How to Set Up EV Charging in Your Hamilton Garage (And Actually Use Your Garage for It)

So you bought an electric vehicle. Nice. Now you’re standing in your garage wondering how the heck you’re going to charge this thing at home without running an extension cord through the window like some kind of Clark Griswold situation.

Good news: setting up a proper EV charger in your Hamilton garage is way more straightforward than you’d think. We’ve done this for hundreds of homeowners across the city, from the Mountain to Dundas to Stoney Creek, and the process is pretty much the same every time.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Why the Garage Is the Move

You could technically install a charger on the outside of your house. Some people do. But if you’ve got a garage, that’s where you want your setup.

For one, Hamilton winters are no joke. Charging performance drops in extreme cold, and having your car plugged in inside a sheltered garage makes a real difference. Your charger and cables stay protected from ice, snow, and salt. Everything stays cleaner, lasts longer, and works better.

There’s also the money angle. If you charge overnight during off-peak hours (which is easy to do when you just plug in before bed), you’re paying a fraction of what public chargers cost. We’re talking a few bucks to go from empty to full. Compare that to filling up a gas tank at the Esso on Upper James and it’s not even close.

Forget the Wall Outlet. You Need a Level 2 Charger.

Every EV comes with a basic charger that plugs into a regular 120V outlet. It works, but it’s painfully slow. We’re talking maybe 6 to 8 km of range per hour. If your battery is close to empty, you could be waiting two full days for a complete charge.

A Level 2 charger runs on 240V (same as your dryer or oven) and adds about 40 to 50 km of range per hour. That means a full overnight charge while you sleep. Wake up, grab your coffee, and your car is at 100%. For anyone commuting to Toronto on the QEW or heading out to Niagara on weekends, that kind of daily range is a game changer.

What the Installation Actually Looks Like

This isn’t a DIY weekend project. EV charger installation needs a licensed electrician and a permit from the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA). But the process itself is pretty quick. Most installs take a day or less.

Here’s the typical rundown:

We check your electrical panel first. A Level 2 charger needs a dedicated 40-amp circuit. A lot of older Hamilton homes (especially around Westdale, Locke Street, and the lower city) still run on 100-amp panels, which usually means you’ll need an upgrade to 200 amps before we can add the charger circuit.

We handle the permit. Nobody wants to deal with ESA paperwork. We take care of it so you don’t have to think about it.

We run a dedicated 240V line to your garage. The cost here depends on how far your panel is from where the charger goes. If your panel is in the basement right below the garage, it’s a short run. If it’s on the other side of the house, it takes a bit more work.

We mount the charger and test everything. We position it at the right height for your car’s charge port, fire it up, and make sure you’re comfortable with how it all works before we leave.

Real Talk: You Might Need to Clear Out Your Garage First

We show up to a lot of homes where the garage hasn’t seen a car in years. It’s full of old bikes, holiday decorations, broken furniture, boxes from the last move, and that treadmill nobody uses anymore. Sound familiar?

If that’s your situation, it’s worth calling a local junk removal company in Hamilton like 1 Day Junk to come haul everything out before your installation appointment. Getting the garage cleared out means your EV can actually live inside year-round, which is the whole point. You don’t want to spend money on a nice Level 2 charger and then leave your car sitting in the driveway because you can’t fit it through the door. Plus, running a charging cable under the garage door in January is a safety hazard and a great way to freeze the door shut.

Think of it this way: decluttering the garage is part of the EV investment. A clean, organized garage with a wall-mounted charger is honestly one of the most satisfying upgrades you can make to your home.

What’s This Going to Cost Me?

Straight up: most Hamilton homeowners pay somewhere between $1,500 and $3,000 for a full Level 2 charger installation, charger unit included. If you need a panel upgrade, that adds another $2,000 to $4,000 to the total.

It’s not pocket change, but here’s the thing. The average Ontario driver spends around $2,000 to $3,000 a year on gas. Charging your EV at home during off-peak hours costs a fraction of that. Most people see real savings within the first year, and it only gets better from there.

Let’s Get You Plugged In

At Advantage Electric, we’ve been helping Hamilton homeowners with electrical work for years, and EV charger installations have become one of our most popular services. We’re fully licensed, ESA-certified, and we’ll give you an honest quote with no surprises So you can get out there and enjoy your new electric vehicle.

Whether you’re in Ancaster, Binbrook, Waterdown, or right downtown, we’ll come out, take a look at your setup, and tell you exactly what you need.

Give us a call or fill out the form on our website to book a free consultation. We’ll take it from there.