Questions about a home charger install

A new circuit for a charger needs an electrical permit in the City of Austin, and the neighboring cities have their own. We apply for it, book the inspection and meet the inspector. Outside Austin we tell you whose rules apply before you sign.

That is what the load check answers. We add up what your house draws, with the central air running, then check what is left on the panel. If there is room, the package goes ahead. If there is not, we show you the options, and a new panel is one of them, not the only one.

Both are in every package. A 50-amp outlet lets you take the charger with you or swap it later. Hardwiring suits a charger that stays put, or one that needs a bigger breaker. The comparison on the home page has the details.

The charger itself, drywall repair and paint, a panel upgrade, and a trench through rock, concrete or roots. The quote lists each one that applies to your house, with a price or with the words not needed.

The survey has a set fee, quoted when you book, and it comes off the job if you book within 30 days. We measure the run, open the panel and run the load check, then write the quote.

A garage install is one visit. The inspection is booked with the city, so its date is not ours to promise. We tell you the date as soon as the city gives it.

Your utility may offer one on a home charger. Austin Energy has had a program for its customers, and Pedernales Electric Cooperative and other utilities around Austin set their own rules. Read the current program page before you buy a charger: the rules, caps and charger lists change. We hand you the paperwork the application asks for.

One your car's maker or the utility's list supports, and one whose amp rating matches the breaker in your package. Bring us the model before you order it, and we check it against the circuit. We install chargers you buy, and can order one for you at our cost.

Often, yes. You need written approval from your HOA or landlord, and we need to know which meter and panel feed your unit. The townhome page lists what we ask for first.

With your landlord's written approval, yes. Send us the landlord's name and the photo of the panel, and we write the quote in a form you can hand to them.

Yes. Our Texas electrical contractor license number is in the footer of every page, and the link beside it opens the state's lookup. A certificate of insurance is available on request.

No. We install chargers and the panel work around them by appointment. If you smell burning, see sparks, or find a hot or scorched panel or outlet, call 911 for fire. If it is safe, turn off the breaker.