Free checklist
Grounding and bonding system annual maintenance checklist
The annual grounding system service is the deep pass: the measurements, cleanings and tests a quarterly round doesn't reach. This checklist keeps the full service on record with the photos that make it defensible later. Work is commonly verified against NEC (NFPA 70), NETA maintenance testing standards. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
- Items
- 4
- Photos required
- 6
- Built for
- Subcontractors
Who runs it
The testing firm performs the ground-resistance measurement; the electrician observes, records the readings and inspects the accessible connections.
When in the schedule
Once a year, scheduled with the testing firm's visit so the resistance-to-ground measurement can be witnessed and logged rather than taken on faith.
The checklist
Every item, and the photo that proves it
The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Copy the list as is, or load it into RTI and let the gate enforce it.
Resistance test
- 2 photos
Ground-resistance test observed and readings recorded
The testing firm's measurement witnessed, method and readings recorded and compared against the prior year, any electrode out of the target range flagged.
- 1 photo
Test points and electrodes accounted for
Each driven electrode, ring or supplemental ground identified and measured, not just the one at the main service, results tied to a location.
Connection inspection
- 2 photos
Accessible bonds and terminations inspected in detail
Main bonding jumper, electrode connections and equipment bonds inspected and, where accessible, re-torqued; corrosion cleaned back to sound metal and documented.
- 1 photo
System bonding continuity confirmed visually
Bonding path traced through metal water, gas and structural connections, jumpers confirmed present across any point that could break continuity.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- A resistance reading written down with no reference to the prior year, so a ground that is slowly drying out and climbing goes unnoticed until it's out of range.
- The test performed only at the main electrode while a separately driven ground for a remote panel or antenna is never measured.
Run it with the Photo Gate
A checklist nobody can submit half-finished
Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 6 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident record behind every line.
Submission state
The gate is enforced on the server, so it holds even if the phone is offline when the walk happens.
Verified against
Common questions
- What does this grounding and bonding system annual checklist cover?
- 4 items across 2 sections, covering resistance test, connection inspection. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
- Who should run this inspection?
- The testing firm performs the ground-resistance measurement; the electrician observes, records the readings and inspects the accessible connections.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Once a year, scheduled with the testing firm's visit so the resistance-to-ground measurement can be witnessed and logged rather than taken on faith.
- Why does every item ask for a photo?
- 6 of the 4 items call for photo evidence. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
- What most often fails a grounding and bonding system annual inspection?
- A resistance reading written down with no reference to the prior year, so a ground that is slowly drying out and climbing goes unnoticed until it's out of range. The test performed only at the main electrode while a separately driven ground for a remote panel or antenna is never measured.
- Can I use this checklist in RTI?
- Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident audit trail.
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