Has Anyone Heard of a New Code Requirement for Grounding Your Electrical System Using an Ufer Ground?
rockies63
| Posted in General Questions on
I was recently watching a video on Youtube where a new homebuilder was discussing the top 5 mistakes he made while building his home and he mentioned that there was a new building code requirement for grounding your electrical system called an “Ufer Ground”?
It basically involves grounding your electrical system to a metal rod (like rebar) that is inserted into the concrete footing. Apparently building inspectors are now looking for these and if you didn’t know about it you have to do expensive retrofit work in order to insert one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWWg7IYpZBk&t=765s
Minute 11:55.
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Replies
Here in Arizona, Ufer grounds have been mandatory code for years, if not decades. When building a new home, one has to run a flexible copper wire and tie that into the footing rebar cage. This Ufer ground then ties into the electrical panel box.
The soil is so dry here, grounding in native soil provides a very poor ground. Hence the Ufer Ground which ties into the rebar cage of the footing before the concrete pour.