Good EV charger wiring in a new house is decided before the driveway goes down: a dedicated cable from the consumer unit to a charger position beside the parking space, with a spare duct under the drive in case the car ends up somewhere else. Get that right at first fix and fitting the charger later is a short job, not a trench across a finished drive. Even if you do not drive an electric car yet, the cost of planning for one now is small compared with digging up paving in a few years.
This guide is for people building their own home in and around Dublin, from a one off house in Fingal or a replacement dwelling in the suburbs to a new home on a family site in Meath or Kildare. It covers what the Building Regulations ask for, where the charger should go, what to run, and how the charger fits with the rest of the house.
What the Building Regulations ask for
Charging is no longer a nice extra on a new Irish house. The Building Regulations (Part L Amendment) Regulations 2022 say that a new dwelling with a parking space within its curtilage must have appropriate electric vehicle recharging infrastructure to enable a recharging point to be installed later. That applies to works that began on or after 1 November 2022, so it covers almost every self build being planned now.
The regulation asks for the infrastructure, not the charger itself. In practice that means the route and the cabling are in place, so a charger can be fitted without opening walls or lifting the drive. Your architect or assigned certifier will confirm how they want it shown on the drawings, but the details below are what we plan on our own jobs.
Where should the charger go?
Start with where the car will actually park, not where the cable is easiest to run. On a Dublin site that might be a garage, a carport, the side of the house or a space at the front behind the gate. A few things decide the best spot:
- Cable length. Most home chargers come with a tethered cable or take a separate one. Place the charger so the lead reaches the car's charging port without stretching across a path.
- Walking routes. Keep the charger and its lead clear of the front door path, so nobody trips over a cable on a wet night.
- A solid wall. A charger mounts best on masonry or a ply backed stud wall. If the wall has external insulation, plan a fixing that does not crush it.
- Two cars. If there may be two electric cars one day, choose a spot that can reach both spaces, or run a second cable now.
- The gate. If you have an electric gate or a long drive, the charger is often best near the house, where the cable run is short.
The EV charger wiring to run at first fix
A charger is one of the largest loads in the house, so it needs its own circuit straight from the consumer unit. Your electrician will size the cable for the charger and the length of the run, and fit the protection the manufacturer and the wiring rules call for. What we ask them to plan is the route and the extras that make the charger easier to live with.
| Item | Why it is there |
|---|---|
| Dedicated cable from the consumer unit to the charger position | A charger needs its own circuit, and the cable is far easier to run while the walls are open |
| Space in the consumer unit for the charger's protection | So a later charger does not mean a new board |
| A Cat6 cable from the comms cabinet to the charger | A wired network link for smart charging, more reliable than Wi-Fi through a block wall |
| A spare duct under the drive to the far parking space or the gate pier | So a second charger can be added without lifting the paving |
| A draw cord left in every duct | So the next cable can be pulled through in minutes |
| Airtight sealing where the cable leaves the house | Every hole through the airtight layer needs a proper grommet or tape |
The same groundworks often carry other cables. A camera on the drive, a light at the gate or an intercom at the entrance all need ducts in the same trench, so it pays to plan them together. Our security wiring guide for self builders covers the cables for cameras, the alarm and the gate.
Smart charging and the rest of the house
A modern home charger is a smart device: it can be set to charge at night, follow a cheaper tariff if you have one, and report what it has used. That works best with a wired network link, which is why we run a Cat6 cable to the charger position alongside the power cable.
It also matters how the charger sits with the other big loads. Many new Dublin homes have a heat pump, an induction hob and an electric shower, and an EV charger adds to that. Ask your electrician to look at the whole picture early, including whether the supply suits everything you plan to run, and talk to ESB Networks if a change is needed. Our guide to heat pump controls for a self build explains how the heating fits in, and our home automation page shows how the charger, the heating and the lighting can be seen together on one app.
Your EV charger checklist, stage by stage
| Stage | What to decide or do |
|---|---|
| Design | Mark the parking spaces and the charger position on the drawings, and agree how the infrastructure will be shown |
| Groundworks | Lay the ducts under the drive to the parking spaces and the gate, each with a draw cord |
| First fix | Run the dedicated cable and a Cat6 cable to the charger position, with airtight sealing where they leave the house |
| Consumer unit | Leave room for the charger's protection |
| Second fix | Fit and commission the charger, connect it to the network and set up the charging schedule |
| Handover | Keep a note of the cable routes and the duct positions with the house documents |
If you are not buying an electric car yet, stop after first fix: leave the cable coiled and labelled at the charger position and the charger can follow whenever you are ready. Check SEAI's current home charger grant rules before the charger itself is fitted, because they set out who can apply and when.
Who does the work
On most self builds the electrician runs the cable to our drawings, and we fit the charger, connect it to the network and link it to the rest of the smart home at second fix. Our founder, Kieran McGuire, is an electrician, and so are a few of our team, so the charger, the consumer unit and the cabling are planned by people who know how they are wired on site. Our survey and design service puts the charger, the ducts and every other cable on one set of drawings, with a cable schedule for your electrician. For the wider cabling plan, see our first fix wiring guide.
Questions we are often asked
Do I need EV charger wiring if I do not have an electric car?
For a new house with a parking space, yes. The regulations ask for the infrastructure so a charger can be fitted later, and running it during the build costs far less than adding it to a finished house.
Should the charger go in the garage or outside?
Wherever the car will actually park. A garage keeps the charger dry and out of sight, but if the car will sit on the drive most nights, an outside charger near that space is more practical.
Can I fit the charger myself?
No. A charger needs its own circuit and protection, and the work must be done by a qualified electrician who certifies it. SEAI also sets conditions on who does the work if you want the grant.
Why run a network cable to the charger?
Most smart chargers connect to the internet for scheduling and updates. A Cat6 cable gives a steady connection even when the charger is on an outside wall where Wi-Fi is weak.
How many ducts should go under the drive?
At least one spare to each parking space and one to the gate, each with a draw cord. Ducts are cheap while the ground is open and very expensive once the paving is down.
A smart charger is only as reliable as the network it connects to, so plan the Wi-Fi and the cabling together. Send us your floor plans and we will mark the access points, list the Cat6 runs to the comms cabinet and send a priced kit list, free and with no obligation: our free Wi-Fi design for self builders explains how.
Book a consultation or call our Dublin office on 01 906 9326.
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