How Do I Choose the Right Installer for Commercial EV Chargers in Colorado?

Choosing the right installer for commercial EV charging in Colorado is a multilayered decision involving technical, regulatory, financial, and operational components. Don’t rush it — take the time to vet qualifications, inspect past installations, and ensure your installer is fully capable of delivering not just hardware, but long-term performance and reliability.
If you'd like help evaluating quotes or narrowing down installer candidates, I'd be happy to assist.

1. How Do I Choose the Right Installer
for Commercial EV Chargers in
Colorado?

2. As Colorado’s electric vehicle (EV) adoption accelerates, more commercial property owners, fleet
operators, and real estate developers are asking: how do I choose the right installer for
commercial EV chargers? The decision goes well beyond merely picking a contractor — it affects
performance, long-term reliability, compliance, incentives, and reputation. In this guide, you’ll find key
criteria, practical tips, and pitfalls to avoid.
Why Choosing the Right Installer Matters
Selecting the right installer ensures:
●​Safety & Compliance: Proper installation must meet National Electrical Code (NEC)
standards, utility requirements, and local permitting rules across Denver, Boulder, Colorado
Springs, and throughout the Front Range.​
●​Performance & Reliability: Poor wiring, undersized capacity, or bad design leads to
downtime, voltage drop, faults, or underperformance.​

●​Incentives & Rebate Eligibility: Many Colorado and federal grants, tax credits, or utility
rebates require certified installers or documentation. An installer familiar with programs like
Charge Ahead Colorado, Xcel Energy rebates, or local municipality support can help you
claim maximum benefit.​

●​Future-Proofing & Scalability: A good installer plans for growth — spare conduit, capacity
for expansion, software flexibility.​

●​User Experience & Reputation: If chargers fail or are unreliable, your brand or property
takes reputational damage.​

In Colorado, you’ll see more installations in Denver, Aurora, Fort Collins, and other corridors — so
local experience is valuable. As one Colorado-focused guide notes, installing EV charging stations in
the state “requires careful planning, permits, and technical expertise.” ezevelectric.com
Key Criteria for Evaluating Installers
When vetting installers, evaluate them against these critical dimensions.
1. Licensing, Insurance & Certifications
Ensure the contractor is a licensed electrician in Colorado, bonded and insured. Ask for proof of
general liability and worker’s compensation. Also check whether they have EV-specific or high-voltage
certifications (for example, QMerit certification, EVITP training, or manufacturer training for charger
brands). An installer lacking p
roper credentials may void warranties or fail inspections.
2. Experience with Commercial Projects
Commercial installations present different challenges than residential ones: higher power, load
balancing, traffic, grading, trenching, and permitting. Ask prospective installers for references or case
studies of commercial EV charging projects in Colorado, ideally near your city (Denver, Colorado

3. Springs, etc.). For example, firms like EV Plug Pros in Golden advertise a “design-build approach”
handling everything from site assessment to installation.

3. Familiarity with Local Codes & Permitting
Colorado municipalities have varying electrical, planning, zoning, and fire code requirements. A
contractor should be intimately familiar with local inspectors, utility interconnect rules,
setback/clearance requirements, and required documentation. If they haven’t installed in your city
(e.g. Aurora, Centennial, Lakewood), that’s a red flag.
4. Utility & Incentive Experience
Because many projects rely on incentive funding, the installer should know the paperwork for utility
rebates (Xcel, Black Hills, etc.), state grants (e.g. Charge Ahead Colorado), and federal tax credits
(for example, the 30 % ITC for charging infrastructure). The installer should help you maximize your
return. Seek one who actively monitors programs and helps you with application documentation.

5. Engineering & Load-Study Capability
A competent installer won’t just “plug and play.” They should perform electrical load studies,
transformer capacity assessment, panel upgrade recommendations, demand charge modeling, and
site layout (cable routing, trenching, structural supports). Poor planning results in costly rework.
6. Equipment Partnerships & Support
Check which charger brands they work with (Tesla, ChargePoint, ABB, EVBox, etc.), and whether
they are authorized dealers/installers. Also examine their service contracts and warranty support. If
you plan Tesla chargers or fleet chargers, you want an installer familiar with those systems. A good installer also supports EV charging solutions for commercial real estate across multiple brand
systems.
7. Monitoring, Software & Networking Capability
Modern commercial chargers are networked, use cloud platforms, perform load balancing, usage
analytics, and remote diagnostics. Ensure the installer is fluent in configuring software, integrating

4. back-end billing or access control, and enabling Smart EV charging infrastructure Colorado
features.
8. Transparent Pricing & Contracts
Request a detailed quote that breaks out labor, materials, permits, trenching, conduit, electrical
upgrades, etc. Beware of vague lump sums. Also ensure the contract addresses change orders,
warranty, maintenance obligations, and who procures key equipment (you or the installer).
9. Warranty, Maintenance & Support
Your installer should offer a warranty on workmanship, and optional ongoing maintenance services
(inspection, cleaning, firmware updates, repairs). Ask for Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and
response times. A project is only as good as how well it's maintained over time.
10. Local Presence & Availability
An installer with a physical presence, local technicians, and spare parts stock in Colorado is a big plus
— reduces travel cost, parts lead time, and downtime. A remote contractor that needs to fly in is
riskier.
Step-by-Step Selection Process
Here’s a process you can follow to choose the right installer:
1.​Define project scope (number of chargers, power level, traffic, hours of use, network billing).​

2.​Solicit bids from at least 3 qualified installers and provide identical site documents.​

3.​Check references and past work, ideally in your city.​

4.​Compare qualifications, equipment, warranties, and incentives support side by side.​

5.​Negotiate terms and conditions — payment schedules, timeline, change orders, warranty.​

6.​Perform a pre-award site visit with shortlisted installers.​

7.​Verify permits, utility interconnection, inspections before finalizing.​

8.​Have progress check points and oversight, and ensure testing and commissioning final
review.​

9.​Execute software & network setup and training for your team.​

10.​Plan maintenance and support handoff.​

During the process, ask each installer: “How would you implement EV charging for business
operations?” to see how deeply they think about operations, pricing, usage, reliability, and user
interface.

5. Common Pitfalls & Red Flags
Be cautious of:
●​Overly low bids with vague assumptions and no load studies.​

●​Installers who avoid doing site assessment or propose “just add wiring.”​

●​Lack of local references or inability to share recent commercial projects.​

●​No knowledge of incentive programs or rebate paperwork.​

●​No warranty or post-install support offering.​

●​Chargers from unbranded or unknown manufacturers.​

●​Not designing for expansion or load growth.​

●​Lack of software or network setup experience.​

●​Relying on subcontractors without accountability.​

Example Scenarios & What to Ask
Scenario: Retail Parking Lot in Denver
You plan to install 10 Level 2 chargers in a shopping center parking lot. Request the installer to show
you:
●​Expected load on the transformer and impact on peak demand charges.​

●​Trench layout minimizing parking disruption.​

●​Choice of chargers (open vs. proprietary) and their network software.​

●​Billing/transaction model, access control, user interface.​

●​Operations plan: fault monitoring, repairs, SLA.​

●​Past installations in (or near) Denver.​

Scenario: Electric Fleet Depot
You want to charge EV delivery vans overnight and partially during mid-day. You need an installer who
can:
●​Model the load profile and schedule charging.​

6. ●​Use load management strategies to minimize demand peaks.​

●​Supply higher power chargers or DC fast options.​

●​Integrate with your back-office fleet management software.​

●​Plan future expansion as your fleet grows.​


Why EZ EV Electric Is a Trusted Option
If you're exploring vendor options, consider a partner who deeply understands both the technical and
business sides of commercial charging. For example, EZ EV Electric offers comprehensive services
across Colorado — helping with EV charging solutions for commercial real estate and end-to-end
deployment. You can also explore their Smart EV charging infrastructure Colorado initiatives. As
they also offer Tesla commercial fleet EV charging solutions, and EV charging for business
systems, they bridge the gap between infrastructure, users, and network operations. The company’s
main site is at https://www.ezevelectric.com/.
Moreover, if you’re thinking of hosting Tesla superchargers at your location, you can Learn more via
this detailed guide: https://www.ezevelectric.com/how-to-get-a-tesla-supercharger-at-your-business/.
Their experience in local Colorado permitting, utility integration, software systems, and fleet
operations makes them a competitive option when evaluating installers in the state.

7. Bonus Tip: Use External Resources
To complement your vetting process, you can also consult resources like industry associations, EV
trade groups, and grid reliability (two-word outbound link) networks to see approved installer lists or
case studies.
Conclusion & Contact
Choosing the right installer for commercial EV charging in Colorado is a multilayered decision
involving technical, regulatory, financial, and operational components. Don’t rush it — take the time to
vet qualifications, inspect past installations, and ensure your installer is fully capable of delivering not
just hardware, but long-term performance and reliability.
If you'd like help evaluating quotes or narrowing down installer candidates, I'd be happy to assist.

Phone: [phone]​
Email: [email protected]