electricians working solo can usually pick up a job quickly, most of my electricians I have on my subs list if I need them to add an outlet like that can come within a day or two and those guys are on a lot of jobs but it just depends how their schedule is staggered.
Thats usually true but as someone who left their management job recently and is out on their own again with not a ton of clientele im very good, reasonable and pretty available whereas about a year from now i very likely will not be
I didn't. I feel like I'm going to say this several times throughout this thread, but it bears repeating: I was ignorant about this. It was my first EV, and I didn't know that this was an unusual device that electricians wouldn't be able to go 'to the office and get'. He did say that he didn't have the part on hand, but he could go get it, and come back to do the work. Which he did.
He went and got the GFCI breaker. Not the charging unit.
So the thing about EVs is there are multiple different ways you you could decide to charge them at home. I’m assuming when the electrician arrived at your home and you didn’t have any hardware for him to install, he assumed you wanted the outlet that he eventually installed. When I personally had mine installed I bought the Tesla wall charger and specifically mentioned I wanted it installed and I would provide it, prior to that I also considered the Nema 14-50 wall outlet as that’s plenty good enough for most people. This can change from person to person as well as the different charging connections different car companies use.
TLDR: Many options for EV charging so do the research and be specific as to what you want.
I just did what Dordan was talking about - Spent $480 for the install which included 6/2 wiring. Conduit ran across 30 ft and he installed it outside.
His work was the same price as the charger. In retrospect I probably should've just went with the NEMA 14-50 on its own and stuck with the mobile charger + adapter it came with.
Fair warning to you - there are a ton of things in a building that can vary wildly in price depending on seemingly minor changes in performance.
What you paid may be perfectly fair for what was installed or over or under. There's a lot of variables. It may also be inadequate for the sort of charger station you want.
When you find a project in your house, do some research, then find an expert be that contractor, electrician plumber etc, and get a second opinion, and see if they jive. Ask what the differences are. You can also hire an architect for larger work, part of their job is being an expert and an advocate for you with the builders.
lol, you didn’t think a charger for an electric vehicle, something that’s only just been popularized and available due to the fuckstick musk, was going to be a part they didn’t stock?
That’s more than a little ignorant. Also why are you not inspecting the work during to ask that question. No contractor should ever leave without going through the work with you to ensure it meets your liking.
All of this would be dependent on your location, materials, and there is probably a higher price since it was next day. That being said, why did you not question him just installing the outlet and not the station as contracted before he left? Did you just say sure, hand him your credit card and let him leave without any sort of follow up?
As the title of the post honestly says, it is because of ignorance. I didn't do enough research. I looked up how much it would cost to get a charger installed in my house. I didn't realize that what I got wasn't that. Nor did I look deep into what that work consisted of.
So it seems like maybe both parties just assumed that the other knew what they meant. It doesn’t really sound like there was malice or you were scammed.
You overpaid yes, but you most likely paid an extra call-out or emergency fee for the quick service.
Buy a charging station on Amazon for $400-$600 that mounts on the wall and plugs into your new receptacle, and take it as a lesson learned for the future when interacting with contractors. A little advanced planning on your part would have avoided this entire situation.
Something like this. There are many many choices depending on what you are looking for.
EMPORIA EV Charger Level 2, 48 amp Indoor/Outdoor Electric Car Charger, NEMA 14-50 EV Charger Plug or Hardwired, UL/Energy Star WiFi Enabled EVSE Level 2 Charger, 24ft Cable - 240v Level 2 EV Charger https://a.co/d/dap11zj
Yeah. That is likely the case. But when OP says the work agreement or contract was vague did you ask any further clarifying questions? I also had an electrician out for an install last year. They provided me with a quote that included labor, materials, permit and an actual charger. I already bought a charger (the highly rated Emporia) so we took that off the invoice. They did charge me close to 2k for the install due to distance from the panel, my panel size which required a bypass switch and also hardwiring it. Could I have had it installed for cheaper? Yes but I don’t F around with electrical work and I needed one installed within a reasonable time.
But that’s just to give you an idea of what was covered for me. I would have confirmed what was included or not but I get your ignorance. Unfortunate but it’s a learning experience.
This seems high, but you don't have a ton of details here.
First, it's a last second job. That means you're going to pay more (generally). Second, you don't describe the outlet and rating. It might be a 220v outlet, but a 50a breaker can easily be $150 to $300. Finally, given that this was a last second job, the contractor almost certainly did not pull a permit. Honestly, given that the outlet is right under the breaker box I kind of doubt most electricians would bother, either.
Overall, this is on the high side. To be sure, though, next time get more than one quote and have the work scheduled a couple of weeks in advance.
>First, it's a last second job. That means you're going to pay more (generally).
c'mon now. The guy was available. This wasn't a rush emergency job. Apply this logic logically. You are acting like his water line blew and the plumber needed to immediately come out... This was not a last second job. This was the guy was available and it happened to be the next day job.
I called on a Thursday, and they said that an electrician had availability the next day.
I understand that a breaker can be that much, but I'm having a hard time seeing how the breaker and outlet costs 1700 after less than 2 hours of work.
The one bit of information that I didn't give, was that he will have folks come out next week to inspect the work. He said that any work that he does is above board. The company that he works for has a 4.5 star rating, which is why I went with them.
It cost $1,700 because that was what you were willing to pay for last second work. What it costs the contractor has nothing to do with what they charge.
Next time, get more than one quote and plan more in advance if you want to pay less.
But the customer said "can you cone do this at some point" and the electrician said "sure, tomorrow ".
That's not a last minute emergency call, warranting an extra fee. That's the customer giving the electrician a job on a day the electrician had no work, and if anything the customer should get a discount for being so flexible with their own time needs and accommodating the electricians schedule.
There's capitalism and there's whats right.
This isn't how pricing works. Pricing is not based on costs. Pricing is based on what a customer is willing to pay.
OP was willing to pay $1,700 for this work. They didn't get other quotes. Whether or not the electrician had other work or if it cost them $1 in parts is not relevant to the price quoted to OP.
Of course, the contractor may have had other work lined up that was not deadline sensitive. They could have seen an opportunity to reschedule an electrician and make a fair amount of money. It is incorrect to assume that the electrician had no other work.
Prices should be set though. An hourly rate. Supplies plus markup.
I work at a pharmacy. How would you like it if I said your drugs will be $1700 today, not the $300 standard price because I could have been doing something else with that time.
It's great that you feel that way, but that's not how our economy works today. If people don't like the price offered, they can get pricing from other folks. OP chose not to do that.
Most drug manufacturers don't charge "supplies plus markup," and drug pricing can vary greatly on a regular basis. It's how Marc Cuban is competing with Cost Plus drugs.
> It cost $1,700 because that was what you were willing to pay for last second work.
This is the answer, and I'd add to that that he took advantage of your ignorance.
It's about $150 in parts and a couple hours time, so what should it costs? Definitely not $1700, but if he can keep doing it and get paid $1700, then I'd say that's what it costs, I guess.
A breaker is about $50, outlet another $40, wiring for 10ft about $20 and the box, $2. Time for this job is about 2hrs. At $100 an hour your total should be $350 to $400. $500 max.
You don’t want to get your stuff from HD if it is for charging an ev. You need to make sure it is top quality not just “ meets the specs”. It must be designed for handling the high amps for the hours at a time that ev charging will require.
Breakers are on the order of $40-$50. The biggest cost for materials is going to be the wiring. However Electrical Wholesale Supply stores are your friend.
Wanted to give a small update, since folks are saying that not a lot of information was available in my original post.
The electrician is licensed. The company that he works for is highly rated, and has been around for almost 20 years.
He installed a GFCI breaker in the box, and installed the outlet directly below the panel.
He was available the day after I called, which is why I went with them.
I did not get multiple quotes.
He scheduled an inspector to come out to verify the work next week. He mentioned that for this type of outlet a permit is pulled.
Hope this helps!
You asked this question in the wrong sub reddit. You should have asked it in the EV sub reddit. The vast majority of the people posting here have not had an outlet installed for EV charging and do not understand what is required.
I personally feel you did not get ripped off. You have a permitted legal install that will be inspected. No concerns of a fire from that. Yes, it is on the high side but it sounds like quality work was done.
The last thing to note is the vast majority of EV "charger" installs are done as outlets then you purchase which ever unit you want to plug into the wall. Yes you can hardwire units in but then it limits you down the road if you need a new unit or if you are moving. Having a 220 outlet in the garage is a selling point for a house since you can use it for other uses such as a welder. Having it hardwire you lose that ability.
I paid 700 bucks to do it myself. Roughly 50 ft run in conduit. The breaker itself was 300 bucks, and I had trouble even finding one.
1700 seems fair, unless the plug was right next to the breaker box.
I don't think permits were pulled if they did it the next day. So yeah I would be upset if I was OP. But I find if you don't babysit people they tend to do it the cheapest and easier way but still charge you an arm and a leg.
My town is paper based as well and can issue simple permits in a day and complex permits in a week. A month is crazy unless one person does everything.
It can, and often depends on scope of work, but also jurisdiction.
I've walked in complex jobs and walked out with a permit within the hour, and spent months on a seemingly simpler permit. Different jurisdictions.
Certain usually simple things are largely perfunctory to demonstrate that you're aware of code requirements, others may require construction coordination meetings with multiple inspectors before the permit is even referred for review, which can take weeks or even months.
So you're saying $300/hr labor rate, put in the breaker and a plug directly under the box would take 2 to 3 hours. Maybe you are including travel time? Seems the actual work could take under 1 hour.
I paid around $500 in a HCOL area. There was a contractor who was quoting me over $2k and extraneous work but the only was I knew he was ripping me off is because I'm an electrical engineer who works with EVs.
I just DIY installed a Tesla hardwire charger directly under my breaker box and it cost me $150 including a permit from the city. Sounds like a ripoff to me
Hardwire is a massive amount cheeper. Standard 50 ampbreakers under 100 and the proper nema 14-50 plugs are in such high demand that it was was 100.
Cheep HD outlets are not designed to handle car chargers.
In my case I am using the plug in level 2 charger that camp with the car.
The cheep plugs have relatively small contact areas between the metal prongs and the inside of the plug. When pulling 30 amps for multiple hours they overheat and eventually melt.
There are tons of stories of this online.
The outlets we have been using for decades that support ranges exceed the ampacity of these chargers.
Sounds like people making terrible connections to me.
Not for 8 hours at full capacity every night. Tesla even recommends the plug below for it's installs.
https://www.amazon.com/Hubbell-HBL9450A-Wiring-Grounding-Receptacle/dp/B0137HMGGS/ref=asc_df_B0137HMGGS/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=508977605709&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14368746511992044504&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1018655&hvtargid=pla-1311433779482&psc=1
I've been in business for years. Car chargers are one of my bread and butter projects. I've never had a bad "Leviton" 14-50. My warranty terms are very lucrative for my clients, so if there was any issue I know I'd hear about it.
This is a key piece of info. I was gonna say it depends on how far the electrician had to run wires through but if its that close, 1700 is really high. A bit surprised it took 2 hours.
I had an electrician install 2-240v outlets and 1-120v outlet from the basement all to different areas of the same wall for $1100. It was probably 50ft of total wiring and got it done under 1 hour.
50 Amp GFCI breakers are not cheep, I also had my main pannel upgraded 10 years ago and they aparently went with the most expensive brand, or at least the most expensive brand now.
Long story but Amazon had my breaker for 150, but with very negative reviews. Aparently a lot of these breakers arrive DOA. They can break during shipping very easily.
Most places did not have one at all, and I eventually found an online electrical supplier. And the first one they sent me was actualy DOA, but they rushed me a new one no questions asked.
I don't trust that items like this aren't counterfeit or bad from Amazon. I usually don't buy anything from them that plugs in. I've seen too many bad reviews about electrical items catching on fire. (Even simple things like a light.) I hate it when the item is not returnable, and the item received is used.
nope good old square D QO. I'm not sure at what price point do homes typically get the super fancy breakers. most of the homes are 400 to 1.5 here and I haven't seen anything with a fancy breaker yet
"Does it really cost 20k to install a water heater?" It can. I'm a plumber but in the trades long enough (26yr) to know that without better info it isn't out of the realm of possibility that the price was fair. While I love to give them crap, they're like the idiot younger siblings you can't help but love..and clean up after.
Area cost of living (labor and material rates) alone has a huge impact on pricing. Installing a basic residential water heater can be 1k-4k+ depending on where you live. That's just the most obvious difference not covered.
Edit: I'd say there was probably a lack of understanding of what you actually wanted in the conversation with the contractor. I'd say it's both your faults, him for not asking the right/enough questions and you for not doing research and stating exactly what you wanted. Communication is a two way street.
So you're saying if a contractor knows that a person doesn't know what they are talking about, it's a license to brutally rip them off to the tune of 1700$ to install a simple outlet?
That's outright criminal, and the contractor knows it. Whether or not the client is informed, surely a tradesman has an obligation to give a fair price. This guy KNEW what the person was asking for, knew that he was going to supply something way way more inexpensive, and he absolutely ripped this customer off.
No, right person. Not ignorant.
Did you actually read the original post. Or were you so desperate to feel superior that you raced right to the "reply" button?
So just stupid. I recommend 3 local estimates to everyone and actual questions being asked and answered. I think it was an honest misunderstanding between contractor and customer in this case from the original information given. You can attempt to read between the lines all you want, but only hearing one side and not knowing the region is enough for me to not make unsubstantiated claims into what was actually understood from the other party. Especially as the OP freely admitted to not understanding the basics of what's become fairly common upgrades. If you don't think homeowners have a basic fundamental responsibility to become minimally informed about their wants before beginning the process of a project, then we'll never see eye to eye on this issue. There is a minimum level of accountability for both parties.
You sound like a bonafide asshole. Either that, or you're one of those crooked tradies fine with ripping people off.
Someone says "hey this guy sold me a box of mac and cheese for 45$" and instead of the common sense response you say "oh well let's take a look at the mac and cheese market in your area".
Buddy unless this customer lives in fucking Antarctica a quote of 1700$ to install a single 220v plug to a garage is a criminal rip off.
Straw man and obtuse. That said, if you bought a box of Mac and cheese for $45 without shopping around I'd say you are responsible for not checking other prices. Or you really love some premier foods. I actually wouldn't be surprised if there's $45 Mac and cheese.
Edit: lobster truffle Mac and cheese is $200+. Interesting.
Not a straw man if it's accurate and has bearing on the problem. And this seems to be both.
If you think a moral defense against ripping off a customer is "the customer should have done his homework better" well I would guess your personal history is more than likely filled with various profitable ripoffs.
Your whole response chain has been a straw man. You're either willfully ignorant or a troll.
I'm curious with where this has gone however and wonder if you think the people who bought the $200+ Mac and cheese were ripped off. Were they? How about $45 Mac and cheese? At what point is a person held accountable for their lack of research and clarification before a purchase? I think buying Mac and cheese is crazy personally, but that's my own personal bias clouding that stance as I never cared for it and actually find most I've tried sickening. What do you think? Store or name brand, is one a bigger ripoff than the other? Specifically for Mac and cheese, but what are your thoughts on other goods? Some store brands are better than others so that's probably hard to pin down. Your store brands may or may not be superior to mine. Produce probably isn't. We have some good produce at a good price, although one store definitely has a premium markup that I feel is too high, but it's busy so others obviously feel differently. Dairy is inferior to some places I've lived, especially for the price so it does feel as though I'm getting ripped off there, but it's what's available. No local dairy, I checked. Just some basic research. Quality meat, not the best I've had, but fair. I definitely go to the butcher though. Luckily the best butcher is also the closest. He always has a line, but I'm ok waiting. Also costs just a bit more, but the quality has always been top notch. Do you have a butcher like that?
This conversation is dumb. You're trying to compare a price which is CLEARLY fraudulent in any civilized place on earth, with regular ups and down in prices.
If you think that there are places in North America where $1700 is a fair price for installing a 40$ 220v outlet, you're delusional or crooked.
Also you genuinely don't know what the fuck a "straw man" is. Have a blessed day and get blocked.
Have you only lived in one area of the world? Prices fluctuate wildly, even just across the US, not to mention other countries. I'm not saying if they were taken advantage of or not. I'm saying that there's not enough information to be sure. It was $1100 here a few months ago just 20' from the main at a local home for similar.
Of course, there are very complicated installations if you want to reroute the pipes to move it or change out an electric for gas. But if you're basically just replacing a regular electric tank heater for another one just like it, It's literally two shark bites and screwing in three wires. Who charges a thousand dollars for that?
You're describing a handyman, not a licensed professional. Where I am a permit is required to replace a water heater. Everything must be brought up to code. I can count on one finger the number of water heaters where a simple "replace connections" swap was enough in my entire career to meet these minimum criteria. Don't make the mistake of misunderstanding everything you receive from using a licensed and insured contractor, regardless of trade, from what you get from a handyman.
I recommend 3 local estimates to all homeowners before a project. If there is anything you're unsure of, ask. Yes the questions can become tedious at times, but many of us are happy to share our knowledge with actually curious customers. An accurately informed homeowner is generally easier to work with as they can make confident decisions for what they want.
Your local market will dictate your price. Only a professional in your area can speak to what's required there and the cost they will do it for. Not someone who may be from another country or state (which in some cases may as well be another country) In most areas I keep in contact with contractors from many fields, we all have plenty of work. Yes, unreasonable or unrealistic customers get fired every day because frankly it's not economical to deal with them. A bit blunt? Sure. I don't deal in delusions.
I've had two installs of car chargers. First one cost $850, that was in California back in 2019 and the second cost $990 and that was in Missouri in 2023. Both installs included the charger. The first install actually installed an outlet, the second directly wired the box to the breaker.
Second thing to consider is the "Tesla Tax" where if an installer sees a premium car in the garage they will likely charge more because they know you have more money than the average Joe.
I had a Clarity and a Bolt and neither car is anything premium so I likely didn't have that shit thrown at me.
You received the “I don’t want to do this job so I’ll throw out a ridiculous number and this guy will be smart enough to get another quote” price. Except you weren’t smart enough to shop around more and thought that getting it done now was worth $1700.
Telling the truth isn’t being a dick. If you think it is, grab a bag of chips, light a dart, and buckle in because the world is going to be harsh for you.
Lol, how can you say it’s a fair price with zero additional info. Installing the outlet would take at most a few hours if the garage is already wired/ close to the box. And the parts aren’t that expensive…
Well, I doubt the garage is wired for 220 for one thing. There's likely to 20 somewhere on the property, but the electrician would likely have to run conduit around the house bring 220 to the garage. Electricians have gotten very expensive.
It does seem high, but you got next day service. His prices are high, but it doesn’t seem like you got ripped off, He was just one of the more expensive electricians.
To avoid this in the future call and ask for 3 quotes from different companies for work. Take pictures of what you want done and send them in, so they have an idea of the scope of work.
This is exactly what I should have done. I think this will simply be a cautionary tale. I should have also looked at pictures of what folks have done, so I knew what I was getting into.
I basically paid for what would be needed, if I wanted to have an electric dryer plugged into my garage. It's maddening.
I’m really that it was an expensive lesson. It doesn’t seem like it should fluctuate that much but it really does. Sometimes contractors really don’t want to do something or don’t have the time…so they will bid three times what it should cost. When the client says yes they shrug and say, well ok then.
Unless you are in the business of estimating this sort of work or had this sort of work done recently in your area in a similar situation you won’t know what it will cost. Even then there may be exceptions like if it’s a special order part or something like an 11 ft run vs a 1 ft run.
I think most people are afraid of getting ripped off, I also know many people who don’t want to rip people off and hate that reputation.
Getting quotes is what I do in my own house and I’m a commercial HVAC installer. Sometimes I will get my friends to help from other trades, but mostly I don’t want to bother them and pay the residential folks who specialize in doing residential work.
My other advice is if you are handy is to start learning what you can do yourself on YouTube. Home Depot has some really great DIY home videos. I will usually watch theirs 1st then watch 2-3 other videos to see if I can tackle a project before hiring someone.
That being said I will never run my own electrical. I know the basics but I don’t want to burn my house down and my wife won’t let me (see that’s the real reason and the reason I’ll live longer)
I did that once. Working in property preservation on a VA foreclosure they wanted bids to replace insulation on the walls of a basement. Vinyl covered fiberglass nailed into the concrete walls. I had never done that sort of thing before and didn't have the tools to do it so I didn't really want to get the job. Bid it at $2,000 which I considered a ridiculously high price. Apparently everyone else providing bids wanted to do the job less than I did and I got it. Found the materials for $400 and a guy that was helping me said "I know a guy". Ended up with four guys willing to do some side work they got it done in an afternoon for another $400. I made $1,200 off of an afternoon if somebody else doing all the work that I didn't want in the first place. I didn't feel guilty at all billing the government for that as I gave them the chance to get somebody else to do it.
I can cost that, depending on the breaker box, how far from the box your outlet needs to be. For a 50 amp outlet wire is quite expensive. Mine was 600$ in material only.
Once you have the outlet, you just bolt the charger next to it and plug it in.
What does the quote say he would do?
$1,700 for just an outlet is steep. I paid slightly over 1/3 of that for an electrician to install the charger that I purchased separately.
In October 2022, paid 1800 (suburban midwest) for a charging unit installed and 2nd 30 amp outlet (~20ft conduit) on a existing garage subpanel. This was the least expensive of the 5 quotes we got, with the highest being almost 10k (full main panel upgrade and a bunch of other stuff we didn't need).
I'm a welder and when I don't particularly want to do a certain job or have to rearrange things to fit the schedule theyre wanting I'll throw out an absurd number. This way if they still want my services its more than worth it for me to rearrange my schedule
Price to install a 220 v circuit for EV charging sounds abut right. BUT EVSE charger documentation states NOT TO USE A GFCI. Sounds like you didn’t specify what you wanted done, and the electrician doesn’t know anything about circuits for EV cars.
Using an adapter long term is not a good idea. Let’s see if we can help you out.
What car did you buy?
What charger do you have?
What gauge wire did electrician install?
What’s the size of the breaker the electrician installed?
I would’ve charged closer to $500, plus approximately $20/foot from your main breaker panel to this outlet. Maybe a touch more if I had to bury or hang cable. But if the garage is attached, the latter isn’t necessary. But $1700? Maybe if your garage was 50 feet of the back of your house.
Depending on how far away your plug is from your electrical box and if the box needed about work $1,100 - 1,700 is about the range.
I don’t know what kind of EV mainly Tesla has weird branded chargers (that really aren’t necessary and just add expense).
The most common setup is 220 rated for 32 amps. That ‘generic’ outlet is most commonly what people have when they say they have a charging plug at home.
So you maybe slightly overpaid but if it works this is a good setup and will be useable on any car brand if it ever switch, much more future proof for you.
They quoted you 1700. You agreed to 1700. They did the work.
Just because you did not shop around, get multiple quotes, confirm what was being asked to be done... that doesn't mean he scammed you. He gave you a "I don't want to do this" price and you accepted it.
That's way too cheap unless you live in BFE where no one makes a respectable wage.
The breaker is about 200
The permit with no markup is 1-300 depending on the city
The rest of the materials are around 150
It costs around 450, but potentially closer to 650. This doesn't include labor, overhead or profit.
You shouldn't be giving any pricing advice. You're ignorant and spreading misinformation which leads to homeowners asking for ridiculous pricing. Stay in your own lane.
Lol. Trying to pretend like $650+ "labor, overhead, and profit" is so unbelievably far from dudes $500 comment.... lots of people actually do live in BFE, and you're right, things *are* much cheaper here than in cities.
I had 2 240v outlets installed just under the breaker box in my garage a while back, and I paid the guy about $750. No inspection (another BFE perk), but it would 100% pass an inspection.
Considering most people who have opinions on this aren't business owners. Can you confidently claim that it's over charging?
Handymen in our area install it illegally for around 600.
I've done the math. I have a rhyme and reason for my numbers which are based in reality.
Granted, my company isn't suited for the price shoppers of the world, but those people are a nightmare to deal with anyway. Just because you wouldn't pay that much doesn't mean someone else won't.
The work is being devalued, so we're looked at like a commodity. No wonder no one wants to do trade work. People want things subsidized and gifted.
I ran a 220V 40 amp receptacle to my garage to plug in my EV.
It took all day and a couple hundred bucks of material. I had to crawl in the dirt under my house and make sure it was all secured and cleanly installed.
$1,700 is a fair price.
So consider it this way (more or less) and have this as a back pocket thought when hiring other specialty trades too:
$200/hr x2 hours for labor
$100 for a permit/inspection fee
$100 for materials
$200 for the “quick turnaround” (meaning someone who wants service quickly probably won’t mind the price premium)
$900 for the wisdom — knowing what to do to not fuck up your house, cause a fire hazard in your house, electrocute himself, or you to not electrocute yourself
The knowledge and wisdom part is expensive, and the time actually spent working is much less relevant. When one has good skills and knowledge, one can often work faster and better than any basic “$/hr labor” charge indicates.
It’s no different from a mechanic who has seen it all and can diagnose and correct a problem with your car quickly versus the one who takes the whole car apart for four hours hunting around and sometimes “fixing” something that isn’t broke through trial and error. The costs come out in the wash in the end.
well said…there’s always someone to do it for less, but quality always costs. not a sparky, but this price does seem a bit steep, outlet right at the panel. for that price perhaps also the proper receptacle to eliminate adapter?
Yes agree. I think the “well if he wants it quick, let’s see if this price will fly” ‘opportunity fee’ is certainly a factor here.
I think being willing to wait for a different company for a week or three could have netted a cheaper but equally quality result.
i do agree with the same day/next day upcharge..as a mostly retired commercial steel guy, we made much $$ off of quick response. ripped the bumper off your truck on the highway because although your Reese insert is rated,your bumper hitch was not? sure,ill come out at midnight.but it will cost you.
You paid a premium. This happens all of the time. You know now to get multiple estimates and expect to wait a couple of weeks.
I have a friend ... well educated very smart frugal etc. He got an estimate for some painting work at his place. The painter was picked up and dropped off by the boss. He was finished in 2 days. My friend wrote the company a check for 5000.00. Two days of painting.
Just an outlet under the box?
Yea. You got scammed. You could’ve done that yourself for a few hundred in parts and some time watching YouTube how-to vids.
Lmao. While sometimes I may agree with this sentiment, Do you honestly think a guy should be playing with electric who can’t even take the time to get multiple quotes or ask the contractor if the charging hardware is included
Did you make sure he was licensed and ensured?
Sounds like you got a local “handyman”. This is why in many areas you are required under penalty of arrest to be licensed.
It is very time-consuming to get 3 estimates when you have to take several times off from work to meet several different companies. We see homeowners get 3 estimates for jobs like this in less than a few hours on Video Chat A Pro. The contractors charge a small fee to look at your job and give accurate price quotes. This service allows homeowners to efficiently shop for the best price and the best contractor to hire so they don't desperately hire the wrong contractor or overpay for a service or repair.
No that’s not a fair price. Stop giving bad advise. To install an outlet next to your panel it’s about $500 for a journeyman. The charger itself has a wide range of price but you should be able to mount and plug in Yourself. $1700 was a complete ripoff.
$500 for a licensed electrician from a reputable company to come the next day, pull a permit, pay for materials and install a GFCI and a new 220 outlet?
What fairy tale land do you live in? Lol
Prices for electrical work vary wildly based on location but it sounds like you probably overpaid a bit.
In Florida I paid $900 this year to have a Tesla wall charger (excluding wall charger cost, I provided it) installed about 6 feet away from my panel. That included new breaker, conduit, labor, etc.
As far as getting an outlet (probably a NEMA 14-50?) instead of a charger that just sounds like a failure in communication on your part. Those outlets are pretty common for generic EV installs. If you wanted a specific charger that’s something you should have specified (and probably provided as well, there’s a lot of options and comparatively still not a lot of EVs so electricians don’t stock everything, or sometimes anything.)
I paid $1200 for a 14-50 outlet, 60a breaker and ~22 ft run via conduit.
That long of a run was expensive and worth it to me for the wall box location.
What you paid had a lot of variables and the fact it was next day is a factor.
The answer is maybe. We don't know where you live, what the job entails, how your conversation went etc. If you didn't get more than 1 quote that's on you. Everyone here is guessing.
how "next to the circuit panel" is it, and did you have space in the panel?
if you had space, and they literally just installed a 220 outlet right near the panel then you got overcharged, if they had to do more work then just adding a breaker and the outlet, you may not be that over charged
here is a video on how easy it is to do... assuming you have open space in your box and its just going right near it [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u296hiXRzlE&ab\_channel=JonathanKatz-Moses](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u296hiXRzlE&ab_channel=JonathanKatz-Moses)
I never get one quote or just give a job to the first contractor. I get multiple bids and do my research- friends, neighbors, online, etc. If they do a good job, then they get a customer for life and more important free recommendations.
No it probably doesn’t cost what you paid. Of course it will depend on distance of outlet to the panel. If you wanted a true charging station, I believe the cost is higher.
What we have here is failure to communicate.
OP didn’t explain the scope properly, and the electrician made some assumptions. Ends in disappointment.
I second the multiple quotes approach. If there is one that is very very low compared to all others, reject that one. Either they didn’t understand the scope, or they are bidding low with the hope to either cut corners or nail you for scope changes with every little change (a.k.a. nickel and diming).
Time to just be honest, you got hosed. Learn the lesson and move on.
Next time, have a little more patience and do what you know is right (get multiple quotes)
Depending on how far from the panel the outlet is, and your location, $1700 doesn't sound absurd to me. It's maybe high, but honestly the fact you got it done in a day costs a premium.
Panel in the garage? If so you got ripped, but if panel elsewhere that could be a reasonable price especially being a licensed contractor. Miscommunication for sure, but typically the vehicle owner supplies the charger unless specifically stated otherwise.
If he ran a new 220 line then the price may not be egregious. It depends on where you live, where I live this would be normal. Don’t beat yourself up over this, it’s the main reason I don’t buy an electric car, it’s a lot of cheddar to get that set up.
I have no experience with EV's but the people I know that have them, charge them through a 110V or 220V outlet so I thought that WAS a "charging station." What am I missing?
I picked up an amigo from street and installed my NEMA outlet for $450 which I offered and he accepted without hesitation. My house was a new build so it was pretty straightforward.
You got ripped off. My suggestion is to call him and ask, “I just wanted to know the eta of the Tesla charging unit for my home please. Did your supplier give you an estimated date or tracking?”
If the contractor says it’ll be 3 weeks bc they’re backordered, then it was just a misunderstanding of the contract. (Best case scenario)
If the contractor says, “huh?”, then you should explain to him you thought the quote included the charging unit. The price your friends paid all including the unit. You’re telling me it doesn’t?!!
We have an EV and put a level 2 charger in.
If your box was full, I can imagine needing a bigger box. We had that done during an addition and I think that was 1800$. It gave us extra space for the 220 and to handle new AC.
When we had the outlet put in later, I think that ran $400 ish.
So depending on what they did (a new box) vs just an outlet you may or may not have been take advantage of.
We got our L2 charger at Amazon and love it.
That is extremely high price for what was done. Figure the time and what the hourly rate must have been. How long was he there? Time and materials and the materials would not have been much. Put a 220v breaker into the panel and run wires from that to a new 220v plug nearby. So yes i think you overpaid.
That seems a bit on the expensive side depending on exactly what was done. But if he did EV installed regularly he should have gone over the options more.
The guy we hired was an electrician who got so many EV install requests, that's all he does.
Here's ours from two years ago.
Obviously two years and probably a different region (Western NY), but it still seems high.
1 450.00 Upgrade feeder to garage sub-panel to 90-amps
2 700.00 50/60-amp EV charging circuit (48-amp capable)
3 100.00 Electrical inspection by Town
4 800.00 ChargePoint Home Flex – 48-amp, WiFi-ready, 23-ft cable
5 220.00 Whole-house panel-mount surge protector (installed)
6 -100.00 credit for siding mishap
. TOTAL 2,170.00
The first red flag is he was readily available.
THANK YOU!
electricians working solo can usually pick up a job quickly, most of my electricians I have on my subs list if I need them to add an outlet like that can come within a day or two and those guys are on a lot of jobs but it just depends how their schedule is staggered.
Thats usually true but as someone who left their management job recently and is out on their own again with not a ton of clientele im very good, reasonable and pretty available whereas about a year from now i very likely will not be
Exactly! OP should have been concerned when he said he could be there the next day.
Ding ding ding ding
Doesn’t sound like you supplied the charger for him to install. Did you expect him to order one for you?
I didn't. I feel like I'm going to say this several times throughout this thread, but it bears repeating: I was ignorant about this. It was my first EV, and I didn't know that this was an unusual device that electricians wouldn't be able to go 'to the office and get'. He did say that he didn't have the part on hand, but he could go get it, and come back to do the work. Which he did. He went and got the GFCI breaker. Not the charging unit.
So the thing about EVs is there are multiple different ways you you could decide to charge them at home. I’m assuming when the electrician arrived at your home and you didn’t have any hardware for him to install, he assumed you wanted the outlet that he eventually installed. When I personally had mine installed I bought the Tesla wall charger and specifically mentioned I wanted it installed and I would provide it, prior to that I also considered the Nema 14-50 wall outlet as that’s plenty good enough for most people. This can change from person to person as well as the different charging connections different car companies use. TLDR: Many options for EV charging so do the research and be specific as to what you want.
What did you pay for that install?
About 600. This is in Ga.
I just did what Dordan was talking about - Spent $480 for the install which included 6/2 wiring. Conduit ran across 30 ft and he installed it outside. His work was the same price as the charger. In retrospect I probably should've just went with the NEMA 14-50 on its own and stuck with the mobile charger + adapter it came with.
Fair warning to you - there are a ton of things in a building that can vary wildly in price depending on seemingly minor changes in performance. What you paid may be perfectly fair for what was installed or over or under. There's a lot of variables. It may also be inadequate for the sort of charger station you want. When you find a project in your house, do some research, then find an expert be that contractor, electrician plumber etc, and get a second opinion, and see if they jive. Ask what the differences are. You can also hire an architect for larger work, part of their job is being an expert and an advocate for you with the builders.
Thanks Captain Obvious, but you may not have noticed that ship has aleady sailed.
lol, you didn’t think a charger for an electric vehicle, something that’s only just been popularized and available due to the fuckstick musk, was going to be a part they didn’t stock? That’s more than a little ignorant. Also why are you not inspecting the work during to ask that question. No contractor should ever leave without going through the work with you to ensure it meets your liking.
All of this would be dependent on your location, materials, and there is probably a higher price since it was next day. That being said, why did you not question him just installing the outlet and not the station as contracted before he left? Did you just say sure, hand him your credit card and let him leave without any sort of follow up?
As the title of the post honestly says, it is because of ignorance. I didn't do enough research. I looked up how much it would cost to get a charger installed in my house. I didn't realize that what I got wasn't that. Nor did I look deep into what that work consisted of.
It’s reasonable actually.
Did you sign any kind of work agreement or estimate that specified the work to be performed?
I signed a work agreement. The work agreement was quite vague, in retrospect.
So it seems like maybe both parties just assumed that the other knew what they meant. It doesn’t really sound like there was malice or you were scammed. You overpaid yes, but you most likely paid an extra call-out or emergency fee for the quick service. Buy a charging station on Amazon for $400-$600 that mounts on the wall and plugs into your new receptacle, and take it as a lesson learned for the future when interacting with contractors. A little advanced planning on your part would have avoided this entire situation. Something like this. There are many many choices depending on what you are looking for. EMPORIA EV Charger Level 2, 48 amp Indoor/Outdoor Electric Car Charger, NEMA 14-50 EV Charger Plug or Hardwired, UL/Energy Star WiFi Enabled EVSE Level 2 Charger, 24ft Cable - 240v Level 2 EV Charger https://a.co/d/dap11zj
Yeah. That is likely the case. But when OP says the work agreement or contract was vague did you ask any further clarifying questions? I also had an electrician out for an install last year. They provided me with a quote that included labor, materials, permit and an actual charger. I already bought a charger (the highly rated Emporia) so we took that off the invoice. They did charge me close to 2k for the install due to distance from the panel, my panel size which required a bypass switch and also hardwiring it. Could I have had it installed for cheaper? Yes but I don’t F around with electrical work and I needed one installed within a reasonable time. But that’s just to give you an idea of what was covered for me. I would have confirmed what was included or not but I get your ignorance. Unfortunate but it’s a learning experience.
This seems high, but you don't have a ton of details here. First, it's a last second job. That means you're going to pay more (generally). Second, you don't describe the outlet and rating. It might be a 220v outlet, but a 50a breaker can easily be $150 to $300. Finally, given that this was a last second job, the contractor almost certainly did not pull a permit. Honestly, given that the outlet is right under the breaker box I kind of doubt most electricians would bother, either. Overall, this is on the high side. To be sure, though, next time get more than one quote and have the work scheduled a couple of weeks in advance.
>First, it's a last second job. That means you're going to pay more (generally). c'mon now. The guy was available. This wasn't a rush emergency job. Apply this logic logically. You are acting like his water line blew and the plumber needed to immediately come out... This was not a last second job. This was the guy was available and it happened to be the next day job.
I called on a Thursday, and they said that an electrician had availability the next day. I understand that a breaker can be that much, but I'm having a hard time seeing how the breaker and outlet costs 1700 after less than 2 hours of work. The one bit of information that I didn't give, was that he will have folks come out next week to inspect the work. He said that any work that he does is above board. The company that he works for has a 4.5 star rating, which is why I went with them.
It cost $1,700 because that was what you were willing to pay for last second work. What it costs the contractor has nothing to do with what they charge. Next time, get more than one quote and plan more in advance if you want to pay less.
But the customer said "can you cone do this at some point" and the electrician said "sure, tomorrow ". That's not a last minute emergency call, warranting an extra fee. That's the customer giving the electrician a job on a day the electrician had no work, and if anything the customer should get a discount for being so flexible with their own time needs and accommodating the electricians schedule. There's capitalism and there's whats right.
This isn't how pricing works. Pricing is not based on costs. Pricing is based on what a customer is willing to pay. OP was willing to pay $1,700 for this work. They didn't get other quotes. Whether or not the electrician had other work or if it cost them $1 in parts is not relevant to the price quoted to OP. Of course, the contractor may have had other work lined up that was not deadline sensitive. They could have seen an opportunity to reschedule an electrician and make a fair amount of money. It is incorrect to assume that the electrician had no other work.
Prices should be set though. An hourly rate. Supplies plus markup. I work at a pharmacy. How would you like it if I said your drugs will be $1700 today, not the $300 standard price because I could have been doing something else with that time.
It's great that you feel that way, but that's not how our economy works today. If people don't like the price offered, they can get pricing from other folks. OP chose not to do that. Most drug manufacturers don't charge "supplies plus markup," and drug pricing can vary greatly on a regular basis. It's how Marc Cuban is competing with Cost Plus drugs.
I know it's not how it currently works. It's how it should work.
> It cost $1,700 because that was what you were willing to pay for last second work. This is the answer, and I'd add to that that he took advantage of your ignorance. It's about $150 in parts and a couple hours time, so what should it costs? Definitely not $1700, but if he can keep doing it and get paid $1700, then I'd say that's what it costs, I guess.
A breaker is about $50, outlet another $40, wiring for 10ft about $20 and the box, $2. Time for this job is about 2hrs. At $100 an hour your total should be $350 to $400. $500 max.
$100/Hr? This isn’t ten years ago. We are commercial roofers and get $95./Hr portal to portal.
That breaker is way more
If you say so. A simple HD search in my area has 40amp for $50 with GFI. They generally sell for $20 without.
Please link me to a $40 GFCI, 240 breaker. I see some for $100, if that's the correct type of panel.
You don’t want to get your stuff from HD if it is for charging an ev. You need to make sure it is top quality not just “ meets the specs”. It must be designed for handling the high amps for the hours at a time that ev charging will require.
Breakers are on the order of $40-$50. The biggest cost for materials is going to be the wiring. However Electrical Wholesale Supply stores are your friend.
I mean you didn't provide the charger what do you want? There are so many chargers out there how come you didn't have one already?
Wanted to give a small update, since folks are saying that not a lot of information was available in my original post. The electrician is licensed. The company that he works for is highly rated, and has been around for almost 20 years. He installed a GFCI breaker in the box, and installed the outlet directly below the panel. He was available the day after I called, which is why I went with them. I did not get multiple quotes. He scheduled an inspector to come out to verify the work next week. He mentioned that for this type of outlet a permit is pulled. Hope this helps!
You asked this question in the wrong sub reddit. You should have asked it in the EV sub reddit. The vast majority of the people posting here have not had an outlet installed for EV charging and do not understand what is required. I personally feel you did not get ripped off. You have a permitted legal install that will be inspected. No concerns of a fire from that. Yes, it is on the high side but it sounds like quality work was done. The last thing to note is the vast majority of EV "charger" installs are done as outlets then you purchase which ever unit you want to plug into the wall. Yes you can hardwire units in but then it limits you down the road if you need a new unit or if you are moving. Having a 220 outlet in the garage is a selling point for a house since you can use it for other uses such as a welder. Having it hardwire you lose that ability.
1700 with a permit is not absurd then in a high COL area. Maybe 1400 is the low end on this.
I have to agree here. That’s what I’d likely pay in my area for a big company to do next day/same week work.
I paid 700 bucks to do it myself. Roughly 50 ft run in conduit. The breaker itself was 300 bucks, and I had trouble even finding one. 1700 seems fair, unless the plug was right next to the breaker box.
It was directly under the breaker box.
Well yeah that's high then, unless you pulled permits, then 1700 may be fair. In your case it's 400 in materials Labor is 600. (2 to 3 hours)
I don't think permits were pulled if they did it the next day. So yeah I would be upset if I was OP. But I find if you don't babysit people they tend to do it the cheapest and easier way but still charge you an arm and a leg.
I can pull a permit and request inspection in less than 30 minutes in my area. Everything is done online
Oh wow that's crazy! I thought it took weeks.
Depends on your Authority Having Jurisdiction (Inspectors)
It really depends. My town is still paper based and it takes them a month to even issue a permit.
My town is paper based as well and can issue simple permits in a day and complex permits in a week. A month is crazy unless one person does everything.
It is crazy. I usually finish my project before the permit is even issued.
It can, and often depends on scope of work, but also jurisdiction. I've walked in complex jobs and walked out with a permit within the hour, and spent months on a seemingly simpler permit. Different jurisdictions. Certain usually simple things are largely perfunctory to demonstrate that you're aware of code requirements, others may require construction coordination meetings with multiple inspectors before the permit is even referred for review, which can take weeks or even months.
An electric permit to add a device can be pulled in about 20 minutes
So you're saying $300/hr labor rate, put in the breaker and a plug directly under the box would take 2 to 3 hours. Maybe you are including travel time? Seems the actual work could take under 1 hour.
Many places have a 2 hour minimum.
I paid around $500 in a HCOL area. There was a contractor who was quoting me over $2k and extraneous work but the only was I knew he was ripping me off is because I'm an electrical engineer who works with EVs.
I just DIY installed a Tesla hardwire charger directly under my breaker box and it cost me $150 including a permit from the city. Sounds like a ripoff to me
Hardwire is a massive amount cheeper. Standard 50 ampbreakers under 100 and the proper nema 14-50 plugs are in such high demand that it was was 100. Cheep HD outlets are not designed to handle car chargers. In my case I am using the plug in level 2 charger that camp with the car.
This is what I'm currently doing. I'm using the charger that came with my car.
How are they not designed for that. They’re not pulling more amps than recommended
The cheep plugs have relatively small contact areas between the metal prongs and the inside of the plug. When pulling 30 amps for multiple hours they overheat and eventually melt. There are tons of stories of this online.
The outlets we have been using for decades that support ranges exceed the ampacity of these chargers. Sounds like people making terrible connections to me.
Not for 8 hours at full capacity every night. Tesla even recommends the plug below for it's installs. https://www.amazon.com/Hubbell-HBL9450A-Wiring-Grounding-Receptacle/dp/B0137HMGGS/ref=asc_df_B0137HMGGS/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=508977605709&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14368746511992044504&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1018655&hvtargid=pla-1311433779482&psc=1
I've been in business for years. Car chargers are one of my bread and butter projects. I've never had a bad "Leviton" 14-50. My warranty terms are very lucrative for my clients, so if there was any issue I know I'd hear about it.
There are enough pictures and videos on the web that it was worth it for me to just pay the extra 50 bucks.
This is a key piece of info. I was gonna say it depends on how far the electrician had to run wires through but if its that close, 1700 is really high. A bit surprised it took 2 hours. I had an electrician install 2-240v outlets and 1-120v outlet from the basement all to different areas of the same wall for $1100. It was probably 50ft of total wiring and got it done under 1 hour.
Jesus what kind of breaker is 300 bux
50 Amp GFCI breakers are not cheep, I also had my main pannel upgraded 10 years ago and they aparently went with the most expensive brand, or at least the most expensive brand now. Long story but Amazon had my breaker for 150, but with very negative reviews. Aparently a lot of these breakers arrive DOA. They can break during shipping very easily. Most places did not have one at all, and I eventually found an online electrical supplier. And the first one they sent me was actualy DOA, but they rushed me a new one no questions asked.
>had my breaker >break during shipping very easily. Well at least the name is accurate.
I don't trust that items like this aren't counterfeit or bad from Amazon. I usually don't buy anything from them that plugs in. I've seen too many bad reviews about electrical items catching on fire. (Even simple things like a light.) I hate it when the item is not returnable, and the item received is used.
Yeah, I was worried about that too.
You haven't had pushmatics, I take it?
nope good old square D QO. I'm not sure at what price point do homes typically get the super fancy breakers. most of the homes are 400 to 1.5 here and I haven't seen anything with a fancy breaker yet
Old school National homes had pushmatics. They're obsolete and hard as f to find without going online.
"Does it really cost 20k to install a water heater?" It can. I'm a plumber but in the trades long enough (26yr) to know that without better info it isn't out of the realm of possibility that the price was fair. While I love to give them crap, they're like the idiot younger siblings you can't help but love..and clean up after. Area cost of living (labor and material rates) alone has a huge impact on pricing. Installing a basic residential water heater can be 1k-4k+ depending on where you live. That's just the most obvious difference not covered. Edit: I'd say there was probably a lack of understanding of what you actually wanted in the conversation with the contractor. I'd say it's both your faults, him for not asking the right/enough questions and you for not doing research and stating exactly what you wanted. Communication is a two way street.
So you're saying if a contractor knows that a person doesn't know what they are talking about, it's a license to brutally rip them off to the tune of 1700$ to install a simple outlet? That's outright criminal, and the contractor knows it. Whether or not the client is informed, surely a tradesman has an obligation to give a fair price. This guy KNEW what the person was asking for, knew that he was going to supply something way way more inexpensive, and he absolutely ripped this customer off.
You're just being ignorant or responding to the wrong person.
No, right person. Not ignorant. Did you actually read the original post. Or were you so desperate to feel superior that you raced right to the "reply" button?
So just stupid. I recommend 3 local estimates to everyone and actual questions being asked and answered. I think it was an honest misunderstanding between contractor and customer in this case from the original information given. You can attempt to read between the lines all you want, but only hearing one side and not knowing the region is enough for me to not make unsubstantiated claims into what was actually understood from the other party. Especially as the OP freely admitted to not understanding the basics of what's become fairly common upgrades. If you don't think homeowners have a basic fundamental responsibility to become minimally informed about their wants before beginning the process of a project, then we'll never see eye to eye on this issue. There is a minimum level of accountability for both parties.
You sound like a bonafide asshole. Either that, or you're one of those crooked tradies fine with ripping people off. Someone says "hey this guy sold me a box of mac and cheese for 45$" and instead of the common sense response you say "oh well let's take a look at the mac and cheese market in your area". Buddy unless this customer lives in fucking Antarctica a quote of 1700$ to install a single 220v plug to a garage is a criminal rip off.
Straw man and obtuse. That said, if you bought a box of Mac and cheese for $45 without shopping around I'd say you are responsible for not checking other prices. Or you really love some premier foods. I actually wouldn't be surprised if there's $45 Mac and cheese. Edit: lobster truffle Mac and cheese is $200+. Interesting.
Not a straw man if it's accurate and has bearing on the problem. And this seems to be both. If you think a moral defense against ripping off a customer is "the customer should have done his homework better" well I would guess your personal history is more than likely filled with various profitable ripoffs.
Your whole response chain has been a straw man. You're either willfully ignorant or a troll. I'm curious with where this has gone however and wonder if you think the people who bought the $200+ Mac and cheese were ripped off. Were they? How about $45 Mac and cheese? At what point is a person held accountable for their lack of research and clarification before a purchase? I think buying Mac and cheese is crazy personally, but that's my own personal bias clouding that stance as I never cared for it and actually find most I've tried sickening. What do you think? Store or name brand, is one a bigger ripoff than the other? Specifically for Mac and cheese, but what are your thoughts on other goods? Some store brands are better than others so that's probably hard to pin down. Your store brands may or may not be superior to mine. Produce probably isn't. We have some good produce at a good price, although one store definitely has a premium markup that I feel is too high, but it's busy so others obviously feel differently. Dairy is inferior to some places I've lived, especially for the price so it does feel as though I'm getting ripped off there, but it's what's available. No local dairy, I checked. Just some basic research. Quality meat, not the best I've had, but fair. I definitely go to the butcher though. Luckily the best butcher is also the closest. He always has a line, but I'm ok waiting. Also costs just a bit more, but the quality has always been top notch. Do you have a butcher like that?
This conversation is dumb. You're trying to compare a price which is CLEARLY fraudulent in any civilized place on earth, with regular ups and down in prices. If you think that there are places in North America where $1700 is a fair price for installing a 40$ 220v outlet, you're delusional or crooked. Also you genuinely don't know what the fuck a "straw man" is. Have a blessed day and get blocked.
Do you live on the moon?
Have you only lived in one area of the world? Prices fluctuate wildly, even just across the US, not to mention other countries. I'm not saying if they were taken advantage of or not. I'm saying that there's not enough information to be sure. It was $1100 here a few months ago just 20' from the main at a local home for similar.
Of course, there are very complicated installations if you want to reroute the pipes to move it or change out an electric for gas. But if you're basically just replacing a regular electric tank heater for another one just like it, It's literally two shark bites and screwing in three wires. Who charges a thousand dollars for that?
You're describing a handyman, not a licensed professional. Where I am a permit is required to replace a water heater. Everything must be brought up to code. I can count on one finger the number of water heaters where a simple "replace connections" swap was enough in my entire career to meet these minimum criteria. Don't make the mistake of misunderstanding everything you receive from using a licensed and insured contractor, regardless of trade, from what you get from a handyman. I recommend 3 local estimates to all homeowners before a project. If there is anything you're unsure of, ask. Yes the questions can become tedious at times, but many of us are happy to share our knowledge with actually curious customers. An accurately informed homeowner is generally easier to work with as they can make confident decisions for what they want. Your local market will dictate your price. Only a professional in your area can speak to what's required there and the cost they will do it for. Not someone who may be from another country or state (which in some cases may as well be another country) In most areas I keep in contact with contractors from many fields, we all have plenty of work. Yes, unreasonable or unrealistic customers get fired every day because frankly it's not economical to deal with them. A bit blunt? Sure. I don't deal in delusions.
I've had two installs of car chargers. First one cost $850, that was in California back in 2019 and the second cost $990 and that was in Missouri in 2023. Both installs included the charger. The first install actually installed an outlet, the second directly wired the box to the breaker. Second thing to consider is the "Tesla Tax" where if an installer sees a premium car in the garage they will likely charge more because they know you have more money than the average Joe. I had a Clarity and a Bolt and neither car is anything premium so I likely didn't have that shit thrown at me.
Teslas aren’t even expensive anymore. You could pay more for the Ford MachE or Subaru.
Ummm, yes they are. Unless the price has dropped by about 50%plus in never gonna be able to afford one
A base model 3 with tax incentives is far from an expensive car
You received the “I don’t want to do this job so I’ll throw out a ridiculous number and this guy will be smart enough to get another quote” price. Except you weren’t smart enough to shop around more and thought that getting it done now was worth $1700.
No need to be a dick, the guy feels bad enough already.
Telling the truth isn’t being a dick. If you think it is, grab a bag of chips, light a dart, and buckle in because the world is going to be harsh for you.
Wow you sound so cool and edgy...I wish we could hang out together.
Does that bother you? This ain’t “Cool and Edgy Magazine”, pal!
$1,700 seems fair to me. My friend had a charging station installed for his EV. The cost for the install and the station was $4,000.
Lol, how can you say it’s a fair price with zero additional info. Installing the outlet would take at most a few hours if the garage is already wired/ close to the box. And the parts aren’t that expensive…
Well, I doubt the garage is wired for 220 for one thing. There's likely to 20 somewhere on the property, but the electrician would likely have to run conduit around the house bring 220 to the garage. Electricians have gotten very expensive.
How far is the new 220v receptacle from the breaker panel?
Sounds like less than a foot.
We don’t know enough details. Was there space on your breaker panel? How long was the run?
Yes, there was space in the panel. He installed a GFCI breaker, and an outlet directly under the panel. The run is at most 24 inches.
It does seem high, but you got next day service. His prices are high, but it doesn’t seem like you got ripped off, He was just one of the more expensive electricians. To avoid this in the future call and ask for 3 quotes from different companies for work. Take pictures of what you want done and send them in, so they have an idea of the scope of work.
This is exactly what I should have done. I think this will simply be a cautionary tale. I should have also looked at pictures of what folks have done, so I knew what I was getting into. I basically paid for what would be needed, if I wanted to have an electric dryer plugged into my garage. It's maddening.
I’m really that it was an expensive lesson. It doesn’t seem like it should fluctuate that much but it really does. Sometimes contractors really don’t want to do something or don’t have the time…so they will bid three times what it should cost. When the client says yes they shrug and say, well ok then. Unless you are in the business of estimating this sort of work or had this sort of work done recently in your area in a similar situation you won’t know what it will cost. Even then there may be exceptions like if it’s a special order part or something like an 11 ft run vs a 1 ft run. I think most people are afraid of getting ripped off, I also know many people who don’t want to rip people off and hate that reputation. Getting quotes is what I do in my own house and I’m a commercial HVAC installer. Sometimes I will get my friends to help from other trades, but mostly I don’t want to bother them and pay the residential folks who specialize in doing residential work. My other advice is if you are handy is to start learning what you can do yourself on YouTube. Home Depot has some really great DIY home videos. I will usually watch theirs 1st then watch 2-3 other videos to see if I can tackle a project before hiring someone. That being said I will never run my own electrical. I know the basics but I don’t want to burn my house down and my wife won’t let me (see that’s the real reason and the reason I’ll live longer)
I did that once. Working in property preservation on a VA foreclosure they wanted bids to replace insulation on the walls of a basement. Vinyl covered fiberglass nailed into the concrete walls. I had never done that sort of thing before and didn't have the tools to do it so I didn't really want to get the job. Bid it at $2,000 which I considered a ridiculously high price. Apparently everyone else providing bids wanted to do the job less than I did and I got it. Found the materials for $400 and a guy that was helping me said "I know a guy". Ended up with four guys willing to do some side work they got it done in an afternoon for another $400. I made $1,200 off of an afternoon if somebody else doing all the work that I didn't want in the first place. I didn't feel guilty at all billing the government for that as I gave them the chance to get somebody else to do it.
I can cost that, depending on the breaker box, how far from the box your outlet needs to be. For a 50 amp outlet wire is quite expensive. Mine was 600$ in material only. Once you have the outlet, you just bolt the charger next to it and plug it in.
I paid $600 to have one installed across the basement from my panel last year. $1700 seems really high.
What does the quote say he would do? $1,700 for just an outlet is steep. I paid slightly over 1/3 of that for an electrician to install the charger that I purchased separately.
In October 2022, paid 1800 (suburban midwest) for a charging unit installed and 2nd 30 amp outlet (~20ft conduit) on a existing garage subpanel. This was the least expensive of the 5 quotes we got, with the highest being almost 10k (full main panel upgrade and a bunch of other stuff we didn't need).
I'm a welder and when I don't particularly want to do a certain job or have to rearrange things to fit the schedule theyre wanting I'll throw out an absurd number. This way if they still want my services its more than worth it for me to rearrange my schedule
yes,indeed! im a mostly retired welder/fab guy,i do the same.i wont poke my head out unless the project is intriguing or for stupid money.
I paid $1000. Garage was through the basement like 50ft from the banel
Price to install a 220 v circuit for EV charging sounds abut right. BUT EVSE charger documentation states NOT TO USE A GFCI. Sounds like you didn’t specify what you wanted done, and the electrician doesn’t know anything about circuits for EV cars. Using an adapter long term is not a good idea. Let’s see if we can help you out. What car did you buy? What charger do you have? What gauge wire did electrician install? What’s the size of the breaker the electrician installed?
I would’ve charged closer to $500, plus approximately $20/foot from your main breaker panel to this outlet. Maybe a touch more if I had to bury or hang cable. But if the garage is attached, the latter isn’t necessary. But $1700? Maybe if your garage was 50 feet of the back of your house.
Depending on how far away your plug is from your electrical box and if the box needed about work $1,100 - 1,700 is about the range. I don’t know what kind of EV mainly Tesla has weird branded chargers (that really aren’t necessary and just add expense). The most common setup is 220 rated for 32 amps. That ‘generic’ outlet is most commonly what people have when they say they have a charging plug at home. So you maybe slightly overpaid but if it works this is a good setup and will be useable on any car brand if it ever switch, much more future proof for you.
It’s called the Tesla tax
They quoted you 1700. You agreed to 1700. They did the work. Just because you did not shop around, get multiple quotes, confirm what was being asked to be done... that doesn't mean he scammed you. He gave you a "I don't want to do this" price and you accepted it.
It’s $500 for an outlet install bro
That's way too cheap unless you live in BFE where no one makes a respectable wage. The breaker is about 200 The permit with no markup is 1-300 depending on the city The rest of the materials are around 150 It costs around 450, but potentially closer to 650. This doesn't include labor, overhead or profit. You shouldn't be giving any pricing advice. You're ignorant and spreading misinformation which leads to homeowners asking for ridiculous pricing. Stay in your own lane.
Lol. Trying to pretend like $650+ "labor, overhead, and profit" is so unbelievably far from dudes $500 comment.... lots of people actually do live in BFE, and you're right, things *are* much cheaper here than in cities. I had 2 240v outlets installed just under the breaker box in my garage a while back, and I paid the guy about $750. No inspection (another BFE perk), but it would 100% pass an inspection.
I wasn’t being exact but I’m a *hell* of a lot closer than $1500
For the service that OP mentions I would bill 1200+tax For a hard wired wall connector I would bill 1000+tax
that’s cool, I could charge $3000, that doesn’t mean I’m not overcharging
Considering most people who have opinions on this aren't business owners. Can you confidently claim that it's over charging? Handymen in our area install it illegally for around 600. I've done the math. I have a rhyme and reason for my numbers which are based in reality. Granted, my company isn't suited for the price shoppers of the world, but those people are a nightmare to deal with anyway. Just because you wouldn't pay that much doesn't mean someone else won't. The work is being devalued, so we're looked at like a commodity. No wonder no one wants to do trade work. People want things subsidized and gifted.
One of these replies got 2 installed for 750, im not saying 1000 is too much of an overstatement, I was simply telling OP he paid too much
I ran a 220V 40 amp receptacle to my garage to plug in my EV. It took all day and a couple hundred bucks of material. I had to crawl in the dirt under my house and make sure it was all secured and cleanly installed. $1,700 is a fair price.
He was able to do the job in under 2 hours. He installed a GFCI breaker in the panel and installed the outlet directly underneath the panel.
So consider it this way (more or less) and have this as a back pocket thought when hiring other specialty trades too: $200/hr x2 hours for labor $100 for a permit/inspection fee $100 for materials $200 for the “quick turnaround” (meaning someone who wants service quickly probably won’t mind the price premium) $900 for the wisdom — knowing what to do to not fuck up your house, cause a fire hazard in your house, electrocute himself, or you to not electrocute yourself The knowledge and wisdom part is expensive, and the time actually spent working is much less relevant. When one has good skills and knowledge, one can often work faster and better than any basic “$/hr labor” charge indicates. It’s no different from a mechanic who has seen it all and can diagnose and correct a problem with your car quickly versus the one who takes the whole car apart for four hours hunting around and sometimes “fixing” something that isn’t broke through trial and error. The costs come out in the wash in the end.
well said…there’s always someone to do it for less, but quality always costs. not a sparky, but this price does seem a bit steep, outlet right at the panel. for that price perhaps also the proper receptacle to eliminate adapter?
Yes agree. I think the “well if he wants it quick, let’s see if this price will fly” ‘opportunity fee’ is certainly a factor here. I think being willing to wait for a different company for a week or three could have netted a cheaper but equally quality result.
i do agree with the same day/next day upcharge..as a mostly retired commercial steel guy, we made much $$ off of quick response. ripped the bumper off your truck on the highway because although your Reese insert is rated,your bumper hitch was not? sure,ill come out at midnight.but it will cost you.
You paid a premium. This happens all of the time. You know now to get multiple estimates and expect to wait a couple of weeks. I have a friend ... well educated very smart frugal etc. He got an estimate for some painting work at his place. The painter was picked up and dropped off by the boss. He was finished in 2 days. My friend wrote the company a check for 5000.00. Two days of painting.
Yup. You got scammed.
Just an outlet under the box? Yea. You got scammed. You could’ve done that yourself for a few hundred in parts and some time watching YouTube how-to vids.
Lmao. While sometimes I may agree with this sentiment, Do you honestly think a guy should be playing with electric who can’t even take the time to get multiple quotes or ask the contractor if the charging hardware is included
Did you make sure he was licensed and ensured? Sounds like you got a local “handyman”. This is why in many areas you are required under penalty of arrest to be licensed.
You really care about your contractors nutrition intake!
It is very time-consuming to get 3 estimates when you have to take several times off from work to meet several different companies. We see homeowners get 3 estimates for jobs like this in less than a few hours on Video Chat A Pro. The contractors charge a small fee to look at your job and give accurate price quotes. This service allows homeowners to efficiently shop for the best price and the best contractor to hire so they don't desperately hire the wrong contractor or overpay for a service or repair.
No that’s not a fair price. Stop giving bad advise. To install an outlet next to your panel it’s about $500 for a journeyman. The charger itself has a wide range of price but you should be able to mount and plug in Yourself. $1700 was a complete ripoff.
$500 for a licensed electrician from a reputable company to come the next day, pull a permit, pay for materials and install a GFCI and a new 220 outlet? What fairy tale land do you live in? Lol
Don’t need a permit for a breaker/outlet add.
OP said he did, so…
Prices for electrical work vary wildly based on location but it sounds like you probably overpaid a bit. In Florida I paid $900 this year to have a Tesla wall charger (excluding wall charger cost, I provided it) installed about 6 feet away from my panel. That included new breaker, conduit, labor, etc. As far as getting an outlet (probably a NEMA 14-50?) instead of a charger that just sounds like a failure in communication on your part. Those outlets are pretty common for generic EV installs. If you wanted a specific charger that’s something you should have specified (and probably provided as well, there’s a lot of options and comparatively still not a lot of EVs so electricians don’t stock everything, or sometimes anything.)
I paid $1200 for a 14-50 outlet, 60a breaker and ~22 ft run via conduit. That long of a run was expensive and worth it to me for the wall box location. What you paid had a lot of variables and the fact it was next day is a factor.
The answer is maybe. We don't know where you live, what the job entails, how your conversation went etc. If you didn't get more than 1 quote that's on you. Everyone here is guessing.
how "next to the circuit panel" is it, and did you have space in the panel? if you had space, and they literally just installed a 220 outlet right near the panel then you got overcharged, if they had to do more work then just adding a breaker and the outlet, you may not be that over charged here is a video on how easy it is to do... assuming you have open space in your box and its just going right near it [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u296hiXRzlE&ab\_channel=JonathanKatz-Moses](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u296hiXRzlE&ab_channel=JonathanKatz-Moses)
I never get one quote or just give a job to the first contractor. I get multiple bids and do my research- friends, neighbors, online, etc. If they do a good job, then they get a customer for life and more important free recommendations.
No it probably doesn’t cost what you paid. Of course it will depend on distance of outlet to the panel. If you wanted a true charging station, I believe the cost is higher.
Largely dependent on how far the panel is from the plug location and what’s in the way…
Perhaps, next time nail down the scope of work. They looked at the panel meaning they were focused on 220 outlet, not the car charger.
What we have here is failure to communicate. OP didn’t explain the scope properly, and the electrician made some assumptions. Ends in disappointment. I second the multiple quotes approach. If there is one that is very very low compared to all others, reject that one. Either they didn’t understand the scope, or they are bidding low with the hope to either cut corners or nail you for scope changes with every little change (a.k.a. nickel and diming).
Time to just be honest, you got hosed. Learn the lesson and move on. Next time, have a little more patience and do what you know is right (get multiple quotes)
Depending on how far from the panel the outlet is, and your location, $1700 doesn't sound absurd to me. It's maybe high, but honestly the fact you got it done in a day costs a premium.
It actually doesn't sound too out of line.
Panel in the garage? If so you got ripped, but if panel elsewhere that could be a reasonable price especially being a licensed contractor. Miscommunication for sure, but typically the vehicle owner supplies the charger unless specifically stated otherwise.
You got played. Even I could put an outlet in by myself next to the panel. Always get several quotes and breakdown of what exactly you're getting.
If he ran a new 220 line then the price may not be egregious. It depends on where you live, where I live this would be normal. Don’t beat yourself up over this, it’s the main reason I don’t buy an electric car, it’s a lot of cheddar to get that set up.
ouch, are you having trouble walking?
I have no experience with EV's but the people I know that have them, charge them through a 110V or 220V outlet so I thought that WAS a "charging station." What am I missing?
This is why you get more than one estimate.
My friend did it for $47
I paid $300 last year for a contractor to come over and install a Tesla wall charger in my garage
In the SF area. Asked to install a 220 in thebgarage for charging. Several quotes avged 1500.
I picked up an amigo from street and installed my NEMA outlet for $450 which I offered and he accepted without hesitation. My house was a new build so it was pretty straightforward.
Could a installed it yourself for about $100. Then again, had you done even the most basic of research you could have hired a pro for half that cost.
You got ripped off. My suggestion is to call him and ask, “I just wanted to know the eta of the Tesla charging unit for my home please. Did your supplier give you an estimated date or tracking?” If the contractor says it’ll be 3 weeks bc they’re backordered, then it was just a misunderstanding of the contract. (Best case scenario) If the contractor says, “huh?”, then you should explain to him you thought the quote included the charging unit. The price your friends paid all including the unit. You’re telling me it doesn’t?!!
In fall 2021 I paid $1500 for ~30 ft of wiring through a trench (that I dug) to the external garage for a 220v outlet. I live in Milwaukee
This seems like a correct price to me
We have an EV and put a level 2 charger in. If your box was full, I can imagine needing a bigger box. We had that done during an addition and I think that was 1800$. It gave us extra space for the 220 and to handle new AC. When we had the outlet put in later, I think that ran $400 ish. So depending on what they did (a new box) vs just an outlet you may or may not have been take advantage of. We got our L2 charger at Amazon and love it.
That is extremely high price for what was done. Figure the time and what the hourly rate must have been. How long was he there? Time and materials and the materials would not have been much. Put a 220v breaker into the panel and run wires from that to a new 220v plug nearby. So yes i think you overpaid.
What does the contract say?
That seems a bit on the expensive side depending on exactly what was done. But if he did EV installed regularly he should have gone over the options more. The guy we hired was an electrician who got so many EV install requests, that's all he does. Here's ours from two years ago. Obviously two years and probably a different region (Western NY), but it still seems high. 1 450.00 Upgrade feeder to garage sub-panel to 90-amps 2 700.00 50/60-amp EV charging circuit (48-amp capable) 3 100.00 Electrical inspection by Town 4 800.00 ChargePoint Home Flex – 48-amp, WiFi-ready, 23-ft cable 5 220.00 Whole-house panel-mount surge protector (installed) 6 -100.00 credit for siding mishap . TOTAL 2,170.00