If a grounding rod is too close to a building foundation, it could interfere with it. Because of this, it’s best to keep it at least 2 feet (0. 61 m) from the side of the building.

If you have an idea of where you would like to drill a hole in your building to get the conductor inside, pick a spot for the grounding rod nearby.

It usually takes about 2-3 days for the utilities to come and do the locating, so plan ahead. If there is no locating hotline in your areas, you can call the utility companies directly that serve the building and ask them to locate their underground lines.

High quality grounding rods are typically made of high carbon steel for it’s durability and electro-plated with copper for its conductivity and longevity. [6] X Expert Source Ricardo MitchellElectrician & Construction Professional, CN Coterie Expert Interview. 6 May 2020. In the US, ground rods need to be at least 8 feet (2. 4 m) long. If they are listed, they need to be at least 1⁄2 inch (1. 3 cm) wide and they will have a mark that says they are listed. If they are not listed, they need to be at least 5⁄8 inch (1. 6 cm) wide. [7] X Research source A listed ground rod will have a marking near the top of it that states that it is approved. The mark allows an electrical inspector to immediately know you have used a proper rod.

If you don’t want to dig a hole or you can’t for some reason, you will need a ladder or step stool to get up high enough to start pounding in the top of the ground rod.

Driving a ground rod into the ground can take a long time and can be difficult work. If you can find someone to take turns driving the rod, it will make for a much easier job. Some electrical inspectors will allow you to leave 1–2 inches (2. 5–5. 1 cm) sticking up out of the ground. However, some want the entire thing covered in earth.

Give the grounding electrode a little bit of slack, so it’s not extremely tight where it connects with the grounding rod. This will ensure that if it gets hit or pushed on, it won’t get dislodged from the grounding rod. If the grounding electrode conductor has a sheath on it, the last 1⁄2 inch (1. 3 cm) should be cut off, exposing the wire.

These clamps are sold in home improvement and hardware stores.

In some cases, the ground wires will be connected to the ground bus and the neutral wires are connected to the neutral bus. These 2 bars are then connected with a main bonding jumper. If this is the case, you can attach your grounding electrode conductor wherever it fits on either bus. [12] X Research source You need to be very careful when you are doing any work in an electrical panel. Make sure that your fingers, tools, and the grounding electrode conductor don’t make contact with the energized bars in the panel, which are located behind the circuit breakers. If you are unsure about how to make this connection safely, hire an electrician to do the work.