Detroit, MI
EV CHARGER INSTALL ESTIMATING.

## EV Charger Estimating in Detroit Moves Fast — Your Bids Should Too Detroit is not a peripheral EV market. Ford, GM, and Stellantis all have electrification programs headquartered here, and the residential and commercial charging infrastructure demand that follows is real and accelerating. Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb County permit desks are processing Level 2 and DC fast-charger applications at a pace that wasn't common four years ago. If you're an EV charger installer working the metro, you're competing for jobs that close on the first credible bid — not the most polished PDF. Estimate.Pro gives you a sendable bid in a median of 8 minutes from the end of your site walkthrough. --- ### What Makes EV Charger Estimating Different in Detroit **Panel capacity is the first question on every job.** Detroit's older housing stock — particularly in Corktown, Mexicantown, and the eastside neighborhoods seeing the most renovation activity — frequently runs 100A or 125A service. Before you can quote a 48A Level 2 charger circuit, you need to know whether a panel upgrade is part of the scope. Estimate.Pro's EV scope builder flags this as a required line item when amperage draw exceeds available headroom. No more forgetting a $1,200–$2,500 panel upgrade in a bid. **NEC 625 compliance is non-negotiable.** Every EV charger circuit in Michigan is governed by NEC Article 625. Your scope of work must address branch circuit sizing, GFCI protection, disconnect requirements, and listing requirements for the EVSE equipment itself. Estimate.Pro's AI scope generator references NEC 625 by default on every EV charger job — so the code language is in the bid document your customer signs, not just in your head. **Michigan requires a licensed electrician.** EV charger installation in Michigan is electrical work under the jurisdiction of the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). Pull your permit through the local building department — in Detroit that means the Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department (BSEED). Estimate.Pro's scope template includes a permit line item and flags that unlicensed work voids most EVSE manufacturer warranties. **Trench runs add real money in Detroit driveways.** Many Detroit residential properties have detached garages set 50–100 feet from the main panel. A conduit trench run at that distance changes the job economics entirely. The app's AR measurement tool — running ONNX-assisted live AR on supported devices — lets you measure trench distance during the walkthrough. Camera and photo measurements are marked as estimates. Either way, you have a number in the bid before you leave the driveway. **Commercial jobs need load calculation documentation.** Multi-unit residential and commercial clients — think the new mixed-use developments along the QLine corridor or industrial facilities in the Jefferson-Chalmers area — often need a load calculation summary to satisfy their building engineer or property manager. Estimate.Pro generates scope-of-work documentation you can attach to the bid. --- ### How the 8-Minute Bid Works 1. Walk the site. Use AR measurement on supported devices or photo capture for conduit runs, panel location, and charger mounting point. 2. Open the EV trade workflow. The AI reads your walkthrough notes and photos, then drafts a full NEC 625-referenced scope of work. 3. Apply your saved labor and material costs. Detroit area labor rates and local material pricing stay in your workspace — you set them once. 4. Review, adjust, send. The bid goes out as a professional document your customer can approve on their phone. No platform fee on Pro+ plans. Free tier available, no credit card required. --- ### Pricing Built for How Detroit Contractors Work - **Free** — core estimating, no credit card, no expiration - **Pro — $39/seat/mo** — full EV trade workflows, saved cost workspace, 3% Stripe Connect fee on collected payments - **Elite — $79/seat/mo** — Stripe Connect at 0% platform fee, invoice exports, advanced workflows - **Crew — $399/mo flat** — unlimited seats, built for multi-truck operations If you're running a two-truck electrical shop doing residential EV work across Wayne and Oakland County, the Pro plan pays for itself on the first job where a missed panel upgrade would have eaten your margin. --- Estimate.Pro supports 25 trades. If your shop also does panel upgrades, solar rough-in, or generator installs, those scopes are already in the same platform.