In short
- A lamp post or yard outlet means buried cable, and ESA wants it inspected before it is buried.
- Ontario Dig Authority, formerly Ontario One Call, arranges free utility locates for any dig; your own lines to lights or a shed need a private locate.
- Outdoor outlets within 2.5 m of grade need Class A GFCI protection, block heater outlets included.
- Public prices: a Quebec quote site lists $150–$600 for one outdoor light installed; a lighting company interviewed by HomeStars puts a complete landscape lighting job at $2,000–$5,000.
Typical prices in Ottawa
| Job | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor light installation | $150–$600 | RenoQuotes, Quebec-based quote site, May 2025 list |
| Weatherproof outdoor outlet | $150–$600 | RenoQuotes, May 2025, per outlet |
| Light fixture replacement | $150–$300 | One Ottawa firm’s published list, February 2026 |
| Added wiring for a new circuit | $6–$8 per foot | HomeStars 2026 lighting guide |
| Complete landscape lighting job | $2,000–$5,000 | HomeStars blog, interview with a lighting company, August 2026 |
| Electrician hourly, mid-size cities like Ottawa | $80–$130 | HomeStars 2026; the first hour of a call runs $100–$200 |
Sources. RenoQuotes, Electrician Prices: How Much to Budget For?, published 02.05.2025, seen 29.10.2026. One Ottawa firm’s published list: Lighting installation services in Ottawa, page modified 13.02.2026, seen 29.10.2026. HomeStars, Electrician Hourly Rate in Canada: 2026 Guide, seen 29.10.2026. HomeStars, How Much Does It Cost to Install Lights?, updated 21.08.2026, seen 29.10.2026. HomeStars blog, Expert Opinion: Light Up Your Life with Landscape Lighting, dated 24.08.2026, seen 29.10.2026. Rules: ESA Bulletin 12-2-23, Underground cable installations, issued May 2026; ESA Bulletin 26-18-15, AFCI and GFCI in a dwelling unit, ESA Bulletin 26-29-6, Replacement and alterations in dwelling units, ESA Bulletin 2-3-19, Notification not required and ESA Bulletin 2-27-4, Solar-powered LED luminaires, issued May 2025; ESA, Notifications and inspections; ESA, Finding the right contractor; ESA, Recognized certification marks; Ontario Dig Authority and its homeowners page, all seen 29.10.2026. Contracts: Ontario, guide for home renovation businesses, seen 29.10.2026.
Wall, yard or landscape
Outdoor requests fall into three groups, and each prices differently.
- On the house wall. Porch lights, a floodlight over the driveway, an outlet by the back door. The cable runs inside the wall, often to a box already there.
- Out in the yard. A lamp post, an outlet by the deck, power to a shed. These need a buried run at house voltage, and the trench is part of the job.
- Landscape lighting. Path lights, tree uplights, step lights. These systems need a central transformer and timer; a lighting company interviewed by HomeStars says the garage suits them, so mention whether yours has room.
Say which group, and how many lights or outlets, by location. One request can mix groups.
Before the shovel
Ontario One Call now operates as Ontario Dig Authority. Locates are free and required for any project that breaks ground, whatever its size or depth, and the person doing the excavation should file the request. A single-address request is completed within 5 business days, and digging waits until every notified utility has answered. A changed plan needs a new locate. Red markings show electric lines; yellow shows gas, oil or steam.
In the trench
ESA’s underground bulletin, issued May 2026, sets the marking: red or yellow tape reading “danger buried cable” about halfway between cable and grade, or permanent markers above ground. A repaired underground splice must be marked for direct burial (“DB”) and inspected before it is covered. ESA says any installation must be inspected before it is concealed or buried, so ask how the company books that visit and who restores the lawn or interlock.
Outside outlets in an Ottawa winter
Rule 26-704 wants Class A GFCI protection on outdoor 5-15R and 5-20R outlets within 2.5 m of finished grade. ESA applies it to block heater outlets and cites harsh winter conditions. A carport counts as outdoors unless walls, doors or windows close more than 60% of its perimeter. A replaced outdoor cover must meet the wet-location rule, 26-708. Circuits feeding landscape or shed outlets away from the house sit outside the arc-fault rule. Indoor rules: GFCI and AFCI.
Fixtures, controls and the approval mark
ESA says any electrical product used or sold in Ontario must be approved by an accredited agency and carry its mark, wherever it was bought. Photograph the label. Name the control you want: timer, dusk sensor, motion sensor or a switch inside. In an owner-occupied home, a Licensed Electrical Contractor may replace a light, motion sensor or timer switch in the same spot with an interchangeable unit without a notification, so a like-for-like wall light is the simplest job. Indoor swaps: light fixtures.
Price and the quote
One Ottawa firm’s published list puts a fixture replacement at $150–$300. A Quebec quote site lists an outdoor light at $150–$600 and a weatherproof outlet at $150–$600 each. Distance adds up: HomeStars puts new wiring at $6–$8 per foot. One visit for several lights pays the $100–$200 first hour once. More: electrician cost in Ottawa.
The quote should list each light and outlet, cable and route, trench length, locates, transformer, controls, GFCI devices, lawn repair, the ESA notification and HST. In Ontario, home repair work over $50 needs a written agreement, and the bill can exceed an estimate by 10% at most without a signed change.
Who you are dealing with
Ottawa Electric Desk sends your request to one independent local electrical company. That company calls you, plans the lights or outlets with you, prices them and does the work.
Questions to ask the company
- Which runs get buried, along what route, and is lawn repair in the price?
- Who files the locate request, and who arranges a private locate?
- Is the yard system 120 V or low voltage, and what turns it on?
- Does the job need an ESA notification, and is the fee included?
- Is the total with HST in writing, with your 7-digit ECRA/ESA licence number?
Have this ready for the call
- Daylight photos of each spot you want lit, plus one wide shot of the yard
- Rough distances in metres from the house to each post, light or outlet
- Where the gas meter, BBQ line, sprinklers or a shed feed run, if you know
- A photo of the panel showing free breaker spaces
- Fixtures you already bought, with the approval mark on the label
Questions people ask
The locator came, yet my old garden light cable has no flag. Why?
Public locates cover lines the utilities own. Ontario Dig Authority lists electrical lines to sheds, detached garages, lights and signs as private, and the owner arranges a private locate for those. Mention old buried runs in your request.
Does a low-voltage landscape system need an ESA notification?
ESA’s notification bulletin exempts some wiring on the load side of an approved Class 2 power supply, and a note to that line leaves luminaires and decorative lighting strips outside the exemption. Ask the company to state in the quote whether it files one.
Is a solar post light electrical work at all?
ESA’s bulletin on solar LED luminaires says an approved, standalone, pole-mounted unit needs no notification, because the wiring inside is part of the product approval. The unit must still be approved to Canadian standards.
Can the new cable share the trench with the gas line?
ESA’s underground bulletin says the Ontario code allows it. The CSA standard it cites asks for at least 300 mm of horizontal separation, and 300 mm vertically where they cross, or protection such as a sandbag where that cannot be met.
My driveway outlet trips on cold mornings. Can it go back to a plain outlet?
ESA gives outdoor block heater outlets no exemption from GFCI protection, and a replaced outdoor outlet must come back GFCI-protected. Say when it trips and what is plugged in, so the company can look for the cause.
