Our electrician Chris Veliotis, setting up the electrical service again yesterday. This is our third or fourth attempt at this problem, and I think we've finally got it.Electrical Code requires that the main service line stay clear of any window opening, such as that bathroom window on the corner, by 36" to each side and by 0" on the top. The code also requires a "drip loop" before the wire enters that conduit. Although the code allows the electric company to be pretty sloppy about how they install that drip loop (they can have 12-18" of extra slack), the final result can't violate the clearance requirements.
If you then add our inspector's incorrect calculation of the roof clearance requirement, and my desire not to run big ugly conduit all across the front of the house, you get quite a puzzle. The miscalculation was calling our porch roof flat, even though its pitch of 2.5:6.5 is greater than the required 4:12 - which means the service line has to be 8' above that roof, instead of the 3' requirement for a pitched roof.
But third time's a charm, and with that little turn around the corner I think we'll be fine. We might even have electricity this week.