In Ontario you cannot hire an individual electrician to work in your home, only a Licensed Electrical Contractor, and the licence number takes a minute to check.
Hiring an electrician in Ottawa works differently from most trades. The business you hire must be a Licensed Electrical Contractor with a seven-digit ECRA/ESA licence number, and the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) lets you look that number up online. That contractor files a notification of work with ESA before starting, which works as the electrical permit, and arranges the inspection afterwards. A panel or service upgrade also involves Hydro Ottawa. Below is how each step works, what to ask for in a quote and which paper to keep at the end.
Key Highlights
TL;DR: By law in Ontario, anyone you hire to do electrical work in your home must be a Licensed Electrical Contractor, and you can verify the licence on ESA's contractor locator. The contractor files an ESA notification of work before starting, and ESA issues a certificate when the work passes. That certificate is what insurers and buyers ask for. For a panel or service upgrade, Hydro Ottawa wants a service request three to four weeks ahead.
| Quick Facts | Details |
|---|---|
| 📅 Lead time | Hydro Ottawa asks for a service request three to four weeks before a service upgrade, and says it will contact you within 10 business days |
| 📍 Check a licence | ESA's Find a Contractor tool, using the seven-digit ECRA/ESA number from the truck, card or estimate |
| 🎟️ ESA fee | ESA's fee guide, effective April 1, 2026, sets a $92 minimum per notification. Most of your bill is labour and equipment |
| ⏰ Help line | ESA Customer Service Centre, 1-877-ESA-SAFE (372-7233) |
Hiring a Licensed Electrician in Ottawa: What Ontario Requires
ESA says that if you hire someone to do electrical work in your home, by law that person must be a Licensed Electrical Contractor (LEC). An LEC is a business, not a person. Certified electricians and master electricians work for these businesses, but ESA says they are not permitted to work for hire on their own, so you should not hire either one directly. A general contractor is not licensed for electrical work either, which means a renovation contractor has to bring in an LEC.
The check takes about a minute. Ask for the ECRA/ESA licence number, look for it on the truck, the business card and the estimate, then enter it in ESA's Find a Contractor tool. ESA also says a licensed contractor is fully insured, which it calls the only way to be sure you are not held responsible if someone is hurt on the job, and that contractors will provide references.
ESA lists the warning signs of an unlicensed operator, and several of them are worth memorizing before you call anyone:
- Paperwork. There is no licence number on the vehicle or the estimate, the estimate lists no ESA fee, or the company name does not appear in ESA's tool.
- Permits. They ask you to take out the ESA notification in your name, or say you do not need one.
- Money. They offer a discount for cash, accept only cash or will not give a receipt.
- Scope. They also offer drywall, flooring, plumbing, snow removal or other home work.
- The giveaway line. "If anyone asks, tell them you did the work yourself."
The stakes are real. ESA says work by unlicensed contractors has been found to be up to four times faultier than work by licensed ones, and that an insurance claim linked to unlicensed work may be denied. Hydro Ottawa adds that 50 people in Ontario were killed by electrocution between 2014 and 2023. If you have been approached by someone door to door, our guide to door-to-door construction scams in Ottawa covers the usual pitches. ESA takes anonymous reports of suspected unlicensed work through its website.
For a first list of electrical businesses near you, the Electricians directory page is a place to start. It draws on OpenStreetMap data, so it tells you who exists, not who is licensed. Run every name through ESA's tool yourself.
When an ESA Notification Is Needed and What You Can Do Yourself
The Ontario Electrical Safety Code requires almost all electrical work to be reported to ESA through a notification of work, which people usually call a permit. ESA says it creates a permanent record of the work and triggers a review. Its guidance covers new wiring and devices as well as repairing or replacing old ones, and it names pot light installations as a job that needs one. When you hire an LEC, the contractor files it before work begins. If a contractor asks you to file it in your name, that is a red flag.
A City building permit is a different document. ESA says that having a building permit is not the same as filing an electrical notification, and that you may need both. Our home renovation guide for Ottawa covers when the City requires a building permit, so this article sticks to the electrical side.
ESA fees are small next to labour. The 2026 fee guide sets a minimum of $92 per notification. A service change or panel change is listed at $86 for a contractor and $212 for a non-contractor, and an EV charger or outlet at $86 for a contractor and $93 for a non-contractor, plus $30 for each additional piece of equipment. A contractor's quote should show the ESA fee as a line, since ESA names a quote with no ESA fee as a warning sign.
Homeowners may do electrical work in their own home, but ESA sets conditions. You must file the notification before you start, even for a small job, and you must get the work reviewed before anything is hidden behind drywall. Friends, family and neighbours cannot do the work for you, and a tenant who wants to do electrical work in a rental should check with the property manager first. ESA itself recommends hiring an LEC. Our guide to DIY home improvement in Ottawa has more on the homeowner route, and ESA notes the current Ontario Electrical Safety Code edition took effect on May 1, 2025.
Inspections come at the stages ESA describes: a service inspection for panel and service work, a rough-in inspection before wiring is covered by insulation or drywall, and a final inspection once the job is finished and any defects fixed. If the work does not comply, the inspector issues a defect notice listing what to correct.
Knob-and-Tube and Aluminum Wiring in Older Ottawa Homes
Two older wiring types come up most when someone buys or insures an older house. ESA describes knob-and-tube as a method used from the early 1900s to the 1940s and no longer permitted for new work. Aluminum branch wiring turns up in homes built from the mid-1960s to the late 1970s. If your house falls in either window, find out which wiring you have before you renovate or renew your insurance.
Knob-and-tube. ESA says existing knob-and-tube conductors supplying general lighting and receptacle circuits may stay in place if they are protected by a 15-amp fuse or breaker, no outlets have been added that overload the circuit and the visible conductors look to be in good condition. ESA also says the wiring is safe if a licensed contractor keeps it properly maintained. The problem is insurance: ESA says many insurers will not provide or renew coverage on homes with this wiring, and some make you replace it first. ESA's advice is to have an LEC assess your electrical system, which is different from a general home inspection because it looks only at the electrical, and to replace the wiring where it shows deterioration, overheating or overloading.
ESA also lists habits that tend to appear in these houses because the wiring cannot carry modern loads: extension cords used as permanent wiring, 20 or 30 amp fuses swapped in for 15 amp ones, new outlets tapped onto old circuits and ground pins removed from plugs to fit two-pin outlets. Adding a three-prong outlet to an ungrounded circuit is allowed only with GFCI protection. Any change to knob-and-tube wiring needs an LEC and a notification.
Aluminum. ESA says aluminum wiring is safe when connections are made properly, without damaging the wire, using devices approved for aluminum. Trouble usually starts at the terminations, where aluminum oxidizes and does not suit devices made for copper. Its list of warning signs includes warm cover plates, discoloured switches or receptacles, flickering lights and the smell of hot plastic. For insurance, ESA says some insurers will not provide or renew coverage without an ESA inspection, and you may need to repair or replace the wiring and give the insurer a copy of the ESA certificate.
Ask your insurer for its requirements before you spend money, because they vary by company. Our car and home insurance guide for Ottawa explains how home cover works. A whole-house rewire is the costliest outcome, and published 2026 price guides range from about $8,000 to $25,000 or more, so a targeted repair and an ESA inspection is worth pricing first.
Panel and Service Upgrades With Hydro Ottawa
Two jobs get confused. A panel change swaps the breaker box inside the house. A service upgrade changes the size of the supply to the house, or switches between overhead and underground service. Hydro Ottawa's online service request form lists them separately, as "Panel Change" and "Upgrade Service Size", so ask your contractor which one the quote covers.
Who owns what matters here. For an overhead service, Hydro Ottawa says you own the service mast, the wires inside the mast, the meter base and the wires from the meter base to your panel. Hydro Ottawa owns the wires from the pole to your house. If your equipment is damaged, you arrange the repair before power can be restored, and Hydro Ottawa says many home insurance policies cover repairs to the electrical mast.
Hydro Ottawa's process for a service upgrade runs like this:
- Talk to an LEC first. Hydro Ottawa's own advice is to have a licensed electrician help work out what the project needs.
- Submit a service request. It asks for the form three to four weeks before you start. A contractor can submit it for you, and the form asks for supporting material such as photos of the meter and main breaker.
- Get a customer layout. Hydro Ottawa says it will contact you within 10 business days and then email the layout, which outlines the work and estimated costs. Each property gets one free layout per rolling 12-month period.
- Pay and schedule. After you pay the fees in the layout, call 613-738-6418 to schedule the service.
ESA's side runs in parallel. For a service upgrade, the utility has to disconnect the power, and ESA must inspect the installation before it is reconnected. After a successful inspection, ESA authorizes the utility to energize the service, and that authorization is good for up to six months. Plan around an outage, including anything that needs power such as a sump pump or a fridge. Our winter preparedness guide for Ottawa is a good reminder of how to handle a day without power.
One more red flag: ESA lists "you don't need to involve your local utility to change your panel or upgrade your service" as a sign of an unlicensed contractor. If a bid skips Hydro Ottawa, ask why. If any digging is involved, Hydro Ottawa points you to Ontario One Call, which marks underground utilities for free.
Published 2026 price guides put a 200-amp panel upgrade at roughly $1,500 to $5,000, depending on the home and whether the work includes a meter base, a new mast or trenching. Treat that as a planning figure and not a quote.
Installing a Home EV Charger in Ottawa
Hydro Ottawa says most electric vehicles come with a cord that plugs into a regular 120-volt outlet, called Level 1 charging. Its figures are up to 50 hours to take a battery electric vehicle from empty to 80 per cent, or five to six hours to fully charge a plug-in hybrid. A Level 2 charger uses a 240-volt circuit, like a dryer or stove, and takes four to 10 hours for a battery electric vehicle and one to two hours for a plug-in hybrid. ESA says Level 3 stations are for commercial use and are not suitable for a home.
ESA is firm that all EV charger installations need an electrical permit filed before work starts, separate from any building permit. An LEC must file it, and you should ask for copies of both the permit and the certificate afterwards, since ESA says they can matter for insurance and resale. The charger itself has to carry a recognized Canadian certification mark. Hydro Ottawa names CSA, cUL and cETL as examples.
Before you book, ask whether your panel can carry the extra load. ESA says an EV can draw a lot of power and that a panel upgrade may be needed, in which case you need to contact the utility. Hydro Ottawa says that if the work changes your service, your contractor must submit an electrical service request before work begins. The form has an "EV charger" project type.
Prices vary with the distance from the panel to the charger and whether the panel needs work. Published 2026 price guides give about $800 to $3,500 for a Level 2 charger installation, higher with a panel upgrade or a detached garage. If you park outside, ask whether the charger and cable suit Ottawa winters.
The running cost matters too. Hydro Ottawa says Time-of-Use pricing gives lower rates in the evenings, on weekends and on holidays. Its Ultra-Low Overnight plan gives deep discounts between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., and you can compare plans and switch through MyAccount. Charger rebates change, and some programs require approval before work starts, so confirm anything current before you sign.
What to Ask For in an Electrician's Quote
Get two or three written quotes for anything beyond a small repair, and compare the same scope, not only the total. A cheap quote often covers less, or leaves out the permit. The list below is what a useful quote should state.
- The licence number. ESA says it should appear on the estimate. Verify it yourself.
- The ESA notification. The quote should name who files it and show the fee, and the work should not start until it is filed.
- The exact scope. Panel replacement or service upgrade, new circuit or rewire. For a panel job, ask about the meter base, mast, grounding and breakers.
- Hydro Ottawa. Who submits the service request, who pays the utility charges in the customer layout and how many weeks ahead the job needs to be booked.
- Exclusions. Drywall repair, painting, trenching and any defects found once walls are open.
- The certificate. A promise to hand you a copy of the ESA certificate when the work passes.
- HST, payment schedule and warranty. Ask whether 13% HST is included and when payments fall due. Be wary of anyone who wants cash or asks you to buy all the supplies.
Rates give a rough idea of what to expect. Published 2026 price guides put hourly rates in Ottawa at roughly $80 to $150, with a service call fee of about $75 to $200 that often covers the first hour. Evening, weekend and holiday work typically runs one and a half to two times the standard rate. Small jobs such as replacing an outlet or a switch commonly land between $100 and $350, but a house with older wiring takes longer, so expect more.
These are ballpark figures taken from company and platform price guides, not quotes. Prices change by contractor and by season, so use them to spot a quote that is much too high or too low.
The ESA Certificate at the End of the Job
Once ESA has reviewed and passed the work, it issues a Certificate of Acceptance to the person who filed the notification. ESA says it proves the work meets the Ontario Electrical Safety Code, and it is an important document for insurance and resale. You will also see it called a Certificate of Inspection: that is the name Hydro Ottawa uses on its pages, and ESA's own 2022 flash notices on old wiring use it too. If the paper in your hand has either name, it is the document you want.
When you hire an LEC, the contractor arranges the notifications and the certificate, but the contractor is the one who receives it. Ask for a copy, and do not make the final payment until you have it or a clear date for when it will arrive. If you cannot get a copy from the contractor, ESA says you can fill in its Access to Information form and email it to RFI@electricalsafety.on.ca, or call 1-877-ESA-SAFE (372-7233).
Treat the certificate like a deed or a warranty. File it with the invoice, the panel photos and any equipment details, so you have a record when you renew your insurance, sell the house or add the next circuit.
FAQ
Q: Can I hire a master electrician or certified electrician directly in Ontario?
No. ESA says master and certified electricians work for Licensed Electrical Contractors but cannot be hired directly to do electrical work in your home. The business you hire must hold a seven-digit ECRA/ESA licence. Ask for that number and check it on ESA's Find a Contractor tool before you sign anything.
Q: Do I need an ESA permit for a small job like a new light or outlet?
ESA says the code requires almost all electrical work to be reported through a notification of work, and it names pot lights as an example of a job that needs one. If a contractor does the work, they file it. For anything unclear, call ESA at 1-877-ESA-SAFE (372-7233) to confirm.
Q: How do I check an electrician's licence in Ottawa?
Ask for the seven-digit ECRA/ESA licence number, which should be on the truck, card and estimate. Then search for the company in ESA's Find a Contractor tool. If the name does not appear, the number is missing from the estimate or the contractor will not share it, treat that as a reason to walk away.
Q: Will my insurer cover a home with knob-and-tube or aluminum wiring?
It depends on the insurer. ESA says many will not provide or renew coverage on homes with knob-and-tube wiring, and some require replacement first. For aluminum wiring, some want an ESA inspection and a copy of the ESA certificate. Ask your insurer for its requirements in writing before starting work.
Q: Does an EV charger need a permit in Ottawa?
Yes. ESA says every EV charger installation needs an electrical permit filed before work starts, and it must be a Licensed Electrical Contractor who does the job. That permit is separate from any City building permit. Ask for copies of the permit and of the ESA certificate when the work is done.
Final Thoughts
Most of the risk in hiring an electrician in Ottawa comes down to three checks. Verify the ECRA/ESA licence number before you sign, make sure the ESA notification is filed before work begins, and keep the ESA certificate when it ends. For a panel or service upgrade, add a fourth: start the Hydro Ottawa request early, because three to four weeks is the lead time it asks for.
If your house has knob-and-tube or aluminum wiring, get an assessment from a licensed contractor before you renovate or shop for insurance, since that is when it affects your options. Start your search on the Electricians directory page, and confirm each company yourself. For the wider job around the wiring, see our home renovation guide for Ottawa.
Source: Electrical Safety Authority, Hire a Licensed Electrical Contractor
Source: Electrical Safety Authority, Notifications and Inspections
Source: Electrical Safety Authority, Finding the Right Contractor
Source: Electrical Safety Authority, Identifying an Unlicensed Electrical Contractor
Source: Electrical Safety Authority, Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Electrical Work
Source: Electrical Safety Authority, Knob and Tube Wiring and Aluminum Wiring
Source: Electrical Safety Authority, Electric Vehicles & Charging Systems
Source: Electrical Safety Authority, ESA Certificate of Acceptance
Source: Electrical Safety Authority, Fees
Source: Hydro Ottawa, Electrical service requests
