IS THIS $5,000 ELECTRICIAN QUOTE REASONABLE TO SETUP AN EV CHARGER IN DETACHED GARAGE?

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Dec 7th, 2019 12:01 am

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Dec 3rd, 2019 3:02 pm

SPACEMANRICK [OP]: Sr. Member; Mar 14, 2006; 968 posts; 467 upvotes; Coquitlam

Dec 3rd, 2019 3:02 pm

IS THIS $5,000 ELECTRICIAN QUOTE REASONABLE TO SETUP AN EV CHARGER IN DETACHED GARAGE?

My friend lives in Coquitlam and has a detached garage that he wants to install and hardwire a 240 volt Tesla EV charger. Currently there are two 110 volt outlets in the detached garage The main electrical box is in the basement of the house and a 130 foot trench has to be dug through the grass from the house to the garage to a new 100 amp sub panel in the garage. The total wire run from the main electrical box in the basement of the house to the new 100 amp sub panel in the garage is about 150 feet.

Does this $4,850 + GST quote to dig the 130 foot trench, do all the electrical work, and get the permit to install the new Tesla EV charger sound reasonable?

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24 replies

Dec 3rd, 2019 4:07 pm

iEyeCaptain: Deal Fanatic; Aug 10, 2011; 9556 posts; 2177 upvotes; Somewhere

Dec 3rd, 2019 4:07 pm

YES
ALSO
CAPSLOCK

+13

Dec 3rd, 2019 6:21 pm

booblehead: Deal Expert; Jul 30, 2007; 31509 posts; 18220 upvotes; Toronto

Dec 3rd, 2019 6:21 pm

That’s sounds about right as based on what my coworker had been quoted a few years back (in Toronto)

+1

Dec 3rd, 2019 7:38 pm

MrFrugal1: Deal Addict; Jan 2, 2012; 4179 posts; 3276 upvotes; KINGSTON,ON

Dec 3rd, 2019 7:38 pm

That's a crazy long run. It's a lot of trenching, not to mention the cost of the cable.
The price is on point considering the work and materials involved.

+1

Dec 3rd, 2019 9:47 pm

ChicoQuente: Deal Fanatic; Jun 21, 2003; 5549 posts; 2864 upvotes; Stoney Creek, ON

Dec 3rd, 2019 9:47 pm

TomLafinsky wrote: ↑ Here's a pic of the tape I had to put on top of the wood. I dug 140' and 2' deep. Rented backhoe from HD and it took me two days to do all the work including putting back the soil. Much easier to fill up the trench with the backhoe than by hand, LOL. All in all my cost was in the neighborhood of $2K.

I used a measure tape so you know the actual size of the tape. You really should double check that the wire is installed as per regulations. Otherwise you could regret it a great deal.

EDIT: Bought the tape from HD.

You do not have to put wood down over top of it. As long as you bury the cable to proper depth you are fine. Installing mechanical protection like wood is only required if you want to make the trench shallower. Suitable mechanical protection allows you to go 150mm shallower than a trench without.

Typically you want to place your direct burial warning tape at the half depth of your trench. That way someone with a shovel will hit the tape without also hitting the cable/conduit at the same time.

You've also stated this involves hiring someone and a permit being pulled so really all this information is just for you to know but really not anything you need to worry about.

I believe that quote is fair as that is quite a long trench and involves a lot of work.

+2

Dec 4th, 2019 12:03 am

SPACEMANRICK [OP]: Sr. Member; Mar 14, 2006; 968 posts; 467 upvotes; Coquitlam

Dec 4th, 2019 12:03 am

Thanks everyone for your helpful feedback! It is pretty amazing all the great information you can get from other forum members in just a few hours!

It looks like there is quite a bit of work involved with the 130 foot trench and the $5,000 quote appears pretty reasonable and yes there are some safety considerations to look out for running the wire underground from the house to the garage.

I will forward on all this information to my friend.....oh yeh and sorry for the caps lock I posted the thread this morning in a mad rush as I was heading out the door :-)

+2

Dec 4th, 2019 3:17 am

craftsman: Deal Expert; Jan 27, 2006; 20004 posts; 13235 upvotes; Vancouver, BC

Dec 4th, 2019 3:17 am

On a related note, since your friend is putting in the work, they should see what else they may want done in the future plan accordingly as you don't want to do that work again if you don't have to.

For example, someone may want to put some solar panels on the roof of the garage in the future which may require additional wiring back to the main house so instead of running underground cable for power now, they might want to look at how much it would cost to run a wide conduit or two instead and run the 240 V line inside the conduit.

+1

Dec 4th, 2019 10:21 am

speeeeee: Deal Addict; Jan 4, 2007; 1585 posts; 218 upvotes; GTA

Dec 4th, 2019 10:21 am

Sounds right. Cost to run and keep these teslas aint cheap!!

Dec 4th, 2019 11:20 am

redman248824: Banned; Nov 7, 2019; 63 posts; 41 upvotes

Dec 4th, 2019 11:20 am

there goes the savings on gas of that Tesla

lolz lolz

+2

Dec 4th, 2019 11:52 am

rf134a: Deal Fanatic; Feb 15, 2005; 6321 posts; 1906 upvotes

Dec 4th, 2019 11:52 am

speeeeee wrote: ↑ Sounds right. Cost to run and keep these ~~teslas~~ cars aint cheap!!

FTFY.

I found a 2016 AMG C63 with 9000km for $56k, msrp was $105k or so.

⬆⬆⬇⬇⬅➡⬅➡BA

+2

Dec 4th, 2019 1:43 pm

Jerico: Deal Guru; Jan 25, 2007; 11605 posts; 6777 upvotes; Paris

Dec 4th, 2019 1:43 pm

speeeeee wrote: ↑ Sounds right. Cost to run and keep these teslas aint cheap!!

Buddy has a garage 150 feet from his house. He ain’t hurting.

+3

Dec 4th, 2019 1:45 pm

Jerico: Deal Guru; Jan 25, 2007; 11605 posts; 6777 upvotes; Paris

Dec 4th, 2019 1:45 pm

Op if it was me I’d put in the thickest cable I could. 100 amps is good, I’d go as big as possible. I have a 30amp 220v dust collector for instance.

Also, I know 60amp Inside cord isn’t cheap which is what I ran to my garage. That burial grade stuff is extra pricey.

+1

Dec 4th, 2019 4:32 pm

craftsman: Deal Expert; Jan 27, 2006; 20004 posts; 13235 upvotes; Vancouver, BC

Dec 4th, 2019 4:32 pm

Jerico wrote: ↑ Op if it was me I’d put in the thickest cable I could. 100 amps is good, I’d go as big as possible. I have a 30amp 220v dust collector for instance.

Also, I know 60amp Inside cord isn’t cheap which is what I ran to my garage. That burial grade stuff is extra pricey.

That's why I suggested laying down a nice wide conduit instead of just the cable so that explansion would be relatively straight forward in the future...

Dec 4th, 2019 5:30 pm

WMPCOT: Deal Addict; Apr 26, 2013; 3822 posts; 3616 upvotes; Toronto

Dec 4th, 2019 5:30 pm

TomLafinsky wrote: ↑ Sounds ok, 150 is a long distance.

Btw, I don't know what the code is over where you are, but here where I live in Ontario the last time I checked about a decade ago you had to put gravel at the bottom of the trench (under the wire) and on top of the wire you had to put a piece of wood like a 2X4 (or wider) and a piece of red tape with something like the word DANGER or something like that on top of the wood. Tape was like 4" wide.

EDIT: You wouldn't want a future and new homeowner to use a shovel through the ground and hit the 100amps @240V wire. Wouldn't be good for his/her health

EDIT2: Forgot to mention the kind of wire you use in the ground is a wire made specifically for outside. Not the same type of wire you would use indoor.

EDIT3: IIRC the trench is supposed to be 18" deep.

Did you put in a frost loop?

Dec 4th, 2019 5:38 pm

Jerico: Deal Guru; Jan 25, 2007; 11605 posts; 6777 upvotes; Paris

Dec 4th, 2019 5:38 pm

TomLafinsky wrote: ↑ I wonder if he has a tunnel either above or below ground to walk from his house to the garage? I sure wouldn't want to have to walk 150' while being exposed to rain/snow every time I leave the house to take my vehicle or after parking the vehicle in the garage. Underground tunnels are really fun to dig and not that expensive to do given what you are getting.

Friends of ours lived near fancy ville Toronto once (Forest Hill? Heights? Something like that) and a full gut was going on. I walked past the house and said “If that was my house, I would dig a tunnel”. We were back seeing them again 4 weeks later and the tunnel foundation was dug. They must have heard me.

Dec 5th, 2019 10:11 am

torontotim: Deal Addict; Nov 17, 2012; 4370 posts; 3714 upvotes; Toronto

Dec 5th, 2019 10:11 am

Guy lives in BC on a 200+ foot deep lot is having a Tesla charger installed in his garage and we're discussing if $5k is too much? Time is money - your friend should just shell out and get it done. I see Permit Fee on the quote so just make sure there is a permit and inspections.

+4

Dec 5th, 2019 10:14 am

torontotim: Deal Addict; Nov 17, 2012; 4370 posts; 3714 upvotes; Toronto

Dec 5th, 2019 10:14 am

TomLafinsky wrote: ↑ I wonder if he has a tunnel either above or below ground to walk from his house to the garage? I sure wouldn't want to have to walk 150' while being exposed to rain/snow every time I leave the house to take my vehicle or after parking the vehicle in the garage. Underground tunnels are really fun to dig and not that expensive to do given what you are getting.

I'd install a Telsa Hyperloop to take me from my garage to my basement.

Tell your friend to save his $5K and have a full road tunneled from his garage to his basement. Put the charger in the basement. Elevator to drop the car from the garage to the tunnel, Hyperloop to cover the 150' in 0.5 seconds and then he can step out of his car into the comfort of his basement lair. Then the car rotates on a turntable and is ready for the stupid commute in the morning