How long does EV charger installation take? 2 to 4 hours on the day
A standard home charger takes 2 to 4 hours to fit. A long or awkward job can take 4 to 6. From first quote to a working charger usually takes 2 to 6 weeks. If you want the €300 SEAI grant, the Letter of Offer comes first, and that sets the pace.
Key points
On the day: 2 to 4 hours for a standard job. A board upgrade or long cable run can take a full day.
Quote to charging: 2 to 4 weeks, 3 to 6 weeks.
SEAI grant: no work before the start date on your Letter of Offer. The offer lasts 6 months.
SEAI pays the €300 about 4 to 6 weeks after it gets your documents.
How long does it take on the day?
2 to 4 hours for a standard installation, done in one visit. Simple installs are done before lunch; complex ones can run a full day.
Who publishes it
Time on the day
2 to 3 hours. "More complex installations may take longer"
2 to 4 hours
2 to 4 hours
2 to 4 hours
Kerry
2 to 4 hours for most homes in Kerry
Ohme Ireland
Around 4 hours
4 to 6 hours, "a single day's work"
What happens in those hours
The job: mount the charge point, usually on an outside wall or in the garage; run the cable from the fuse board; fit a dedicated RCBO and an isolator; set up the app on your Wi-Fi; then commission and test the charger under load, and hand over the test certificate and the grant completion forms. A standard job usually allows a set length of surface-mounted cable and a couple of walls to drill through; ask what yours includes.
What makes it take longer
An older fuse board. Homes built before 2000 often need the board, meter tails or earthing upgraded, and an upgrade or complex cable run may take a full day.
A long cable run. Standard prices cover about 5 m. Runs through attics, walls or around the house add time and cost.
Digging. A charger at a detached garage or across a driveway needs the cable trenched and ducted. Expect about €250 through grass and €400 to €550 through tarmac or paving.
Demand management. If you have an electric shower, a device that pauses the charger while the shower runs costs about €180.
Quotes: about 1 to 2 weeks. Allow 1 to 2 weeks for two or three quotes; many installers quote from photos of the parking spot and the fuse board. Some do a short video survey instead of a visit.
Site survey: 30 to 60 minutes, if the installer wants to see it.
Grant application and Letter of Offer. You apply with your MPRN and Eircode. Approval typically takes 5 to 10 working days. SEAI's page gives no figure for this step. Do not book the work for any date before the start date on the letter.
Installation: 2 to 4 hours on a date the installer offers. Most installations are completed 2 to 4 weeks after you order; waiting on grant approval or extra electrical work can push that out. A made-to-order charger can mean a fitting date just over 4 weeks after you pay.
Grant payment: about 4 to 6 weeks. SEAI says applications are processed for payment in "approximately 4-6 weeks", by bank transfer to the account on your Payment Request Form (SEAI).
End to end, it's usually 3 to 6 weeks from first quote to a working charger, mostly SEAI grant approval and the installer's diary.
The grant clock
The SEAI home charger grant "is valid for 6 months from the date the grant offer is issued". Inside that time the charger has to be fitted and your documents sent: the Payment Request Form with your bank details, Certificate Number 3, the Test Record Sheet, the invoice and photos of the installed charger (SEAI). SEAI also says "any works completed before a grant offer has been issued are ineligible for grant support". So the one wait you can't skip is the letter. Start early: you can apply before you own the car. Every form, in order: how to claim the grant.
Fixed written price
Ready to book a date?
Tell us where you are and where you park. We come back with a fixed written price and tell you what to do first so the €300 grant isn't lost on timing.
No cost, no obligation. We price the job and introduce you to a Safe Electric
registered electrical contractor. We are not an electrical contractor ourselves.
Questions about how long it takes
How long does it take to install an EV charger at home?
2 to 4 hours for a standard job, in one visit. Most installers allow 2 to 4 hours; a long or awkward cable run can take 4 to 6. A fuse board upgrade or a long or buried cable run can take a full day.
How long from ordering a charger to using it?
Usually 2 to 6 weeks. Most jobs are fitted 2 to 4 weeks after you order. From first quote to a working charger usually takes 3 to 6 weeks, most of it waiting for grant approval and an installation date.
How long does SEAI take to approve the charger grant?
SEAI's grant page gives no approval time. Approval typically takes 5 to 10 working days. Once the work is done and your documents are in, SEAI says payment takes approximately 4 to 6 weeks.
How long do I have to install the charger after the Letter of Offer?
Six months. SEAI says the grant offer is valid for 6 months from the date it is issued. Do not start any work before the start date on the letter, or the cost is not eligible.
Will my electricity be off during the installation?
For part of it. The new circuit has to be connected at your fuse board, and the electrician switches the power off to do that safely. Ask the installer how long it will be off at your house so you can plan around it.
