I would still think you would have the option of Com Ed doing the underground. They would charge you for this. Underground upgrades are not free. Maybe the problem is the customer wanted the lateral upgraded/replaced/repaired for free by the utility. The sales person tired of saying no gave an excuse of "we don't do comercial laterials".
Dave has a point about warranty. If the utility does the lateral they are responcable for maintaining it. It the EC does it then the customer is allways responcable for it.
If you want a utility sub to price it out try Trench-it in Lakemore, Il.
As far a RMC up the pole it's been done that way but is that what the utility wants you to do? They told me to end near the pole underground with no 90 and they will go up the pole with a wire guard. I see the wire guard most often.
As for on the merer side you did not say what the set up was. Make sure you don't pipe right into the bottom of the meter without a way for expansion. The old undergrounds were done this way. Some had an expansion pipe. Things move in the ground the wires become too short and things break. The whole idea of the underground meter raceway was to allow an "s" shape of slack for ground movement. So be sure to leave litle extra slack at the meter.
Tom
