Service Drop vs. Service Lateral

Category: infrastructure

A service drop brings utility power overhead via aerial cables; a service lateral routes utility power underground through buried conduit pathways.

A service drop runs from a utility pole to a structural mast or weatherhead on the building exterior. A service lateral feeds power completely out of sight from a subterranean utility pad transformer through heavy schedule 80 PVC conduit straight into the base of the meter socket enclosure.

Common Examples

• For the coastal commercial project, we specified an underground service lateral to insulate the main power lines from high hurricane wind loads.
• Upgrading the old home structure required converting the overhead service drop into a clean, modern buried service lateral asset.