How to permit a home EV charger in El Cajon
El Cajon publishes a residential EV charger checklist with a load calculator built in. Plans are submitted electronically through PACO, its online project center, and the city lists a standard permit fee of $276.44.
Checked against the office's own website on October 12, 2026.
El Cajon at a glance
- Permit office
- City of El Cajon Building & Fire Safety Division
- How to apply
- Online through PACO (Project Assistance Center Online)
- What a house submits
- Scaled site plan; single-line diagram for a Level 2 charger at 50 A or more
- Inspection
- As listed on your permit's inspection sheet
- Fee
- $276.44 standard permit fee, not including a panel upgrade
Step by step in El Cajon
Work through the residential EVCS checklist
Include the project address, parcel number, owner and contractor names, the contractor's license number, and the charger's model number, specifications and installation guide.
Complete the load calculation
The checklist includes a load calculation worksheet. The existing service has to be at least the size the calculation requires, or the panel needs an upgrade.
Draw the site plan
A dimensioned plan drawn to scale, showing the structures, the route from the panel to the charger, and the charger type and mounting. Add trench details if a trench is needed.
Add an electrical plan when required
A Level 2 charger at 50 amps or more (9.6 kW) needs an electrical plan with a single-line diagram showing panel amperage, location, conduit and conductor sizes.
Submit through PACO
Register an account with the Project Assistance Center Online and upload the application and plans. The standard permit fee is $276.44, not counting a panel upgrade.
Install and inspect
The charger must carry a listing mark from a nationally recognized testing lab. Required inspections are listed on your permit's inspection sheet.
Let us handle the permit
Our C-10 licensed, in-house team files the permit, books the inspection and meets the inspector, and the permit is part of the fixed price. Read about EV charger installation in El Cajon.
Sources: City of El Cajon residential EVCS checklist; City of El Cajon building permits. Rules and fees change; the office's own pages have the final word.
Ready to charge at home?
Send a photo of your panel and where the car parks. We quote a fixed price and carry out the installation ourselves.
Prefer to talk? Call (619) 202-8501.