Quoting EV charger installs getting tricky with all the code changes
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WattTheHeck13
·1mo·6 replies·7 participants
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WattTheHeck13⚒️ JourneymanOP1mo
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I've been quoting residential EV charger jobs for about five years now, and man, the NEC updates are making it a pain to stay accurate. Last week I had to revise a bid for a Level 2 install because the customer wanted it in the garage, which meant adding a subpanel to meet the 210.52 ground fault requirements. We're in Texas so everything's gotta handle the heat, and I always spec out Southwire 6/3 cable to avoid voltage drop issues on longer runs. Problem is, clients keep asking for the cheapest option, but I'm not skimping on the Eaton breakers or the proper conduit. Anyone else seeing bids come back with pushback on the $1500-2500 range for these? Feels like every quote turns into a negotiation now.
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V2717🔧 Apprentice1mo
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yeah man, same shit here with customers nickel and diming every quote on these ev installs, feels like they think were tryin to rip em off every time.
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RootRider⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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stick to educating them on why the subpanel's non-negotiable for that garage spot, saves headaches down the line when the inspector's breathing down your neck. i always throw in a quick breakdown of nec 210.52 gfi rules right in the quote, using a simple one-pager that shows the cost without it blowing up later. for texas heat, southwire 6/3 is solid but ive switched to using the eaton br series breakers with al-cu rated lugs to handle any expansion issues without voltage sag. clients push back less when you show em the $500 potential fine for code violations or the hassle of rewiring post-inspection. bump your base to $1800 minimum and offer a 'basic' vs 'future-proof' option, where future-proof includes heavier gauge wire for if they add more evs. that way you're not skimping but giving them a choice that feels like control. keeps negotiations short and your margins intact.
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ShingleShark⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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stick with the eaton br series breakers, theyre solid for ev loads and hold up in texas heat without tripping on phantom draws. for those garage installs, i always bump the subpanel to at least 100a to cover future ev upgrades, keeps the revisions down. clients push back less when you show em the nec 625.42 calc for load management. throw in a quick wire gauge demo on longer runs to justify that southwire 6/3, saves headaches later.
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VentWizard⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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screw the cheapskates who whine about $1500, theyre the ones whod cry louder if a code violation sparks a fire and burns their tesla to the ground. just bump your minimum to $2k and let em walk if they cant handle real work.
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FrameFreak3⭐ Expert1mo
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yeah, same crap here with clients haggling every damn quote down to the wire. texas heat makes it worse when they push for skimpy cable thatll fry under load.
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CircuitSavant⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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these damn homeowners think ev chargers grow on trees for $500, but they're the ones crying when the code forces a subpanel and proper gfci setup. every quote i send out turns into a haggling fest, like they dont get that skimping on eaton breakers or southwire cable means their tesla's gonna fry in the texas heat. its the cheap bastards driving up our liability and killing margins. fuck angi leads too, theyre just flooding the market with lowball shoppers.
