Electricians in Toronto

Many insurers will not write or renew a policy on a home with active knob-and-tube wiring. If you are buying in an older neighbourhood, get an electrical assessment before firm closing rather than after.

Heritage designations

Toronto has numerous Heritage Conservation Districts where exterior changes, including windows and roofing materials, may require separate heritage approval on top of a building permit.

More about hiring in Toronto

What electrical work costs in Ontario

The ESA notification fee is a real line item, usually between $100 and $400 depending on scope, and it is normal for it to be passed through to you. A quote that omits it entirely is either absorbing it or not pulling one - worth clarifying which.

Job	Typical range
Service call / diagnosticTroubleshooting an intermittent fault can take longer than the fix.	$100 – $200
Hourly rateSome contractors quote per-device instead for repetitive work.	$90 – $150 / hour
Add an outlet or dedicated circuitCost is driven by how far the run is and whether walls are finished.	$200 – $450
Pot lights, installedPer-fixture cost drops noticeably past six or eight lights.	$150 – $300 each
Panel upgrade, 100A to 200AIncludes the ESA notification and inspection. Utility coordination can add time.	$2,200 – $4,500
Level 2 EV charger installDepends on distance from the panel and whether you have spare capacity.	$1,000 – $2,800
Knob-and-tube removal / full rewireThe wide range reflects house size and how much finished surface must be opened.	$8,000 – $25,000
Generator transfer switchExcludes the generator itself.	$1,200 – $3,000

Planning estimates for Ontario, not quotes. Always get written quotes against the same written specification.

Questions to ask before you hire

What is your ECRA/ESA licence number? (Then look it up before you sign anything.)

Will you file the ESA notification, and is the fee included in this price?

Will I receive the Certificate of Acceptance when the work passes inspection?

Is my panel at capacity? If this job needs a service upgrade, I want to know now rather than halfway through.

Who is physically doing the work - a certified electrician or an apprentice under supervision?

Does the quote include patching drywall where you cut in, or is that a separate trade?

Warning signs

No ECRA/ESA number anywhere on the quote, vehicle or website. This one is non-negotiable.

An offer to skip the permit to save you money. That saving is borrowed against your next insurance claim or home sale.

A handyman offering to do panel work. Regardless of skill, they cannot file the notification.

Quotes that vary by thousands with no explanation. Usually one of them has scoped a service upgrade and the other has not.