On an EV charger permit, “load calculation” means a documented total of the dwelling’s existing demand plus the new EV circuit, set beside the rating of the service or feeder that will supply it. It is the same idea as the residential load-calculation page on this site, formalized for the building department. Public checklists, including the City of Orlando EV charging station permit checklist, ask for that calculation and for a panel schedule that includes the new circuit. Counting open slots is not what they are asking for.
What usually goes in the packet, in plain language:
- The service or feeder rating (typically the main-breaker or service size, not just the cabinet rating).
- Either 12 months of qualifying utility maximum demand, or a calculated dwelling-unit load using the adopted code method (standard or optional).
- The new EVSE nameplate or the continuous current you are installing, handled the way that edition requires.
- A revised panel schedule showing the new two-pole breaker, its rating, and the load it serves.
This site’s calculator is an educational stand-in for items 2 and 3. It does not reproduce copyrighted NEC tables and it is not the form your inspector will stamp. Bring nameplates, the panel schedule, and, if you have them, utility demand data to a licensed electrician, who will prepare the permit documents.
This is not a permit calculation, a utility approval, or a substitute for a licensed electrician, HVAC contractor, or the authority having jurisdiction. Panel Headroom is an independent educational site. It is not a utility, a certification body, or a contractor. Electrical and generator work that is done incorrectly can cause fire, shock, or carbon monoxide poisoning. Use the adopted electrical code and manufacturer instructions; pull permits where required.