Hiring an electrician for your EV charger

Most of the money in this project goes to an electrician, and most of the variation in what people pay comes down to how well they briefed the quote. Two hours of preparation genuinely changes the number.

Before you call: have these five answers ready

1. 1.Which charger you have chosen, or that you want their recommendation, and whether you want hardwired or plug-in.
2. 2.Where it will be mounted, measured from the panel. Take a photo of the wall and the route.
3. 3.A photo of your open panel, showing the main breaker rating and the free slots. This lets an electrician give a far more accurate number over the phone.
4. 4.Your target amperage -- and say if you are flexible, because a smaller circuit can be meaningfully cheaper.
5. 5.Whether the run is indoor, outdoor or to a detached building.

The questions to ask each of them

• Are you licensed and insured, and will you pull the permit? If they suggest skipping the permit, that is your answer about them.
• Will you do a load calculation? And, if it comes back tight, will you price load management as an alternative to a service upgrade?
• What conductor size and material are you quoting -- copper or aluminum? This is the most common reason two quotes differ, and you cannot compare them without it.
• Is the permit fee included, or extra?
• What is not included? Drywall repair, trenching restoration, utility charges.
• Who handles the inspection, and when?
• Have you installed this specific charger before?
• What is your warranty on the workmanship?

What a comparable quote contains

Red flags

• Suggests skipping the permit. Walk away. This tells you what their work will look like where you cannot see it.
• Will not quote in writing.
• Quotes without asking about your panel. They cannot know the price without knowing that.
• Requires a large deposit before any work. Materials, sure. Most of the job up front, no.
• Cannot state their license number.
• Dramatically cheapest quote. Usually something is missing -- most often the permit, sometimes the correct conductor size.

Where to find them

Your charger's manufacturer often has an installer network, which has the advantage that they have fitted the unit before. Your utility may maintain a list, particularly if they run a rebate program that requires an approved installer. And a local electrician who has done a dozen of these in your neighborhood knows your inspector, which is worth more than it sounds.