Portland, OR
EV CHARGER INSTALL ESTIMATING.

## EV Charger Estimating in Portland Takes More Than a Parts List Portland sits inside one of the highest EV adoption corridors in the country. Multnomah County has consistently ranked in the top five U.S. counties for registered EVs per capita. That means steady residential Level 2 work, commercial DC fast-charger retrofits, and a growing stack of multi-unit dwelling (MUD) panel upgrade jobs — all hitting your inbox at the same time. The problem is that each job type prices differently, and Portland adds its own layers on top. Bureau of Development Services (BDS) permit fees, Oregon Public Utility Commission interconnection rules for larger commercial installs, and the city's Climate Action Plan targets have pushed the permitting paperwork up while keeping your bid window short. Estimate.Pro is built to close that gap. ## What Makes Portland EV Bids Different **Panel capacity is the first question on every job.** Portland's housing stock skews older — a lot of 100 A and 150 A services in inner SE, NE, and North Portland bungalows. Before you quote a Level 2 EVSE, you need to know whether a panel upgrade is bundled in. Estimate.Pro's scope-of-work builder surfaces that question during the walkthrough and lines items it separately so the customer sees the real number before they sign. **NEC Article 625 governs EVSE installations.** Oregon adopted the 2023 NEC effective January 1, 2024. Article 625 requirements — branch circuit sizing, ventilation for enclosed locations, disconnecting means, load management system provisions — are baked into the default scope templates. You're not rebuilding that checklist from scratch on every job. **Portland BDS pulls fees off total valuation.** A typical residential 240 V/50 A EVSE circuit with panel work runs $3,000–$6,500 in this market. BDS charges a minimum electrical permit fee of $106.05 (2024 fee schedule) plus a state surcharge, and commercial jobs scale from there. Those fees live in your saved material cost workspace so they populate automatically on every Portland job. **Load calculation matters for commercial MUD work.** Oregon's reach code for new construction (Oregon Reach Code, Section R406) has pushed developers toward EV-ready or EV-capable infrastructure in multifamily projects. That means load diversity calculations, conduit stub-out counts, and future-proofing language in your scope. Estimate.Pro lets you build those MUD templates once and reuse them. ## From Walkthrough to Bid in 8 Minutes The median contractor using Estimate.Pro goes from jobsite walkthrough to a sendable bid in 8 minutes. Here's how that plays out on a Portland residential EVSE job: 1. **Walkthrough** — use AR measurement on a supported device to capture panel location, distance to garage, conduit path. Camera and photo measurements are flagged as estimates. 2. **AI scope-of-work** — the app generates a draft scope covering branch circuit, EVSE mounting, load calculation note, and permit line item. You review and adjust. 3. **Priced estimate** — labor rates for Portland (journeyman wireman scale under IBEW Local 48 agreements), materials from your saved cost workspace, and the BDS permit fee pull in automatically. 4. **Send** — client gets a professional PDF or a link. No spreadsheet required. ## Pricing That Matches Your Volume Estimate.Pro runs on a free tier — no credit card, no expiration. If you're a solo installer doing a few EVSE jobs a month, that covers you. When volume picks up: - **Pro** — $39/seat/month. Full estimating, saved workspaces, all 25 supported trades including EV charger install. - **Elite** — $79/seat/month. Adds Stripe Connect invoicing with 0% platform fee and invoice exports for your accountant. - **Crew** — $399/month flat for unlimited seats. Right-sized for a four-person electrical crew running mixed EVSE and service upgrade work. Stripe Connect on the Free tier carries a 3% platform fee. On Pro and above, that fee is $0. ## Built for the 25 Trades That Run Portland's Job Sites EV charger install is one of 25 trades in Estimate.Pro. If you're an electrician who also pulls permits for panel upgrades, whole-home generators, or solar-plus-storage (NEC 690 and Oregon-specific interconnection requirements included), your other job types are already in the system. One login, one cost database, consistent markup across every trade you work. Portland's EV work isn't slowing down. The bids you lose to a faster competitor are the ones you never get back. Estimate.Pro gives you the system to quote accurately, quickly, and without leaving money on the table. Start free at Estimate.Pro — no credit card required.