Electric Vehicle Charger Installation: What the Job Involves

Adding home charging is one of the more satisfying upgrades we do — you stop thinking about public chargers entirely. It's also a real electrical project, not an appliance delivery. Here's what actually happens between the decision and a working charger.

Step one: the load calculation

Before anything is ordered, we calculate whether your service can carry a continuous 40-amp load alongside heating, water heating, cooking, and a well pump if you have one. This is a code-required calculation, not a guess. The answer is either "yes, there's room," "yes with load management," or "the service needs upgrading first."

Step two: the route

Cost mostly lives here. A panel in the garage, ten feet from the charger, is a short job. A panel on the far side of the house, with the charger at a detached carport, means a longer run, possibly a trench, and conduit rated for the conditions. We walk the route with you before quoting so there are no surprises.

Step three: circuit, mount, and terminate

The install itself is a dedicated circuit sized for the charger, correct conductors for the length of run, a breaker in the panel, and either a hardwired connection or an industrial-grade receptacle. Outdoor and unconditioned locations get weatherproof conduit and fittings. Full detail on our approach is on the EV charger installation page.

Step four: permit and inspection

EV circuits are permitted work in Coconino and Navajo counties. That's a good thing — it's a documented, inspected circuit on a load that will run for hours at a time, every night, for years. We pull the permit and meet the inspector; you don't deal with it.

Plan for the second car

If there's any chance of a second EV, say so early. Running a slightly larger feeder to a small garage subpanel now, or choosing chargers that support power sharing, costs very little at install time and a lot to retrofit later.