Day 1: Same-Day Quote From Photos
The clock starts the moment you send us photos of your electrical panel and the wall where you want the charger. For 80% of Bay Area homes, that's enough to give you a firm price the same day — no in-person visit, no waiting. We need three photos: (1) the panel cover with the door open, (2) the inside of the panel with the breakers visible (we read the main breaker amperage and check for empty slots), and (3) the wall or area where the charger will mount with something for scale. From those three images we know your panel size, whether you need Tesla Dynamic Power Management (DPM), and roughly how far the conduit run will be. You receive a written quote with a price range and an itemized breakdown — labor, materials, permit, hardware. No mystery 'we'll see when we get there' line items.
- •Same-day quote when you send 3 photos (panel cover, panel interior, charger wall)
- •Quote includes itemized labor, materials, permit, hardware
- •Price range — not a teaser low number that balloons on installation day
- •Complex sites (long runs, panel upgrade, condo) get an in-person visit within 2–3 business days
- •Free quote, no obligation, no upsell pressure
Days 2–3: Site Visit (Only If Needed)
If your job has any complexity — outdoor run over 50 feet, panel upgrade likely, condo with HOA involvement, sub-panel install, trenching needed — we schedule an in-person site visit within 2–3 business days. The visit takes 30–45 minutes. We measure the conduit path, photograph every wall the wire will pass through, check existing loads with a clamp meter (for Tesla DPM viability), and confirm the breaker slot situation. We also discuss charger placement: garage interior wall vs. exterior, height (Tesla recommends 48 inches from the floor to the bottom of the unit), and cable routing for the future. After the visit, the firm written quote arrives within 24 hours.
- •In-person visit in 2–3 business days for complex jobs
- •Clamp meter measurement validates Tesla DPM viability on 100A panels (NEC 220.87)
- •Charger position discussed (Tesla mount-height recommendation: 48 inches)
- •Conduit path photographed end-to-end
- •Firm written quote within 24 hours of the visit
Days 3–10: Permit Filing and Approval
California requires a building permit for any new 240V circuit. ChargeWizards files the permit — you don't have to know your city's portal or speak to a plan checker. Bay Area permit timelines vary considerably by jurisdiction. San Mateo and Burlingame: 5–7 business days, online portal, $150–$250. Palo Alto: 7–10 business days, $175–$300. Redwood City: 5–10 business days, $150–$275. San Jose: 10–14 business days, $175–$325. San Francisco DBI: 10–21 business days (the slowest in the region), $200–$400. Where the city offers an over-the-counter (OTC) EV permit (San Mateo and a few Peninsula cities do for residential Level 2), we use it and the permit is issued in hours. While the permit is pending, we order materials — Tesla Wall Connector or Universal Wall Connector, conduit, wire, breaker, weatherproof boxes if outdoor — so install day is ready to go the moment the permit clears.
- •San Mateo / Burlingame: 5–7 business days · $150–$250 permit fee
- •Palo Alto: 7–10 business days · $175–$300
- •Redwood City: 5–10 business days · $150–$275
- •San Jose: 10–14 business days · $175–$325
- •San Francisco DBI: 10–21 business days · $200–$400
- •Over-the-counter EV permits available in some Peninsula cities (same-day issue)
- •Materials ordered during permit wait — zero added time
Day of Install: 3–8 Hours On-Site
Installation day is usually the fastest part of the whole project. A simple install — panel in the garage, short conduit run under 20 feet, no panel work — takes 3 to 4 hours start to finish. A standard install with a 20–50 foot run, mounting hardware, and a new dedicated 60A breaker takes 4 to 5 hours. If we're commissioning Tesla DPM, add roughly 60 minutes for the Neurio meter installation and the Tesla Pros app commissioning sequence (we communicate with the Wall Connector over RS-485 to set the Max Conductor Limit and verify the CT polarity). A panel upgrade adds a full day and requires PG&E to pull and reset the meter. Long outdoor trenched runs (100+ feet) typically run 6 to 8 hours. The owner is on every install — there are no subcontractors. After the wiring is complete and torqued to manufacturer spec, we energize the circuit, commission the charger, run a 30-minute test charge to verify performance, and walk you through the Tesla app.
- •Simple install (existing 240V swap or short run): 3–4 hours
- •Standard new circuit (20–50 ft, 60A breaker, hardwired Wall Connector): 4–5 hours
- •Tesla DPM adds ~60 min (Neurio meter + Tesla Pros app commissioning)
- •Panel upgrade: full day (PG&E meter pull required)
- •Long outdoor / trenched runs (100+ ft): 6–8 hours
- •Every connection torqued to manufacturer spec (Tesla: 50 lb·in on power terminals)
- •30-minute test charge before we leave
- •Owner on every install — no subcontractors
Final Inspection: 3–7 Days
The city's electrical inspector schedules a final inspection within 3 to 7 business days of when we close out the permit. The inspector verifies the breaker size, conductor gauge (typically 6 AWG for a 60A circuit), torque markings, weatherproofing on outdoor installs, and bonding/grounding. ChargeWizards meets the inspector on-site (you don't need to be home, though you can be). Pass rate on first inspection is well above 95% — we install to code, document everything, and pre-walk every job. If for any reason the inspector flags a correction, we fix it on the spot or schedule a no-charge return visit. After sign-off, the city stamps the permit closed and you're done.
- •City inspection in 3–7 business days after permit close-out
- •Conductor gauge typical: 6 AWG copper for 60A continuous
- •Tesla Wall Connector torque spec: 50 lb·in on power terminals (NEC 110.14)
- •First-time inspection pass rate: >95%
- •ChargeWizards meets inspector on-site — you don't have to be home
- •Any corrections fixed at no charge
How to Compress the Timeline
If your EV is arriving in 2 weeks and you want a charger ready on day one, here's the sequence that actually works. Send panel photos this week. Get the quote and accept the same day. We file the permit within 24 hours. Materials arrive in 3–5 days. Permit clears in 5–10 days (Peninsula) or 10–21 days (San Francisco). Install day is typically scheduled for the day after the permit clears. From quote to charging: typically 7–14 days in the Peninsula and Santa Clara County, 14–21 days in San Francisco. The biggest avoidable delays are HOA approval (allow 2–4 weeks for condos and townhomes — California Civil Code 4745 protects your right to install but the approval process still takes time), back-ordered Wall Connectors (we keep stock direct from Tesla, so this is rare), and PG&E-coordinated panel upgrades (allow 4–8 weeks).
- •Photo quote → accept → permit filed: same day
- •Permit clears (Peninsula): 5–10 business days
- •Permit clears (San Francisco DBI): 10–21 business days
- •Install scheduled: day after permit clears
- •Quote-to-charging total: 7–14 days (Peninsula), 14–21 days (SF)
- •HOA approval: allow 2–4 weeks for condos / townhomes
- •Panel upgrade with PG&E: allow 4–8 weeks (only when truly needed)
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