In short
- HomeStars' Ottawa electrician page puts panel work at $2,000–$4,800.
- One Ottawa firm's January 2026 list prices 100 A to 200 A at $3,000–$5,000.
- ESA's 2026 contractor fee for a service or panel change is $86, raised to the $92 minimum.
- Hydro Ottawa's charges arrive in the customer layout it emails; one layout per property per 12 months is free.
Typical prices in Ottawa
| Job | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Panel work, Ottawa | $2,000–$4,800 | HomeStars Ottawa electrician page |
| Panel replacement, basic | $1,500–$3,000 | HomeStars, Canada-wide; average about $2,500 |
| Upgrade with meter, wiring and panel | $3,000–$5,000 | HomeStars, Canada-wide |
| 100 A to 200 A | $3,000–$5,000 | One Ottawa firm’s published list, January 2026 |
| Service entrance cable | +$400–$1,200 | One Ottawa firm’s published list |
| 300 A service | $4,000–$8,000+ | HomeStars, Canada-wide |
| Electrician labour, Ottawa | $100–$160/h | HomeStars Ottawa electrician page |
| ESA notification, service or panel change | $86, $92 minimum | ESA 2026 fee guide, contractor rate |
Sources. HomeStars, Electricians in Ottawa, cost section, seen 29.10.2026. HomeStars, How Much Does It Cost to Upgrade an Electrical Panel?, Canada-wide, updated 21.08.2026, seen 29.10.2026. HomeStars, Electrician Hourly Rate in Canada: 2026 Guide, seen 29.10.2026. One Ottawa firm’s published list: Electrical Panel Upgrade Cost Ottawa 2026, January 2026, seen 29.10.2026. ESA fees: 2026 Residential Fees, Quick Reference Guide, as of 01.04.2026, seen 29.10.2026. Red flags: ESA, Identifying an unlicensed electrical contractor, seen 29.10.2026. Utility: Hydro Ottawa, Electrical service requests and Hydro Ottawa Conditions of Service, version 9, seen 29.10.2026. Loan: Better Homes Ottawa Loan Program, seen 29.10.2026. Contracts: Ontario, guide for home renovation businesses, seen 29.10.2026. Published ranges are guides; the company that calls you sets its own price.
Four published ranges, four different scopes
The published figures for an Ottawa panel upgrade seem to contradict each other. Each one counts a different set of work.
| Source | What it counts | Range |
|---|---|---|
| HomeStars, Ottawa page | Installing or upgrading panels, overloaded circuits | $2,000–$4,800 |
| HomeStars, panel guide | Basic panel replacement | $1,500–$3,000 |
| HomeStars, panel guide | Meter, wiring and panel together | $3,000–$5,000 |
| One Ottawa firm, 2026 | 100 A to 200 A | $3,000–$5,000 |
The same firm splits the core of a 100 A to 200 A job into $1,200–$2,000 for panel and materials and $1,200–$2,000 for labour. Its permit and utility lines are left out of this page, because ESA’s fee guide and Hydro Ottawa’s own page give different amounts for those.
The base line: what kind of change it is
The starting figure depends on where the house is now. On the Ottawa firm’s list:
- 60 A to 100 A: $2,000–$3,000.
- 100 A panel, same size: $2,500–$3,500.
- 200 A panel, same size: $2,800–$4,500, with no service change at Hydro Ottawa.
- Subpanel for a garage or addition: $800–$2,000.
The need for a bigger service is a load question: see 100 A or 200 A. HomeStars’ Canada-wide guide notes that electricians commonly mark up parts 15% to 25%.
The outside wall: where budgets jump
On an overhead service, Hydro Ottawa owns the wires from the pole. The mast, meter base and wires to the panel are yours, so they land on your bill. The firm adds $500–$1,500 for a new mast, $300–$800 for a meter base, $400–$1,200 for heavier service cable and $300–$1,000 for grounding. HomeStars’ Canada-wide guide prices a switch between overhead and underground entry at $1,000–$3,000.
Hydro Ottawa’s Conditions of Service add two rules. A meter inside the house must move to the outside wall when the service is upgraded or repaired, with an exception for designated heritage buildings. An overhead service tops out at 200 A. Damage to the mast has its own page: mast and meter base.
Fees beside the labour
ESA. The 2026 fee guide lists $86 at the contractor rate for a service change, panel change or service repair, so the $92 notification minimum applies. Circuits added in the same job switch the fee to the outlet count, from $105 for 1 to 10 outlets. A separate trench inspection is $177 an hour. National guides print wider permit ranges because they cover many provinces.
Hydro Ottawa. It contacts you within 10 business days of the Service Request and emails a customer layout with the work and estimated costs. One layout per property every 12 months is free. A revised layout, or a crew sent to a site that was unready, can cost extra.
Inside the house: the hours
HomeStars puts Ottawa electricians at about $100–$160 an hour. These lines change how many hours a job takes:
- Circuit count. Each circuit is moved to the new panel and tested.
- Location. A panel behind a furnace or in a finished basement costs more to reach. Moving it adds $1,000–$3,000 on the firm’s list.
- Breakers. AFCI breakers run $50–$120 each and GFCI breakers $80–$150, against $10–$20 for a standard one.
- Add-ons. Whole-house surge protection, $400–$800 on the same list.
- Old wiring. HomeStars’ Canada-wide guide puts a full upgrade of non-compliant wiring at $1,500–$5,000. ESA says houses from the mid-1960s to the late 1970s may have aluminum wiring.
Paying through the City loan
The Better Homes Ottawa Loan lists wiring and panel upgrades when energy improvements require them, such as a heat pump or a Level 2 charger. Terms on the City page: 4.33% over a 20-year term, a $10,000 minimum, a 4% administrative charge, repayment through the property tax bill. Only costs after the Notice to Proceed qualify, so apply before work starts.
Two quotes side by side
Ask each company for the same lines: panel job, mast, meter base, cable, grounding, breakers, the ESA fee, Hydro Ottawa’s charges, HST. Ask about any line one quote has and the other lacks.
ESA’s warning signs for a low quote: an estimate without an ECRA/ESA licence number or ESA fees, a cash discount, a request that you buy the supplies, or a claim that the utility need not be involved in a panel change.
Ontario requires a written agreement for work over $50. The bill can exceed the estimate by 10% at most without a signed change, the province recommends deposits of 10% or less, and a contract signed at home has a 10-day cooling-off period. The sequence of a service change is on the panel upgrade page.
In your request, give the main breaker size, whether the meter is inside or out, overhead or underground wires, and the load you plan to add.
Who you are dealing with
Ottawa Electric Desk passes your request to one independent local electrical contracting company. That company calls you back, looks at the panel and the outside wall, prices the upgrade and does the work.
Questions people ask
Why do quotes for the same house differ by thousands?
They often price different scopes. One covers the panel only, another adds a mast, meter base, cable and grounding. Ask each company to split its total into the same lines.
How much more is 200 A than a new 100 A panel?
On one Ottawa firm’s list, a same-size 100 A panel runs $2,500–$3,500 and 100 A to 200 A runs $3,000–$5,000. The ranges overlap, so the outside-wall work on your house sets the real gap.
Is the ESA fee really under $100?
For a service or panel change alone, yes: $86 at the contractor rate, billed at the $92 minimum. New circuits in the same job move it to the outlet rate, $105 for 1 to 10 outlets with service work.
What if the house needs more than 200 A?
HomeStars puts 300 A at $4,000–$8,000+. Hydro Ottawa caps an overhead service at 200 A and installs larger services underground, which adds trench and cable costs.
Can the City's loan pay for a panel upgrade?
The Better Homes Ottawa Loan lists wiring and panel upgrades when they are required for energy improvements, such as a heat pump. The minimum loan is $10,000, and only costs after the Notice to Proceed count.
A company offers a lower price for cash. Is that normal?
ESA lists a discount for cash among the signs of an unlicensed contractor, along with an estimate missing an ECRA/ESA licence number or ESA fees.
