You take delivery of an electric car and call an electrician about a charger in the garage. He starts quoting the ugly version — trenching, wall demolition, a long run from the panel — then stops, points at a capped metal box near the garage wall, and reads the label: EV CAPABLE. The expensive part of the job was done before you moved in, because California made the builder do it.
The short answer: new one- and two-family homes and townhouses with attached private garages must be built with a listed raceway (conduit) of at least trade size 1, running from the main service or subpanel to a box near where a charger would go, plus panel capacity for a 40-ampere, 208/240-volt dedicated circuit and a reserved breaker space — all of it labeled "EV CAPABLE" (§ 4.106.4.1).
Key numbers
| Requirement | Specification | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Raceway size | Listed raceway, not less than trade size 1 (nominal 1-inch inside diameter) | § 4.106.4.1 |
| Circuit capacity to reserve | 40-ampere, 208/240-volt dedicated branch circuit | § 4.106.4.1 |
| Panel space | Space reserved for the branch circuit overcurrent protective device | § 4.106.4.1 |
| Labeling | Circuit directory and raceway termination marked "EV CAPABLE" | § 4.106.4.1.1 |
| Multifamily with parking | At least one low power Level 2 EV charging receptacle per dwelling unit | § 4.106.4.2.2 |
Who this applies to
These are mandatory measures for new residential construction in California's green building standards code — not voluntary suggestions, and not a retrofit requirement. The scoping line is short:
New construction shall comply with Section 4.106.4.1 or 4.106.4.2. Electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) shall comply with the California Electrical Code.
Which branch applies depends on the building. New one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses with attached private garages follow 4.106.4.1. New multifamily dwellings, hotels, motels and residential parking facilities follow 4.106.4.2.
The residential code points at the same requirement from its own garages chapter: newly constructed one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses with attached private garages must comply with the EV charging requirements of the green building standards code (§ R317.6). Two codes, one rule.
Nothing here requires you to install an actual charger — only that the building be ready for one. The charger itself, and its installation, are electrical permit work for a licensed electrician and your local inspector.
What "EV capable" gets you in a new house
For each dwelling unit, the builder installs (§ 4.106.4.1):
- A listed raceway — conduit — sized not less than trade size 1, meaning a nominal 1-inch inside diameter.
- The raceway originates at the main service or subpanel and terminates in a listed cabinet, box or other enclosure close to where a charger would be mounted.
- Raceways must be continuous through enclosed, inaccessible or concealed areas and spaces.
- The service panel or subpanel must have capacity for a 40-ampere, 208/240-volt minimum dedicated branch circuit, and a reserved space for that circuit's overcurrent protective device.
There is one exception, and it is the better outcome for a buyer: a raceway is not required if a 40-ampere 208/240-volt dedicated EV branch circuit is actually installed near the proposed charger location at the time of original construction. In other words, the builder may skip the empty pipe by simply running the circuit.
The labels are part of the requirement. The panel or subpanel circuit directory must identify the reserved breaker space as "EV CAPABLE," and the raceway termination location must be permanently and visibly marked the same way (§ 4.106.4.1.1). If you own a newer California home and have never looked, open the panel door and read the directory — that is where you find out whether the work is already paid for.
The exceptions
Three carve-outs sit in the scoping section (§ 4.106.4):
- No adequate utility power. On a case-by-case basis, where the local enforcing agency determines EV charging and infrastructure are not feasible because there is no local utility power supply, or the utility cannot supply adequate power.
- Utility infrastructure cost. Where there is evidence acceptable to the local enforcing agency that additional local utility infrastructure design requirements tied to this section may adversely affect the project's construction cost.
- Accessory dwelling units and junior accessory dwelling units without additional parking facilities. An ADU or JADU that adds no parking is not required to carry EV infrastructure.
That third exception is worth knowing before you budget an ADU. If your ADU project adds no parking facility, this requirement does not attach to it.
Multifamily buildings: a receptacle, not a pipe
Where parking is provided for new multifamily dwellings, hotels and motels, the standard steps up from conduit to an actual outlet. In parking facilities with assigned parking spaces equal to or greater than the number of dwelling units, at least one low power Level 2 EV charging receptacle must be provided at an assigned space for each dwelling unit; the same holds for facilities with unassigned parking. Where a building has both, one receptacle per dwelling unit is provided at either the assigned or the unassigned space — but not both (§ 4.106.4.2.2).
Receptacles at assigned spaces must be on a dedicated branch circuit connected to that dwelling unit's electrical panel, unless the builder or designer determines it is infeasible and the local enforcing agency concurs — which is what keeps the resident's charging on the resident's own meter. Areas served by parking lifts, and parking facilities otherwise incapable of supporting EV charging, are excepted. Receptacle types are specified as well; a 20-ampere 208/240V receptacle, for example, must be a NEMA 6-20R.
Calculations for the number of spaces are rounded up to the nearest whole number, and a space served by charging equipment counts as at least one standard automobile parking space for the purpose of meeting a local jurisdiction's minimum parking requirements (§ 4.106.4.2).
Mandatory, voluntary, and nonresidential
Three neighbouring sections are easy to confuse, and only one of them is binding on a new house:
- § 4.106 — residential mandatory measures. This is the section above.
- § A4.106 — residential voluntary measures. Reach-level provisions a city may choose to adopt; not required on their own.
- § 5.106 — nonresidential mandatory measures, for offices, retail and similar buildings.
These are 2025 code requirements, in effect statewide since January 1, 2026, and they are minimums. Local jurisdictions may adopt the voluntary tiers or their own stricter reach codes — a number of California cities require more EV-ready or fully installed charging than the state does. Your building department can tell you which version applies to a project at your address.
Sources
- § 4.106 — Site development, residential mandatory measures (California Green Building Standards Code)
- § R317.6 — Electric vehicle charging systems (California Residential Code)
- § A4.106 — Site development, residential voluntary measures (California Green Building Standards Code)
- § 5.106 — Site development, nonresidential mandatory measures (California Green Building Standards Code)
