Driveway, garage or post: where the charger goes
On the house wall beside the driveway is the simplest place: a short cable run from the fuse board and no digging, €1,000 to €1,500 fitted. Inside an attached garage costs about the same. A charger on a detached garage or a post down the drive needs the cable buried, which adds €200 to €550, more under tarmac or paving than under grass.
Each place compared: the cable route, the digging, and what it adds to the price.
Free, no obligation. One registered electrician prices it, not five.
- €1,000–€1,500on the house wall, standard fit
- +€200–€550trench to a detached garage or post
- +€50–€200for 5 to 15 metres of cable
- Insideyour boundary, for the grant
On the house wall
The usual job. The charger goes on the front or side wall, close to where the car's charging flap ends up when you park, and the cable runs along the wall to the fuse board. If the board is on the same wall or just inside, it's a standard fit. If it's across the house, the cable goes through the house or round it: €50 to €200 more for 5 to 15 metres.
In the garage
An attached garage keeps the charger and the cable dry, and the fuse board is often in the garage or just through the wall. Check the car fits with the charging flap on the side the charger is, and that the door closes over the cable when you're charging.
Match a charger to your car and your house
Four quick taps. Your plan builds up as you go: the charger that suits your car, the price range for your house, the grant and the time on site. Your number is only asked for at the end, if you want a fixed price.
A fully electric car, a charger on the house wall a few metres from a newer fuse board: €1,200 to €2,050 fitted, €900 to €1,750 after the €300 SEAI grant, including VAT.
How this is worked out
We start from what a 7 kW smart charger costs fitted in Ireland, including VAT, with a standard fit: the charger, its own circuit from the fuse board and up to 5 metres of cable. A solar-aware charger costs more. Then we add what installers charge for a longer cable run, a trench to a garage or post, and fuse board work on an older board. The SEAI home charger grant comes off the charger and fitting, never off the board or earthing work. It is an estimate to plan with, never a quote: the electrician prices your house after looking at it.
On a detached garage or a post
When the car parks away from the house, the cable goes underground in a duct. On grass that's about €250 of digging, under tarmac or paving €400 to €550, because the surface has to be put back. Allow €200 to €550 for the trench, on top of the cable run, and a full day on site.
A post (a charging pedestal) suits a drive with no wall near the parking spot. A detached garage wall does the same job if there's one there.
Inside your boundary
For the SEAI grant, the charger and all the work have to be inside your property boundary, at a private residence with its own off-street parking. A charger on the public footpath side of the wall, or a cable across it, isn't covered: charging without a driveway.
Home Car Charger Installation guides & price breakdowns
Straight answers to what people ask most: itemised costs, specifications, planning or grants, and what to check before you book.
More guides & resources: The certificate and paperwork for a home charger · All guides & calculator hub · Technical & trade glossary · Frequently asked questions
Questions people ask
Where should a home charger go?
Close to where the car's charging flap ends up when you park, as near the fuse board as that allows. On most houses it's the front or side wall beside the driveway.
Can a charger go on a post?
Yes. A post or pedestal suits a drive with no wall near the parking spot. The cable is buried to it, which adds €200 to €550.
Can the charger go in a detached garage?
Yes, with the cable run underground from the house. Allow €200 to €550 for the trench and a full day on site.
Does the grant cover the trench?
The grant is up to €300 against the charger and installation. Because a standard fit already costs more than €300, a trench is in effect yours to pay.
Home Car Charger Installation across all 26 counties
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