Re: article 230
anyplace i have ever worked, NO unmetered conductor was allowed inside the building except where (as in the case of a large shopping mall) there is a specific metering room).
someone please help me out if i am wrong, but this is due to utility requirements, not the nec.
as mentioned above the code is specific about the length of conductor allowed inside the building that does not have overcurrent protection. most places i have worked, the meter is not on the line side of the meter, so the unmetered cable would also have no overcurrent protection.
is this a case where the electrician is trying to put the meter somewhere else on the building beside where the service lateral is located. the utility here decides both were the service lateral will be brought to and also where the meter will be located. sometimes we need to install a riser high enough to get clearance above the building to meet their needs. i cant say that i have ever even considered putting the service drop on the opposite side of the building from the meter.
in the past i have installed a meter directly below the service drop, then run the cable (in conduit) a good distance outside the house to make an entry near the panel location.
[ November 26, 2005, 03:29 PM: Message edited by: jbwhite ]