Start with licensed electricians who have installed EV chargers before, not general listings. The reliable routes are short: ask your utility, your car dealer or the charger maker for local names, and verify each candidate’s licence in your state’s public lookup. Then get two or three written quotes against exactly the same job description.
Key Takeaways
- Source candidates from your utility, charger maker, dealer and neighbours — then verify the licence.
- EV experience matters more than a low headline price.
- Give every electrician the same job description so quotes compare like for like.
- Permit, inspection and paperwork belong in the quote.
Where Good Candidates Come From
- Your utility. Many run EV programs and keep lists of electricians who do this work regularly.
- The charger maker and your car dealer. Both hear back from customers about which local installers do clean work.
- Your state’s licensing board. Its public search confirms a licence exists and is current — use it to verify names you already have, and in some states to search by area.
- Neighbours and local EV groups. Someone on your street has had a charger fitted; a name that comes with “they handled the permit and left the panel tidy” beats any advert.
- Installation companies. If you prefer one contract and a managed process, a specialist firm is the other route — our guide to choosing an EV charger installation company covers it.
Check the Licence Before You Discuss Price
A home charger is a continuous load on a dedicated circuit, installed under NFPA 70, the National Electrical Code — in the US that work belongs to a state-licensed electrician, with a permit and inspection where your authority requires them. Before quotes, confirm three things: the licence is active (the state lookup takes two minutes), the business carries insurance, and the electrician has fitted EV chargers before. Load calculations, charger settings and the paperwork are EV-specific routine that a first-timer would be learning on your job. Also check the charger is a listed product: OSHA’s NRTL program recognises the testing laboratories, and a listing mark is what inspectors expect to see.
Questions to Ask Before You Book
- Will you do a load calculation on my panel first, and tell me if it has capacity?
- Who files the permit, and is the inspection included in the quote?
- Is the quote for a hard-wired charger or a receptacle, and which breaker size? (NEC treats charging as a continuous load: 40 A needs a 50 A breaker, 48 A a 60 A breaker.)
- Does the price include the cable run to where the car parks — and what would make it cost more on the day?
- What paperwork do I get at the end: certificate, permit sign-off, warranty registration?
- How long will the visit take? Our article on how long installation takes sets expectations.
Compare Quotes Like for Like
Quotes are only comparable if they describe the same job. Send every electrician the same facts: photos of your panel and the parking spot, the distance between them, and the charger you have in mind — a hard-wired wall unit like the EV-ACT5006T (48 A, hard-wired or NEMA 14-50P) or a plug-in portable like the EV-ACS4005T (40 A, NEMA 14-50P), which still needs its outlet and circuit fitted professionally.
| Quote line | What should be itemised |
|---|---|
| Labour | Survey, circuit run, mounting, testing and setup |
| Materials | Cable by length, breaker, receptacle or hard-wire kit, conduit or trenching |
| Panel work | New breaker space, a sub-panel or a panel upgrade — stated, not “if needed” |
| Permit and inspection | Fees and who files; “homeowner to arrange” is a cost shifted to you |
| Paperwork | Installation certificate and warranty registration included or not |
Red flags: no licence number on the paperwork, a quote given without seeing the panel, pressure to skip the permit, or a price far below the others with no itemised reason. If you are wondering whether the circuit work is DIY territory, read whether you can install a Level 2 charger yourself first — the charger plugs in, but its circuit does not.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can any electrician install an EV charger, or do I need a specialist?
Any licensed electrician can legally do the work in most places. A specialist is still worth finding: load calculations, continuous-load breaker sizing and charger configuration are routine a general electrician may rarely do. Ask how many chargers they have fitted this year.
Should the electrician supply the charger too?
Either arrangement works. Buying it yourself keeps the choice and the product warranty in your name; letting the electrician supply it means one call if anything misbehaves. Decide before quotes, as it changes what the quote covers.
How many quotes should I get?
Two or three, against the same written job description. One quote tells you a price; three tell you the market — and the questions the good electricians ask tell you more than the numbers do.
Related Reading
- How to Choose the Best EV Charger Installation Company
- How Long Does EV Charger Installation Take?
- Can I Install a Level 2 Charger Myself?
