RealEstate Ke > Home improvement > Landscaping Around Transformer Box: How Close, 3 Ideas

Landscaping Around Transformer Box: How Close, 3 Ideas

Pruning plants close to the transformer box helps prevent overgrowth, which may cause damage to the electrical box.

It is also important to keep the area clear so that it does not become overgrown and unruly, affecting views or causing an unsafe environment for your family.

It is possible for beautiful landscaping and a well-placed electrical transformer box to go hand in hand by installing transformer fencing, growing potted plants, or utilizing boulders or rocks to hide the view of the electrical box.

I find many homeowners are very reluctant to landscape because they feel that the electrical box will not only look out of place but it may be unsafe, or won’t be durable to withstand the elements.

In this post, I will explore tips for making your electrical transformer box blend in with your landscape so that it looks attractive while being functional.

It is possible to landscape around an electrical box

Narrowing down the many options for landscape installation can be difficult.

Whether you are looking to install an entire garden, or just a few beds of flowers, choosing what materials to use is not always so cut and dry.

Sure, finding out which plants will grow best in your area and how tall they will get may be important considerations when picking plants for your landscape.

But what about the electrical box?

It may seem like a simple, nearly unavoidable issue to have to deal with.

However, you don’t have to let it get in the way of landscape installation that makes your home look great!

But before you start installing trees, shrubs, or flowers around that stubborn electrical box, provide enough clearance as stated in this article.

You need to make sure you provide enough space adjacent to the electrical box.

Planting too close to the electric box can be dangerous

Roses, tulips, and geraniums…The possibilities are endless when you have a plot of land to work with.

That is except for one thing: your electrical box.

Perhaps you have a beautiful view of a row of pink roses that wind up your driveway and end right beneath the electrical transformer box.

I know I’m sure you didn’t move to the country house to be surrounded by concrete and metal.

You can’t move the electrical box, but you can hide it.

You may have to seek permission from your local utility company before planting anything close to an electrical box, but here’s a general guide for how you can plant.

Plant as close as 3 feet on the back and sides but 10 feet is required around the front of the box to allow access to the meter, wires, and panels.

Electric boxes are typically located either on the exterior of your home or sometimes in a garage.

If you have flowers, vegetation, or trees growing too close to the electrical box, it’s a safety hazard – not only for you but your neighbors as well.

The green, metal box that holds the wires and connects them to your home is not just a decorative feature.

If you accidentally break the connection by touching the electrical box with your shovel when you’re planting, it can be fatal.

Fences, trees, shrubs, firewood stacks…all of these things should be placed away from electrical boxes.

Ways to conceal your electrical transformer box with landscaping

1. Build a fence around transformer

Oftentimes, homeowners who want to hide an electrical transformer box don’t just want to create a concealer.

They also seek to add more privacy and security around the transformer itself.

This is done through the use of a fence that sits directly in front of the transformer box.

A fence is typically built out of metal sheets or wood, with openings for gates to allow easy access to the yard.

By doing so, not only can you hide your transformer box, but you can keep it extra safe by adding fencing around it.

2. Grow potted plants

A great way to not only mask an electrical transformer box but also give your yard a great look is by growing potted plants.

The idea behind growing pots of plants around the transformer itself is that you are able to hide the fact that there is even a big box in front of your house.

There are several different shapes and sizes of potted plants that you can grow around the transformer itself.

These include, but are not limited to:

  • Evergreens (deciduous and coniferous)
  • Vines on trellises under trees/over buildings
  • Hedges with gaps between each plant for gates or driveways on the side of your home
  • Shrubs with berries on them (i.e. raspberry bushes)

3. Use boulder or landscape rocks to hide the transformer box

Another smart idea is to use large landscape stones around your electrical transformer boxes on your property.

This can be done in many different ways, including but not limited to:

  • Keeping the entrance of the transformer visible by fencing off a small section for landscaping stones.
  • Using large landscaping stones to build a wall around your property, which separates you from the street and fully hides your electrical transformer box from public view.
  • Hiding the transformer behind large rocks on its own with bushes placed in between each rock.
Zebedee Nambaleo
Zebedee Nambaleo

Zebedee is the founder of RealEstate Ke. He creates content by carefully examining and analyzing the real estate market, home improvement resources, and government data. His analysis is based on the principle of supplying high-quality, relevant, and in-depth information to his audience. By evaluating the current conditions and predicting future trends, he provides his audience with invaluable insights that allow them to make better decisions.