ElectricalBossPro Blog — Scheduling & Dispatch

Scheduling EV Charger Installs So They Don't Eat the Service Route

EV charger installs sit in an awkward middle for scheduling. They are bigger than a service call and usually smaller than a panel upgrade. Some go in quickly with the panel right next to the garage. Others involve a long run across the house or a panel that needs attention first. Because they fall in that middle, they are the job most likely to get stuck on a service route “because it will only take a couple of hours,” and then take the afternoon.

Installs Have Their Own Rules

The approach for the biggest installs is covered in Booking Panel Upgrade Days Around Service Work. EV chargers follow most of the same rules, with a few differences worth planning for.

Start With a Good Estimate

The estimate is where an EV charger install becomes predictable. Built from your service list, it can include the charger install itself, such as a $1,295 EV charger install, plus any related items like a dedicated circuit. If the customer has the charger already, or you are supplying one, the charger's brand, model and rating can be filled in on the estimate and carry onto the job.

The equipment saved on the house helps here. If the main panel is already on file from an earlier service call or safety inspection, with its rating, year and location, the person writing the estimate starts from what is actually in the house. When the customer approves the estimate online, it becomes the scheduled job.

Where EV Installs Go on the Calendar

The default is the install van, the same van that takes panel upgrades, generator installs, inspections and generator maintenance. That keeps the service van free for same-day calls. For more on that setup, see One Van on Service, One on Installs: Splitting Electrical Work Between Vans.

Because EV chargers are often shorter than a full install day, they pair well with other planned work:

• Charger in the morning, inspections in the afternoon. Pull a couple of due safety inspections from the Waiting List in the same area.
• Two chargers in one day. If two simple installs are near each other, one van can do both.
• Charger plus generator visit. A due generator maintenance visit nearby fills out the day.

Whatever else is on the day, put the charger first in the route order. If it runs long, the flexible work after it can move to another day.

When the Charger Comes With a Panel Upgrade

Sometimes the estimate includes both a panel upgrade and an EV charger. In that case, treat it as a panel upgrade day. One job, one van, the whole day blocked out, and the homeowner told up front that the power may be off for part of it. The electrician decides the work; the schedule just has to give it room.

The Customer Heads-Up

EV charger customers are often eager. They have a new car in the driveway and want the charger yesterday. Clear communication helps. Once the job is booked, the customer's alert choices take over: the reminder the night before, the text when they are next and the arrived text when the tech pulls up. In the customer app, they can watch the route on a live map.

If the garage needs to be cleared or a car moved, put that in the night-before reminder or a two-way text from the office. Simple requests like “please clear a path to the panel and the garage wall” save time on the day.

What the Tech Sees

On the tech app, the job card shows the line items from the approved estimate, the equipment saved on the house, and access notes. The tech can take before-and-after photos of the charger location and the work. When the tech adds the new charger to the house on the job, it flows back to the property record. Next time anyone visits, “EV Charger” is on the equipment list with its brand, model, rating and location.

That matters for the next call. If the homeowner calls in a year because the charger stopped working, the office already knows what is installed and where, and the safety inspection checklist on future visits includes checking the EV charger.

After the Install

When the tech taps Complete, the invoice is created from the job's line items with sales tax, and a card on file can be charged. The customer can also pay from the customer app. A happy EV customer is a good one to ask for a rating and a referral through the customer app.

Middle-Sized Jobs Need a Plan

EV chargers are steady, profitable work for an electrical company, but only if they do not knock the service route sideways. Give them a home on the install van, put them first, and fill the rest of the day with flexible work. To see how install scheduling fits with the dispatch board and the Waiting List, visit the ElectricalBossPro electrician scheduling software page.