I have a confession to make: I owned an older Portland home for many years before I felt confident to park in the garage. The small detached garage, facing a narrow alley, seemed like it might be tricky to maneuver a car inside. Years went by, and I used the garage mainly for storing outdoor furniture and garden supplies. It was only when I purchased an electric vehicle that getting the car inside became important to me. Why? EV Charging of course!
My second challenge: the garage had no electricity, and was 30 feet from the house.
For a moment I was unsure of how to begin. However! Having navigated dozens of inspection/repair contingencies, pre-listing home preparations, and unexpected challenges, I knew that the goal of charging my car at home was likely easily achievable.
The Preparation
First, I called an electrician. (If you ever need a referral for a contractor, painter, plumber, roofer, electrician, window person, etc- ask your realtor! We will have suggestions for you.) My licensed and bonded electrician gave me a bid, and explained how the project would work, and to get started, asked me if I knew someone who could dig a trench: of course I did!
Whenever a project requires digging, call before you dig! The utility companies will come out and mark any utility lines on your property. This is a critical step, to prevent digging into a gas, electric, sewer, or water line. Call 811, or 1-800-332-2344 a minimum of two days before starting any digging project. In my case, this are area was free of utility lines.
The Trench
To dig the trench, I hired a trusted landscaper and his team. Although I considered doing it myself, or renting a trench digging machine, letting professionals do it proved to be fast, reasonable, and efficient. It took just a few hours for a few people to dig through the rocky soil by hand, with picks and shovels.
Finally, the Electricity
Once the trench was in place, the electrician returned to install a conduit and the electrical lines. He installed a subpanel in the garage, along with a light (let there be light, for the first time, in my garage: it’s fun to appreciate small things!) and a couple of outlets, including one 240 volt outlet placed to accommodate an EV Charger. I mounted a new EV charger on the wall of the garage, plugged it in, and was all set! It felt like a transformation to be able to not only turn on a light, but also charge my car in the garage.
*in case you notice that the roof of the garage looks rough in the photos, that was the next project!
