One of the first questions homeowners ask after ordering an electric vehicle is whether their breaker panel can handle a 40- or 48-amp Level 2 charger.  The answer is a solid “maybe”—and it starts with a simple load calculation.  The National Electrical Code requires continuous appliance loads to be sized at 125 percent; in practical terms, adding an 11.5-kW charger means you need about 60 amps of headroom on your service  .  If your house already enjoys modern 200-amp service and rarely peaks above 10 kW, you’re probably in the clear.  Homes still running on 100-amp mains or maxed-out breaker spaces, however, often need an upgrade before the inspector will sign off.

Cost is another factor.  Swapping a panel to 200 amps typically runs $1,200 to $2,000 nationwide, with Arizona projects clustering near the midpoint  .  In Phoenix, permitting is refreshingly simple: as long as the existing service is 200 amps or less, residential EV-charger circuits qualify for over-the-counter approval—no lengthy plan review required  .  That means your electrician can pull the permit in minutes and complete the install the same week.

If your service lacks the spare amperage, you still have alternatives that can dodge the full panel swap.  Smart load-sharing breakers and panels—like Schneider’s QO Plug-on-Neutral line—dynamically throttle a charger when household demand spikes, allowing two heavy loads to coexist on one circuit and saving as much as $1,500 in upgrade fees  .  Another budget-friendly option is installing a NEMA 14-50 outlet instead of a hard-wired wallbox; material-plus-labor for that outlet typically falls between $500 and $1,500 depending on conduit length and wall type  .

Beyond pure cost, future value weighs in.  Real-estate data shows that EV-ready listings in markets like San Jose and San Francisco already attract heightened buyer interest, even if the price premium is still small  .  A smart 200-amp panel not only supports a charger today but also sets the stage for rooftop solar, battery storage, or a second EV tomorrow—amenities that make a home more resilient and attractive to tech-savvy buyers.

Unsure whether your panel passes muster?  Snap a photo of your breaker box and upload it to ChargeMatch.  Our licensed partners will run the numbers, verify permitting needs, and send you a firm, apples-to-apples quote—absolutely free.  Your path to effortless overnight charging starts with a single click.