Cost to Run Electricity to a Detached Garage

Running power to a detached garage has two separate costs: getting electricity to the building and making it usable inside. Ask for both scopes before comparing totals. A quote for a feeder ending at a garage panel is not the same purchase as working lights, outlets, and an EV charging circuit.

How much does running power to a garage cost?

HomeGuide’s guide dated April 5, 2023 gives $10–$25 per linear foot for an underground supply run, excluding interior wiring. It also reports $1,200–$7,100 for supplying a detached building and wiring its interior. These are historical U.S. consumer-guide estimates, checked September 7, 2026—not newly collected 2026 prices or local electrician bids. See the source and its scope.

For a useful current budget, request a written proposal for your loads and route. Keep the older benchmark as context, and compare the contractor’s complete design against it only after checking the exclusions.

What belongs in a complete garage electrical quote?

Part of the project	What to get in writing
Existing supply	Assessment of the house service and panel; any proposed upgrade priced separately
Route to the garage	Measured distance, proposed route, and responsibility for excavation or overhead work
Distribution	Proposed feeder and garage distribution equipment, with the electrician’s design
Interior work	Number and type of circuits, lights, switches, receptacles, and equipment connections
Ground and surface work	Utility locating responsibilities, trenching, backfill, spoil removal, and surface restoration
Completion	Permits and inspections where applicable, testing, cleanup, and warranty

Give every bidder the same list of intended uses. Lighting and a garage-door opener describe a different project from a workshop with heating or a charging installation. Ask the electrician to determine the suitable capacity; the main panel’s label alone does not establish available capacity.

A quote-comparison worksheet

The following numbers are invented examples, not market prices. They show why the lower headline total may not be the lower complete budget.

Item	Example quote A	Example quote B
Electrical work	$2,600	$3,200
Trenching	$700 extra	Included
Finish restoration	$350 extra	$350 extra
Comparable subtotal	$3,650	$3,550

Quote A starts $600 lower, but its comparable subtotal is $100 higher. Taxes, permit fees, and any other exclusions still need to be checked in both examples. Do not add equipment or excavation again when a written installed price already includes them.

Use one row per missing item in your own comparison. If a bidder cannot price an allowance yet, mark it as unresolved rather than treating it as zero.

Does a longer cable run mean a proportional price increase?

Not necessarily. A longer route changes quantities, but it may also change the electrical design or cross a driveway. Ask for a route drawing and separate prices for difficult sections. A per-foot excavation quote from the trenching guide covers a different scope from a complete electrical supply.

Before digging, follow the 811 notification and waiting process for your state. Ask who will arrange any private-line locating needed for the property.

Should a subpanel or EV charger be included?

Include intended uses in the initial brief. Ask whether the proposal already covers a garage subpanel and which circuits it serves. If charging is planned, compare the EV charger installation scope with the garage proposal so feeder, panel, and circuit work are not counted twice.

The final question is simple: Will this total leave the listed equipment and circuits working, with the route and disturbed surfaces finished?

Correction and source notes

This September 7, 2026 revision retains the correction of unsupported prices and purported personal experiences in the earlier article. The dated third-party benchmark above is now explicitly attributed. The comparison table is original hypothetical arithmetic. See our research methodology.