EV Charger Installation FAQ: Cost & Permits

Here is exactly how it goes:

1. Send the form. Fill out our free EV charger assessment with a few photos.
2. Get your estimate. We send you a written estimate.
3. Approve the estimate. Approve it when you're ready to move forward.
4. We pull the permit. We file the electrical permit with your city or county.
5. Install day. We schedule an appointment and install your charger.
6. Inspection. Once the work is finished and the invoice is paid, we schedule the inspection.

See the full EV charger install process →

We give you an itemized invoice that follows Duke Energy's guidelines. It includes our permit number and our company and license information so Duke can verify the work. Duke also requires the inspection number, which we provide once the inspection is complete.

Both charge your car the same way — what actually determines speed is the breaker size. The practical differences:

• Plug-in (NEMA 14-50): maxes out at a 40A breaker / 32A charging. You can take the charger with you when you move, let a guest with an EV plug in, or run an RV off it when family visits.
• Hardwired: supports a 60A breaker / 48A charging — roughly 50% faster. No receptacle to loosen or overheat over time, and anything above 48A has to be hardwired by code.

A few factors:

• Distance between the panel and where the charger or outlet is going
• Whether there's room in your panel for another breaker
• What we're running through — finished drywall, attic, crawlspace, or an exterior/underground run to a detached garage
• Whether your existing service can carry the added load

Not a dealbreaker. Depending on the panel we can combine circuits using tandem breakers, add a subpanel, or install a load-management device that shares capacity with your existing loads. Panel replacement is a last resort, not a first move.

Anywhere within about 5 feet of the panel typically runs $650–$750. Longer runs and detached garages price out higher — we'll give you a firm number before any work starts.

Most installs are done in 4–5 hours.

We're a fully licensed, insured, and bonded electrical contractor (NC Unlimited #U.35579). We'll walk you through the permitting for your jurisdiction and handle the process for you. Either way, you'll receive a detailed invoice with our license information for your records — useful for resale, insurance, or utility rebate paperwork.

Yes — one year on our workmanship. The charger itself is covered under the manufacturer's warranty.

We run a load calculation before quoting. Most 200A services handle a Level 2 charger fine; 100A services sometimes need load management.

A standard wall outlet adds ~3–4 miles of range per hour. Level 2 adds 25–40 — an overnight full charge instead of three days.

Either. Most customers buy their own; we install it.