New guys keep undersizing ground wire for 200A service

I was on a service call last week at a house built in 2022 and noticed the ground wire from the meter to the ground rod was only a #4 copper. For a 200 amp service you need a #2 bare copper minimum per code. The homeowner said his buddy did the work and saved him money. Problem is if that house takes a lightning hit or a fault the ground wont clear fast enough and you get voltage on everything metal. I told the guy to call a real electrician to redo it. He didn't listen but I put a note on the panel. Has anyone else seen builders or handymen try to cheap out on grounding?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_william27d ago

Buddy saved him money until the water heater zaps him in the shower. Cheap grounding is playing roulette with your whole house.

ericp6727d ago

You nailed it. I had a guy tell me the same thing years ago, said bonding the gas pipe was just "extra work." Then one day I touched the washing machine and the water heater at the same time and got a jolt that knocked me flat. Whole house had live voltage floating on every metal surface. Cost me triple to get a real electrician in to fix all the shortcuts that guy took. People don't realize grounding isn't about saving money, it's about not becoming a human fuse. I'll never skimp on that again, and I tell everyone the same thing now.