Florida condo owners have a legal right to install an EV charger in their own assigned parking space, but the association can attach conditions, and in practice the board still has to sign off on how the job is done. The owners who get approved quickly are the ones who send a complete request the first time. This guide lays out the steps in order, what the board is allowed to ask for, and an outline of what to put in your request letter.
The legal starting point
Under section 718.113(8), Florida Statutes, neither the declaration nor the board may prohibit a unit owner from installing an EV charging station within the owner's limited common element or exclusively designated parking area. The association may require the owner to follow bona fide safety requirements and reasonable architectural standards on dimensions, placement and appearance (as long as they do not prohibit the charger or substantially increase its cost), to use a licensed and registered firm, to provide a certificate of insurance adding the association to the owner's policy within 14 days of approval or notice, and to reimburse any increase in the association's premium within 14 days of its invoice. The owner pays for installation, operation, maintenance, repair and removal, and the electricity must be separately metered or measured by an embedded meter and paid by the owner.
The subsection does not set a deadline for the board to respond. That is one more reason to make the request complete and to ask, up front, when the board will consider it. Our condo EV charger installation page covers the statute and the building side in more depth.
Step by step
1. Confirm your space qualifies
Check your declaration and unit deed for how your parking space is described. The statutory right covers a limited common element or an exclusively designated parking area. If spaces are assigned by rule, rotated or unassigned, ask the manager how the association treats your space before you spend money on a design.
2. Collect the building's rules
Ask the manager for any EV charging policy the board has already adopted, the architectural standards that apply to the garage, the contractor rules (access, hours, elevator and loading dock use, work permits) and the building's requirements for insurance certificates from contractors. Many buildings have a separate form for any contractor working on the property.
3. Ask how the building wants metering handled
The law requires separate metering or an embedded meter. Ask whether the association prefers the charger fed from your unit's panel (already on your meter) or from a building panel with an embedded or sub-meter it will read and bill. The answer shapes the whole design.
4. Get a site assessment and written scope
A licensed electrical contractor should look at your space, the panel that would feed it, the route and the garage construction. The scope should give the charger make and model and its listing (for example UL 2594 for EV supply equipment, UL standard), the mounting location, the circuit and breaker size, the conduit route, how any wall or slab penetrations will be sealed, and the metering method. Each charger needs its own individual branch circuit (NEC 625.40), and the breaker must be sized for continuous duty (NEC 625.41).
5. Line up the insurance certificate early
Call your insurance agent before you submit. Explain that the association may ask for a certificate adding it to your policy for claims related to the installation, maintenance or use of the charger, within 14 days of approval. Ask how long the agent needs to issue it.
6. Submit the request in writing
Send the letter (outline below) with its attachments to the manager and ask for confirmation that it reached the board. Keep copies of everything.
7. Respond to conditions
If the board asks for changes, ask which rule or standard each one rests on. Conditions about placement, appearance and safety are normal. A condition that would effectively prohibit the charger or substantially increase its cost is one the statute does not allow; if you think that is happening, talk to a Florida attorney who handles condominium law.
8. Permit, install, inspect, close out
After approval, your contractor applies for the electrical permit with the building department for your address. Some cities ask for the association's approval letter with the application; see EV charger permits in South Florida. After the final inspection, send the association a copy of the passed inspection, the certificate of insurance if not already delivered, and the charger's settings.
Request letter outline
This is an outline of what to cover, not a legal form. Adapt it to your building's rules and, if you expect resistance, have a Florida attorney review it.
- Heading. Date, association name, your name, unit number, parking space number and how the space is designated in the declaration.
- The request. One sentence: you intend to install an EV charging station at your space under section 718.113(8), Florida Statutes, and you are submitting the details for the association's review (statute).
- Equipment. Charger make, model, rating and listing; hardwired or plug-in; manufacturer's spec sheet attached.
- Location and appearance. Photo or sketch showing the mounting spot and the conduit route, and how it meets any architectural standards the association has adopted.
- Power source and metering. Which panel feeds the circuit, the circuit size, and whether usage is on your meter or measured by an embedded meter for billing.
- Installer. Contractor name, Florida license number and contact; the contractor's own certificate of insurance if the building requires one for contractors.
- Permit. A statement that the work will be permitted and inspected, and that you will provide the final inspection record.
- Insurance. A statement that you will provide the certificate adding the association to your policy within 14 days of approval, and reimburse any premium increase within 14 days of invoice.
- Costs and removal. A statement that you are responsible for installation, operation, maintenance, repair and removal costs.
- Work logistics. Proposed schedule, work hours and any shutdown of building circuits, coordinated with management.
- Closing. A request for the association's written response and any conditions, and your contact details.
This is general information about Florida law, not legal advice. Statutes and rules change, and your own declaration, bylaws, rules or other governing documents may add requirements. Read them, and talk to a Florida attorney if a dispute is likely.
Questions homeowners ask
How long does condo board approval take?
Florida's statute does not set a deadline for the board. Ask the manager when the board next meets and whether it can act on your request there, and submit a complete package before that date.
Can the board make me use its preferred electrician?
The statute lets the association require a licensed and registered firm familiar with EV charger installation. Your governing documents and building contractor rules may add more; ask the manager and read them.
What if the board wants shared chargers instead?
The association can install chargers on the common elements and set charges for their use under 718.113(9). That is an option for the building; it does not take away an owner's right to install at their own qualifying space.
Do I need the approval before the permit?
Usually you will want the approval first, because the design may change with the board's conditions and some cities ask for the approval letter with the permit application.
For the rest of the process, see the Florida Home EV Charging Guide and our home EV charger installation page. When you are ready, send us your building, unit and parking space details and any photos of the garage, or call (305) 359-7312. KRW Electric (EC13012832) can assess the garage and prepare the written scope your board will ask for.
Reviewed by Kyle White, KRW Electric Company LLC — licensed electrical contractor EC13012832.
