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Building Code Reference

Got a CALGreen 4.106.4 correction?

EV charger new homes

For builders in California, Greater Seattle, the Las Vegas area, the Denver area and Kansas City · CrossBeam Permits

What this code requires, how to fix it, and how cities and counties review it

What this code requires

CALGreen 4.106.4 requires every new single-family home to include a dedicated raceway for a future 208/240-volt EV charging circuit in the garage. The raceway — typically a 1-inch minimum conduit — must run from the electrical panel to an outlet box or junction box in the garage and be labeled "EV CAPABLE" at the panel. No charger hardware is required at the time of construction; the point is to rough in the path so a future EVSE can be wired without tearing into walls or the panel. This is a mandatory CalGreen measure — it applies to all new single-family homes statewide, with no exceptions for lot size, square footage, or garage type.

How to fix it

  1. Confirm the raceway is shown on the electrical floor plan

    On the electrical plan sheet (typically E1 or the combined electrical/mechanical sheet), draw a 1-inch minimum conduit home-run from the main electrical panel to the garage. Show the conduit as a dashed or annotated line with a note identifying it as the "EV-capable raceway per CALGreen 4.106.4." If your electrical plan doesn't have a garage detail, add one.

  2. Show the termination point in the garage

    At the garage end of the raceway, show an outlet box or junction box on the electrical plan. The box should be located on the wall near where an EVSE or receptacle would typically mount — typically 18 to 48 inches above the finished floor on the wall adjacent to the parking area. Add a note: "EV-capable outlet box, circuit reserved, see panel schedule."

  3. Add "EV CAPABLE" label to the panel schedule

    In the electrical panel schedule, reserve space for a two-pole breaker for a 40-ampere minimum, 208/240-volt dedicated branch circuit and label it "EV CAPABLE — CALGreen 4.106.4." If the breaker isn't installed yet (which is allowed), note it as a "future" or "spare" slot. The label on the panel schedule is what plan-checkers specifically look for.

  4. Specify conduit size on the plan notes

    The conduit must be at minimum 1 inch in diameter to allow future wire pull-through without wall demolition. Call this out in the electrical general notes: "EV-capable raceway: 1-inch minimum EMT or PVC conduit with pull string, from panel to garage outlet box per CALGreen Section 4.106.4." Some plan-checkers want to see the conduit material specified — EMT is common inside conditioned spaces, PVC where underground or exposed to weather.

  5. Address detached garages separately

    CALGreen 4.106.4.1 is written for one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses with attached private garages. If the garage is detached, ask the building department whether a local reach code or amendment still requires the raceway. If it does, show the conduit path on the site plan from the main panel (or the detached garage sub-panel) to the EV outlet box location, and note any future feeder or extension the run will need.

  6. Cross-reference the CalGreen checklist on the cover sheet

    Most jurisdictions require a CalGreen mandatory measures checklist on the cover sheet or a dedicated sheet. Find the 4.106.4 line item on the checklist and mark it as "complying" with a note pointing to the electrical sheet where the raceway is shown. Plan-checkers cross-reference the checklist against the drawings — if the checklist says complying but the drawings don't show the raceway, that's another correction.

  7. Update the Title 24 CF1R if your energy consultant controls that document

    Some energy consultants include EV-ready notes in the CF1R compliance document. If yours does, confirm the CF1R reflects the 4.106.4 raceway. The Title 24 energy compliance and CalGreen mandatory measures are reviewed together in most jurisdictions, and a mismatch between the two documents can trigger additional questions even after the electrical plans are corrected.

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Why you got flagged

Here's why plan-checkers flag this section more often than contractors expect: the EV raceway is a newer mandatory measure that didn't exist in earlier CalGreen cycles, and it often falls through the cracks because it lives in the green-building chapter rather than the electrical plans where most reviewers look for it.

The most common correction is a simple omission. The electrical plans show the panel schedule, circuits, and subpanel if applicable, but the EV-capable raceway isn't drawn at all. No conduit home-run shown, no junction box or outlet box in the garage, no note on the panel schedule. Plan-checkers look specifically for the "EV CAPABLE" label on the panel diagram, and when it's missing, the correction goes out. This catches a lot of designers who learned electrical drafting before 4.106.4 took effect.

A second pattern: the raceway is shown but the panel label is missing. The conduit is drawn correctly from panel to garage, but the panel schedule doesn't call out the reserved breaker slot or the "EV CAPABLE" designation. The city catches the disconnect between the conduit line on the floor plan and the unmarked panel schedule. Still triggers a corrections letter and another review cycle.

Third pattern: the raceway terminates incorrectly. Some plans show the conduit ending at a blank wall rather than at an outlet box or junction box. CalGreen requires a proper termination point; the pull string alone isn't enough. If a future electrician can't terminate an EVSE cable or receptacle there without fishing new wire, the design doesn't meet the intent of the section.

A fourth issue comes up on detached garages. The state section, 4.106.4.1, is written for dwellings and townhouses with attached private garages, but some cities extend EV requirements through local amendments. If the garage is detached, confirm the local rule before you leave the raceway off, and note the basis on the plans.

The official code

2025 California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen) — Section 4.106.4, Residential Mandatory Measures

Read the source →

Common questions

Does CALGreen 4.106.4 require an actual EV charger to be installed?
No. The section only requires the raceway infrastructure — conduit, outlet box, and a reserved breaker slot labeled "EV CAPABLE" at the panel. You don't have to install an EVSE (charger), a receptacle, or even wire the circuit. The entire point of the section is to make future installation possible without opening walls. If a homeowner wants a charger at move-in, that's a separate permit and work item.
What size conduit is required for the EV-capable raceway?
The minimum is 1-inch conduit. This is sized to allow a future electrician to pull 6 AWG or 8 AWG wire through without replacing the conduit. Most electrical contractors use 1-inch EMT inside the garage and transition to 1-inch PVC if any portion runs underground or through an exterior wall. Include a pull string in the conduit so the future wire pull is straightforward.
What does the EV CAPABLE panel label need to say exactly?
The panel schedule needs to show a reserved two-pole breaker space identified as "EV CAPABLE" or "EV-CAPABLE" along with a reference to CALGreen 4.106.4. The breaker slot doesn't have to be filled — it can be a blank space or a spare — but it must be identified and reserved on the panel schedule drawing. Some plan-checkers also want to see the amperage (typically 40A or 50A) called out on the reserved space.
Does this apply to ADUs or only new primary homes?
CALGreen 4.106.4 applies to new single-family homes. ADUs have their own CalGreen applicability rules that depend on whether the ADU is a new detached structure or a conversion. A brand-new detached ADU with a garage generally triggers this requirement. An ADU that's a conversion of an existing garage or attached addition may or may not require it depending on the permit type and your jurisdiction. Check with your local building department — this is one area where cities vary in how they apply CalGreen to ADU permits.
Can I put the EV raceway outlet box anywhere in the garage?
The code doesn't specify an exact location, but the placement needs to make practical sense for a future EVSE installation. Most plan-checkers expect the box on the wall adjacent to a parking space, between 18 and 48 inches above the finished floor. Putting it in a corner behind storage shelving or on a wall that doesn't face a parking space will raise questions on resubmittal. Show the parking stall layout on the floor plan and put the box on the wall nearest to the head of the stall.
My project already got a corrections letter — do I need to resubmit the full plan set?
Usually not the full set. For most jurisdictions, a CalGreen correction for a missing EV raceway is a sheet-specific correction. You'll update the electrical floor plan sheet to show the raceway and outlet box, update the panel schedule sheet to add the EV CAPABLE label, and update the CalGreen checklist on the cover sheet. Some plan-check portals let you resubmit individual sheets as correction responses — check with your city's building department on their specific resubmittal procedure. A CrossBeam review for a single-family permit is $250 and flags these items before they go to the city.
Does the EV raceway requirement apply to garage additions on existing homes?
Typically no — the section targets new single-family homes, not additions or alterations to existing homes. A new garage added to an existing house falls into alteration territory, not new construction. That said, some jurisdictions apply CalGreen requirements more broadly when the addition crosses a certain valuation threshold or changes occupancy classification. If you're adding a garage to an existing home, confirm with the plan-check counter whether the full CalGreen mandatory measures checklist applies to your project before you submit.

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