Kitchen renovation wiring in Ottawa: counter outlets, appliance circuits and the island

Six kinds of circuit in one kitchen

An electrician prices a kitchen circuit by circuit:

• Counter outlets, 15 A split or 20 A (CSA 5-15R split or 5-20R in ESA’s bulletin).
• The fridge, on at least one branch circuit for the fridge receptacles (Rule 26-654 in ESA’s bulletin).
• The range, cooktop or wall oven at 240 V. Spec sheets list the supply each needs.
• Built-ins: dishwasher, garburator, a cabinet or over-range microwave, the hood fan.
• Lighting: pot lights, island pendants, under-cabinet strips. See pot lights.
• Open-concept walls, which get outlets like any living room.

The counter: 900 mm, islands and peninsulas

ESA’s Bulletin 26-23-8, issued October 2026, sets out how the counter rule is read. Along the wall behind the counter, no point may be more than 900 mm from an outlet, measured along the wall line. Wall behind a sink or cooktop, and counter sections under 300 mm, need none.

Each fixed island or peninsula with continuous counter space of at least 600 mm by 300 mm needs one outlet. If a sink or cooktop splits the top into two spaces that each meet that size, it needs two. A back-wall outlet along the counter run that a peninsula attaches to does not count for the peninsula. A standalone peninsula can take its outlet on the wall above it.

An island or peninsula outlet can go on a raised backsplash or partial wall behind the counter, in the countertop in a certified assembly that never faces up, or on the side or end as high as practicable, such as within 300 mm of the top. The kick plate does not count. ESA’s reason: most counter appliances ship with a 900 mm cord.

Arc-fault and ground-fault protection

Ontario’s code calls for combination-type AFCI protection on 125 V outlet circuits of 20 A or less in a home. In the kitchen, ESA exempts the counter, island and peninsula outlets and the fridge circuit. The outlets for a dedicated microwave, dishwasher, garburator or gas range are covered, and so are open-concept walls.

ESA’s knob-and-tube notice lists, for newly installed receptacles, that kitchen receptacles within 1.5 m of a sink shall be GFCI protected. Ask which of yours fall inside that distance, and whether protection sits in the panel or at the outlet. More on GFCI and AFCI protection.

ESA, the City, and the drywall date

ESA says anyone hired for electrical work in a home must be an LEC, and whoever does the work files the notification. The wiring must be inspected before it is concealed, so the rough-in inspection lands between the electrician and the drywall crew. Give the company your drywall date.

The building permit is a City matter. Replacing kitchen cabinets is on the City of Ottawa’s list of projects exempt from a permit, provided plumbing fixtures stay in place. Moving the sink alters the plumbing, and adding or removing walls is a structural change; both need a permit.

Older Ottawa kitchens

• Split outlets. They come in no GFCI version, so ESA’s 2025 flash notice sets out a breaker route and an outlet route.
• Panel size. HomeStars’ Canada-wide guide notes that houses with 60 A or 100 A panels often need a 200 A upgrade before a large kitchen renovation. The sizing logic is on 100 A or 200 A.
• Aluminum wiring. ESA says houses built between the mid-1960s and late 1970s may have it, and some insurers will not provide or renew coverage on it.

What moves the price

Within the $2,500–$6,000+ Ottawa band, the total follows:

• New circuits. One Ottawa firm lists a dedicated circuit at $200–$500; HomeStars’ Canada-wide guide puts a 240 V stove outlet at $250–$800.
• Outlet count, set by the 900 mm rule, the island and the peninsula.
• Lighting count, at $150–$300 a pot light in HomeStars’ Canada-wide guide.
• Distance to the panel. HomeStars’ Canada-wide lighting guide puts new wiring at $6–$8 per foot when new circuits are needed.
• Closed walls. Holes cut in finished drywall add patching.

What the quote should list

Each circuit by name, outlet types, box counts for the island, peninsula and under-cabinet spots, fixtures and who supplies them, panel work on its own line, drywall patching in or out, the ESA notification, and HST. ESA says a contractor’s 7-digit ECRA/ESA licence number appears on its estimates. In Ontario, a contract over $50 needs a written agreement, a bill can exceed an estimate by 10% at most without a signed change, and a contract signed at home has a 10-day cooling-off period.

Who you are dealing with

Ottawa Electric Desk passes your request to one independent local electrical company. That company calls you back, goes over the kitchen plan, prices the wiring and does the work if you agree on the price.