ADU Construction in Arleta, Metered at the House or the Unit
Arleta ADUs metered at the main house or on the unit itself, with the choice made early because it moves the trench, the service work and the footprint.
A pair of meters grouped on the main house can power an Arleta ADU as well as a meter mounted on the unit, and the two layouts point to different spots in the yard. Grouped, the utility's work stays at the house, and a feeder we bury in conduit carries power back, so trench length becomes the limit. With the meter on the unit, the utility runs its own line into the yard and wants an open path to reach it.
Meters grouped at the house
Grouping usually means replacing the house's meter socket with a two-position one or adding a second socket beside it, and the change often comes with a larger service. The utility sets that size after it reviews the added load. From the new socket, a feeder runs to a subpanel in the unit, sized by a load calculation and buried at the depth the electrical code gives for its conduit type. Each meter and panel is labeled with the address it serves. LADBS inspects the service equipment and the open trench before the utility sets the meters.
A meter on the unit
Putting the meter on the unit moves the utility's line into the yard. The utility chooses its route and conduit size, and its crews need a way in that stays open, so a meter behind a locked side gate can be refused. A unit along the driveway side keeps that access simple. This layout leaves the house service untouched, which helps when the existing equipment is sound and its panel has no spare room. In either layout the gas meter keeps its required clearance from the electrical equipment, and that can rule a wall out.
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The meter layout points the way. With both meters on the house, an Arleta unit can stand anywhere a feeder trench reaches, as long as the setbacks hold and its drains fall to the sewer. With a meter on the unit, the driveway side tends to win. On a sloping Arleta lot, footings on the low side go deeper.
An Arleta unit that qualifies, with one story and up to 500 square feet, has its drawings covered by the package. The electrical plan for Arleta shows the meter layout we chose, the feeder size and the trench route, and LADBS reviews the load calculation behind them. Grade engineering and construction are figured separately after the site visit.
Grouping the meters can mean a new socket and a larger service, with utility charges for the change. A meter on the unit avoids that work but lengthens the utility's line through the yard. Either way, the feeder trench is priced by its length. On a falling yard, stepped footings and the haul-off of cut soil add more.
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