Trenching and the Wiring Run to the House - Ground-Mount Solar
Last verified: September 2026
How does the power get from a ground array back to your house? Through a trench and wiring run across the yard. Here's what that involves — 811, conduit, distance, and cost — in plain English, with no depths or prices guessed. Questions? Call (330) 200-8042.
The Wiring Run, at a Glance
A ground array makes power out in the yard, but your electrical panel is in the house — so the wiring runs underground, in conduit, through a trench back to your home. The most important step comes first: calling 811, the free 'call before you dig' service, so buried gas, electric, and water lines get marked. How deep the trench goes is set by your local electrical code — no honest guide guesses that number. The big cost lever is distance: a longer run needs more digging and heavier wire to protect the power over the miles, so a spot closer to your panel is usually cheaper if the sun there is nearly as good. Afterward, the trench is filled and the lawn restored. All of it is licensed, permitted, professional work — never a do-it-yourself dig. There's a printable 29-page version up top.
Common Questions
1 Does the solar wiring have to go underground?
Not always, but underground in conduit is the usual, tidiest, and safest way — nothing overhead to storm-damage, nothing at ground level to catch a mower. Your installer recommends what suits your site.
2 How deep will the trench be?
To a depth your local electrical code sets, based on the wiring and conduit used. No honest guide prints a number here, because the code and your inspector set the right one for your job.
3 Why does a longer trench cost more?
Two reasons: more digging, and heavier wire to keep power from being lost over the distance. That's why a spot closer to your electrical panel is generally cheaper — if the sun there is nearly as good.
4 What is 811, and who calls it?
811 is the free 'call before you dig' service. Your installer calls it before any digging, and crews mark your buried utilities. Remember it for yourself too: call 811 before any future digging in your yard.
5 Will my yard be torn up?
Only along a narrow trench line, which is filled and reseeded afterward. You may see a faint green line for a season while the grass heals, then it blends back in.
6 Can I dig the trench myself to save money?
Please don't. It means digging near buried gas and power lines and doing licensed electrical work, all inspected. It's a professional's job start to finish — your role is to understand and evaluate it.
Would You Rather I Just Help?
Trying to picture where your trench would run, or weighing a sunny-but-far spot against a closer one? That's exactly the kind of thing I help sort out — calmly, in plain English, with nothing to sell you. $99 flat for an in-home visit, 30-day come-back-free.
Would you rather I just do this for you?
No shame in it — plenty of folks would rather hand it off, and that's what I'm here for. I'll come to your home, set it up right, and make sure it's working before I leave. Flat $99 per visit — no jargon, no upsell, and every visit is 30-day come-back-free.
Not a hardware job? I can often fix it remotely for $49 — a secure screen-share, up to 2 hours, that you watch the whole time and can end whenever (included free for $39/mo Support Plan members, and it counts toward the $99 if it turns out I need to come out).