Just recently I had my cable repaired because of a fallen tree. This is a yearly thing due to the fact my house is in the woods, a lot of woods.

Up until last year, even a small branch would take down the cable. As it's a 125' span or so. Last year, I decided to put a down tree, pun intended, at the half way mark to easy the tension on the drop.

Last week, a large branch took down the cable from the street to the pole.

The Comcast tech stated that he's going to talk to his boss, whom I worked with in the past, about putting an underground ticket in. Because both power and telephone are underground to my house. Cable, obviously was not. All three were installed in 1979/1980.

The tech says that according to the NEC, telephone and cable shall follow power. Whether that is above or underground. And since I am an active customer, Comcast has to flip the bill to put it underground. I'm guessing that's their policy.

So I'm wondering if the tech is correct as for the NEC and comm cables following power to the house. (Of course if it wasn't the case 38 years ago. Then I know Comcast may not agree to do it.)

KOT

Are you concerned that being close to the buried power will introduce noise into the cable? I doubt it- I did a house and when the remodel/expansion was done in 2011, the homeowner didn't want cables suspended from the pole to the house and because the last pole is at the edge of a fully wooded ravine, it definitely made a visual improvement and because she's loaded, a few thousand dollars more didn't matter. I buried a liquid-tight flexible conduit for cable and phone with the power (close to 6' deep) from the pole to a large junction box in the garage, next to the meter and the ground block- never had a noise problem.

I wouldn't want to be the one trenching for the feed, though- if they're sure of the depth of the power cable, great, but who knows if the last crew phoned it in when they dug?

Oh no, I'm just tried of losing my cable yearly because of the drop falling due to a branch or tree.

I know the power cable is a direct burial, assume telephone too. As that was ok to do back then. And I'm also tired of calling my power company due to losing a leg. Since 2012ish or so. My power has lost a leg at a time 5 or so times. Sometimes it fully went out, while others it dropped to 60 to 80 volts.

In 2011, about 15 to 20 poles on my road had holes around them. I don't think CBYD was called due to the fact there weren't any paint marks or flags. Of course I can't prove other wise nor do I even know what the name of the company that did that and why. I just know that my power company has came out 5 times to "repair" my power cable. Of course the techs are super happy to do it, because their union and it's on a Sunday... triple time and half baby. BUT I'm tired of losing it too.

Thankfully it's been a year since the power was last lost. But I will be calling in to the higher ups if it happens again. And demand they run a new cable, pipe and all.

KOT

This is how they did mine

All be it with out the conduit, cable direct. (Wish they did use conduit)

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ya they can run alongside. Agreed that conduit is def more future proof.

Power should be two feet deep. You'll be lucky if they get cable 6". I have lots of customers that had cable hooked up years after their house was built.

When charter came into our area, I forgot who they bought out, they had a sub contractor doing all their burials. They were paid by the foot. They barely got the wire under the sod, and wrapped the long way around the house.

Depth varies depending on which route you go. See this...[Link: familyhandyman.com]

Then generally its best to make it with the "caution buried cable" tape then pour some sand in the trenching to help mark cable further for those who dig down the road. Then cover it with regular soil.

Run cable outside of conduit and have conduit laid empty for future additions or upgrades.