In short
- Ontario's Electrical Safety Code requires almost all electrical work to be reported to ESA through a notification of work, filed before the work starts by whoever does it.
- ESA's 2026 fees for renovation wiring run $46 to $201 by outlet count, and $105 to $256 when the panel, meter base or mast is part of the job.
- Inspections fall at rough-in, at the service and at the end. ESA decides which installations to inspect and can accept some without a visit.
- The Certificate of Acceptance goes to whoever filed the notification. ESA calls it important for insurance and resale.
Typical prices in Ottawa
| Job | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Renovation wiring, no service work | $46–$201 | ESA contractor rate: 1–10 outlets $46, 11–30 $92, 31–40 $143, 41+ $201 |
| Renovation wiring with service work | $105–$256 | ESA contractor rate, same outlet bands; service work means mast, meter base, panel, disconnect |
| Service change, panel change or service repair | $86 | ESA contractor rate, subject to the $92 minimum |
| Reconnection after fire, flood or lightning | $345 | ESA fee for all structures |
| City of Ottawa building permit, alterations | $12.75 per $1,000 | Of construction value, minimum $117; only when the project needs a City permit |
| Ottawa electrician labour | $100–$160/h | HomeStars Ottawa page; separate from ESA fees |
Sources. ESA fees: ESA, 2026 Electrical Safety Services Fees, Residential Quick Reference Guide, as of 01.04.2026, seen 29.10.2026; ESA, Fees (1.9% increase from 01.04.2026), seen 29.10.2026. Validity and refunds: ESA, How much does an electrical notification cost?, seen 29.10.2026. Rules: ESA, Notifications and inspections, ESA, rough-in inspection, ESA, service inspection, ESA, final inspection, ESA, Preparing for your inspection, ESA, Certificate of Acceptance, ESA, Finding the right contractor, ESA, Working with general contractors, ESA, Identifying an unlicensed electrical contractor, ESA, Contractor Locator Tool, ESA, Buying a renovated home, ESA, Search of Records or Access Information, all seen 29.10.2026. Utility: Hydro Ottawa, Electrical service requests, seen 29.10.2026. City fee: City of Ottawa, Building Code fee schedule, seen 29.10.2026. Labour: HomeStars, electricians in Ottawa, cost section, seen 29.10.2026. Contracts: Ontario, guide for home renovation businesses, seen 29.10.2026.
The paper trail behind an electrical job
The Ontario Electrical Safety Code requires almost all electrical work to be reported to the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) through a notification of work. Most people call it a permit. It is filed before the work starts and leaves a permanent record of what was done at your address.
The notification belongs to whoever does the work. When you hire, by law that is a Licensed Electrical Contractor (LEC): a business with a 7-digit ECRA/ESA licence number. A general contractor running a renovation brings in an LEC for the wiring, and ESA says that wiring needs its own permit, separate from the building permit.
What ESA charges in 2026
ESA raised its fees by 1.9% on 1 April 2026. Renovation wiring is billed by outlet count in four bands, from 1–10 outlets to 41 or more, at a higher rate when service work is part of the job. A hard-wired hot tub or pool is $168 and covers up to two inspections.
Fees marked * rise to the $92 minimum when the notification total falls below it. “Service work” in the guide means the mast, meter base, service entrance equipment, panel, disconnect switch or combination panel. A sub panel is billed as ordinary work, free when inspected with the rest of the job.
Labour is extra: about $100–$160 an hour in Ottawa, per HomeStars.
Three inspections, and what each one holds up
Rough-in. Once all branch circuit wiring and outlet boxes are in, before insulation, vapour barrier or drywall. ESA checks support, boxes, bonding, splices and nail plates. Walls stay open until the inspector clears them, so on a basement finish this date sets when the drywall crew can start.
Service. After the meter base, panel, ground electrode and service conductors are installed. A trench stays open until it is seen. The utility issues a service layout first; Hydro Ottawa asks for its form three to four weeks ahead. After a passing inspection, ESA authorizes the utility to reconnect, valid for up to six months. Changeover day is covered on the panel upgrade page.
Final. Requested as soon as the job is done: devices, cover plates, fixtures and fixed appliances in place, panel directory filled in, unused openings closed. Inspections run 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday, outside statutory holidays.
ESA decides which installations it inspects and can accept some without a visit. Work that misses the Code gets a defect notice listing the corrections.
The City permit is a separate file
ESA covers wiring; a City of Ottawa building permit covers construction. ESA says a project may need both. For alterations to an existing building, the City charges $12.75 per $1,000 of construction value (materials, labour, overhead and professional fees), with a $117 minimum, due when the application goes in. Ask the company which permits your job needs and who applies for each.
Looking up the licence number
ESA’s Contractor Locator Tool searches by location or by contractor. Each listing shows a licence status: valid, expired, suspended, closed, unlicensed or revoked. It also flags contractors with a penalty or conviction. Take the number from the estimate or the van and check it before the visit.
ESA’s warning signs include an estimate with no ESA fee line and a claim that a panel change can go ahead without the utility. More on who you can hire for electrical work.
The certificate and the records
When the work passes, ESA issues a Certificate of Acceptance to whoever filed. It confirms the work meets the Code, and ESA calls it important for insurance and resale. Ask the company to send it to you when the job closes.
A residential notification is valid for 12 months. If no inspection happens in that time, it expires; ESA returns the inspection fees minus a processing fee, and a new filing pays full fees.
Buying a house adds a duty. By law the buyer must find out about open notifications, meaning defects still waiting for correction. Your lawyer asks ESA for a Search of Records as part of the purchase; ESA gives a 48-hour turnaround. After closing, an Access to Information request lists work done under ESA notifications. Records go back to 2000, and both requests carry fees. See electrical checks when buying a house.
What to put in your request, and what the quote should show
In the request: the job, the house’s age, open or finished walls, whether the panel, meter or mast is involved, and any drywall or closing date. Mention an insurer’s or a lawyer’s letter if one prompted the work.
On the quote: the ECRA/ESA licence number, an ESA fee line, which inspections the job needs and who books them, whether a City permit is included, and who receives the certificate. Ontario requires a written agreement for work over $50, and the bill can go at most 10% above an estimate in it unless you sign a change.
Who you are dealing with
Ottawa Electric Desk sends your request to one independent local electrical company. That company calls you back, prices the work along with the ESA filing, and does the job.
Questions people ask
Does adding pot lights need an ESA notification?
ESA says almost all electrical work requires one, and names pot light installations as an example of a job that still needs a filing.
What is the ESA fee for a panel change?
ESA’s 2026 guide lists $86 for a service change, panel change or service repair, subject to the $92 minimum. Panel work combined with new circuits falls in the renovation band with service work, $105 to $256.
The drywall crew is booked. When can the walls close?
After the rough-in inspection. Wiring stays uncovered until an inspector authorizes covering it.
What happens if the inspector finds a problem?
The inspector issues a defect notice listing the corrections the Code requires. The final inspection follows once they are fixed.
I never got the Certificate of Acceptance. How do I get it?
Ask the company that filed. ESA also sends it on request at 1-877-ESA-SAFE (372-7233), or through its Access to Information form emailed to RFI@electricalsafety.on.ca.
