Tesla makes electricians see $$

[skiwhe]

I’m wondering if anyone else has experienced being overcharged for work related to their Tesla. I am trying to get an outlet installed before my car arrives in a few weeks. I have already ordered the charger from Tesla and I can install it myself at the wall, but I’m not comfortable adding another circuit breaker in my panel and running the wire through the walls.

I’m in the San Antonio/Austin area and contacted a local “EV friendly” electric company from Tesla’s list of local electricians. They provided two quotes. One for a 60 amp connection run from my main panel outside the home (90' - #4/3 AWG copper) for $2,781.76.

The second quote is for a 50 amp connection run from a existing sub-panel inside the garage (plenty of room already in this panel) for $1,489.25. This run is about 6 feet from the panel and is going to go up into the attic and back down the wall where the charger will be (20’ of #6/2 AWG copper).

Although these estimates are high they do include the Tesla charger.
Today I had another electrician come out (Mr. Electric) and he would only consider a run from the outside panel and will provide a NEMA 14-50 for $4,990!

I have a family member who is an electrician who has estimated this job to be $300 at most. Unfortunately he’s not local.

 

[glide]

Tesla tax.

My 240 install was $300. And it’s probably 30’ from the panel.

 

[vogz]

From the sound of it, there is absolutely no reason that you should need to run from your main panel if you have a sub panel in garage that has enough capacity.

That said, if the $1489 quote includes the Tesla wall charger, it’s not a horrible price (also not fantastic).

I have a buddy who is an electrician and my main panel is on the opposite side of my house from my garage. I had him install two 240V runs that are about 50ft each to the garage and install a NEMA 14-50 on one of them (other run is for possible second electric car for my wife in future). He said the materials alone were $350 and it took him 6 hours. If he had been doing this job for a regular customer he said it would have been around $1200-$1400. That is without the Tesla wall charger and with no Tesla tax added. Mind you that is for TWO 240V runs right next to each other.

 

[kbecks13]

I’m wondering if anyone else has experienced being overcharged for work related to their Tesla

Absolutely, this is a very common discussion point when people install chargers. A common tactic is to tell the electrician you want a welder in your garage, so have them install the 240V circuit and leave a junction box on the wall where you want to place the charger. Then you can get another electrician (or just do it yourself, make sure you torque the connections) to make the final connections to the wall charger and then flip the breaker on.

 

[lowtek]

two gen 3 wall chargers with panel on opposite side of house was $850

 

[frigolay]

I had a 14-50 installed a few weeks ago for about $400. I had other electrical work done at the same time; they just charge time and materials. The materials were about $250 and it took two of them about 1.5 hours for $150. The main panel is in the garage. The outlet is about 25 feet from the panel not counting up and down. I’m in Indianapolis. My electrician is not on the approved Tesla list. I see that as a positive.

 

[ElectricIAC]

Paid $600 for a 14-50 ran out to garage (Detached) with its own GFCI. 30ft run from main breaker.

Shop around for an installer who doesn’t charge a Tesla tax.

 

[MichaelP90DL]

My strategy, after calling around, would be to put an ad on Craigslist to see what turns up. There are all sorts of qualified and licensed folks out there who look on CL for opportunities. If you think you're being overcharged elsewhere, CL is a good way to find alternatives.

 

[ucmndd]

I have a family member who is an electrician who has estimated this job to be $300 at most. Unfortunately he’s not local.

4/3 romex is $4-5 a foot. At 90 feet you’re in for $400 of cable alone.

 

[DionG]

got mine done today for $250. the nema 14-50 plug was literally a foot from my panel. I got quotes anywhere from 1,000 to 800. its sad once they hear tesla they feel they have a license to exploit. human nature I guess. I know the cost of the material is $40. I just wanted a electric company to do it. took him 20 -25 minutes. and was done... I put up the charge station, took me 20 minutes. so no big deal. but serious 1,000 to 800.. wow. greed's real.....

 

[RandomSample]

I just had a 14-50 outlet installed in my garage for $350. The 50Amp breaker is gfci. Just the breaker alone was over $100. I have an electric brewery setup in the garage so that was my reason for the 14-50. I never mentioned Tesla. The new outlet was 2 feet from the main elec panel.

 

[Imaginathan]

4/3 romex is $4-5 a foot. At 90 feet you’re in for $400 of cable alone.

Holy, I’ve never seen that heavy of a gauge, is that’s what required for a 14-50 outside?

 

[ucmndd]

Holy, I’ve never seen that heavy of a gauge, is that’s what required for a 14-50 outside?

You’d generally want 6awg instead of 4 for a 14-50 unless you’re talking about a really long run.

But OP is saying that’s for a 60 amp circuit option, which implies a wall connector, which doesn’t need a neutral, so 4/3 is a stupid choice to begin with. But 4/2 isn’t super common.

 

[DionG]

I just had a 14-50 outlet installed in my garage for $350. The 50Amp breaker is gfci. Just the breaker alone was over $100. I have an electric brewery setup in the garage so that was my reason for the 14-50. I never mentioned Tesla. The new outlet was 2 feet from the main elec panel.

the charger station I got in the installation manual states it must not be gfi..
Installation Prerequisites

not sure about teslas but might be worth double checking your manual if you have a charging station, or planning to get one

 

[ucmndd]

the charger station I got in the installation manual states it must not be gfi..
Installation Prerequisites

not sure about teslas but might be worth double checking your manual if you have a charging station, or planning to get one

That’s going to get interesting as the 2017 NEC seems to require GFI for EV charging circuits.

 

[Imaginathan]

You’d generally want 6awg instead of 4 for a 14-50 unless you’re talking about a really long run.

But OP is saying that’s for a 60 amp circuit option, which implies a wall connector, which doesn’t need a neutral, so 4/3 is a stupid choice to begin with. But 4/2 isn’t super common.

Ah ok, I’m still figuring this all out before ours arrives. I was under the impression you could use a double 40 w/the 14-50. Ours looks like 10/3 (unused at the moment), figures I might have to rewire to a higher gauge.

You’d generally want 6awg instead of 4 for a 14-50 unless you’re talking about a really long run.

But OP is saying that’s for a 60 amp circuit option, which implies a wall connector, which doesn’t need a neutral, so 4/3 is a stupid choice to begin with. But 4/2 isn’t super common.

You’d generally want 6awg instead of 4 for a 14-50 unless you’re talking about a really long run.

But OP is saying that’s for a 60 amp circuit option, which implies a wall connector, which doesn’t need a neutral, so 4/3 is a stupid choice to begin with. But 4/2 isn’t super common.

 

[ArcticStation]

My 14-50 install involved permitting, 50 feet of conductor run through an unfinished basement to an unfinished attached garage, plug and 50 amp breaker installed in the main 200 amp panel. Total cost $550.

Here is how I got a fair deal. I explained to the installer that I'm in my seventies, long retired and that my adult son owns one of those fancy newfangled "electrical" cars and he would like to charge when he visits (all true). I did not add that MY Model 3 was due to be delivered within two weeks.

 

[skiwhe]

Here is how I got a fair deal. I explained to the installer that I'm in my seventies, long retired and that my adult son owns one of those fancy newfangled "electrical" cars and he would like to charge when he visits (all true). I did not add that MY Model 3 was due to be delivered within two weeks.

Good tactic. I should add that I’m a disabled veteran and the $4,990 price included a “military discount”
Needless to say, I pretty much kicked him out of the garage. I told him we were no where close to my expectations and his price seemed more like a “I-don’t-want-to-do-this-job” price.

 

[mchas]

Say it’s for an RV, or welder, or anything other than a Tesla

 

[jonquiljo]

In my neck of the woods, I think they all rip you off no matter what you tell them. My house is somewhat nice and everyone who comes here to do work wants to up-charge it - and sell me something unnecessary and uber-expensive that gets me really annoyed.

With 30+ years of gaining house equity, etc, it’s just the way it is. But no, I don’t want to pay a $4000 surcharge on what should be a simple installation. I get mad if its $.40 cents higher than what is “normal.”

I have a main power panel on the outside of the house almost exactly opposite (in the garage) where I’d like the power connector installed. So its through the wall and maybe 2’ or 3’ to the right at the most. There are lots of empty breakers in the main power panel as we had a sub-panel put in the house when we remodeled 3 years ago.

So the “Tesla recommended” electricians are a “NO”. They will take anyone to the cleaners. I would want a permit pulled as I don’t want crap from an insurance company if I ever had a problem from the charger line that caused damage.

I’ve been putting the power install off because I don’t want to get furious at an electrician trying to rip me off. I have a V2 power connector sitting there in a box, and am tempted to not use it as an electrician will try to take me to town installing it.

What happened to people working honestly and for a fair price? Hearing how some others have been ripped off really angers me.