EV Charger Installation in Los Angeles
Wake up to a full battery every morning. We install permitted Level 2 charging at LA homes — dedicated circuit, clean cable routing, tested with your car before we leave. Most installations take a single visit.
Permit and inspection included. Documentation provided for rebate programmes.
What the installation includes
A charger installation is a dedicated circuit, a permit and a clean run from your panel to where you park. Every one of those matters to how the finished job looks and whether it passes inspection.
We test with your actual vehicle before leaving, because a charger that energises is not the same as a charger that charges your car.
- ✓ Dedicated 240-volt circuit sized for your charger
- ✓ Permit pulled and inspection scheduled
- ✓ Charger mounted where you actually park
- ✓ Conduit and cable run cleanly, not draped across the wall
- ✓ Panel breaker and connections installed to code
- ✓ Tested with your vehicle before we leave
- ✓ Documentation you can submit for rebate programmes
Hardwired or plug-in?
The one decision most homeowners have to make. Either works well — it comes down to whether the charger is staying put.
Hardwired
Best for: Permanent installations, outdoor mounting, higher amperage
Wired directly to the circuit. Supports higher continuous current and is required outdoors in some configurations. The tidier result, and what we fit most often.
Plug-in (NEMA 14-50)
Best for: Renters, planned moves, swapping chargers later
Plugs into a heavy-duty receptacle we install. Easy to replace the charger or take it with you. Slightly lower maximum current than hardwired units.
Getting the circuit right the first time
A car charger is what the electrical code calls a continuous load — it draws near its maximum for hours at a time, which is unusual for a household circuit. Code requires the circuit be sized above the charger's rating to account for that.
So before we quote, we check what your panel is already carrying and confirm it can take the new circuit. That check is why we can give you a fixed price rather than a number that changes on installation day.
If your panel does not have room, we will tell you before you book, and we can handle the service upgrade as part of the same project.
Adding more than a charger?
We do the electrical work and the equipment that runs on it. If a heat pump or new water heater is on your list, sizing everything at once is cheaper than doing it twice.
If you are electrifying the rest of the house
Choosing equipment to go alongside the charger? These cover the decisions worth getting right.
EV Charger Wire Sizing: What Goes Wrong When It Is Done Cheaply
An EV charger runs at full current for hours. That is what melts undersized wiring — and there are recalls proving it.
Read the article →What Does It Cost to Charge an EV at Home in Los Angeles?
When you charge matters more than how much you charge. Here is how LADWP pricing actually works.
Read the article →Do I Need an Electrical Panel Upgrade?
Panel size alone does not tell you what your home can take. Here is what actually decides it.
Read the article →EV Charging FAQs
How much does EV charger installation cost in Los Angeles?
The main driver is distance from your panel to where you park, and how accessible that route is. A charger on the other side of the garage wall from the panel is straightforward. Trenching under a driveway or opening finished walls costs considerably more.
How long does installation take?
Most installations are completed in a single visit of a few hours, assuming your panel has capacity and the cable route is accessible. Where a service upgrade is needed first, that is scheduled separately because it involves the utility and a longer permitting process.
Do I need a permit to install an EV charger?
Yes. A dedicated 240-volt circuit requires a permit and inspection, and we handle both. Several utility rebate programmes also require proof of permitted installation before they will pay out, so skipping it can end up costing more than it saves.
Do I need a panel upgrade for an EV charger?
Sometimes, and we check before quoting rather than assuming either way. If your panel is full, running 100-amp service, or is a Zinsco or Federal Pacific unit, an upgrade will usually come first. We can handle both as one project.
How fast does a Level 2 charger actually charge?
Typically 20 to 40 miles of range per hour, depending on the charger you choose and what your particular vehicle will accept. For almost every driver that means waking up to a full battery, no matter how depleted it was when you plugged in the night before.
Should I get a hardwired or plug-in charger?
Hardwired is tidier, supports higher current and is what we install most often for permanent setups. A plug-in unit on a heavy-duty receptacle makes more sense if you rent, expect to move, or want the option of swapping the charger later.
Can you install two chargers for two vehicles?
Yes. Depending on your available capacity that may mean two independent circuits, or two chargers sharing a managed circuit. We will price both approaches so you can decide, since the difference usually comes down to whether a service upgrade is involved.
Can you install a charger if my panel is outdoors and I park on the street?
Usually, though it needs a site visit first. Outdoor panels and detached-garage installations are both common in Los Angeles and entirely workable. Charging across a public right of way raises separate permitting questions, and we will walk you through those before quoting anything.
Book your charger installation
Tell us your vehicle, your charger if you have already bought one, and where you park. That is enough for a fixed price.
Sources
The code requirements and thresholds on this page come from the following. All are public — check them yourself.
NHTSA
Vehicle safety recall databaseCampaigns 23V842 (Audi), 23V841 (Porsche) and 16E091 (Tesla), cited in the wire sizing article.