If you are building a new home in Florida, or buying one before it is built, do not assume it will be ready for an EV charger. Florida's building code does not require new one- and two-family homes to be EV-ready, and since 2024 local governments cannot add that requirement themselves. If you want the garage ready for a charger, you have to ask for it. Doing it during construction is simple; doing it after the drywall is up usually is not.
What Florida's code requires today
Florida is on the Florida Building Code 8th Edition (2023), in effect since December 31, 2023, which uses NEC 2020 for electrical work (Florida Building Commission). It has no mandatory EV-ready requirement for one- and two-family homes. The EV-ready provisions that exist in the model codes sit in appendices, which apply only where a local government adopts them (FBC 8th Edition energy code changes list).
That local option is now largely closed. Florida's 2024 preemption law barred local governments from enacting or enforcing ordinances or regulations related to EV charging stations (section 366.94, Florida Statutes), and the state rule that implements it says a local government may not require a minimum number of chargers, EV parking spaces or other EV infrastructure for the construction or modification of any new or existing structure (Rule 5J-28.002).
What happened to Miami-Dade's EV-ready ordinance
Miami-Dade adopted an EV-ready ordinance in 2019 that applied to new development other than single-family homes, duplexes and townhouses (Miami-Dade legislative file 190662). It never covered houses, and since the preemption took effect on July 1, 2024, requirements like it cannot be enforced. Our guide to Florida's EV charging preemption law explains why.
What about the 9th Edition?
The Florida Building Commission's rule adopting the next edition was proposed on September 23, 2026 (Rule 61G20-1.001). The 9th Edition is expected to take effect at the end of 2026 once adopted; check floridabuilding.org for the current status. Whatever it contains, local governments still cannot impose their own EV minimums, so plan on asking your builder either way.
Why build EV-ready anyway
- It costs far less during construction. Running conduit and a circuit through open framing, before insulation and drywall, avoids cutting and patching walls, fishing wire through finished spaces and repainting later.
- It protects panel capacity. A home designed with an EV circuit in the load calculation and room in the panel is less likely to need a panel or service change later.
- Buyers and next owners drive EVs. There were 533,593 electric vehicles registered in Florida as of June 2026, including 88,067 in Miami-Dade, 59,690 in Broward and 48,457 in Palm Beach (FLHSMV registration report).
- Block walls are harder to retrofit. Many South Florida houses have masonry walls and slab floors, which make adding a circuit to a finished garage harder than in a framed house. Planning the route while the house is being built avoids most of that.
Three levels of ready
| Level | What is installed | What is left to do later |
|---|---|---|
| Panel ready | Capacity included in the load calculation, and physical breaker space reserved in the panel. | The circuit, wire and the charger or outlet. |
| Conduit ready | Panel ready, plus an empty conduit with a pull string from the panel to the charger location, ending in a labeled box. | Pulling wire, the breaker and the charger or outlet. |
| Circuit ready | A dedicated 240 volt circuit installed and inspected, ending in a 240 volt receptacle or a box for a hardwired charger. | Mounting or plugging in the charger. |
For most buyers, circuit ready is the most useful. If you have not chosen a charger, conduit ready with a generously sized conduit keeps options open. A common circuit today is a 50 amp breaker for a 40 amp charger, because the code requires the breaker to be at least 125 percent of the charger's maximum load (NEC 625.41); a higher-output charger needs a larger circuit. Each charger needs its own individual branch circuit (NEC 625.40), and a receptacle installed for EV charging needs GFCI protection (NEC 625.54).
What to ask your builder
- Does the electrical plan include a dedicated circuit, or at least conduit, from the panel to the garage for an EV charger? Can it be added to the plans before permit?
- Where exactly will it end? Mark the location on the garage plan so the cable reaches the car's port with the car parked normally. For two EVs, ask for two locations, or one location with room for a second circuit.
- Is the EV load included in the load calculation, and will the panel have spaces left over after the house is wired?
- If the house is in a flood zone, how high will the charger location and any outdoor equipment be? See our guide to home EV charger installation for the basics.
- Will the box or receptacle be labeled and the circuit shown on the panel directory?
- Is the work on the builder's electrical permit, so it is inspected with the rest of the house?
Get the answers in writing, ideally as a change to the plans or a line in your purchase contract. If the builder offers an EV option, ask what exactly it includes against the three levels above.
Already built without it?
Most homes can still take a charger; the job just involves more work routing the circuit. If you are building a home you will live in yourself, you can also hire your own electrician for the EV work after closing. Our guides to EV charger permits in South Florida and DIY installation and the owner-builder rules cover that route.
Questions homeowners ask
Does Florida require new homes to be EV-ready?
No. The Florida Building Code 8th Edition has no mandatory EV-ready requirement for one- and two-family homes, and local governments may not add EV infrastructure minimums.
Will the 9th Edition of the Florida Building Code require EV-ready homes?
The rule adopting the 9th Edition was proposed in September 2026, and the new edition is expected to take effect at the end of 2026 once adopted. Check the Florida Building Commission's site for what it contains.
Is conduit enough, or should I have the circuit installed?
Conduit keeps costs down and options open. A full circuit means you only mount or plug in the charger. If you know which charger you want, the circuit is usually the better choice.
What if I am buying in a new condo building?
Local governments cannot require EV charging minimums for any new building, so ask the developer what charging is planned for the garage and how it will be metered. Once you own, Florida condo owners have a statutory right to install a charger in their own qualifying space; see our condo EV charger installation page.
For the rest of the topics, from panels to chargers, see the Florida Home EV Charging Guide. If you are building and want an EV circuit planned in, or your new home needs one added, send us the plans or a photo of your panel, or call (305) 359-7312. KRW Electric (EC13012832) works across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach.
Reviewed by Kyle White, KRW Electric Company LLC — licensed electrical contractor EC13012832.
