$500 for Power Promise permitting

[watchdoc]

Don't be afraid to turn down the first estimate from Qmerit. My first estimate was $750 citing permitting and engineering fees that aren't covered. I declined that estimate and got another one for $190.

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[E90alex]

Ask for a second bid.

But honestly if you already have a 240V circuit that you’re using, just install the charger yourself if you’re handy and dial it down to the proper amperage for the existing wiring. Just consider the power promise a free EVSE and forget about the professional install.

It’s possible since there is not much of an “install” needed since you have an existing 240V circuit, the electrician may not be able to get much reimbursement from Ford since there’s no wire run and no circuit breaker or anything they really need to do other than mount the EVSE and connect the wires. So they’re marking up the permit and inspection fees.

 

[Pioneer74]

Sell the complementary EVSE, buy an Emporia, and use the existing 14-50 receptacle. You'll probably come out ahead if you got the Charge Station Pro and no permitting needed.

 

[Indy Mike]

I'm pretty ticked.
I already have a 240v outlet in my garage, and have been charging with the mobile charger.
I picked up the free charging station the week after I took my new 2025 home.
However, QMerit wants to charge me FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS just for the permitting and inspection process for the city!
I think this is absolutely absurd for something that's advertised as complimentary.
I called the electrician, they say "too bad," I called Ford and Ford called the electrician, and relayed another "too bad."
@Ford Motor Company Do better.

Free charging station. Have not heard about this. Please tell me more.

 

[Mach-Lee]

Free charging station. Have not heard about this. Please tell me more.

It's called the Ford Power Promise, you can get a free charging station when you buy a new Mach-E.

https://www.ford.com/powerpromise/

 

[exit74chris]

I deal with local permitting all the time. It's not cheap and not something that anyone can cover with a reasonable idea of the cost obligation.

If the unit is not a plug in, then yes you will need to have to outlet pulled and replaced with a pigtail from the unit or remove the outlet and feed the EVSE directly from the wall. Both of which would require a permit (in most cities under most circumstances).

As mentioned I'd sell the Ford one, go buy one that plugs in, set the correct amperage, and hang it on the wall yourself. Of course current code requires a Arc fault breaker for that line and that another whole can of worms.

 

[HuntingPudel]

Not a new circuit.

If you are using the circuit as-is or with minor repairs that don’t affect the amount of current it’s supposed to carry, then yes, it is not a new circuit and you will not need permitting. If you will be changing the wiring and upping the breaker rating, it is technically a new circuit for which load calculations and other stuff must be done to submit for permitting. ??

As was said before, if you wire a pigtail onto the EVSE and dial it back to 32A (or 40A if your circuit and pigtail are designed to run 50A) you will not need permitting and can self-install. ??

 

[RickMachE]

I got 6 estimates for my hardwired charger installation in 2021. They ranged from $900 to $4,000... Never get just 1 estimate, even with this QMerit deal.

As noted, permitting costs vary widely.

We got ours hardwired in 2021 as I stated. The inspector had zero interest in the actual connections of the charger to the house wires in the junction box (JuiceBox charger have a pigtail, unlike some other makes). Zero.

In 2022 I got a 2nd charger to use with load sharing. Didn't think twice about opening box and swapping the 2 wire connectors for 3 wire connectors myself. No permit required.

 

[e_riggy]

I actually didn't even realize I could get a second quote. ??
So I've done that! Hopefully I get something much more reasonable. Otherwise, yes, may go for it myself!

 

[RandyMache]

I'm pretty ticked.
I already have a 240v outlet in my garage, and have been charging with the mobile charger.
I picked up the free charging station the week after I took my new 2025 home.
However, QMerit wants to charge me FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS just for the permitting and inspection process for the city!
I think this is absolutely absurd for something that's advertised as complimentary.
I called the electrician, they say "too bad," I called Ford and Ford called the electrician, and relayed another "too bad."
@Ford Motor Company Do better.

Just keep using your mobile charger. That's all I use at home.....

 

[dearbornjim]

I don't know a thing about elctricity so I would like to be a little more knowledgable when my bid comes in. I have a power panel on the ouside of the garage with what the electrician said had plenty of room on it. He said they would install a 60 amp circuit in the box, run it through the wall into my garage, and then run about 30-35 feet of conduit inside the garage to the spot on a wall where I want it installed. To me that all sounds like what should be considered a "standard install". Should I expect any charges from the electrician other than permitting costs for an install like this?

 

[Mach1E]

I don't know a thing about elctricity so I would like to be a little more knowledgable when my bid comes in. I have a power panel on the ouside of the garage with what the electrician said had plenty of room on it. He said they would install a 60 amp circuit in the box, run it through the wall into my garage, and then run about 30-35 feet of conduit inside the garage to the spot on a wall where I want it installed. To me that all sounds like what should be considered a "standard install". Should I expect any charges from the electrician other than permitting costs for an install like this?

Yes. I don’t think the standard install includes that much cable.


For the OP, of course it costs that much. They didn’t spend 4 years in college plus an additional 3 years getting their permitting degrees to make less than $250/hour!

 

[jav_eee]

id pull the outlet and see what kind of wring it has. if it's sufficient, id just hardwire the charger to those wires and call it a day. (keeping it dialed down to whatever the circuit can handle, of course)

 

[Tomm]

I put in a new breaker and ran wire. Permit fees I paid to the county totaled $480.

 

[dearbornjim]

I might have a record for you all ... I just got my Qmerit bit. It included a cost of $940 for permitting (diagrams plus permit plus inspection)! It also contained a line item of over $600 because my less-than 50 feet of run has some right angled bends in it (up the inside of the garage wall, over the ceiling, back down on the other side, then forward to front of car). There is nothing in the list of exclusions that says it excludes anything other than a straight line. Who even has a straight 50 foot run from their circuit to the site of their wall charger? I've requested another bid.

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