# Light poles



## WronGun (Oct 18, 2013)

This is a part of the trade I really want to get into. Installing , replacing, retrofitting light poles, parking lot lighting etc. I've already started doing gas station Canopy lighting. I recently got a call to replace a pole light. Wondering if anyone has any experience with this ? 

I'm looking at replacing a pole that's leaning over in a townhome community that wants to eventually replace 40+ sodium roadway lights , but I'm starting with this one that leaning over. 

Looks like a poor Installation but I want to price it with a proper installation so I was looking to have the concrete base installed by a masonry company so I'll just have to show up with a bucket and bolt down the pole and install the light....

The light has 15' of exposed wood pole I'm looking at an aluminum pole which I will bolt down to the footing with a 24 Diode light by Hubbel. 

Am I going about this the right way from anyone who's familiar with this ?










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## lightman (Oct 14, 2015)

I've spent most of my life working on pole lights. You are smart to ease into it. I suggest finding a contractor that will do the concrete work for you at a reasonable price. If you start working on roadway lights you may eventually need a cable locator of some sort. Maybe even a mini-excavator. On parking lot lights you will need a helper to do long wire pulls. You will also need to stock some bulbs and ballast, both of which are bulky and take up a lot of space. 

Also, the higher up in the air that you work the less likely things are to go your way. The name universal in universal ballast means that you will need every tool in the tool box to make it fit! Thats just the way it is!


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## WronGun (Oct 18, 2013)

I'm sure new Installations can get very in-depth and equipment is needed....here im just replacing the pole and light... I see alot of EPA ratings for the poles that I will need to figure out.. other than that. I will start looking for a concrete contractor 


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

Wronggun are you already done with that 7,000 sq-ft house finish? When does the 20 unit tanning bed complex start? I really want to help quote that. 
When did you get a bucket truck? What kind did you get as I am in the market for a new one.


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## WronGun (Oct 18, 2013)

sbrn33 said:


> Wronggun are you already done with that 7,000 sq-ft house finish? When does the 20 unit tanning bed complex start? I really want to help quote that.
> When did you get a bucket truck? What kind did you get as I am in the market for a new one.




I posted about the 7,000 sq' house that the GC said my estimate was triple what he is used to paying which is absolutely BS... I know NC is cut throat but I don't see how you can wire a house this size with extras for 25k and make money...

The tanning salon is moving forward in the spring time, for now he had me change the bulbs and ballasts in 3 beds which was cool to get familiar with..I learned this from the owner who doesn't want to maintain them anymore, so he taught me how to work on them.... 

The bucket Van is something I would love to own but can't afford at this point, so The rental is $240 a day and goes down considerably the longer you rent it... I've only rented twice for some gas station Canopy lighting change-outs , I've seen a few on Craigslist for a fair price. It's basically a ford E-series with a bucket 


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## telsa (May 22, 2015)

Stay a renter. :thumbsup:


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## MikeFL (Apr 16, 2016)

I can't tell how far that pole is leaning, but if it's on a concrete base you may be able to adjust the bolts to make the pole plumb.

If it has grout under the baseplate, chisel that out and see if there's enough room to adjust the bolts. 

Back to light poles in general, they are either direct burial or on a concrete base. In either case, if you can't get enough adjustment out of the bolts, you can excavate around the base (or pole if direct burial) and put it where it needs to be, and backfill with some stable material, compacting it well.

To get into the business I'd use a sub for the concrete work to start as was already said, but pay close attention to what equipment he has, how many man hours, materials cost, etc. Eventually you'll want an auger truck where those profits are yours too if you get into enough volume.


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## WronGun (Oct 18, 2013)

Something about an 18' direct burial pole makes me nervous , but what do I know.... the current pole feels like a wood stake sitting in dirt, I can easily swing it around...


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

So what is the pic of?


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## WronGun (Oct 18, 2013)

Is a lights pole/roadway light that's falling over. Here's a better pic










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## MikeFL (Apr 16, 2016)

WronGun said:


> Something about an 18' direct burial pole makes me nervous , but what do I know.... the current pole feels like a wood stake sitting in dirt, I can easily swing it around...
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


That's not much of a pole.

Do you mean 18' out of the ground? That's going to be probably 24' min length pole depending on the ground around where you are.

In some applications around here we use 50' poles with 15' direct burial and 35' out of the ground. Keep in mind we have very high wind loads and very soft earth (beach sand).


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## WronGun (Oct 18, 2013)

This pole is 15' out of the ground , I don't know how deep it's buried... I'm looking at doing a concrete footing with a 16' aluminum pole bolted down 


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

That is an aluminum pole. It is not buried at all. Just pour a new footing.


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## WronGun (Oct 18, 2013)

sbrn33 said:


> That is an aluminum pole. It is not buried at all. Just pour a new footing.




What I meant was ... I'm looking to install 16' aluminum, bolted To a footing ... what you see is a wood pole that feels like it's sitting in dirt... like property owners said "these need to be more efficient, and installed correctly" 

I'm still waiting for the quote on Hubbel Airo Roadway lighting which I'm sure is not going to be cheap










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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

Your pics are not of a wood pole??? So I do not understand your ****. but here goes. 
16 foot steel 5 inch pole with anchor bolts= $700
morris lighting 300 watt led fixture with pole mount bracket= $600
Sub out 24 inch footing and concrete $1,000
your labor with power already in the location $600
Looks close to $4K for the one pole
Take a grand off if you can use the existing footing.


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## Signal1 (Feb 10, 2016)

We've been using the pre-cast light pole bases. They're nice and really speed up the process. You need a machine to move them around and set them though.


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## WronGun (Oct 18, 2013)

sbrn33 said:


> Your pics are not of a wood pole??? So I do not understand your ****. but here goes.
> 16 foot steel 5 inch pole with anchor bolts= $700
> morris lighting 300 watt led fixture with pole mount bracket= $600
> Sub out 24 inch footing and concrete $1,000
> ...




That is a wood pole that is leaning over ! I touched it and moved it around , and it feels like it's buried in dirt only , unless it snapped or rotted out somewhere deep in the ground ..... 

I tend to go overboard with all the smaller light poles I've installed....

My method for residential light poles is to dig a 24" diameter hole , 24" deep... I usually drill out the bottom 18" of the pole or more depending on height..and send 30" in length 3/4" rods through in cross-cross method , so that about 12"-14" of rod extends on either side of the pole, I do this about 4 times...this sorta acts like rebar... then I galvanize 

I bury the pole in the ground , then dump 60lbs medium size stone , then about 100lb quickrete.... I explain my method and usually get hired on all of them because most of the time I'm replacing a pole that's leaning or tipped over ....and yes I charge well for this , but it seems people do don't mind spending extra 

This is a picture of a much smaller setup than I explained












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## CADPoint (Jul 5, 2007)

Since your getting into this work you should consider finding the portable
pole lift. It's a tow trailer with the grasp arm and four stabilizing legs.


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## WronGun (Oct 18, 2013)

CADPoint said:


> Since your getting into this work you should consider finding the portable
> 
> pole lift. It's a tow trailer with the grasp arm and four stabilizing legs.




I've been looking at them online, definitely a must.


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

The only wood I see in that original pic is the trees??? I must be missing something.


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## WronGun (Oct 18, 2013)

sbrn33 said:


> The only wood I see in that original pic is the trees??? I must be missing something.













The light pole in the picture is wood... there is no mounting arm plate or block on the front of the pole... the light arm actually goes through the pole and supports on the back side.. the wood is painted in a bronze color and is peeling off all over the pole , it does have a cap of some sort on the top... I practically got a splinter from it....not that I've been observant of light poles my whole life , but i would never think they would come in wood...granted it's probably treated wood 

You can tell there is quite a difference from the pole color to the light alarm , the light is Aluminum.


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

In all my years I have never seen a square wood pole like that. I have done round before. That set up never would have even entered my head.


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## Signal1 (Feb 10, 2016)

sbrn33 said:


> In all my years I have never seen a square wood pole like that. I have done round before. That set up never would have even entered my head.


Me neither. Why on earth would someone install a little wooden pole like that. 
No wonder they're falling over.


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

Signal1 said:


> Me neither. Why on earth would someone install a little wooden pole like that.
> No wonder they're falling over.


Yea, and the funny part is he is digging a 2 foot hole and thinks his method is way better. There is snow on the ground so I know there has to be frost considerations. That one we did was a 24 inch round footing 4 foot deep. full of rebar. Different strokes. Even a wood pole is going to be 4 foot no matter what.


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## WronGun (Oct 18, 2013)

sbrn33 said:


> Yea, and the funny part is he is digging a 2 foot hole and thinks his method is way better. There is snow on the ground so I know there has to be frost considerations. That one we did was a 24 inch round footing 4 foot deep. full of rebar. Different strokes. Even a wood pole is going to be 4 foot no matter what.




Ya it's strange , but it's wood. Are you talking about my 2' hole? That particular paragraph was about resi poles.... my 2' hole is for a 7' post of which 2' is buried 


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## MikeFL (Apr 16, 2016)

Wooden poles like that are found in deed restricted communities, parks and villages where they like the wood. I think we all agree it looks like a metal pole in the picture, but for that to be wood is not that rare.

On the island of Nantucket all the street signs are wood. People steal them all the time for the nostalgia but they keep making them out of wood.


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## telsa (May 22, 2015)

MikeFL said:


> Wooden poles like that are found in deed restricted communities, parks and villages where they like the wood. I think we all agree it looks like a metal pole in the picture, but for that to be wood is not that rare.
> 
> On the island of Nantucket all the street signs are wood.* People steal them all the time for the nostalgia* but they keep making them out of wood.


The locals steal them so that the 'August crowd' can't find their way around the island.

They have nostalgia for 'April and May.'


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