5 Red Flags That Mean Walk Away
Most bad EV-charger installs share the same warning signs. Treat any one of these as a hard stop.
1. “Cash only” or “we’ll skip the permit”
Unpermitted electrical work voids your homeowners insurance, fails home-inspection contingencies on resale, and exposes you to a red-tag stop-work order. The few hundred dollars saved on a permit are dwarfed by the liability.
2. No CSLB license number on the quote
California Business & Professions Code §7027.1 requires every contractor advertisement and quote to display the license number. Missing license number means either unlicensed work or someone hiding suspended status.
3. Pressure to pay more than 10% as a deposit
California caps residential deposits at 10% or $1,000, whichever is less (B&P §7159). High-pressure deposit demands are how unlicensed operators disappear with your money.
4. Refusal to provide insurance certificates
No general liability and no workers' comp means any accident on your property — fire, electrocution, fall — becomes your personal liability. Always require certificates of insurance before work starts.
5. Vague answers on panel load calc or Tesla certification
“We’ll figure it out” on either of these usually means a panel-upgrade upsell on install day or a non-Tesla-certified install that voids the Wall Connector warranty.
What “Tesla Certified” Actually Means
Tesla Certified Installer is not a marketing label — it is an active program administered by Tesla. Certified installers complete Tesla-led training on Wall Connector, Universal Wall Connector, and Dynamic Power Management; demonstrate field competency on Tesla’s commissioning tools (Tesla One / Tesla Pros app); and maintain an active CSLB C-10 license in good standing.
The practical difference at warranty-claim time: when a Tesla Certified Installer commissions the unit, the install metadata (firmware version, breaker config, DPM CT placement) is logged through Tesla Pros. If a hardware issue surfaces in year 3, Tesla can verify the install was code-compliant and fast-track replacement under the 4-year residential hardware warranty. Non-certified installs lose that audit trail and can be denied for “installation-related” faults.
Tesla Certified Installer
ChargeWizards is Tesla Certified (CSLB #1134931), which means we source DPM equipment directly from Tesla — including the Neurio energy meter with proprietary firmware that isn't available through retail channels. Not all installers can offer DPM.
Verify the CSLB License in 30 Seconds
The California State License Board (CSLB) maintains a free public lookup. You can verify any contractor before signing — it takes about 30 seconds.
- Go to cslb.ca.gov license lookup.
- Enter the license number from their quote, website, or business card.
- Confirm: Status = ACTIVE, Classification = C-10 (Electrical), Contractor Bond = current, Workers' Comp = current (if they have employees).
- Screenshot the result page and keep it with your project file.
ChargeWizards license: #1134931, C-10 Electrical. Verifiable on the CSLB site right now.
12 Questions to Ask Before You Sign
Each question below has a correct answer (what a legitimate installer will say) and a red-flag answer (when you should walk away). Ask all 12 — even of installers who come highly recommended.
1. What is your CSLB license number, and is it C-10?
Good answer: Provided in writing on the quote, business card, and website (e.g., #1134931, C-10). Suggests you verify it on cslb.ca.gov.
Red flag: "I'll get that to you later" or "I work under my buddy's license." Working under another person's license is a CSLB violation.
2. Are you a Tesla Certified Installer?
Good answer: Yes, with proof — listed on Tesla's installer locator or referenceable through Tesla Pros support.
Red flag: "Same thing." It is not. Non-certified installation can void Tesla's hardware warranty.
3. Will you pull the electrical permit, and which jurisdiction?
Good answer: Names the specific city/county building department (SF DBI, San Mateo Building, San Jose Permit Center, Palo Alto Development Services, Sunnyvale One-Stop) and includes the permit fee in the quote.
Red flag: "You don't really need a permit for this" or "You can pull it as a homeowner." Both push liability to you and are common ways unlicensed work gets hidden.
4. Will you do an NEC 220.87 load calculation on my panel?
Good answer: Yes — typically using 30 days of PG&E or CCA interval data plus a physical inspection to confirm available capacity before quoting a panel upgrade.
Red flag: "You'll need a panel upgrade" stated before they've seen your panel or your usage data.
5. What breaker size, conductor gauge, and conduit method will you use?
Good answer: Specific spec on the quote: e.g., 60A 2-pole breaker, #6 THWN-2 copper, 3/4" EMT conduit, hardwired to Tesla Wall Connector.
Red flag: "We'll figure it out on install day." Vague specs almost always become change orders.
6. Is the price all-in, or does it exclude permits, materials, or panel work?
Good answer: Written fixed price including labor, materials, permit, inspection call-backs, and a clear itemized scope. Any optional add-ons (DPM, panel upgrade, conduit run >25 ft) priced separately.
Red flag: "It depends" or a verbal estimate without a signed scope.
7. Do you carry general liability and workers' comp insurance?
Good answer: Yes — provides certificate of insurance on request. Workers' comp is mandatory in California if they have any employees.
Red flag: "I'm a sole proprietor so I don't need it." Even sole props doing electrical work in California are required to carry general liability if they want to legally bid jobs over $500.
8. What is your warranty on labor, and what voids it?
Good answer: Minimum 1-year labor warranty in writing, with clear conditions (e.g., no DIY modifications). The Tesla Wall Connector itself carries a 4-year residential hardware warranty from Tesla.
Red flag: "Talk to the manufacturer." The installer is responsible for installation defects.
9. How long has your company been doing EV charger installations specifically?
Good answer: EV-specialist contractor with a verifiable EV portfolio — not a generalist who happens to also do EV work. Should be able to discuss DPM, NACS vs J1772, load-side vs line-side taps, and SB 1236 timelines fluently.
Red flag: "We've been electricians for 20 years" without specific EV-charger experience. EV charging has its own NEC rules (Article 625) and product knowledge.
10. What is your deposit and payment schedule?
Good answer: California Business & Professions Code §7159: maximum 10% or $1,000 (whichever is less) as a deposit on residential work. Final payment after permit closeout and your sign-off.
Red flag: "50% upfront" or "full payment before install." Both are CSLB violations on residential jobs.
11. Will the installation be ready for inspection on the same day, or do I need a follow-up?
Good answer: Final inspection scheduled by the installer with the city, with a clear plan for what happens if it fails (free re-call to fix code issues).
Red flag: "You'll handle the inspection." Homeowners shouldn't be coordinating inspections on contractor-pulled permits.
12. Can you provide three local references from EV charger installs in my city?
Good answer: Provides recent references — preferably in your city or county — willing to confirm the work, timeline, and final price.
Red flag: "All my reviews are online" with no specific local references. Bay Area permitting and panel conditions vary block-by-block; hyperlocal experience matters.
Why “Cheap” Almost Always Costs More
Three patterns turn lowball EV-charger quotes into expensive jobs:
- Skipped load calc, surprise panel upgrade. A $900 quote becomes $3,400 when the installer shows up, says the panel can’t support the charger, and quotes an emergency upgrade you have to accept to finish the job.
- No permit, no inspection. Saves a few hundred dollars up front, then costs a sale during your next home inspection or kills your insurance claim after a fault.
- Non-certified install, voided Tesla warranty. A failed Wall Connector in year 3 that Tesla won’t honor is a $700 unit cost you absorb personally.
A written fixed-price quote from a Tesla Certified C-10 contractor costs $300–$800 more up front than the lowest bid and saves multiples of that across the life of the install.
Bay Area Permit Jurisdictions: What to Confirm
Permit handling varies city-by-city. Confirm your installer has filed a residential EV-charger permit in your specific jurisdiction recently:
- San Francisco DBI — over-the-counter for hardwired Level 2 in single-family; SB 1236 expedited timeline.
- San Mateo Building Department — online ePermit, typical turnaround 1–3 business days.
- City of San Jose Permit Center — electronic submittal; load calc required for any service <200A.
- Palo Alto Development Services — separate utility coordination because Palo Alto runs its own electric utility (CPAU), not PG&E.
- Sunnyvale One-Stop / Mountain View / Redwood City / Burlingame — each maintains its own ePermit portal and inspection calendar.
An installer who can’t name your jurisdiction’s portal or typical turnaround is going to run into delays. ChargeWizards files in all of these regularly.
ChargeWizards' Commitments
- Active CSLB C-10 license #1134931, displayed on every quote and verifiable at cslb.ca.gov.
- Tesla Certified Installer — full Wall Connector hardware warranty preserved.
- Written all-in fixed-price quote with breaker size, conductor gauge, conduit method, and permit jurisdiction.
- Permit pulled by us, inspection coordinated by us, free re-call if anything fails.
- NEC 220.87 load calculation before quoting any panel work.
- 10% / $1,000 deposit cap (CA B&P §7159). Final payment only after sign-off.
- General liability and workers' comp certificates available on request.
Call (650) 542-8877 or use the quote form below.