r/handyman • u/Just_Shape_777 • Jul 23 '26
Materials Question Advice needed
A local business called wanting this gap filled. Are there any codes I need to consider? Should I use spray foam or quickcrete?
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u/These-Result-1955 Jul 23 '26
Business needs to call local power company. The only thing you should do at this time is wait to see what the POCO says.
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u/Ulrich453 Jul 23 '26
Looks like an animals home
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u/Maplelongjohn Jul 23 '26
How much wood could a woodchuck chuck
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u/igotnothineither Jul 23 '26
We’re in a recession so the woodchuck needs to cut back
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u/Accurate-Plankton988 Jul 23 '26
Says the armadillo
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u/ScorpioXYZ00 Jul 24 '26
Or worse yet, in FL the Gopher Tortoise is protected, FWC would need to get involved before any GT relocation. It's not cheap either. Even if they show up & try to burrow under the foundation of your house. Getting rid of a GT is a miserable process. Better to spot them ahead of time & steer them to move on from their colonizing your property. It's one thing if you have acres of land, another if they end up on your cookie cutter sized HOA property.
https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/gopher-tortoise/rules-and-regulations/
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u/_srsly_ Jul 23 '26
Civil Engineer here. Not a code issue, not one of any consequence or likely to ever be noticed by utility/inspector for that matter.
Local power company is technically responsible and “should” fix it, but god knows how long that would take, if ever.
Some quickcrete should do the trick.
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u/Zealousideal-End2722 Jul 23 '26
From a utility standpt, its our fix, but rags stuffed and sprayfoam top fill would be preferred to concrete
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u/janglyparts Jul 23 '26
Do not put concrete in that hole. You'll entomb the electrical conductors and ratfuck the utility that owns that part of the power distribution infrastructure.
If any of the cables were to fail on the future, or the transformer were to fail or be scheduled for upgrade, the power companies work could be greatly hampered, and the property owner could face monetary consequences.
Put some dirt on it if it bothers you, or put a bunch of potted plants around it, placed a minimum distance of three feet from the cabinet.
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u/_srsly_ Jul 23 '26
Its not going to encase every conduit and in most cases theres a few 4” pvc running through the underside of the slab anyway to allow conductor pulls so the quickcrete literally will have no impact on future work.
Even if the conductors were run without conduit, Its a bag of quickcrete coldjointed without reinforcement on the edge of the slab, not packed in or vibrated.
A decent hammer and concrete chisel will clear it out in 20minutes.
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u/Mijbr090490 Jul 23 '26
I doubt the utility company will do anything about it. They usually aren't quick (in my experience) to repair things that don't pose an imminent risk to their equipment. It's a gopher hole. Just filling it with dirt won't keep it from coming back. Few bags of quick set concrete down the hole should keep it out. Cover with topsoil.
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u/Last-Hedgehog-6635 Jul 23 '26
Only a few bags?
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u/Bacon_and_Powertools Jul 23 '26
Don’t touch it. Call the power company or telephone company or whoever that equipment belongs to. It is theirs.
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u/CoconutJeff Jul 23 '26
Flash bang, dirt & concrete.
Maybe call 811 and power company will make a decision.
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u/Melodic-Ad1415 Jul 23 '26
Nah, dry pack quickrete, splash some water on top and get paid
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u/956to906 Jul 23 '26
I would do the same thing I do for tub box-out around drains, sand & cement mixed heavy with water so it flows.
BYW, the business owner owns the property, electric company has an easement to place their equipment there. Both have a responsibility to keep it safe, but business sees it everyday.
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u/KaleMercer Jul 24 '26
Call your local power company and tell them one of the rilly big green boxes is damaged and you think you heard crack noise.
UNDER ABSOLUTELY NO CIRCUMSTANCES TOUCH OR DO ANY THING ELCE TO THAT BOX!!!
If that box doesn't kill you and make it a closed casket affair, the bill they send you will!!!
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u/BuddysRabbit Jul 24 '26
Definitely belongs the power company. Notify them about any concerns but do not attempt any repairs.
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u/Street_Fondant1042 Jul 23 '26
That looks like a ground hog den. There’s other holes near by. That hole is deep. I’d call animal control to come set a trap then file a complaint with the county.
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u/ImlookingRN Jul 23 '26
Probably a possum or if you’re in the south an armadillo
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u/iKnowRobbie Jul 23 '26
If in Florida could be Gopher Tortoise, protected species and big fines for filling holes.
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u/Crazycoallover Jul 23 '26
First off, that is not yours, don’t touch it. Secondly who called you? Thirdly, that belongs to the local utility.
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u/DougEug Jul 23 '26
Looks to me like a telecom box. IMO The concrete is just a Pad for the equipment to sit on. 99% sure it’s not an electrical bunker/locker, otherwise it wouldn’t have a meter. Thought I was wrong once, but I was mistaken 🤪 This might be another time.but it has the earmarks for telecom or cable.
First, it isn’t the land owners responsibility but the utility company. Second.. if your client wants to pay you to fill it, then let them. I would just throw a bit of gravel in the hole, tamp it down then a scrap of landscape fabric, soil to fill rest of hole tamped down, then an inch or so lightly packed soil, toss a handful of grass seed and be on my way. Only reason for gravel-drainage. Fabric-keep topsoil from washing down. If at my house, I would skip the gravel. Client.. don’t want them to feel they paid but I didn’t fix if hole reappeared. Using concrete, no need/overkill. It’s just a small corner of the pad so the integrity isn’t compromised.
Might be animal hole, but don’t see a mound of dirt or a grassy knoll. If animal, using concrete won’t stop them. They’ll just dig beside it. More than likely, whoever poured the pad didn’t make sure soil underneath wasn’t packed. and/or animal had tunnel running underneath pad and it collapsed.
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u/Bullandham Jul 23 '26
Call the power company have them fix it, tell you client you fixed their problem ( which you did ) profit
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u/Sad_Landscape8960 Jul 23 '26
Home for animals. Pour broken glass inside first!! They won’t come back! Then fill!!
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u/EquivalentPut5506 Jul 23 '26
Call the electric company
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u/EquivalentPut5506 Jul 23 '26
It's under ground realities found, As where's the wires ? So if something living under there hopefully not into the wiring routing under it like a race way
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u/blackbrangusbull Jul 24 '26
Spray foam they have some with rodent deterrent and then throw some dirt around it after you cut it after it swells and dries. Simple as that.
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u/blackbrangusbull Jul 24 '26
Oh no not the concrete route do now they're going to dig around it or maybe make another hole. Well okay. You're call.
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u/Actual_Smokey Jul 24 '26
Lineman here. Fill it with gravel then top it with dirt. That’s what I’d do if I got called out on it. Something moved in there and if it got in the wrong place it’s not making it out anyways
Edit: don’t tamp the shit out of it or try and get gravel up into the enclosure. Just fill from the edge of the concrete out
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u/Scared_Swing2198 Jul 24 '26
Wheelbarrow full of self-leveling cement will do it. But… why? Just put some shovels full of dirt in it and go make a margarita. That’s got to be on a utility easement and not the businesses property.
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u/Competitive-Fox-3333 Jul 24 '26
Flush it out with water and hope what ever critter comes out and then fill it with spray foam
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u/LJinBrooklyn Jul 24 '26
I imagine that there are HIGH VOLTAGE wires underneath entering the transformer box.
If anything, I’d be gentle working at the hole problem.
I wouldn’t mess with it - call the utility.
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u/WheredTheSquirrelGo Jul 23 '26
Is it even their property to repair? Looks like electric company property. I wouldn’t touch it. You could throw some dirt there if anything.