. For some reason they ran the line through our field instead of along the road. I guess it was okay, or they wouldn't have been allowed to build it, or else they built it when nobody was looking.
Zach

NY 986 · Jul 24, 2011

First off I would check the local building codes with respect to that issue. Personally I would not want to build something with high voltage lines directly above. We have a gas line that runs within tens of feet of dad's house and a couple farm buildings. should the gas company need to do work they can not disturb the buildings and would be fully responsible for any damage done as these buildings predate the line. However, if we set any new buildings as close if not closer (or right over) it is noted in the right-of-way agreement (voluntarily or not when this was built, not quite eminent domain but close) that the gas line would not owe any compensation should the building be damaged or destroyed by activities of the gas line including servicing the line for maintenance. They would not owe the effort for minimal disturbance to prevent damage to these structures. I was gun-ho at one time to put a shop up very close to the right-of-way till dad explained this to me.

Wilson · Jul 24, 2011

Local fellow had sheep for many years they congreted in one area on hill. Power line came through so many problems over the years he quit raising sheep deformed births and wierd problems

Dean · Jul 24, 2011

Check with the power company and the county building inspector.

Dean

ericlb · Jul 24, 2011

power companies almost always 'own' a easament under their poles and lines for mantenence and repair, and building anything under them is almost always a no no

Anonymous-0 · Jul 24, 2011

what ericlb is talking about is below is >> EMF ( Electric Megnetic Force )
and it can give you cancer, among other things,
you want to stay away from Big Power Lines,,,

49716 · Jul 24, 2011

have them buried, no more tree or weather problems and the place looks much better.mine run high voltage to ten feet from the barn than the transformer sets on a pad.
-john-

JMOR · Jul 24, 2011

(quoted from post at 06:49:06 07/24/11) the wife picked out the perfect spot for her horse barn just a small 36x 40 but there are overhead power lines going to be right over the center of it they come down the lane from the main lines a quarter mile away and they end at our house.they would still be 20 feet above it but i dont think its a good idea might even be illegal to build it under there anyone out here know the details about something like this thanks.
RICK

osters can guess/speculate/relate their local experiences from now until the cows come home, but if you really want to KNOW, you need to contact your power company & local code authority.......like Dean said.

Greg_Ky · Jul 24, 2011

It depends on what type of powerline you are referring to, 69,000 or 120,000 volt transmission line they will not move. 7,200 or 14,400 volt three phase primary they will move but it is costly. The neighbor had two poles moved several feet so they could have their house in the ideal spot and it cost them just shy of $6,000 because it was hot work ( the line had to remain energized).

David G · Jul 24, 2011

Check with your electric supplier, they might have an easement.

If that line feeds your house only, it could be low voltage (240V) if the transformer is at the road, or high voltage (7200V) if the transformer is at your home. You are looking at a CONSIDERABLE amount of money to bury those lines.

I do not believe there would be any health issues from either.

John Harmon · Jul 24, 2011

Some claim of injurious health hazards existing from exposure to electrical discharges from power lines to humans is often made. I would think the same claims would apply to any hot blooded creature beside humans such as Horses etc. IMO I would build elsewhere and cut the exposure rate to nothing at best.

old · Jul 24, 2011

My hay barn is right under the power line. It is 100% metal so if the line where to come down it would ground out the moment it hit the building. That said it has been there for years so do not know if it is good or bad but it is there and has been for a long time

Spook · Jul 24, 2011

Best answer. IMHO.

Dean Olson · Jul 24, 2011

Here in TX the utilities companies have a ground easement and an aerial easement. You can't build under power lines here. I have a perfect place to build a house and the bill to move the lines is $14,000. Apparently a big part of that is the lawyers,county,title co etc. involved in giving up one easement and granting the other

Dean · Jul 24, 2011

Another thought:

The power company has at least a perscriptive easement for their power line.

The law or perscriptive easements varies from state to state but it is likely that you have a legal duty to provide maintenance access to their power line. Without more information about the nature of the power line and the building, there is no way to offer an opinion as to whether your proposed building might interfere with this dury.

I would certainly not build beneath their power line without first checking with the power company and the county building inspector. Further, if neither objects, I would not rely upon a verbal agreement but would have an attorney draw up an agreement to be signed by both you and the power company. If the power company objects to this, beware of the red flags.

Dean, who is both an EE and an attorney

FBH44 · Jul 24, 2011

Don't do it. Someday someone will get up on top of that barn to fix a sheet metal ridge, or pull a ladder up there, or a metal pole, or a nice steel Stanley tape measure, and the blue bang will light up the inside of the house. The poor person will drop like a rock.
(From sad experience, from years in the utility business.)

Bill Tom · Jul 24, 2011

Here in our part of Ga. the easement is 15 feet either side of power lines. Ask your electric supplier.

paul · Jul 24, 2011

You can get your personal feed line moved or burried, sometimes it is fairly cheap, sometimes it costs you a fair amount. Don't know until you ask the electric co you have.

It may be legal to build under if you have enough vertical height left (depends on local electric co and local inspector); but if your wife plans to board horses some of those horse people are real finiky & won't like the thought of it; and as others said rpainting or reroofing or even building the 1st time can be quite a hassle/danger your building supplier may not pprove or charge a lot extra.

How high are the poles, if you'd still have 20 feet of clearance, must be quite a hill there as any building worth it's salt is going to be 15 feet high at the peak, electric co never uses 40 foot high poles for a site feed???? Think maybe you aren't looking at that right?

Short answer is it's a local issue, won't know until you talk to both local govt and local power co, and in the end it's not a good idea anyhow.

Assuming you will be rewiring some to the building anyhow, might be a good time to get the poles moved or your main feed put in underground, some electric cos are very receptive to this if you are doing construction that will increase the monthly bill you will recieve from them....

When I upgraded from 60 amp service to 200 amp, they said overhead lines are free, underground is 50 cents a foot cost figuring I'd use more electricity and they would recoup over the years - that was a steal, I went underground for 750 feet. Don't know until you ask.

--->Paul

36 Coupe · Jul 24, 2011

Old ,it would draw a big arc.I knew a fellow who lost his saw mill when a line fell on it.

36 Coupe · Jul 24, 2011

Old ,it would draw a big arc.I knew a fellow who lost his saw mill when a line fell on it.

36 Coupe · Jul 24, 2011

7200 will melt stones on the roadside when it arcs.

504 · Jul 24, 2011

Ten years ago the REC here would have moved your line at no charge, today I would expect a charge of $500.00 and they would add it to the power bill over the next 5 years. Ask for a meeting with the construction foreman and he will tell you what they need and what it will cost.

rick165 · Jul 24, 2011

i think i talked her into finding another spot it will bug me forever every time i look at it so were gonna find another location,
RICK

bg/mo · Jul 24, 2011

common sense!! My question is ,why would you even consider building under powerlines? asking for trouble unless they are moved. Would you want them goin over your house?

buickanddeere · Jul 24, 2011

Just how heavy, high and the voltage level of these power lines ?

730d se · Jul 24, 2011

Find another spot for the pole barn for all of the reasons listed and others that are not listed.

pole barn under power lines

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