HPWC Installation Cost in North NJ

[ckwong]

Installing a dryer outlet and installing a HPWC are two entirely different kettles of fish. For the HPWC at 72A or 80A, you'll need a $50 breaker and cable in conduit, because:

• At 90A (72A plus the "continuous load" bump) you need #4 copper or #2 aluminum (assuming 90C terminations everywhere)
• #2 aluminum won't make the bends inside the HPWC enclosure nor fit into the HPWC's terminals properly
• You can't use any kind of large multiconductor cable except type SER inside a home, and copper SER is not available in 2-conductor #4 -- you'll have to use 4-4-4-6 which means you're paying for quite a bit of extra copper. Conduit is likely to be cheaper.
• At 100A (for an 80A HPWC, if you want to be able to charge older cars full-rate) all this is worse.

You're probably looking at something like $250 of materials depending on the length of the run -- unless it's truly short and you can nipple into the panel, or use a very short piece of flexible conduit (liquidtite).

All that said, I did my 80A HPWC install myself, about 50' from the panel with PVC conduit (not allowed in all locations) and #3 XHHW copper wire. The most irritating part of the job was enlarging the hole on the HPWC to accept the PVC conduit fitting. Materials were a few hundred bucks and the job took me an afternoon -- a good electrician would have been faster than me. I would have expected to be charged $800-$1000 for the job. $1500 is out of line unless you're in a union building in a big city.

Thanks for this information, I have another electrician recommended by a fellow member coming next week so with 3 quotes and all the invaluable info from this forum I know not to get over charged!

Btw, the HPWC will be ~4 feet from the panel.

 

[scharlesjr]

Thanks for this information, I have another electrician recommended by a fellow member coming next week so with 3 quotes and all the invaluable info from this forum I know not to get over charged!

Btw, the HPWC will be ~4 feet from the panel.

Sorry to revive an old post but I'm feeling like I'm getting the "tesla tax" from these electricians. What did you end up paying for your install?

 

[ckwong]

Sorry to revive an old post but I'm feeling like I'm getting the "tesla tax" from these electricians. What did you end up paying for your install?

No worries, $750 for HPWC and an extra $150 for a NEMA as a back-up from a Tesla recommended electrician.

 

[scharlesjr]

No worries, $750 for HPWC and an extra $150 for a NEMA as a back-up from a Tesla recommended electrician.

Wow that was an amazing price. I was quoted $2650 for the HPWC and $1450 for the NEMA 14-50!!! The whole electrician search is souring my car purchasing experience!!!

 

[ckwong]

Wow that was an amazing price. I was quoted $2650 for the HPWC and $1450 for the NEMA 14-50!!! The whole electrician search is souring my car purchasing experience!!!

My setup is very straight forward with not much wiring to run. The HPWC will be ~4ft left of my panel so not sure how your setup will be but I've read from other posts that it cost them thousands due to long runs...

But $1450 just for NEMA is ridiculous!! How many different quotes did you get?

 

[jaguar36]

Wow that was an amazing price. I was quoted $2650 for the HPWC and $1450 for the NEMA 14-50!!! The whole electrician search is souring my car purchasing experience!!!

What does your install look like? As Has been previously noted for a simple install materials are like $100 for a Nema 14-50 and maybe $250 for a HWPC for a short simple install.

 

[scharlesjr]

What does your install look like? As Has been previously noted for a simple install materials are like $100 for a Nema 14-50 and maybe $250 for a HWPC for a short simple install.

The NEMA 14-50 should be straight forward with 50ft to run. Unfinished basement with easy access to everything two existing panels with plenty of space.

The HPWC may be a little more involved looking to get a separate meter for it if I can lock in a promotional flat rate with my utility. However again it's not overly complicated for an experienced electrician to install a meter. And again same set up easy access to everything and the running of about 50ft of wiring.

 

[boaterva]

Wow that was an amazing price. I was quoted $2650 for the HPWC and $1450 for the NEMA 14-50!!! The whole electrician search is souring my car purchasing experience!!!

Wonder if that's a regional thing? Mine was under that and I had two HPWC's installed, the data line between the two for load-sharing, a 14-50, and a subpanel. See details in my sig.

 

[ckwong]

Mine was under that and I had two HPWC's installed, the data line between the two for load-sharing, a 14-50, and a subpanel. See details in my sig.

you have a sweet setup!

 

[TJtv]

The NEMA 14-50 should be straight forward with 50ft to run. Unfinished basement with easy access to everything two existing panels with plenty of space.

Is it really 50ft of wire? In my installation a 65ft straight line from the NEMA 14-50 location to the panel turned into 125ft of wire by the time you went up the garage wall(in conduit) and back down, and going through proper floor joists instead of diagonally across the basement.

6ga wire is not cheap. Putting it in conduit in the garage is not cheap.

 

[tls]

The NEMA 14-50 should be straight forward with 50ft to run. Unfinished basement with easy access to everything two existing panels with plenty of space.

The HPWC may be a little more involved looking to get a separate meter for it if I can lock in a promotional flat rate with my utility. However again it's not overly complicated for an experienced electrician to install a meter. And again same set up easy access to everything and the running of about 50ft of wiring.

I did see the OP got his HPWC installed for $750. I think that's a very, very good deal. I wouldn't expect to do so well if you also need work done on your service (meter install). But I bet you can get the job done for somewhere around or under $1500. $2500+ really seems like gouging to me.

 

[Dr Doom]

Wow that was an amazing price. I was quoted $2650 for the HPWC and $1450 for the NEMA 14-50!!! The whole electrician search is souring my car purchasing experience!!!

dude. don't go with this electrician! that is price gouging. I have a HPWC and have it in my garage almost opposite side of the electrical panel in the basement about 100 feet away. I had to run wire in ceiling in finished basement. also added a sub panel. all this was 1900 dollars. I had two quotes and this one was the higher quote from a more experienced electrician.

why do you need a separate meter for the hpwc? never heard of this requirement.

 

[scharlesjr]

dude. don't go with this electrician! that is price gouging. I have a HPWC and have it in my garage almost opposite side of the electrical panel in the basement about 100 feet away. I had to run wire in ceiling in finished basement. also added a sub panel. all this was 1900 dollars. I had two quotes and this one was the higher quote from a more experienced electrician.

why do you need a separate meter for the hpwc? never heard of this requirement.

The separate meter is a special EV meter from my utility. If I want to lock in their EV flat rate of ~$45/month I have to install the meter.