How do I install an electric car charger in a condo or apartment in New Brunswick?

EV Charger Installation in NB Condos and Apartments

Installing an EV charger in a condo or apartment in New Brunswick is more complicated than in a detached home because you're dealing with shared property, common electrical infrastructure, and condo board or landlord approval. But it's doable — here's how.

Condo Ownership

If you own your condo unit and have a dedicated parking spot:

Step 1: Check your condo bylaws
Review your condo corporation's bylaws and rules regarding:

• Modifications to common areas (the parking garage or lot is usually common property)


• Electrical work on common property


• Approval process (board vote, written request, engineering assessment)

New Brunswick's Condominium Property Act doesn't specifically address EV chargers (as of 2025–2026), but most condo corporations require board approval for any work affecting common elements.

Step 2: Submit a formal request to the condo board
Include:

• What you want to install (specific charger model, power requirements)


• Where it will be mounted (your parking spot, wall or pedestal)


• Electrical details (circuit size needed, where it will connect)


• Who will do the work (TSANB-licensed electrician)


• Who pays (you — this is almost always at the owner's expense)


• Who is liable for any damage during installation


• How the electricity will be metered (your unit's meter or common area meter)

Step 3: Electrical assessment
The condo board may require a professional assessment of the building's electrical capacity. A building with 50 units may have limited spare capacity in the main electrical room. An electrician or electrical engineer evaluates whether the building can support one or more EV chargers without overloading the main service.

Cost for assessment: $300–$800 (you may be asked to pay this)

Step 4: Metering
The biggest ongoing issue. Options:

• Sub-meter on your unit's panel: The charger circuit runs from your unit's panel to your parking spot. You pay through your own electricity bill. This only works if your unit's panel is physically close to your parking spot (ground-floor units with adjacent parking) or if the wire run is practical.

• Sub-meter on common electrical with a dedicated meter: A revenue-grade sub-meter ($200–$500) is installed on the charger circuit, and you reimburse the condo corporation based on metered usage. This is the most common approach for underground parking garages.

• Flat-fee arrangement: The condo board charges a monthly flat fee ($30–$80) to cover estimated electricity. Simpler but potentially unfair to low-usage drivers.

Rental Apartments

If you rent:

Landlord permission is required for any electrical work or modifications. NB's Residential Tenancies Act doesn't give tenants the right to install EV chargers without landlord consent.

Making the case to your landlord:

• Offer to pay all installation costs


• Use a portable/plug-in charger that can be removed when you leave


• Show that a 240V outlet already exists (some parking garages have dryer-style outlets for block heaters or car washes)


• Point out that EV charging increases property value and attractiveness to future tenants

If a 120V outlet already exists in your parking spot (block heater outlet):

• You can use Level 1 charging (5–8 km/hour) without any modifications


• Ask the landlord if this is acceptable — the electricity draw is modest (1.2 kW, about $15–$25/month)


• Confirm the outlet is on a dedicated circuit and GFCI-protected

Technical Challenges in Multi-Unit Buildings

Electrical capacity:
Older NB apartment buildings (1960s–1980s) were designed for minimal parking electrical loads — maybe a few block heater outlets. Adding a 40A EV charger circuit per unit would overwhelm the building's electrical service. Solutions:

• Load management systems: Smart chargers (like ChargePoint or FLO for multi-unit) communicate with each other to share available power. If 10 chargers are installed but the building can only support 4 charging simultaneously, the system rotates charging across vehicles.
• Scheduled charging: All chargers programmed to run overnight only, reducing peak demand.
• Electrical service upgrade: The building's main electrical service is upgraded to accommodate EV loads. Cost: $10,000–$50,000+ depending on building size. This is a capital expense for the condo corporation.

Wire routing: Running a circuit from the electrical room to a parking spot in an underground garage can involve:

• Long wire runs (30–50+ metres)
• Penetrations through fire-rated walls (requires fire-stopping after installation)
• Conduit runs along garage ceilings
• Cost for wire routing alone: $1,000–$5,000 per charger in complex buildings

Fire code: NB's fire code has requirements for electrical equipment in parking garages:

• Equipment must be suitable for the location (garage-rated if in a closed garage)
• Fire separation penetrations must be properly sealed
• The local fire marshal's office may need to be notified

Costs for Condo EV Charger Installation

| Component | Cost |
|-----------|------|
| Level 2 charger (40A) | $500–$1,000 |
| Electrical assessment (building capacity) | $300–$800 |
| Circuit installation (short run, simple routing) | $1,000–$2,500 |
| Circuit installation (long run, complex building) | $2,500–$6,000 |
| Sub-meter (if required) | $200–$500 |
| TSANB permit | $50–$100 |
| Total (simple scenario) | $2,050–$4,900 |
| Total (complex building) | $3,550–$8,400 |

Tips for Success

Rally other EV owners — if 3–5 condo owners want chargers, the cost per unit drops for shared infrastructure (common conduit runs, load management system, bulk electrician pricing)

Present a professional proposal — condo boards respond better to a well-researched request than a casual ask

Offer to create a precedent — propose a policy that future EV owners can follow, relieving the board from re-debating the issue each time

Check for incentives — NRCan and NB provincial programs sometimes offer rebates for multi-unit residential charging infrastructure

Be patient — condo board decisions take time. Start the process 3–6 months before you need the charger.

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