How to Vet a Tampa EV Charger Installer

Step 1 — Verify the license yourself

Before anything else: confirm a current Certified Electrical (EC) or Registered Electrical (ER) license at myfloridalicense.com. Status must be Current/Active, the type must be Electrical, and the business name must match who’s quoting you. Our Florida electrician license guide walks through this in two minutes. Do this before you fall in love with a quote.

Step 2 — Demand a load calculation

The installer should run a proper load calculation on your panel and show it to you — not wave at the panel and declare “you’re fine.” This is the document that proves the new 40–50 amp circuit fits safely, or proves you need a panel upgrade or load management instead. An installer who won’t show the math doesn’t have the math.

Step 3 — Confirm the permit is included

Every dedicated 240V circuit needs an electrical permit in Tampa Bay jurisdictions, pulled in the contractor’s name, with a municipal inspection afterward. Ask explicitly: “You’re pulling the permit, right?” The inspection is your free quality control — a second set of trained eyes on the work.

Step 4 — Get the scope in writing

The written proposal should name: the charger unit (model and amperage), circuit size and wire gauge, breaker type, disconnect location, conduit route, permit and inspection handling, and total price. “Install EV charger — $1,200” on a napkin isn’t a scope; it’s an invitation to change-orders.

Step 5 — Check insurance, not just licensing

Ask for certificates of general liability and workers’ compensation, and verify them with the insurer — not just a PDF the contractor emailed you. If a worker is injured on your property and there’s no workers’ comp, the liability can land on you.

Step 6 — Structure payment around milestones

Standard: a deposit of 10–30% to schedule, the balance on completion and inspection sign-off. Never pay 100% upfront. If a contractor needs your full payment to buy materials for a half-day job, that’s a cash-flow problem you don’t want to inherit.

Step 7 — Check recent, local references

Ask for references from charger installs in the last 12 months — not “electrical work” generally, but EV charger jobs specifically. Two quick calls tell you more than any review site: did they pull the permit, show up on time, and leave the panel labeled?

Red flags: walk away when you see these

• “No permit needed.” False for every new dedicated circuit in Tampa Bay. This is the #1 filter.
• Cash-only or full payment upfront. Legitimate contractors take checks/cards and stage payments.
• Unlicensed “electrician” or handyman offering to do it cheaper. Illegal to contract, unpermitted, uninsured — and a fire risk at 240 volts.
• Firm phone quote without seeing the panel. Honest installers quote ranges until they’ve seen the site; anyone certain over the phone is guessing.
• Pressure tactics. “This price is only good today” is a sales tactic, not a scheduling reality. Charger installs aren’t emergency work.
• Won’t name the equipment. If the proposal doesn’t specify the charger model and circuit details, you’re buying a mystery box.
• No load calculation offered. Adding a 50-amp continuous load without running the numbers is negligence with extra steps.