EV charger installation costs across the Triangle in 2026
A town-by-town look at what EV charger installation costs across Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Apex and the wider Triangle, and what drives the differences.
The short answer
$600 to $900 for a straightforward install across most of the Triangle, excluding the charger. The variation between towns is smaller than the variation between houses.
Where towns genuinely differ
Newer towns are cheaper to work in. Apex, Holly Springs and Morrisville are overwhelmingly post-2000 construction with 200A panels and attached garages. Panel upgrades are rare and installs are quick.
Older stock costs more. Parts of Durham, Chapel Hill and Garner have 1950s–1970s housing on 100A service. When an upgrade is needed it adds $1,800 to $3,000 and a second inspection.
Permit and utility differences are real but small. Apex runs its own electric utility rather than Duke Energy Progress, and parts of Wake Forest are on the town-owned system. It changes who handles a service upgrade, not usually the price.
What actually moves your number
Not your town. Three things: how far the panel is from where you park, whether the walls between are finished, and whether your service has spare capacity. A house in Cary and a house in Durham with the same three answers get near-identical quotes.
Which is why we ask about the house, not the postcode. Four questions gets most people an accurate number without an appointment.