How high does a meter have to be mounted?

The serving utility sets meter height, commonly 4 to 6 feet to center with 5 feet typical. Check the utility service standards before setting the base.

What is the maximum height for a main disconnect handle?

6 feet 7 inches to the center of the operating handle in its highest position, per NEC 404.8(A).

Is there a minimum height for a disconnect?

The NEC sets no minimum, but the equipment must have 110.26 working space and be readily accessible. Practical installs put the handle between 4 and 6 feet.

How high off finish grade should a meter and main disconnect be mounted?

Two different rulebooks answer this. The meter belongs to the utility, and their service standards manual, not the NEC, sets its height. Most utilities in the US want the meter center between 4 and 6 feet above finish grade, with 5 feet to center the most common single number. Some allow down to 3 feet in special cases and most cap it at 6 feet 3 inches or so for reader access. Always pull the local utility spec sheet before you set a meter base, because they will refuse to set a meter that misses their window.

The NEC number for the disconnect

NEC 2023 404.8(A) caps the operating handle of a switch or circuit breaker, in its highest position, at 6 feet 7 inches above the floor or working platform. That is the only hard height number for your main disconnect or meter-main. There is no NEC minimum height for the disconnect itself, but the equipment needs its 110.26 working space, 36 inches deep, 30 inches wide, 6 feet 6 inches of headroom, and it must be readily accessible per 230.70(A)(2).

Outside emergency disconnects

Where the 2023 cycle is adopted, 230.85 requires one and two family dwellings to have an emergency disconnect outside at a readily accessible location. The same 6 foot 7 inch handle limit applies, and marking requirements in 230.85(E) call out the emergency disconnect labeling. A meter-main combo at 5 feet to meter center puts the breaker handle comfortably inside the limit.

Grade matters more than people think

Heights are measured from finish grade, not the dirt you see at rough-in. A meter set at 5 feet before final grading can end up at 4 feet 4 inches after the landscapers build up the beds, or hanging high over a walkout cut. On sloped lots, measure at the equipment, and think about snow depth in northern jurisdictions since the disconnect must stay accessible year round.

Field notes

A comfortable standard install: meter center at 5 feet, disconnect handle between 4 and 6 feet, nothing over the gas meter, and 3 feet clear of the gas regulator vent per most utility and fuel gas rules. Verify that last dimension locally, it is the one that gets services red tagged after the fact.