Condo Charging Station Install in Chicago

[niketpatel12]

Hey Everyone,

Exploring some options to install a Tesla charger at my property in Chicago. I live in a multi-unit setting with deeded parking spaces outdoors. The installation would tap into my panel and run the conduit along the wall until the parking lot. This is where it gets challenging: The contractor would need to dig a trench across the parking lot to get to my parking space.

I already have a quote from an electrician to do the wiring part of the job. And I checked with 10+ unit owners and no one is willing to switch parking spaces even though my spot is a bit more convenient.

Does anyone know what type of contractor I would hire to do the asphalt part of the job? And if yes, how much it would cost? It is about 40 - 50 ft of digging.

Also, has anyone done a similar project and would like to tell me how much this may cost? I am fairly desperate and looking for any options at this point. Thanks for all your help!

 

[Jclboston]

I can't really help provide context on the quote, but it sure doesn't sound cheap. After you do get some quotes though, I wonder if it might be worth it to go back to one of your neighbors to ask again to switch spaces, but this time with some financial incentive while still being less overall cost to you vs the full 50ft of digging.

Then again, I have no idea if you have separately deeded parking spots which would require legally transferring property and all that headache, so I could just be talking out of my ass on this.

As far as type of contractor, I would imagine a driveway/landscaping company would be a good place to start. You should also check in with your condo association and/or property manager first though. Sometimes there are restrictions on the vendors that you can just bring in on your own without clearance first.

 

[skygraff]

When I did mine (4 unit low rise condo in Chicago), the trenching was through only 2 feet of sidewalk concrete and 15 feet of lawn. The electric contractor did all of it. I suppose a general contractor might've done a better looking patch on the restored concrete but it looks better over time and is a completely sound patch.

Since mine was only 4 units, I got the condo association to let me wire all 4 parking spaces as long as I paid for the whole thing. That way, our resale values would all, hopefully, go up a little and it might encourage the rest to consider adopting EVs. Obviously, yours is a bigger association but, maybe, the board and members might be interested in expanding the project a bit to install several more outlets in order to better justify the trenching. If so, they might consider it a common element improvement and, as such, share some of the costs.

Or, if that doesn't happen, maybe they'll help facilitate a parking position change to reduce the construction impact on the other resident/owners.

I used Kapital Electric (Bensenville).

 

[stopcrazypp]

I don't know how it works in Chicago, but here in northern CA if doing things on the public street you usually hire a excavation contractor and they would handle everything (including traffic control and permits). If you work with an electrician that have done projects before with excavation, usually they would already have someone that they work with already, or they would have a license to do it themselves already. On private property, the owner can even do it themselves for smaller jobs.

811 always needs to be contacted however a few days before so they can send someone to mark any buried utilities. You don't want to unknowingly dig into anything.

 

[srs5694]

You might consider taking an alternative approach: Convince your condo board to put in a couple of public EVSEs from ChargePoint or some other vendor that supports billing the user. Such EVSEs can pay for themselves if they see enough use. I see these from time to time at condos and apartments in my area (Rhode Island and eastern Massachusetts), but most condos and apartments still lack this infrastructure. The YouTuber Tesla Joy has recently convinced her condo to do this, and is documenting the process in a series on her YouTube channel. So far it's just two installments, on how she convinced her condo board to do this and on why they went with ChargePoint as the provider. Given the costs involved, this is likely to make sense only if there are several EV drivers at your condo. Given this limitation, it might well not work for you at this time, but I thought it worth mentioning in case it would be a viable option.

 

[niketpatel12]

Yep, I am asking the board to send out an email on my behalf and offer cash as an added incentive. Digging asphalt seems like a headache and something the board may not even approve.

 

[niketpatel12]

When I did mine (4 unit low rise condo in Chicago), the trenching was through only 2 feet of sidewalk concrete and 15 feet of lawn. The electric contractor did all of it. I suppose a general contractor might've done a better looking patch on the restored concrete but it looks better over time and is a completely sound patch.

Since mine was only 4 units, I got the condo association to let me wire all 4 parking spaces as long as I paid for the whole thing. That way, our resale values would all, hopefully, go up a little and it might encourage the rest to consider adopting EVs. Obviously, yours is a bigger association but, maybe, the board and members might be interested in expanding the project a bit to install several more outlets in order to better justify the trenching. If so, they might consider it a common element improvement and, as such, share some of the costs.

Or, if that doesn't happen, maybe they'll help facilitate a parking position change to reduce the construction impact on the other resident/owners.

I used Kapital Electric (Bensenville).

I had Kapital do my assessment and have asked them to include the cost of digging but seems that 40-50 ft may just be too much of a hassle.

 

[niketpatel12]

You might consider taking an alternative approach: Convince your condo board to put in a couple of public EVSEs from ChargePoint or some other vendor that supports billing the user. Such EVSEs can pay for themselves if they see enough use. I see these from time to time at condos and apartments in my area (Rhode Island and eastern Massachusetts), but most condos and apartments still lack this infrastructure. The YouTuber Tesla Joy has recently convinced her condo to do this, and is documenting the process in a series on her YouTube channel. So far it's just two installments, on how she convinced her condo board to do this and on why they went with ChargePoint as the provider. Given the costs involved, this is likely to make sense only if there are several EV drivers at your condo. Given this limitation, it might well not work for you at this time, but I thought it worth mentioning in case it would be a viable option.

I'll check out her account and see how she convinced her board. My absolute last resort is to sell this place and buy a house somewhere with a garage. But I feel like it shouldn't be this difficult...