which comes first siding or electrical

Question

Folks, I have to decide on outdoor electrical panels. I am upgrading the service to 200 amp. The current panels are attached to siding. I will be replacing siding as well, but I would like to do panels first. Is it a bad idea? Should I go for siding first?

Mike Reynolds · Answer

If you are doing vinyl siding you need the box first. If you are doing regular siding do the siding first. The way to do this is get a temporary pole and run your siding then after the siding is installed then run your panel.

Since you are doing vinyl run your box first. BUT, make sure your waterproofing is done behind your box. You still might have to install a temporary pole to achieve this. You must get that weather tight behind that box somehow.

Kenneth Garrett · Answer

Account Closed

If your removing the old siding and replacing it.  Put the panel in first.  It will be easier to run the siding up to the box.  Otherwise the electrician will need to cut the siding to set the panel and the sider will need to come back.  Do not mount the panel against the old siding.  Some electrical inspectors will not allow it.

George W. · Answer

In the end it might not make much of esthetic difference. More than likely your electricans going to run a piece of conduit up the side of the house anyways. The only time I think it would much matter is if there was no electric service at all, it would just make it easier for the siding guy.

Account Closed · Answer

@George W. But what would be esthetically the best? Or no difference?

Account Closed · Answer

@JD Martin I don't see how to attach photos from app on my phone. I have vynil siding which I will replace, and the current panel is attached over it. Should I do siding first? It does not seem right, as the electrical is usually done before siding. So confusing...

Ben Sears · Answer

If you want it to look clean:

Install your house wrap

Install two vertical pieces of 5/4 treated decking board, trex, etc cut slightly smaller than the outside diameter of the box

Install the panel on top of the blocking

Have your siding guys install J channel behind the box and against the blocking. Siding will “flow” behind the panel and the 5/4 boards allow the panel to look flush against the wall.

Have done this many times and it works great. This also allows the house to be sided without the panel having to be installed.

Mike Lane · Answer

@Sophie Maisel

It can be done either way. Preferably siding first and block it out. If you are just doing a vinyl siding it's not a big deal to flash the top of the service panel and trim out around the rest of it. Regardless, if the guys know what they are doing it can go in either order.

Theresa Harris · Answer

Talk to the electrician and the guys doing the siding.

Scott P. · Answer

In my area the meter socket box panel is installed first for siding houses.  Then, a trim piece (called "J" channel I think) or some other "flashing" is installed around the meter socket panel box.  Then the siding is installed and it sort of fits into that "J channel".  Here's a photo from a duplex I had built by a full-time builder several years ago.

Note: with brick in my area the order of install is reversed.  The electrician stubs out a pipe, called a "nipple" I think. It connects to the electrical panel inside and then goes through the wall a few inches.  Then the brick layer lays the brick.  Then the electrician mounts the meter socket box panel onto to the brick with the pipe nipple entering the back side/house side of the meter socket box panel.  I was the builder for the SFR I'm living in now and which is brick.

George W. · Answer

Either or. If there's already a electric service there, the siding guy still has to work around it the existing siding.