How to tell which contractors can actually do this work
Ask for five things in writing and most of the field sorts itself out: the licence class that covers your scope in your state, the names and EVITP certification status of the electricians who will be on your site, evidence the firm is on your utility's approved-contractor list if your make-ready program requires one, a plain description of who commissions the equipment and activates it on the network, and a statement that they pull the permit in their own name. A residential electrician with ambition can answer two of those convincingly. A qualified commercial bidder answers all five without pausing, and usually has the documents already scanned.
Updated 2026-08-20
Why a good residential electrician is not automatically a bidder
The trade skill transfers. The rest of the job is a different job.
The five checks, and what a straight answer looks like
Send these as written questions and read the answers as evidence rather than as reassurance.
Licence class is a state question, so ask about your state
There is no national electrical licence, and the class that covers a commercial charging installation is not the same everywhere.
EVITP: what it is, and what it is not
The Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program certifies individual electricians who complete its training on charging infrastructure. It is a credential attached to a person, not to a company.
The utility's approved-contractor list
Where a make-ready program maintains one, using a contractor who is not on it can void the incentive — so check before the bid list is set, not after the award.
Scope size changes which credential is load-bearing
Match the qualification question to the electrical scope, because the difference between a four-port Level 2 lot and a DC fast installation is not a difference of degree.
Commissioning and activation is where projects quietly fail
A port that is installed but not activated on a network earns nothing, reports nothing and satisfies no incentive obligation. Somebody has to own that step by name.
Who pulls the permit, and why it is not a detail
The contractor should pull it in their own name, and you should have that in writing before work starts.
References worth asking for
Ask for two live sites of comparable scope, and ask three specific questions about each.
Do I need a special contractor to install commercial EV chargers?
You need a licensed electrical contractor whose licence class covers the scope in your state, and for anything beyond a couple of ports you want one with commercial charging experience specifically. The electrical work is within any competent commercial electrician's ability. The utility coordination, the load study, the accessibility siting, the incentive sequencing and the network commissioning are where inexperience shows up as cost.
What is EVITP certification?
The Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program is a training and certification program for electricians working on charging infrastructure. It certifies individuals rather than companies, so a firm can truthfully claim certified electricians and still send a crew without one. Ask for named individuals. Some utility and state programs condition eligibility on it, and federal minimum standards for NEVI-funded chargers carry a workforce provision requiring it.
Should the contractor or the property owner pull the permit?
The contractor, in their own name, and you should have that in writing before work begins. A permit pulled in the owner's name shifts responsibility for code compliance to the owner. It is sometimes offered as a discount and it is a bad trade at any price. Confirm the close-out as well, because an open permit surfaces during a refinance or a sale.
How many bidders should we get?
Three to five genuinely qualified firms beats a long list. Qualify before you invite rather than after the bids arrive, using the five checks above, and issue every bidder the same measured site package from a proper site assessment. Bids priced against an unmeasured site cannot be compared and will change later.
Does my contractor need to be on the utility's list?
Only if your utility maintains one and your make-ready program requires it — and where it does, using an unlisted contractor can void the incentive entirely. Ask the program sponsor before the bid list closes rather than after award. Separately, a contractor who works regularly in that territory knows the service rules and the interconnection queue, which is worth real time on the schedule.
Will a contractor handle the incentive application?
Some will, some will assist, and some will not touch it. Whichever it is, get it stated in the bid, because the pre-approval sequence is unforgiving: most programs require approval before construction begins and treat early work as permanently ineligible. If nobody owns the application, it will be submitted late, and late usually means never.
- Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program (EVITP)
- 23 CFR Part 680 — National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure minimum standards and requirements
- NFPA 70, National Electrical Code — Article 625, electric vehicle power transfer system equipment
- US DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center — utility and private incentives search
Walk into the conversation with a number
Owners who know the likely range ask better questions and read bids more sceptically. Tell us the port count, the service size and the distance from the panel, and the estimate returns a modelled installed range with the civil work broken out.