Building new home in Houston and a survey showed that we have some unusually low lines at the back/right portion of the home where the garage is located…to the point that we either have to pay to raise the lines or move the garage up 5'

Is this CenterPoint that does this or other 3rd party companies that provide this service?

I'm not sure the cost of this but we have a small lot so moving anything forward 5' is significant so trying to weigh our options

You'll need to contact Centerpoint about it first. They can tell you specifically what your options are and should be able to give you some numbers on cost to think about.

I haven't seen the lines, but usually the lower lines are the communications lines (Spectrum / Cable / Land Line Phone / Fiber Optic) that lease space on the power company's poles.

There is a code detailing how high those lines must be depending upon the location. I've been told that if it's a communications line that those companies are in no hurry to help.

Let us know how it goes.

Yes, Centerpoint would be the ones to raise the lines. You'll need to get in touch with your local rep for the area.

If it's the high voltage line on the top of the pole, it will be difficult since they'll need to replace the poles. If it's the 240V insulated cable, that's easy. $500-1000. If it's just the communication cables, wgas.

If they are below NESC standards, you may get them to raise them for free. Post the aerial survey here.

I will see if I can find aerial

Here is the utility line survey. Is that helpful to determine what we are dealing with?

Is the pink "overhead electric power line" bare wire, or is it insulated cable? Take a pic. Can you see your neighbors electric service tapping directly off of it?

You need to draw your proposed garage and add these clearances. Then you'll know how close you can get to those lines. If you want it closer to the 5' U.E. line, you'll need to move the lines.

Back right is where the garage is going (can't be moved)

Back left is open

The architect already drew the plans but the electrical supply survey I attached came in and he said we need to move garage forward 5' based off that.

I'm getting in touch with CenterPoint I'm just seeing if we have any other options (do we have a case the lines are too low and they will pay to move) etc

When you say "back right", you mean the northwest corner? How tall is the garage?

Actually, draw the garage as if you're standing on the north fence facing south.

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I'm getting in touch with CenterPoint I'm just seeing if we have any other options (do we have a case the lines are too low and they will pay to move) etc

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No, they look to be above minimum ground clearance.

It seems like the problem is primarily caused by the droop between adjacent overhead utility poles. You've got a pole in one corner of your lot and not in the other (which makes sense because the lot is only 72' wide).

So, if you could pay Centerpoint (and if they would actually do it) to place another utility pole on the other side of your lot and then get them to raise their power lines to the top of the new pole (and get the communications lines raised as well) you might be able to accomplish your goal.

You can always ask. Power companies are more responsive to requests than are the communications guys. The hell would be you get the power line raised but the communications guys tell you that they're backed up 'till the year 2050.

OTOH, your garage won't be directly under that line, will it?

Another option is to make the garage out of something that does not require maintenance...like brick. Then the clearance can be reduced to 2 ft. The max the line protrudes into your property is 2.4 ft. So as long as you stay out of the 5' U.E., you'll be fine.

This is where the garage is currently drawn.

It does have a 2nd floor currently drawn but we aren't finishing out for a few years

Show your architect note 1 from the NESC above. I think the horizontal clearance may be reduced by 2 ft. since the garage is brick and will require no maintenance. So you need 3 ft. of horizontal clearance from the line and it looks like you currently have 4.1 ft. (6.5 - 2.4) of clearance (I can't read the dimensions to the structure very well).

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It does have a 2nd floor currently drawn but we aren't finishing out for a few years

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What is the total height? Because there is a 20' aerial easement.

Do you have the elevation drawing of the garage?

Martin Q. Blank said:

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I'm getting in touch with CenterPoint I'm just seeing if we have any other options (do we have a case the lines are too low and they will pay to move) etc

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No, they look to be above minimum ground clearance.

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Looking at that first pic, the low point in the line seems like it's at 8' unless that's an 8' fence. It also looks about the same height as the bottom of the eave. Not sure what that line is, but it certainly seems low.

Seems like if you are out of the easement area, you could just slant the roof to get out of the power line way. that's what we had to do. Back of the garage second story is slanted to provide clearance. May not work for you. Seems like the architect would have known how to work around the lines.

ABATTBQ11 said:

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Martin Q. Blank said:

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I'm getting in touch with CenterPoint I'm just seeing if we have any other options (do we have a case the lines are too low and they will pay to move) etc

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No, they look to be above minimum ground clearance.

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Looking at that first pic, the low point in the line seems like it's at 8' unless that's an 8' fence. It also looks about the same height as the bottom of the eave. Not sure what that line is, but it certainly seems low.

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According to the survey, the lowest communications cable is 10.5' and the lowest 240V supply cable is 14.2'. Both are above minimum clearance.

Never mind. Aerial easement. Don't know how that works.

How much are you willing to spend.....tell us the number and I'll tell you if you if it is even worth trying to talk to the person at CNP

Man, I have no insight into this but centerpoint is going to look at you and say 'This is an established neighborhood, no one's getting taller poles.'

Like one poster said you might be able to get them to put a pole in your backyard to boost your sag up a foot or two.

Man I'd be a bit leery about trying to play clearance chicken with a two story garage on the back of the property like that.

Sidenote, how is that layout impervious ground compliant? Is there really 45% open cover to grass on that plot? Or am I misunderstanding the post harvey retention requirements.

I don't see how raising the lines does anything. He has clearance from the lines. The wall is made of brick so he needs minimum 3 ft and currently has 4.1 ft.

The problem is the aerial easement. A 2 story garage wall is going to begin at 16-20 ft.



The two options are to get a variance from the easement holder (probably Centerpoint) or just build it anyway and take the risk (probably low).

Another option is to bury the line underground. Pretty pricey, but you can lay conduit at the utility's specifications and pay for them to put the line underground. We did something at work for that with four different utilities across an easement to put a parking lot over. Not sure how receptive centerpoint would be for that.

Aerial easement would still remain. This is why the architect wants to move the garage forward by 5 ft. To get it out of the 5x20' A.E.

The architect knows best but I see your pain in that 5ft move forward making so many things TIGHT.
I might ask some questions like
Can we sacrifice 5ft of garage 2-story rear? Cut it off, HOA permitting ...
Can we do a low slope rear roof to clear this easement/util.line?
Maybe all this reading so late in day post-golf should be spent looking for a cold ale????

Best of luck, happy you have a hands-on architect to guide through all these restrictions and public SNAFUs (if any)

Sorry for no response for awhile.

All good tips - as usual CenterPoint has not been much help. From the sound of things it's the northwest corner lines that sagging in towards the lot that's causing the issue not necessarily the height of the lines.

The pole on my property is also not the issue rather it's the pole that's further north we can't see. The pole is not rotted and has been tagged for inspection in 2025 (I physically saw the metal tag). So I'm thinking there is no new pole needed rather the pole not on our property simply needs to be straightened which I'm told can be done hand. The architect said even if we could only pulls those in 2-3 feet we should be clear.

Getting them to actually complete that work im sure is a whole other story

DO NOT, do that little curve/bump out thing on your driveway at the street.

You'll be forever driving over whatever fills that bump out and it just adds a level of crank wheel this way then that way ever single time you back out of your driveway. Just make it straight to the street.

agracer said:

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DO NOT, do that little curve/bump out thing on your driveway at the street.

You'll be forever driving over whatever fills that bump out and it just adds a level of crank wheel this way then that way ever single time you back out of your driveway. Just make it straight to the street.

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It has to be done that way in Houston because the driveway apron must be entirely within the property boundaries. The apron radius is mandated by code. COH will allow the abutting property owner to sign a letter authorizing an encroachment onto their property for the purposes of constructing a driveway apron, but it is considered a variance, which can be a PITA.

Understood, but OP, if you can fill that in with some hard surface.

agracer said:

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DO NOT, do that little curve/bump out thing on your driveway at the street.

You'll be forever driving over whatever fills that bump out and it just adds a level of crank wheel this way then that way ever single time you back out of your driveway. Just make it straight to the street.

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Wait, you're saying by making a wider entrance, you're going to drive over it more?

And the answer is a straight cut?

So with the same turning angle you're gonna put a wheel divot in your yard?