The call usually goes like this: "We just bought an EV. How much to put a charger in the garage?"
The honest answer is "it depends", and that is where most quotes go wrong. Is there room in the panel? How far is the garage? Does the service need an upgrade? Quote it blind and you either lose money or lose the job.
The short version
- Statistics Canada counted 45,366 new zero-emission vehicles registered in the third quarter of 2025 alone, 9.4% of new vehicles.
- Many EV owners want a Level 2 charger at home, and some homes need a panel upgrade or a load management device first.
- Do a site assessment, then quote with options (good, better, best), so the client chooses instead of comparing your number with someone else's.
- Take a deposit to cover the charger and materials, and build permit and inspection time into the schedule.
The opportunity
EV adoption in Canada slowed in 2025, but the numbers are still large. Statistics Canada reported 45,366 new zero-emission vehicles registered in Q3 2025, 9.4% of all new vehicle registrations. Each of those drivers is a potential charger install, and many older homes need panel work first.
The same jobs come up together: charger installs, 100A to 200A panel upgrades, load management, surge protection, and, after a storm, standby generators.
Step 1: Assess before you price
A phone quote for an EV charger is a guess. A short site assessment turns it into a real number. Check:
- Panel capacity: size of the service, free spaces, and a load calculation
- Distance and route from the panel to the charger location
- Wall type and finish: drywall, concrete, finished basement
- Indoor or outdoor charger location
- The vehicle and charger: what the client has or wants
- Photos of the panel, the route and the spot
Record it on the phone as a panel assessment form with photos, so the quote, the crew and the inspector all work from the same facts.
Step 2: Quote with options
Do not send one number. Send a choice:
| Option | What it includes |
|---|---|
| Good | Charger install on a dedicated circuit, panel has room |
| Better | Adds a load management device, avoiding a service upgrade |
| Best | Panel upgrade to 200A, charger, and whole-home surge protection |
Optional add-ons the client can tick: a second charger, surge protection, outdoor-rated placement, patching and painting.
Options do two things. The client compares your options with each other, not your price with a competitor's. And many clients pick the middle one, which is usually the best job for you too.
Step 3: Take a deposit
A charger and a panel are real money out of your pocket before you start. Take a deposit when the client accepts, sized to cover at least the equipment and materials. For a panel upgrade, split the rest: a deposit on acceptance, and the balance on completion and inspection.
(More on sizing deposits in why you should take a deposit on every install.)
Step 4: Plan for permits and inspection
Most provinces require a permit or notification for this kind of work through the provincial electrical safety authority, and a utility disconnect may be needed for a panel upgrade. Build that time into the schedule and the client's expectations:
- Say on the quote who handles the permit, and that it is included
- Book the utility disconnect early, if needed
- Record the inspection sign-off on the job, with photos
- Tell the client when it is passed and closed
Step 5: Know what the job made
EV and panel jobs vary a lot: one is a 20-minute run in a garage, the next is a finished basement with a long fish. If you do not compare what you quoted with what it cost, you will not know which jobs to chase.
Track materials, hours and expenses against each job, and look at the margin. After ten installs you will know your real price.
How crewduo helps electrical contractors
- Quotes with optional lines built on the phone from your catalogue; the client chooses, signs online and pays the deposit in one step.
- Panel assessment, electrical safety inspection and inspection sign-off forms with photos, saved to the job.
- Payment schedules for bigger jobs: deposit, then the balance on completion.
- Job costing and margins (Crew plan): materials, time and expenses against the quote.
- Inventory and purchase orders (Crew plan): stock by van, so the job does not stop for wire.
- Recommendations: log the panel that will need replacing next year, and follow it up.
See crewduo for electrical contractors, or how quotes work.
Quick answers
Should we quote EV chargers over the phone? Give a range if you must, but book a short assessment for the real quote. It protects your margin and wins more of the jobs you quote.
Should the client buy the charger? Either works. Supplying it yourself is simpler for warranty and margin; if the client supplies it, say on the quote what you warrant and what you do not.
What about generator installs after a storm? Same approach: assessment, options (portable inlet versus standby), deposit, permit, sign-off.
Sources
- Statistics Canada, New motor vehicle registrations, third quarter 2025.
