[iTim314]

So you are suggesting the electrician is NOT going to turn the breaker off that feeds power to that line? I know there are A LOT of stupid people out there that wouldn't turn the power off, but an electrician would. With the breaker off to that outlet, there is NO risk to their health.

A few years ago, I had some extensive repairs done to the outside of my house. A lot of the various crews just came and went on their own time with no notice, and I often didn't know they were here until I heard construction noises outside.

Well one day the electricians showed up and just started working on their jobs. I realized they were here about three hours into their work. All the breakers are inside my house in a mudroom. They didn't turn anything off (or even asking me to turn anything off) to do their work. Once I realized they were outside, I asked them if they needed me to shut off the power to where they were, and they responded, "No we just finished."

They rewired multiple exterior receptacles and lights, all while the circuits were hot. I guess if you're really skilled and experienced you have no fear doing this. Not me, though.

 

[Jeffp25]

They rewired multiple exterior receptacles and lights, all while the circuits were hot. I guess if you're really skilled and experienced you have no fear doing this. Not me, though.

My father was a "TV repair engineer" working in the UK in the 60s through 80s. He had to work inside powered TVs to test things, working around high voltages, and would often get shocks - he claimed that you got used to them - except for the really high voltages from the display tube that would always make him jump and swear!

 

[Jeffp25]

I have a phone-only quote from another electrician who was highly recommended. I didn't bring up keeping the old outlet, just extending the cord and installing the new outlet. He said assuming that the existing wiring is correct, his estimate would be $500. I'm waiting to hear back from the first guy about the cost without keeping the old outlet.

I guess my assumption that it would be around $300 was off by quite a lot.

 

[RAV4Primer]

I paid $750 in a state adjoining Maryland. With the help of a family member I did a self install in my last house for my level 2 charger's 220V plug, but it was several feet away from my electric panel so the install was relatively easy. In my current house my electric panel is in my basement on the opposite side of my house from my garage, so $750 was a bargain IMO.

 

[rberman999]

I think the $650 price is reasonable and would fall within the range of quoted jobs you will get if you get 3 or more quotes. Electricians are professionals and while your job is small, quick and fairly easy you will pay. Your job is what I’d call a filler job, a job that could be done either at the end of a day or at the beginning of a day where the electrician doesn’t have a full days work. Only problem is most electricians no longer work like this. So, even though your work is an hour or two you will pay for 4 hours labor plus parts (note your invoice will not read 4 hours, be listed as labor with an amount). Parts will be billed not at the electrician’s cost but cost plus. So $50 parts from the depot will be billed at ~$100-120. Also, depending on your location, you could have permits and inspections to deal with (more time and more money). So, want to save some money, if you have an licensed electrician at work that does work on the side (most do) or a neighbor or a friend of a friend, anyone who would do the work on the side, then you might get the work done for $150-200 (depending on time) plus parts. If your having a company do the work for you, then expect to pay a half days labor and parts plus.

 

[richguess]

I'm not necessarily suggesting a homeowner do it. I'm saying (1) there's no requirement for a plug and all of the extra complexity, and (2) it's 15 min of work for an electrician. So that it can be priced accordingly. Price can come down dramatically depending upon what you tell the electrician to do.

"I need a 14-50 plug right here." "OK I have to upgrade you to a GFCI breaker, install a box, get an outlet, pull wire, etc. $600."
"This charger that I've already hung on the wall has a knockout for wiring right here, and I need it hardwired to this junction box over here 4 feet away." "OK I have a piece of #10 armor flex in the truck be right back. $150."

 

[richguess]

It would be cheaper to hard wire it. I’d ask for bids on that. Not a complex project.

 

[Gymnbat]

In August of 2021 I paid around $1000 to run 40' in PVC from sub panel in detached garage (panel was by garage door) to the rear center of the garage. Installed 14-50 outlet and 50 amp breaker in sub panel 60 amp breaker in main panel. I already had 220 in the garage. Wire cost was high but I was comfortable with the price for the work that was done. Got 30% income tax credit for the install and price of charging equipment. I got a Juicebox 40 that I also got $500 rebate from my utility.I thought it was a reasonable cost in the end

 

[SLS Artemis]

Plumbers and electricians charge what they do because people seem to pay it. I won't. None of it is hard. I by no means am an electrician. But I did rewire my moms whole house that was built in the 50's with stab lok circuit breakers (google them) with no main shut off. She was paying someone else to do it and I had to rip out everything he did with the outside panel and where the power comes in from the pole. Along with installing a new panel on the inside. I literally sucked all of her insulation out of her attic to expose all of the wiring and re do it all. It passed inspection first time. Along with the fire hazard she had and not having enough power to add central air is why she needed it done. I won't give electrical advice without seeing the situation with my own eyes. I will just say the money they charge is ridiculous. And if you don't feel comfortable with doing it, I guess you're stuck. I know I couldn't sleep at night charging someone that amount.

 

[PRR]

30 years ago I was paying $330 each, for new outlets a few feet from existing outlets, to urban (licensed and union) electricians. I knew I could do the work cheaper, but I wasn't going to do that in a school building.

This last 3 years have been CRAZY for getting any sort of work done. People with money moved away from major cities to new or totally rebuilt houses in rural areas.

Heck, the quickie-mart is advertising $17/hour for checkout clerks and sandwich makers. The labor market is insane! (and as said, this area is rural and non-union.)

Everybody has Help Wanted signs. Everybody is short-staffed. (Even two different wireless carriers, one Mexican-staffed, one Indian-staffed.) Could not get a tree-guy to fell a dead tree next to the house. Was very lucky to catch a roofer who showed-up (and paid him twice what the guy who wasn't showing-up quoted).

For more fun, the last electrician I hired (and paid dearly) just retired. I shopped his going-out-of-business sale but I'd rather he was still available. (Seven helpers and none would buy him out??)

I won't even think about DIY. Like SLS above, I've seen far too much "this has to go!" work.

$600+ hurts but may be reasonable in this market.

 

[John Gibson]

We have an existing 30 amp 220V outlet in our garage for a wall heater installed by the previous owner. We had an electrician come out and give us an estimate - he said that the existing outlet is too low for the cable length on a typical charger (it is near the floor) so he needs to install a junction box, and he can add a new 14-50R outlet (for the 32 A charger) plus restore the existing outlet to the junction box. His formal quote:

Furnish and install 14-50R tapped off of existing wiring. Includes installing junction box and re-installing existing receptacle. $660 total.

This is about double the expected cost - considering they is no need to install the 220V wiring/breaker. Is this quote unreasonable?

I haven’t read all the threads, so apologise if I’m repeating: 220V 30 amp circuit is not the same as 220v. A 30 amp service is for RV hookups, and although it’s measured as 220v, it’s really 110, as I understand. And there are two leads of 110 that go into the plug that goes into the RV. 220v for your charger is also two phases of 110, but it’s dual phase, so that your charger is fed with two phases, rather than one. There is more to it than just swapping out a couple of things. I don’t remember the actual wiring hookups for this, but it’s different, and often confusing to me, who comes from a country where 220v single phase is the norm.

As far as price, it all depends on what he has to do. Figure that labour is going to cost you 100 an hour, and then parts on top of that. There’s probably a call out or transportation charge in there too,

 

[Jeffp25]

I haven’t read all the threads, so apologise if I’m repeating: 220V 30 amp circuit is not the same as 220v. A 30 amp service is for RV hookups, and although it’s measured as 220v, it’s really 110, as I understand. And there are two leads of 110 that go into the plug that goes into the RV. 220v for your charger is also two phases of 110, but it’s dual phase, so that your charger is fed with two phases, rather than one. There is more to it than just swapping out a couple of things. I don’t remember the actual wiring hookups for this, but it’s different, and often confusing to me, who comes from a country where 220v single phase is the norm.

As far as price, it all depends on what he has to do. Figure that labour is going to cost you 100 an hour, and then parts on top of that. There’s probably a call out or transportation charge in there too,

This is a 220 outlet in the garage that was installed by the previous owner for a garage heater. I have checked the panel (and had it confirmed by an electrician): this is a true 220V setup (it uses two outputs in the panel tied to a single breaker) that can support 40A.

 

[Jeffp25]

Update: after watching a bunch of YouTube videos on the outlet installation, including two that talked about current mistakes and things to avoid, I have decided to implement a short-term solution myself, that will cost me under $50. (I have replaced 110V outlets before, and have a meter and touchless power detector, and have a torque screwdriver on the way, so I have the tools.)

Many of the discussions on 14-50 outlets for EV make the assumption that there will be a lot of connections/disconnections, and 30+ Watts will be pulled for a constant 6 hours plus. Those two make standard outlets, for things like a stove or dryer, inadequate. Well, the Prime will only pull for a little over 2.5 hr, and I won't be connecting/disconnecting often - in fact, there will be no reason to unplug once set up. So, in this specific use, a lower-rate outlet will be fine, which lets me install a simple, cheap, one that just needs to be connected and mounted. https://a.co/d/6EBbwyE

I have ordered a JuiceBox 40, which has a 2 foot cord and should not need any buttons pressed once set up, so it can be mounted lower on the wall (I'll use a hose hook for the cable), meaning no need to raise the existing outlet.

The risk from a cheap outlet are overheating, so I'll check the temp of the box with an IR thermometer when in use, and not charge overnight until I am confident everything is safe and stable. Worse case, I'll be out the $15 for the outlet. Best case, I'll have saved over $600 until we get a true EV that needs more than 2.5 hours of charging.

 

[KK's Ride]

We have an existing 30 amp 220V outlet in our garage for a wall heater installed by the previous owner. We had an electrician come out and give us an estimate - he said that the existing outlet is too low for the cable length on a typical charger (it is near the floor) so he needs to install a junction box, and he can add a new 14-50R outlet (for the 32 A charger) plus restore the existing outlet to the junction box. His formal quote:

Furnish and install 14-50R tapped off of existing wiring. Includes installing junction box and re-installing existing receptacle. $660 total.

This is about double the expected cost - considering they is no need to install the 220V wiring/breaker. Is this quote unreasonable?

And if you DIY it still get a permit and inspection for electric work.
If there was a problem and your house burns down and the insurance inspector sees that you didn't have an inspection then they have an out not to cover the loss. It's bad enough losing your house but you'll also have to hear it from your wife the rest of your life!

 

[chuckles70]

And if you DIY it still get a permit and inspection for electric work.
If there was a problem and your house burns down and the insurance inspector sees that you didn't have an inspection then they have an out not to cover the loss. It's bad enough losing your house but you'll also have to hear it from your wife the rest of your life!

Just for the avoidance of doubt, since OP appears to be going the DIY route- MD does not require (and likely will not issue) an electrical permit for an outlet change. (this is the case in most states).

From the link below: "A permit is not required for a homeowner to repair or replace a portable appliance, lighting fixture, fuse, lamp, socket or to make other minor repairs at an existing outlet in the homeowner's residence." 100 of 100 electricians or inspectors would consider this an "other minor repair." Insofar as OP is going to the expense of a torque-driven screwdriver and touchless power detector (which I almost NEVER see electricians use) I think the risk of him getting run over in the Lowe's parking lot is far greater than the risk of what he's trying to do here. Just make sure the breaker is off.

OneStop

 

[chuckles70]

[duplicate deleted]

 

[rberman999]

I have to agree with KK’s Ride, when doing your own electrical work it is required to pull a permit and have an inspection. Having built a full addition to my house where I did everything from design, foundation, framing, roofing, electrical, insulation, and heat (I left the plastering to a professional) I pulled both a building permit as well as an electrical permit. Every aspect of my work was inspected and signed off and once completed an occupancy permit was issued. With the scope of my work, I made sure there would never be reason for an insurance denial should I or anyone else ever have a claim. As far as the records at my town hall are concerned, the work done was up to all standards at the time and was done to code. As far as doing your own electrical work, not all areas allow for this, so check with your local building inspector to see what can and can’t be done. One final thing, my towns building inspection services department were not only helpful but also very friendly and a pleasure to work with. And, to address what chuckles70 is pointing out, when in doubt, just ask your building inspectional services if a permit is needed. They won’t steer you wrong.

 

[Jeffp25]

14-50 outlet is now installed - it took me about 45 minutes. It would have taken an expert about 30, so that quoted $500+ was just ridiculous.

The nice thing is that I was able to pull about 6 inches of cable out of the wall, and the Juicebox charger has a 2 ft cord, so the combined length means that the charger will be at a good height after all. Next (later today) I need to find a nearby stud and mount the Juicebox on the wall.

 

[richguess]

14-50 outlet is now installed - it took me about 45 minutes. It would have taken an expert about 30, so that quoted $500+ was just ridiculous.

The nice thing is that I was able to pull about 6 inches of cable out of the wall, and the Juicebox charger has a 2 ft cord, so the combined length means that the charger will be at a good height after all. Next (later today) I need to find a nearby stud and mount the Juicebox on the wall.

Piece of cake!!

 

[Jeffp25]

Installation completed and first charge underway. I set the JuiceBox to a max of 32A so I won't have to worry about letting a friend use it to charge a vehicle that can pull 40A when my circuit is only set for a 32A max.