Residential

Panel Upgrade for EV Charger Installs in Collierville, TN

You need a panel upgrade for EV charger work in Collierville only when a load calculation shows your service cannot carry the new circuit. Many homes with 200 amp service have room. Older or smaller panels may need a larger service, or a load management device that shares capacity with other circuits.

Call (901) 555-0100

One call, no forms.

Collierville, TN

Who Should Look at a Panel Upgrade?

A panel check makes sense if any of these fit your home.

Your 100 or 150 amp panel already runs central air, a range, and a dryer.
There are no open breaker slots, or the panel is crowded with tandem breakers.
Your home is older and the panel has never been replaced.
You plan to add a second EV, a hot tub, or a heat pump later.
A prior electrician told you the service was close to its limit.

What Does the Panel Work Cover?

Scope depends on what the load calculation shows. Typical items include:

A written load calculation for the house plus the new EV circuit.
A check of panel age, condition, and open spaces.
Options such as a load management device, a smart panel, or circuit sharing.
A larger service and new main panel when the numbers call for it.
Coordination with MLGW for the meter and service drop.
The EV branch circuit, sized for continuous load.

How Does a Panel Upgrade for EV Work?

Step 1: Call and Describe Your Panel
Call (901) 555-0100 to speak with a local electrician. Have your panel size and charger model handy.
Step 2: Load Calculation on Site
Your electrician adds up the connected load and checks whether the existing service can carry the charger.
Step 3: Pick an Approach
You weigh a service upgrade against load management or a lower charger setting.
Step 4: Written Quote, Permit, and Inspection
The electrician gives you a written quote, pulls the permit with the Town, coordinates any MLGW work, and schedules the inspection.

What Affects the Cost of a Panel Upgrade?

Scope follows the load calculation. Common drivers:

Upgrade or Load Management

Sharing capacity is a smaller job than a new service.

Panel Age and Condition

A worn panel may need replacing even with spare capacity.

Service Entrance Work

A new meter base, mast, or service conductors adds labor and material.

Panel Location

Panel placement affects the charger run and the Town's 15 foot rule.

Permit and Inspection Fees

The Town of Collierville sets these, and they are part of your quote.

What Code Rules Apply to a Panel Upgrade in Collierville?

As adopted by the Town of Collierville, the 2017 NEC with Town amendments is the code in force as of October 2026. Your electrician confirms the edition when the permit is pulled.

Load Calculation Comes First

The Town's amended 220.1(a) says whoever adds load must confirm the service, feeders, and equipment are sized for the total connected load. Amended 220.10 wants branch-circuit load calculations with or before the Rough Electric inspection, with an exception for some one- and two-family layouts. EV charging is a continuous load under NEC Article 625, so the circuit is sized at 125% of the charger's current.

Service Conductor Amendments

Service conductors may not run more than 15 feet inside the building before overcurrent protection, measured from the point of entrance (amended 230.70(A)(1)).
Service conductors must be at least as large as the main overcurrent device, or the bus of a main-lug-only panel (amended 310.15(B)(7)(5)).

Aluminum Wire Limits

Amended 110.5(a) bars aluminum conductors inside one-, two-, and multi-family dwellings, except as Article 334 allows. Under amended 334.10, aluminum or copper-clad aluminum Type NM cable must be concealed in metal conduit or an approved raceway.

Permit and Licensing

The Town's Building & Codes Division requires a state or county licensed contractor for electrical work. GFCI protection follows the edition your permit office enforces, and your electrician applies it. See permits and inspections for the Town's process.

Why Panel Capacity Matters in Collierville

Summer heat keeps central air running for hours on the same panel as your charger. Newer subdivisions often have larger service, while older homes near the historic Town Square may not. Planning a Level 2 home charger on a tight panel? An EV readiness inspection answers the capacity question first.

Several chargers at a business is a different job. See commercial and workplace charging.

Sources

Town of Collierville Building & Codes Division, Adopted Codes and Local Amendments
Town of Collierville Code of Ordinances, section 150.080 (Ordinance 2020-06, amended by Ordinances 2022-13 and 2023-01)
NFPA 70, National Electrical Code, Article 625
MLGW, Electric Vehicles

FAQ

Panel Upgrade for EV Questions

Have another question about panel upgrade for EV? The EV charger FAQ covers more.

Do I Need a 200 Amp Panel for an EV Charger?

Not always. A load calculation decides it. Some 150 amp homes can carry a 40 amp charger, while some 200 amp homes with heavy electric loads cannot.

What Is a Load Management Device?

It watches your home's total draw and slows or pauses the charger when other loads peak. Smart panels and circuit sharing work in a similar way, often in place of a service upgrade.

Does MLGW Have to Be Involved in a Service Upgrade?

Yes, when the service size changes. The meter and service drop belong to MLGW, so your electrician coordinates the disconnect and reconnect with the utility.

Are There Incentives for a Panel Upgrade?

MLGW's home-charger incentives, if any, change over time. Confirm the current offer at mlgw.com or with MLGW before you buy. Our rebates and incentives page tracks what we have verified.

What Shapes the Price of the Charger Install Itself?

Distance, wall type, and charger amperage drive it. See installation cost factors and our EV charging FAQ.

Get connected today

Talk Through Your Panel Upgrade for EV Plan

A licensed local electrician can look at your panel, your parking spot, and the permit path for panel upgrade for EV work in Collierville.

Call to speak with a local electrician about your EV charger install.

(901) 555-0100 Get connected today

Independent electricians licensed in Tennessee
One call, no forms
Your electrician handles the permit and inspection