How to hire an electrician in Ontario

To hire an electrician in Ontario, read their reviews and look at past work, and hire a Licensed Electrical Contractor whose 7-digit ESA licence number you have checked on ESA's Contractor Locator. Get two or three written quotes for the same job, make sure the contractor files the ESA permit, and put the written estimate in your contract. In Ontario, only a Licensed Electrical Contractor can be hired to do electrical work in your home.

Shortlist and read the reviews

Start with electricians who list your kind of job (a panel upgrade, new circuits, pot lights, a car charger, knob and tube replacement), work in your town, and take emergency calls if you need that.

When you read reviews:

• Look for recent reviews that name the job, how long it took and how it went. "Great service" tells you little.
• Read the low ratings. If the business answered a complaint fairly, that's a good sign. Watch for the same problem coming up again and again: no-shows, surprise charges, work that failed inspection.
• Check the count and the dates. A handful of recent reviews says more than many from years ago.
• On Zulma Atlas, each electrician's page shows the services they publish and the towns they serve, and has reviews from homeowners. A business that has claimed its page can answer reviews, and can show a verified licence.

Look at their past work

• Ask for photos of a similar job: a finished panel with labelled breakers shows how careful they are.
• Ask for a reference from a job like yours in the last year, and call them: was it on time, on budget, and did it pass inspection the first time?
• For a bigger job (a service upgrade, a basement suite, a car charger), ask how many they did last year.

Check the licence

In Ontario, only a Licensed Electrical Contractor (LEC) can be hired to do electrical work in a home, and it should file a permit with the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) for the job. An LEC has a 7-digit ESA licence number, which should be on its van or truck, its business card and its estimate. Ask to see it.

Search the number or the business name on ESA's Contractor Locator. It shows whether the licence is valid, expired, suspended or revoked. A business that isn't there isn't licensed. You can also call ESA at 1-877-372-7233, option 3.

iSources: Electrical Safety Authority, "Hire a Licensed Electrical Contractor" and "About Licensed Electrical Contractors".

A Master Electrician or a certified electrician on their own can't be hired directly. They work for an LEC, which holds the licence. Electrician is also a compulsory trade in Ontario, so the person doing the work must hold a Certificate of Qualification, a provisional certificate or a registered apprenticeship.

iSources: Electrical Safety Authority, "Hire a Licensed Electrical Contractor"; Skilled Trades Ontario, "Electrician: Construction and Maintenance"; Government of Ontario, "Compulsory trades and enforcement" (updated 9 October 2026).

Hiring a general contractor? General contractors aren't licensed to do electrical work. Make sure their electrician is an LEC and that it files the ESA permit.

Ask the right questions

• What's your ESA licence number?
• Will you file the ESA permit, and is it on the estimate?
• Do you carry liability insurance? Can I see proof?
• Does this job also need a building permit from the city?
• Does the job need the local utility, for example to disconnect the power for a panel upgrade?
• What's included: parts, labour, patching the walls, disposal?
• What warranty do you give on the work?
• When can you start, and how long will the power be off?

Compare quotes on the same job

• Ask each electrician to quote the same scope, in writing, with the ESA permit listed.
• Compare the total, including HST, not only the hourly rate.
• A quote far below the others can leave out the permit, the patching or the utility work. Ask what's missing.
• A quote that comes with a cash discount, and no permit, is the one to walk away from.

Permits

An ESA electrical permit and a city building permit are different things, and some jobs need both. The Licensed Electrical Contractor should always file the ESA permit as part of the job, and it should be listed on the estimate. When ESA has reviewed and accepted the work, the contractor gets a Certificate of Acceptance. Your insurance company may ask for it, and you may need it when you sell your home.

iSources: Electrical Safety Authority, "For Pete's sake, get a permit" and "Hire a Licensed Electrical Contractor".

Your rights on price and contracts

• Any home renovation or repair contract worth more than $50 must be in writing.
• If a written estimate is part of the contract, the final price can't be more than 10% over it unless you agree to new work or a new price.
• Keep the deposit to no more than 10%, and never pay the full amount before the work is done.
• If you sign at home, you have 10 days to cancel for any reason.

iSource: Government of Ontario, "Your rights when starting home renovations or repairs" (updated 6 August 2026).

After you hire: keep track of the job

• Before work starts: keep the signed contract, the estimate and the ESA permit number.
• During the job: if the plan changes, get the new price in writing before the extra work. Note the inspection date.
• At the end: test the new switches, outlets and breakers with the electrician, and make sure the panel labels are filled in. Ask for an itemized invoice, the warranty and the ESA Certificate of Acceptance.
• Keep it all together: the invoice, the warranty and the Certificate of Acceptance are what you'll need for an insurance claim or a future sale.

Red flags

These are the signs ESA itself lists:

• No ESA licence number on the vehicle or the estimate, or they won't show it.
• They also do drywall, plumbing or snow removal, and electrical on the side.
• They ask you to take out the ESA permit, or say you don't need one.
• They offer a cash discount, take only cash, or won't give a receipt.
• They say you don't need to call the utility for a panel or service upgrade.
• They tell you to say you did the work yourself if anyone asks.

If you see these, report the company to ESA.

iSource: Electrical Safety Authority, "Hire a Licensed Electrical Contractor".