Building Code Glossary
Bonding Jumper: Building Code Definition
How the IRC 2009 define bonding jumper, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.
On this page
Last updated September 7, 2026 · Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) publishes the current model text and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.
Direct answer
Bonding jumper is a defined term in the International Residential Code (IRC) 2009, in Electrical Definitions. The code's own words are: “A reliable conductor to ensure the required electrical conductivity between metal parts required to be electrically connected.” No other I-Code in this corpus defines it, so the IRC 2009 definition is the one to work from. The term is used in 6 chapters of this corpus, most often in Services (IRC 2009), Power and Lighting Distribution (IRC 2009), Swimming Pools (IRC 2009). These pages transcribe the 2009 model text; verify the definition against the edition and amendments your authority having jurisdiction has adopted. Record the jurisdiction, the adopted edition, the application date and any local amendment that rewrites the definition before you use it on a live project, because a term redefined by amendment changes every requirement that depends on it.
Content and cited inputs reviewed by Scott Barrington, Harth founder and architectural technology specialist · Published 2026-09-07 · Updated 2026-09-07.
What does this term mean?
Bonding Jumper — IRC 2009, Electrical Definitions:
A reliable conductor to ensure the required electrical conductivity between metal parts required to be electrically connected.
What must be verified before using this guidance?
Bonding Jumper is defined once in this corpus, in the Electrical Definitions chapter of the International Residential Code (IRC) 2009:
A reliable conductor to ensure the required electrical conductivity between metal parts required to be electrically connected.
Where bonding jumper is used in the code
The term appears in 6 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.
| Chapter | Code | Mentions |
|---|---|---|
| Services | IRC 2009 | 21 |
| Power and Lighting Distribution | IRC 2009 | 15 |
| Swimming Pools | IRC 2009 | 9 |
| Electrical Definitions | IRC 2009 | 3 |
| Fuel Gas | IRC 2009 | 3 |
| Devices and Luminaires | IRC 2009 | 2 |
The term in use
How the code actually writes about bonding jumper, quoted from the 2009 text hosted here:
An unspliced main bonding jumper shall be used to connect the equipment grounding conductor(s) and the service-disconnect enclosure to the grounded conductor of the system within the enclosure for each service disconnect.
Where one or more equipment grounding conductors or equipment bonding jumpers enters a box, a single volume allowance in accordance with Table E3905.13.2.1 shall be made based on the largest equipment grounding conductor or equipment bonding jumper present in the box.
Where a nonmetallic conduit is installed between a forming shell and a junction box, transformer enclosure, or other enclosure, a 8 AWG insulated copper bonding jumper shall be installed in this conduit except where a listed low-voltage lighting system not requiring grounding is used.
The bonding jumper shall be not smaller than 6 AWG copper wire or equivalent.
The terms bonding jumper is built out of
The definition above leans on 1 other defined term. Each carries its own code definition, and a local amendment to any of them changes what bonding jumper covers:
- Conductor — IPC 2009: A pipe inside the building that conveys storm water from the roof to a storm or combined bUilding drain.
Bonding Jumper: what to open, and in what order
Every row is a document this term depends on. The ICC code library and the ICC adoption maps cover the middle rows.
| Check | Where | Confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Read the definition in the adopted IRC | Electrical Definitions | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Services (IRC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Power and Lighting Distribution (IRC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Swimming Pools (IRC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Electrical Definitions (IRC 2009) | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Conductor | |
| Local amendment to any of the above | Jurisdiction's amendment list |
A research aid, not a code determination. The authority having jurisdiction decides which edition and which amendments apply.
Where can you explore related guidance?
- Explore all glossary guidance
- Conductor: Building Code Definition
- Appliance: Building Code Definition
- Plenum: Building Code Definition
- Outlet: Building Code Definition
Sources and method
Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The ICC code library publishes the current model text and the ICC adoption maps show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.
Source links
Frequently asked questions
What is the code definition of bonding jumper?
The International Residential Code (IRC) 2009 defines it in Electrical Definitions as: “A reliable conductor to ensure the required electrical conductivity between metal parts required to be electrically connected.” The 2009 model text is reproduced here; the definition that binds your project is the one in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted, as amended locally.
Which parts of the code depend on bonding jumper?
In this corpus the term is used across 6 chapters, led by Services in the IRC 2009. Those are the sections whose scope moves if the definition is amended locally, so read them together with Chapter 2 rather than on their own.
What is the definition of a bonding jumper?
In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IRC 2009 states, in Electrical Definitions: “A reliable conductor to ensure the required electrical conductivity between metal parts required to be electrically connected.” It is defined in IRC 2009. Because it is a defined term, whatever the adopted edition says it means is what every section using it means — so check Chapter 2 of that edition and any local amendment before relying on this wording.
What is the difference between a bonding jumper and a grounding conductor?
In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IRC 2009 states, in Electrical Definitions: “A reliable conductor to ensure the required electrical conductivity between metal parts required to be electrically connected.” It is defined in IRC 2009. It is not the same as Grounding Conductor, which the IRC 2009 defines separately as “A conductor used to connect equipment or the grounded circuit of a wiring system to a grounding electrode or electrodes.” Because it is a defined term, whatever the adopted edition says it means is what every section using it means — so check Chapter 2 of that edition and any local amendment before relying on this wording.
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