How Much Does It Cost To Install An EV Charger At Home?

There are lots of variables that can go into the price of an installation of an EV Charger. There are lots of different priced chargers, all of which can range from just $300 to up to $2,500 or more, which makes just buying the charger a large variable by itself. There can also be a large difference in price, depending on how you have the charger installed. If you have an electrician put it in, then you will have to pay for labor, so you can always do it yourself. But that brings around a whole different set of problems.

How much does it cost to install an EV charger at home? The average cost to install an EV charger at home is around $1,200. The cost can range anywhere as low as $300 to as high as $4,500 and above. This cost greatly depends on the type of charger you buy and how you install it.

It is important to plan the price of an EV charger into your budget when you are buying an electric vehicle. Depending on what you have in your garage, you may be able to install the charger for very cheap, but if you are lacking in what is needed for installation, it could be expensive.

Most electric vehicles do come with a level 1 charger that will allow you to charge from a 120v outlet but this does not charge the electric vehicle fast enough so many people choose to have a level 2 charger installed. If the level 1 charger works for you then you may not even need to install a charger! But if you need more power, a level 2 charger is definitely the way to go.

The Overall Cost Of Installing An EV Charger At Home

When it comes to buying and installing the charger, the overall cost can depend a lot on the choices you make. Typically, the total price of installing an EV charger will be around $1,200 but can be higher or lower depending on labor and what charger you install. The kind of charger you buy can cause your price to be dramatically different, also depending on where you buy it from and how quickly it charges. There are three levels of chargers that you can get.

Level one charger- generally not installed and plugged directly into a 120v outlet. Free-$300
Level two charger- can be installed or plugged into an 240v outlet. $300-$1,200
Level three charger- only installed and generally only commercial use. $12,000-$35,000

Level one chargers usually will come free with the purchase of an electric vehicle but are the slowest type of charger you can have, as they usually take over a day to fully charge the vehicle. Level 2 chargers are what you usually will install in your house, and there are a wide variety of chargers that are considered level 2 that have a wide range of prices and speed of charging.

Level 2 chargers generally take anywhere from 2 to 12 hours to fully charge a vehicle (depending on the vehicle and speed of the charger). Generally, level 3 chargers will only be found in commercial settings and will charge most vehicles in less than an hour.

You will also need to buy electrical cables to install any type of charger. This cable will supply power to the charger and depending on what charger you buy, you will need a cable to plug into your car. A cable that will plug into the wall and your electric vehicle will generally cost around $300. You will also need copper wiring to connect the charger to the power supply. The type of wire you will need will depend on what type of charger you are installing. You may have to pay up to $400 dollars for the correct wiring but it could also be as little as $100 depending on the length that you need.

The overall cost of installing an EV charger in your home also includes labor. Paying an electrician to install will generally cost around $400 to $800. This price can vary depending on the level of knowledge the electricians have, and how easy it is to install the charger. You can install the charger yourself as well but there are a lot of other problems that you will have to deal with if you choose to go down this path. You will also have to have all of the correct tools and permits which will cost money and hiring an electrician will make certain that all of that is taken care of.

To see a full cost breakdown of installing a Level 2 charger at home check out our full article by clicking here.

Is it Difficult To Install The Wiring And Cabling Yourself?

Depending on your level of knowledge, installing the wiring and cabling to an EV charger could be very challenging or a very simple task. If you do have a pre-existing 240v outlet this process may not be difficult at all. However, we are assuming that there are no outlets and you are starting from scratch. Different types of chargers can also make installing the charger much more difficult. If you are willing and have enough patience, it is possible to learn how to install one yourself. This would mean you have to educate yourself so you can install it properly without risk to yourself and your home.

You do have to do more research on your home as well and make sure that your house can support the extra demand of electricity an EV charger would bring. It is also important to look to see where you would want to install the EV charger and find out if that area can support the charger with the correct wiring and structure. Sometimes permits are also required, so check-up with the local city and state guidelines to make sure you are installing it correctly.

It is not recommended that you install an EV charger by yourself, but if you intend on doing so, at least consult with an electrician. A licensed electrician will be able to do the job correctly and in a much shorter time than someone without experience would. Although it is cheaper to do it yourself, there are many different hazards that appear when you try to do it on your own. With an electrician, you also may have more protection because if something does go wrong then it will be the electrician’s fault and not your own.

With the correct amount of research, as well as preparation, you could install an electric vehicle charger by yourself especially if the charger that you picked fits well and everything falls into place. It would be best to have previous knowledge in this area as well as take extensive safety precautions to make sure you don’t accidentally hurt yourself.

If things like this are not something that you commonly find yourself doing, it would be best to just have an electrician come and install the system. And if you do this, you won’t have to worry about the tools, permits, or even safety as they will be able to take care of all of those.

Are City Permits Required To Install The Charger By Yourself?

The rules on if you need a permit do vary depending on where you live. It is best to look up your state or city’s rules concerning EV chargers as this will give you a better idea of what you need to have before you can install the charger. Permits can generally be obtained online, but if they cannot, you may just have to run down to a government building. It may take a day or two to get all the paperwork completed depending on where you live.

It is very important to double-check all of the rules before you start to install anything. Some places even give incentives like tax write-offs for buying an electric vehicle, so checking all of your state’s laws before you do anything would be very beneficial to you. New laws are also being passed about electric vehicles and their chargers all the time now that they are starting to become more common, so staying up with current events may also be helpful to you.

Although you can install the charger yourself it may just be simpler to pay an electrician to install the charger. Electricians also have to follow rules and will also need an electrical permit. In almost all regions, an electrical permit is required to install an EV charger if you are not using a pre-existing outlet. Most times, when a charging station is installed in a house it may need a dedicated circuit which also needs an electrical permit in order to install.

Is There Any Risk Associated With Installing A Charger At Home?

There is always risk involved if you choose to install a charger at your home. Generally, the risk is pretty low as there are a lot of things you can do to decrease the risk to yourself and others. You need to make sure the power is turned off whenever you are working with any type of electricity. It is also smart to lock out the switch so no one accidentally turns on the power while it is being worked on. Being shocked is one of the biggest risks anyone takes when working with electricity, but if done correctly it is easy to avoid.

Some other risks include lifting heavy objects, using power tools, and not wearing proper safety equipment. Smashing a finger or toe is always a possibility, so wearing gloves and boots can decrease the chance of hurting yourself. When using power tools, you are advised that you use them correctly and with safety equipment such as safety glasses or a mask when required. It is always better to be safe than sorry, wearing the aforementioned safety equipment can protect you and maybe even save your life.

No matter what you do, there will always be a certain level of risk while doing any type of construction by yourself. This risk to yourself could be avoided if you have an electrician install the charger for you. If you do believe yourself to be capable of installing the charger, then just remember to think about your safety as much as possible, since you will be held liable if anything does go wrong. It is good to have someone else help you if possible and even have a licensed electrician look over your work just to make sure there are no hazards to you or the home after the work is finished.

Why Are Charger Cables Stolen So Often?

Recently charging cable theft and vandalism has become very common. The best result is someone just unplugging your vehicle with the worst being them breaking your vehicle as well as stealing your charging cable. Charging cables are quite expensive, as it generally costs above $200 to buy a new one. Because of this, thieves will steal the chargers and then sell them. They do this because there is currently no way to track down these cords. Even if they are caught on camera, the police will not do a lot to catch the criminals as they usually have more important matters on their hands.

Even though it is a big risk, there are ways to prevent theft of your charger cables. The latch that many charger cables use to stay plugged in are generally not the strongest, but by buying a special adapter or plug-in lock, the charger can be protected even when it is plugged in.

Depending on what kind of EV you have, there could be different solutions to this problem. Sometimes you can buy a normal lock and put it on the charger to prevent it from being pulled out, or you can buy special adapters that go on the end of the charger which cost about $14. Lots of companies are working on making the chargers locked into the car to prevent theft so hopefully, in the future, this problem will be less common.

Is It Worth It To Install A Charger At Home When There Are So Many Free Chargers In Public?

Installing a charger in your home is what most people do when they get an EV, but there is another option. Some public chargers can be used for free at certain times and will allow you to charge your car at no cost to you. Now there are some downsides to this strategy, depending on what type of charger it is you may have to stay there for a while to charge your car. They may not always be in the most convenient places either, meaning you may have to take over an hour of your day just waiting at the chargers for your car to charge, and for most people, this isn’t practical.

Free chargers aren’t as common as they used to be, and might not even be available to you in your region. Recently, the number of free chargers has decreased as electric cars have started to become bigger on the market. There are still plenty of free chargers out there and if you find one that works with you and your schedule, then that is perfect. Soon, however, these free chargers may not be free so it would be smart to use them while you can.

It does save you some money on your monthly power bill, but the big question with this is whether or not your time is worth that money. There is a big convenience factor if you do have a charger at home as it allows you to charge whenever you have the chance and you don’t have to go out of your way to charge your vehicle. It is all up to the individual person if they want to save the money or use the option with the most convenience, there really is not a right or wrong answer.