Service-entrance cable down the siding
The siding courses are 4 in. What's wrong here?
- The SE cable is missing straps between the head and the meter hub
- Service-entrance cable must be run in conduit on an exterior wall
- The service head must be at least 24 in above the point of attachment
- Nothing. This installation is compliant
Show the answer and the code reference
The answer
The service-entrance cable is not supported within 12 in of the meter enclosure or at intervals of 30 in or less.
Correct choice: 1. The SE cable is missing straps between the head and the meter hub
230.51(A) requires service-entrance cable to be strapped within 12 in of every service head, gooseneck, or raceway or enclosure connection, and at intervals of no more than 30 in. Counting the 4 in siding courses, the only strap is just below the head and the next support is the meter hub about 57 in down. The loose cable bows off the wall, wind and ice work it, and its weight hangs on the hub connector, which breaks the watertight seal and pulls on the unfused terminations inside.
How to fix it
Add one-hole or two-hole SE straps sized for the cable within 12 in of the meter hub and at no more than 30 in spacing between, pulling the cable flat to the siding. Recheck that the hub connector is tight and sealed.
Code references
NEC 2023 230.51(A) — Mounting Supports: Service-Entrance Cables
Service-entrance cable shall be supported by straps or other approved means within 12 in of every service head, gooseneck, or connection to a raceway or enclosure and at intervals not exceeding 30 in.
Drills citing 230.51(A)NEC 2023 230.54(C) — Overhead Service Locations: Service Heads and Goosenecks Above Service-Drop or Overhead Service Attachment
Service heads and goosenecks in service-entrance cables shall be located above the point of attachment of the service-drop or overhead service conductors. Where that is impracticable, the head may be located not farther than 24 in from the point of attachment.
Drills citing 230.54(C)
2026 NEC:same rule and number. No 2026 change to SE cable support (within 12 in of heads, goosenecks, and enclosure connections, at most 30 in apart) appears in the 2026 change summaries checked, and current descriptions of the rule match the 2023 text. Assumed unchanged. Confidence: low
Minnesota
Minnesota enforces the 2023 NEC, adopted by reference without amendments in Minn. Rules 1315.0200 (Minn. Stat. 326B.35), effective July 1, 2023. No Minnesota amendment to 230.51 or 230.54 exists. The Board of Electricity adopted the 2026 NEC, also without amendment, for permits filed on or after Aug. 17, 2026 (exams moved to the 2026 NEC on Sept. 8, 2026); see the 2026 NEC note on this drill.
How Minnesota adopts the NECWhy the other choices are wrong
- Service-entrance cable must be run in conduit on an exterior wall. SE cable is a recognized service-entrance wiring method (230.43, 338.10(A)) and may run exposed on the outside of a building; 230.50 calls for added protection only where it is subject to physical damage.
- The service head must be at least 24 in above the point of attachment. 230.54(C) only requires the head above the point of attachment, and even allows it up to 24 in away when that is impracticable. There is no 24 in minimum.
- Nothing. This installation is compliant. Count the siding courses: about 14 courses (roughly 57 in) of cable hang between the only strap and the meter hub, almost twice the 30 in maximum.