A charger is a new circuit, and the licenses that fit
Adding a charger means running a circuit from your panel. Florida's Chapter 489 licenses contractors by category, and a contractor certified or registered in one category may do work within that license's scope. Section 489.113, as the statute reads, points to rules adopted with the Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board when it lets a solar contractor do minor electrical work on residential solar equipment. Ask the company for its license number and category, and check both with DBPR.
Florida charger installation: the model's price
A Level 2 charger installation is $885 to $2,225 per Level 2 charger installed in the model. Instead of the solar installer ratio, it uses Florida's electrician wage ratio of 0.95 on two national ranges, adds no permit fee, and is an estimate and not a quote.
The range stops at the charger and its circuit, so a panel upgrade, trenching, a longer wire run and the car itself sit outside it. Get the charger's make and model in writing.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $885 to $2,225 per Level 2 charger installed | Built from 2 national published ranges, adjusted by the Florida electrician mean wage ratio (0.81). Before any incentive: there is no federal credit for a system installed in 2026. Basis: no Florida company price for this job, so the national estimate stands. |
| Electrician wage, Florida mean | $27.72 an hour | BLS OEWS, May 2025: what electricians are paid, not a charger price. |
| Electrician wage, national mean | $34.37 an hour | BLS OEWS, May 2025: the US mean behind Florida's wage ratio. |
Estimated range. Built from national published ranges (2 sources), adjusted by Florida's electrician mean wage ratio to the US (0.81, BLS May 2025), plus the city solar permit fee where the city publishes one. Not a quote. One Florida installer publishes its own current price on its own page (Palmetto, per watt), too few to build a range from; the others print blog or market averages or dated figures, which we do not count. We have no Florida company price for this job, so the range is our national estimate alone. Full method. Prices as of Oct 24, 2026.
The permit for the circuit
Section 553.79 has the local enforcing agency set reasonable permit fees and post its application types and attachments online, so look on your department's site for the electrical permit type that fits a charger and get the amount before work starts.
Exports and charging on the same bill
At an investor-owned utility, Rule 25-6.065 credits excess generation to the next month's bill and lets credits build for up to 12 months, paying any left at year end at an average annual rate based on the utility's COG-1 as-available tariff. Tampa Electric says excess generation earns a credit at the current retail energy rate.
City utilities run their own programs. Lakeland Electric credits exports at full retail for residential systems up to 10 kW, JEA's PV Billing Rate compares the kWh it delivers with the kWh your system returns, and OUC moves to TruNet Solar on November 1, 2026, crediting exports straight to the account. None of the Florida utilities here prints its export credit in cents per kWh, so ask yours for the figure in writing before you count on exports to cover charging.
EIA puts the average Florida residential price at 14.99 cents per kWh for August 2026 (15.33 in August 2025). It's a monthly figure and not a charging cost.
Panel room and a bundled contract
The model leaves out a panel upgrade, trenching and a longer wire run. Ask the electrician to name the circuit size and say in writing whether your panel can carry it. If a solar company bundles the charger into a system contract, ask for its price as a separate line.
What can't wait with a charger
- Call 911 if the charger, its cable or the panel gives off a burning smell, melting plastic, smoke or sparks.
- A fault light is on at the charger, and nothing feels hot or smells burnt.
- The charger no longer appears in its app.
What to prepare before the electrician visits
- Read your panel's amperage off the label on the outside, without opening it.
- Measure roughly how far the parking spot is from the panel.
- Get the company's DBPR license number and category before work is booked.
Permit for a charger circuit
The charger needs an electrical permit from your city or county, with a fee set by the local agency under section 553.79. Ask for the amount and the inspection steps before work starts.
Ask for the company's contractor license number and look it up with your state's licensing board before you sign.
Questions people ask
Who may wire a car charger in Florida?
A contractor whose Chapter 489 license covers the circuit work. Ask for the license number and category, and check both with DBPR.
Can my panels cover the car's charging in Florida?
That depends on how your utility credits exports. Rule 25-6.065 credits excess to next month's bill at investor-owned utilities, and Lakeland credits exports at full retail up to 10 kW.
Will my panel need an upgrade for the charger?
That's the electrician's call once the panel has been looked at. An upgrade isn't in the model, so ask for it priced separately.
Does a charger need its own permit?
Yes, an electrical permit from your local agency. Section 553.79 has the agency set the fee and post its application types online.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Electricians (SOC 47-2111), Florida, mean hourly wage Read Oct 24, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Electricians (SOC 47-2111), United States, mean hourly wage Read Oct 23, 2026.
- SolarPanelMatch: how we estimate costs, Florida (editorial policy) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- DBPR CILB: construction industry licence categories; s. 489.105 F.S. Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Florida Statutes 489.113 Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Florida Statutes 553.79, 553.791 Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Florida Administrative Code Rule 25-6.065: Interconnection and Metering of Customer-Owned Renewable Generation Read Oct 26, 2026.
- Tampa Electric: Steps to Connect; Connecting Your Solar Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Lakeland Electric: Solar Read Oct 24, 2026.
- JEA: Distributed Generation Bill Breakdown; Apply for Distributed Generation Read Oct 24, 2026.
- OUC: Rooftop Solar / Net Metering Solar PV Program Read Oct 28, 2026.
- EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A (August 2026) Read Oct 24, 2026.