Got quoted $15k for a Level 2 install — is that actually normal?
Just got quoted $15k for a Level 2 install and about fell over. Is that a normal price or am I getting ripped off? House is on the older side if that matters, but I don't know what's reasonable here.
Filed under: Home Charging & NEMA Outlets
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17 answers
17 ANSWERS
@paperiguanaJune 18, 2026
Does old wiring really cost that much to upgrade? Back in Texas, I thought 'outdoor rated' stuff meant it would work anywhere. Is there any cheap fix for people with old houses, or are we just stuck paying a fortune for faster charging?
@orbit_snackJune 18, 2026
The outdoor rating (like NEMA or IP) only covers resistance to water or dust for the equipment, not the electrical service in the house. Old wiring, small panels, or lack of grounding require upgrades—sometimes whole new subpanels, trenching, or rewiring. That’s where the cost comes from, not the outdoor spec.
@driftbadgeJune 18, 2026
That kind of quote isn’t unusual if you’re rewiring an old house, adding a new panel, or trenching from a detached garage—labor and permits add up fast. What was the existing electrical setup (panel amperage, distance to parking spot, conduit type) and which charger model did they pick?
If you need a full panel upgrade, long conduit runs, or trenching for a detached garage, $15k isn’t unheard of up here. But I’ve seen plenty of older homes that only needed a smaller subpanel or load management for way less. What’s the panel amperage and distance to the charger spot on this job?
Outdoor-rated is just about protection from weather, not capacity or wiring. In old houses, long conduit runs, panel swaps, and trenching can bump the price fast. If the panel is sized right and the distance is short, you might not need the big-ticket upgrades. What’s the setup at this house—panel size, distance, garage attached or not?
Totally agree, labor and permits add up, especially with panel work. When I did mine, distance to the garage and going through old plaster walls doubled the labor quote. Curious, did they mention if you could share an existing conduit or would a whole new run be needed?
Sharing conduit sometimes works, but code can prevent it—especially if you’re adding a high-draw circuit or if existing wiring isn’t up to spec. Did the inspector weigh in on that option yet?
@frostbyte_742June 18, 2026
Panel upgrades and long conduit runs drive up old house costs more than the 'outdoor-rated' gear itself. I've seen $12k+ in New England on 100-year-old homes with detached garages. Get a second quote—sometimes subpanels or load management can cut the expense.
Ran into the same thing when I priced a Level 2 for my place—detached garage, old wiring. Panel upgrade was half the quote, trenching for conduit the rest. Second electrician found a way to tap a subpanel in the basement, shaved a few grand off. Worth shopping around.
@cedarloopJune 19, 2026
Just a quick correction: "outdoor-rated" only means the enclosure and cable resist water or dust, not that they'll work on any wiring. High install costs in old homes come from upgrading electrical service, dealing with undersized panels, long wire runs, and sometimes trenching—not the weather rating of the gear itself.
@picklewindowJune 19, 2026
Outdoor rated just means it can handle rain, not that it'll work with any wiring. Old houses need upgrades because the panel might not handle modern loads. Still, $15k sounds steep to me unless it’s a huge job—did you need to trench or upgrade the main panel?
Had to run new conduit and swap a 70A panel on my 1940s place. Outdoor-rated charger is about weather, not wiring or panel size. Labor, permits, long runs, and panel upgrades are what push quotes this high, not the charger itself. Second quote is a good move; sometimes subpanel works cheaper.
Outdoor-rated gear is just for weather, not wiring. In my NH place, most cost was panel upgrades, not the charger itself. Always get a second quote—sometimes a subpanel or load management shaves thousands off for old houses.
Just to clarify, 'outdoor-rated' has nothing to do with the wiring or load capacity inside old homes. I’ve seen plenty of high quotes around here when the panel is small, the run is long, or you need trenching to a detached structure. A second opinion can help; sometimes a load management system or new subpanel saves a pile of money. Anyone else in this thread actually tried a split-circuit EVSE or a DCC system on an old panel?
Load management is often specified on older panels specifically to avoid a quote in that range. NEC 625.42 covers this directly — a listed EMS (energy management system) is allowed to dynamically limit the EVSE's draw based on real-time panel load, which means you can land a 40A charging circuit on a 100A panel that's already loaded up with a range and AC, without a service upgrade. Two common approaches: an EVSE with a built-in power-sharing/load-management feature (Tesla Wall Connector, ChargePoint Home Flex, a few others do this natively), or a standalone EMS device like a DCC-10 or a SPAN panel that sits between the meter and the branch circuit. Either way you still need a dedicated circuit and breaker sized correctly, so it's not free, but it routinely knocks out the panel-upgrade line item entirely. Worth asking your electrician specifically whether they priced a load-managed circuit or just defaulted to "upgrade the panel" — that's usually the biggest chunk of a quote like yours.
Had to crawl up into the attic and realized the joists had knob-and-tube *under* the new wiring from the 80s. Ended up popping a breaker just by yanking the old conduit too hard. Good times. $15k is painful but not shocking if you find surprises like that.
@gravelfox88June 18, 2026
Not insane, but not automatic either — depends entirely on what's actually needed for the job. If it's a full panel upgrade, a long conduit run, or trenching to a detached garage, $15k is realistic. Plenty of older homes only need a smaller subpanel or some load management for way less. What's the panel amperage, and how far is the run to where the car would actually park?
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