Separate grounds/neutral in main panel?

[n2aws]

TL;DR, Why isn't it more common for electricians to add a ground bus bar to a "main" panel during new construction? Other than the added cost of a few dollars to buy the groundbus kit for the panels that don't come with one?

Honestly, it's just an idle curiosity I had simply because I spent some time yesterday separating grounds from neutrals in my "main panel", in prep for an upcoming ATS install that'll become my new "first source of disconnect". So the idea is, when I make the N/G bond there, I can just remove the green screw in the current main panel.

It was a bit more of a chore than I would have expected. Some of the grounds were a little short to reach the newly installed busbar.. and the panel is kinda cramped from 50 years of renovations, add-ons, and additional circuits being added. So I got to thinking.. If I were building a new house today, I think I'd ask the electricians to go ahead and wire it with a separate ground bar.. even if I wasn't planning for a solar or generator install immediately.

I psent some time looking for an answer this morning, and honestly other than the cost of the hardware.. most of the answers seemed like they were just people guessing.

Help a guy fulfill his curiosity! Electricians, what say you? Is this a code/labor/aesthetics/hassle/cost thing, or is there some other thing I'm not aware of?

 

[n2aws]

To be clear, I'm not asking why we bond them. I understand the difference between N/G, and why we bond at the first point of disconnect, and nowhere else. I'm simply asking about the physical landing of wires during new construction. Why we don't land ground wires into a ground busbar, Even if the bonding screw is left in place.

It just seems to me that for $10 in hardware, you make life a lot easier in the future if you decide to change things. ie, removing a screw versus installing a bar and moving wires into it, in an already filled/cramped panel.

 

[B-Mod]

Just pure making max profit. If I do it and my competitor does not, I just lost money. Most houses will never need to be changed to add a ground bar, and if they do, I can charge for it. We are in this to make money. We electricians need to eat and buy solar.......

 

[n2aws]

Just pure making max profit. If I do it and my competitor does not, I just lost money. Most houses will never need to be changed to add a ground bar, and if they do, I can charge for it. We are in this to make money. We electricians need to eat and buy solar.......

No joke, this is actually the best answer I've found, and just honest.

"Most people won't need it, and those that do.. means potentially more work and thus profit."

I hadn't thought of it (not being an electrician, I wasn't thinking about repeat business) but it actually makes sense.

If you had a knowledgable customer ask you to land the wires in a seperate groundbus bar, would you charge them just for the hardware addition, or would there be another price if they requested it? Again, assuming this was new construction

 

[B-Mod]

If they had one for me to install I would do it for free, no extra work. Otherwise it would depend if the person was nice or not in there asking. Get the manufacturers to put one in from the factory and guys would do it, otherwise it won't just happen.

We, electrician's are taught or craft from our elders or more experienced co workers, so if the question was never brought up we just do by habit what we were taught. Simple, get the job done, it works, it's safe.....

 

[timselectric]

It's just a matter of profit and easier.
I actually do separate them in all of my new services.
But it's just my personal preference. It makes for a neater looking installation. And allows for extra empty slots for future.