EVSE installation cost (MA)

BrettB

BrettB

New Member
So I just got my first estimate for EVSE installation here in MA: $650. This is in an attached garage; the charger and disconnect are already mounted, so it amounts to about a 30' run of 8g cable through unfinished space to an existing subpanel in my basement, for which I already have the new 40A breaker. Probably 3' of EMT into the disconnect at the garage end. A coworker a few towns in just had theirs installed and paid $750 for a similarly straightforward installation.

Seems electricians are busy as two others haven't even responded to inquiries, and it took a couple of weeks just to get on the schedule for an estimate from this one!

Is this in line with what others are paying? If I'm in the right ballpark I may give up on trying to arrange more estimates.
 
Without knowing all the specifics of your installation, local code/permit requirements, and local demand for electricians, I can’t say if $650 is reasonable. Just the wire will be close to $100. In my area, electricians are in high demand now and get paid well. If your co-worker paid $750 for similar work, then I’d go for the $650 price at your place. Just make sure that’s an “all-in” cost.
 
I paid 650 for mine. I do suspect I could of gotten it for a lot cheaper if I wouldn't of mentioned it was for a car and went with a 240v outlet and said it was for some power tool or wielder. They hear dollars when they hear the word EVSE.
 
Zor said:
I paid 650 for mine. I do suspect I could of gotten it for a lot cheaper if I wouldn't of mentioned it was for a car and went with a 240v outlet and said it was for some power tool or wielder. They hear dollars when they hear the word EVSE.
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Agree - they hear electric car or EVSE, they automatically think Tesla and hence 2x premium.
 
We paid $800 in MA, but that cost included some miscellaneous panel work (previous owner had a welding set up that was wired "creatively") and runs and breaker for new garage door openers. $650, while it seems expensive, is probably in line with local rates.
 
BrettB said:
I would love to be able to do this, as it's well within my abilities, but my town does not allow homeowners to pull electrical permits. :(
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May I suggest doing what I did. I installed my Charge Point Home EVSE and ran the wire myself to the circuit breaker panel. I bought the wire previously and a 40 Amp breaker was just $9. Then I had a licensed electrician wire in the breaker and only had to pay him for a one hour service call which was $80 in my locale. This way I did not have to fool with 240 v (which I could do but prefer not to) and more importantly got a receipt from a licensed electrician that will keep my insurance company from ever trying to deny a claim later.
Be aware that any time you ask for a quote and mention the words solar or electric car charger, the prices magically go through the roof. Also worth noting that the Charge Point Home only uses a 8-2 wire not an 8-3 which saves a little money and it comes with all the mounting parts you need including paper template, screws, drill bit and nut driver. And it has spring loaded terminals for easy hook up. For me, I just went to attic drilled though the wall plate, fished the wire down to a hole in the drywall (covered up by the EVSE, ran it over to the breaker box, and called the electrician. Easy peasy and cheap.
 
@KentuckyKen's 1-hour electrician plan is a good one. I did much the same thing.

Two years ago, anticipating our Clarity PHEV, I had electricians replace our 1942 garage wiring with a 60-amp 240-volt panel in the garage. The 20 feet of underground wiring and panel installation cost less than $1000.

Then I spent many hours struggling to manhandle the thick 6-gauge wire into neat runs and bends to get it from the (40-amp overkill for Clarity) Bosch EVSE on the left side of the garage to the new circuit-breaker panel on the right side. I wasn't confident a real (non-OCD) electrician would take the time to do such a meticulous job of routing.

I was so meticulous (OCD) that I moved the circuit-breaker panel one inch to the right to get the 6-gauge wire to fit between the panel and the 2x4 to which the panel was originally attached. To move the circuit-breaker panel a single inch, I had to install a 2-foot by 4-foot piece of 3/4" plywood behind the panel to provide a new mounting surface. Sadly, because I had to get rid of years of "project wood" to fit the large Clarity into our tiny 1942 one-car garage, I had to purchase a new 4x8 sheet of plywood (that really bugged me!).

Finally, I connected the cable to the circuit-breaker and then had a friend who taught electricians at a local community college check it out before I turned it on. No fires yet (knock on the remaining unused pieces of 3/4" plywood)!
 
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