In short
- ESA says homes built from the mid-1960s to the late 1970s may have aluminum branch wiring. The Ontario Electrical Safety Code still permits it.
- Trouble sits at the connections: ESA names warm cover plates, discoloured devices, flickering lights and a hot-plastic smell.
- One Ottawa firm's published list puts copper pigtails at $50–$100 per connection and a whole house of about 50 points at $2,500–$5,000.
- Some insurers want an ESA inspection and the Certificate of Acceptance before they cover or renew.
Typical prices in Ottawa
| Job | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment of an aluminum-wired house | $100–$250 | One Ottawa firm’s published list, February 2026 |
| Copper pigtail, per connection point | $50–$100 | Same Ottawa list |
| Pigtails, whole house (about 50 points) | $2,500–$5,000 | Same Ottawa list; it counts 40–60 points in a typical 3-bedroom house |
| CO/ALR outlet or switch, per device | $30–$60 | Same Ottawa list; covers devices only |
| Whole-home rewire | $8,000–$20,000 | HomeStars Canada-wide guide; the Ottawa list gives $8,000–$20,000+ |
| Older-wiring premium on the hourly rate | $50–$150 per hour | HomeStars Canada-wide, on top of $80–$130 an hour |
Sources. One Ottawa firm’s published list: Aluminum Wiring in Ottawa Homes: Dangers and Cost 2026, published 24.02.2026, seen 29.10.2026. HomeStars, Electrician Hourly Rate in Canada: 2026 Guide, seen 29.10.2026. Rules: ESA, Aluminum Wiring and ESA Flash 22-30-FL, Aluminum wiring in residential installations (May 2022), seen 29.10.2026. ESA, Electrical Safety Assessments and Fire Code Inspections, ESA Certificate of Acceptance, ESA, Hire a Licensed Electrical Contractor, seen 29.10.2026. Repair methods: US Consumer Product Safety Commission, Repairing Aluminum Wiring, Publication 516, seen 29.10.2026. Contracts: Ontario, guide for home renovation businesses, seen 29.10.2026.
The houses, and why the insurer is asking
ESA dates residential aluminum branch wiring to houses built from the mid-1960s to the late 1970s. A copper shortage, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission explains, moved aluminum onto ordinary 15 A and 20 A circuits. Some houses carry a mix of both metals, ESA notes.
ESA reports a growing number of questions from owners whose insurer raised the wiring. Its May 2022 notice says many insurers cover or renew only after the wiring is inspected, repaired as needed and that work is inspected by ESA. Some require a full change to copper. Attach the insurer’s requirement: it decides which route gets priced.
Where the trouble sits
ESA ties the reported problems to terminations that overheat, because aluminum oxidizes and does not suit devices made for copper. Its signs: warm cover plates, discoloured devices, arcing marks, flickering lights, a smell of hot plastic. Failures can also come with no warning, so ESA strongly recommends replacing original devices lacking an aluminum marking. Name any outlet showing those signs in the request.
Three repair routes compared
- Devices marked for aluminum. Outlets and switches up to 20 A marked CO/ALR go straight onto the aluminum. The US commission saw such devices fail in lab tests and calls the route incomplete, since ceiling fixtures and hardwired appliances have no CO/ALR version.
- Copper pigtails. A short copper lead is joined to the aluminum at each termination, bond wire included, with a connector marked AL-CU or CU-AL; ordinary devices then go on the copper. The US commission treats two connectors as permanent: the COPALUM crimp, installed only by electricians trained on its power tool, and the AlumiConn set-screw connector where the crimp is unavailable. Plain twist-on connectors count only as a stopgap.
- Copper rewire. New copper circuits replace the aluminum ones. The commission calls it the best method available, and for many homes prohibitively expensive. It fits a renovation with open walls; see whole or partial rewiring.
What moves the price
One Ottawa firm’s published list gives $50–$100 per pigtailed connection, $2,500–$5,000 for a house of about 50 points, $30–$60 per CO/ALR device and $8,000–$20,000+ for a rewire. The spread comes from:
- Connection count. ESA’s method opens every outlet, switch, fixture, appliance connection and the panel.
- Box room. A box too small for the added wire and connector may need a surface extension box, which adds to the count of parts.
- Damage found. ESA has a damaged conductor cut back before the repair.
- Older-wiring rates. HomeStars adds $50–$150 an hour for aluminum or knob-and-tube over the $80–$130 typical of Ottawa-sized cities.
- The panel. If a panel upgrade is also on your list, ask for it as a separate price.
What the quote should list
The route, the connector or device marking, and the point count by type: outlets, switches, fixtures, junction boxes, panel and hardwired loads. Whether dryer and range circuits are in scope. A per-point price for extra connections, a per-box price for extensions, the ESA notification and HST. ESA bars push-in terminals on aluminum, so ask how each device gets connected.
In Ontario, home repair work over $50 needs a written agreement. The price may exceed an estimate in it by 10% at most unless you sign a change, and a contract signed at home can be cancelled within 10 days.
From visit to certificate
The company assesses, repairs, files the notification and has ESA inspect. ESA issues the Certificate of Acceptance to whoever filed, so ask the company to pass it to you for the insurer. Buying in this era? Ask your insurer before closing and see the electrical check before you buy.
Who you are dealing with
Ottawa Electric Desk passes your request to one independent local electrical company. That company calls you back, assesses the house, quotes the aluminum work and does it.
Questions to ask the company
- Which route do you propose: CO/ALR devices, pigtails or a rewire, and with which connector?
- Does the price cover every termination, including junction boxes, the panel and hardwired heaters?
- What is the price per extension box, and per point beyond the count?
- Who files the ESA notification, and when will I receive the Certificate of Acceptance for my insurer?
- What is your ECRA/ESA licence number, and can I have the total with HST in writing before you start?
Have this ready for the call
- The insurer's letter or email, with its exact wording on aluminum wiring
- Build year, and the year of any addition
- A photo of a visible cable in the unfinished basement, showing any AL or ALUMINUM marking
- A rough count of outlets, switches and ceiling fixtures, floor by floor
- Any warm, discoloured or hot-smelling outlet or switch, by room
Questions people ask
My insurer wrote that it needs an ESA inspection. What do I order?
ESA closed its ElecCheck program on April 4, 2022. For insurance, a Licensed Electrical Contractor now does an Electrical System Safety Assessment. Any repair it finds needs its own ESA notification, and the inspected work ends with a Certificate of Acceptance for your insurer.
Is aluminum wiring allowed in Ontario?
Yes. ESA’s 2022 notice calls the recall story a myth. The Code permits aluminum when every termination uses devices or connectors approved for it, installed to the maker’s instructions.
Are CO/ALR outlets and switches enough?
ESA accepts them for receptacles and switches up to 20 A. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission calls them an incomplete repair, since fixtures and hardwired appliances have no such device. Ask for both prices and check which route your insurer accepts.
A previous owner put in some modern outlets. Do those count as repaired?
ESA says copper-only replacements, such as Decora-style outlets fitted on aluminum, must be changed for devices marked for both metals. Mention them in the request.
Do the stove and dryer circuits need the same repair?
The US commission’s repair advice covers the 15 A and 20 A branch circuits and excludes the heavier dryer, range and service cables. Ask the quote to state whether those circuits are in scope.
