A temporary power pole gives a construction site metered electricity before permanent service exists, usually built around a 200 amp panel mounted on a treated post. Lexington Porta Pros coordinates delivery and setup so your framers, saw crews and site trailer have power on day one, not week three.
A temporary power pole, sometimes called a temp pole or spider box on a post, is a freestanding panel that lets the utility company energize a job site before the building has permanent wiring. It holds a meter base, a breaker panel and outlets, all mounted at a set height on a pressure-treated pole set in the ground or in a concrete base. Most residential and light commercial jobs in Lexington run on a 200 amp temporary power pole, which covers saws, compressors, lighting and a construction office trailer at the same time. If your site also needs a mobile office trailer or a storage container for tools, the pole usually gets placed near that cluster so cords do not cross foot traffic. GFCI protection matters here: OSHA 1926.404(b)(1)(ii) covers ground fault circuit interrupter requirements on construction sites, and any temp pole feeding hand tools needs that protection built in.
Installation cost depends on amperage, distance from the utility line and whether the electrician needs to trench. A basic setup runs a flat project fee, and most contractors budget it alongside other startup costs like roll-off dumpster rental, temporary fencing, and even a standard porta potty rental ordered in the same call. Because power pole pricing swings so much by site conditions, we do not quote a number here that would not hold up job to job; ask for a walk-through quote through request a quote instead of a phone estimate, and check our porta potty rental cost page while you are budgeting the rest of the site. What we can say: sites already running a light tower rental for night work often combine that order with the pole install to save a truck trip, and the same logic applies to temporary fence cost planning done up front.
Placement follows the same logic as porta potty placement or the guidance in how many porta potties do I need: close enough to serve the work, far enough to stay out of traffic and delivery lanes. A roll-off delivery needs about 60 feet of straight clearance behind the truck, so keep the pole clear of that swing path if a dumpster will land nearby. Most electricians set the pole within reach of the meter location the utility assigns, then run temporary circuits out to a handwashing station, site lighting, a temporary power pole subpanel if the site needs a second drop, and the construction dumpster area. On sites near downtown Lexington, tight lots make this planning matter more; a pole set wrong the first time means a second trip to move it. If your project sits closer to Nicholasville, about 15.3 miles southwest, or out toward Winchester, 18.0 miles east, factor drive time into your install date so the electrician and delivery crews arrive the same week, and check our full service areas list if your site sits further out.
Most jurisdictions require an electrical permit and inspection before the utility energizes a temp pole, but permit rules vary by project and address. Confirm requirements directly with the city before your electrician schedules the install. This is separate from any dumpster permit requirements or porta potty permit requirements you might also need on the same site.
A 200 amp temporary power pole covers most single-family builds and light commercial jobs, running saws, a compressor and trailer lighting together. Larger commercial sites or projects running multiple trades at once may need a higher amperage panel; your electrician sizes it against your actual load list.
A straightforward install with the meter base ready and clear access usually takes an electrician a single day. Delays come from utility scheduling, not the physical setup. Order it early alongside site basics like portable restroom rental and construction site services so nothing holds up your start date.
Yes. Rental keeps upfront cost down for a single project and Lexington Porta Pros can coordinate delivery timing with other site equipment, the same way we schedule porta potty rental per day or monthly porta potty rental orders. Renting also avoids storage and maintenance once the job wraps.
Electricians use the diagram to show meter height, breaker panel placement and grounding rod position before the utility signs off. It documents the layout for inspection, similar to how OSHA portable toilet requirements get checked against a site plan before crews start work in Lexington; questions about either usually end up on our FAQ or about pages.
Call now or request a free quote — clean units, on-time delivery, transparent pricing.
