How to Plan Electrical Capacity for a Shared Apartment Garage

A shared garage is both an electrical system and a parking operation. A plan needs to connect the building’s service and meters to actual stall locations, resident demand, future loads, and the charging service the building wants to offer. Start with the whole garage; a single resident’s charger request may be the first signal of a shared need.

1. Map the spaces and routes

Mark assigned, unassigned, visitor, indoor, and outdoor stalls. Show likely charger locations, panel and electrical-room locations, possible cable routes, and any parking or access constraints the building already knows about. Note which spaces residents can use for longer periods and which turn over during the day.

This map helps a professional consider route length, practical access, and where equipment might go. It does not establish that a route is permitted or that a space is electrically suitable.

2. Identify the service, loads, and meter arrangement

Gather available electrical drawings, service records, account information, meter locations, and utility data. Ask which existing building loads share the supply and which future work is being considered, such as heating or cooling electrification. Record known peak-demand information where available.

Utility bills or historical usage can support the assessment, but they do not prove how much EV capacity is available. The electrician or electrical designer must evaluate the system. The capacity assessment checklist explains what to prepare.

3. Ask residents what service would work

Record current interest and expected future demand separately. Ask about vehicle use, typical arrival and departure times, daily charging need, and whether residents would use assigned or shared stalls. Also agree what the building means by “charging available”: for example, a guaranteed stall, shared access, or a charge that may slow during busy periods.

Do not translate resident interest directly into a charger count. A professional needs to evaluate the demand assumptions alongside equipment, parking, service, and applicable requirements.

4. Compare scenarios and set a service promise

Ask the designer to compare reasonable configurations. Depending on the site, these might include individual circuits, lower-power equipment, shared circuits, load management, a service upgrade, or staged installation. Compare each against route constraints, expected charging time, controls, utility coordination, accessibility, and future electrical loads.

For each scenario, record what residents can expect and the conditions that could change that service. The comparison should identify what happens as use grows, not only how the first charger operates. See service upgrade versus load management for the trade-offs.

5. Keep a decision record

Save the garage map, assumptions about resident demand, available utility records, professional findings, chosen meter and operating concept, and unresolved questions. Record who is responsible for requesting utility information and which approvals or permits remain before construction.

A Vancouver strata project reported by BC Hydro illustrates why the record should include coordination among the strata, contractor, city permitting, and utility, as well as verified existing electrical-room equipment. That project is one local example; its design, timing, rebates, and cost are not a template for another garage.

Board-ready checklist

• Map every stall and plausible equipment route.
• Identify the building service, panels, meters, utility, and known loads.
• Gather historic use data if available and document its limitations.
• Estimate current and future resident needs without turning them into a charger quota.
• Ask a qualified professional to compare upgrade, lower-power, shared, managed, or phased options.
• Define the resident service promise and fallback during limits or outages.
• Record utility, building, design, permit, and inspection steps.

For a long-term retrofit or new build, continue to the guide on EV-capable, EV-ready, and equipped buildings. Operating rules and resident access belong in shared charging operations.