Hiding a large electric box on the side of a house

Madeline
by Madeline
I want to hide the box as well as an electric meter right next to it. I've been told it's not a good idea to paint them the house color because of the connections inside them. Any thoughts? Thanks.

  8 answers
  • That is silly, mine is painted the same as the house to make it disappear as much as possible. Check with your local utility companies first. Where I live it is illegal to disguise or cover in any way, shape or form.

  • Alyssa Alyssa on Sep 17, 2017

    Check with your power company before you do anything that might enclose or obscure the meter. Usually, your service agreement requires that the meter be readily accessible, so your power company may have specific rules and regulations about what you can do. (NEC code 110.26, for example, requires there to be clear work space above and in front of your meter, and says that any doors or hinged panels have to open at least 90 degrees.)

  • Kay27246977 Kay27246977 on Sep 17, 2017

    ive seen people paint murals on them.

  • Nancy Turner Nancy Turner on Sep 17, 2017

    Definitely check with the power company. If there is something you can do, they would certainly be able to tell you things that are acceptable to their policy.

  • Stillyoung Stillyoung on Sep 17, 2017

    You could build some kind of attractive partition around it that is removable or folds back. One neighbor did this like a small folding louver type fence, ( like a closet door) just high enough to hide your unit. Mine is in the back of the house which is on a hill and woodsy so nobody sees it.

  • Joe Newberger Joe Newberger on Sep 17, 2017

    seal noticeable seams with a silicon caulk and if you paint, use several light coats and don't allow it to drip inside the box

  • Sharon Sharon on Sep 17, 2017

    Build a backless box with a hinged front door to access the box and meter on the front.

  • Jewellmartin Jewellmartin on Sep 18, 2017

    No one comes in our yard to read meters anymore. The ones that aren't directly connected to the company by computer are read from the alley by computerized readers. We are not allowed to paint the boxes or put any fencing in front of them at all. That would probably keep the satallite from reaching them. If you can find out from which direction the meter-readers are coming (front or back), maybe you can put up a trellis or one section of a fence to mask the meters from the other direction. Best wishes 😇

    • Madeline Madeline on Sep 18, 2017

      I will look into this with my service company. Thanks for your input.