Hiring an electrician isn’t like hiring a handyman. In Ontario, only a Licensed Electrical Contractor (LEC) can legally be paid to perform electrical work in your home. Pick the wrong pro and you risk fires, failed home-sale inspections, and voided insurance. This guide walks you through exactly what to check before you sign anything.
Electrical work is life-safety work. The Ontario Electrical Safety Code (OESC) governs every wire, panel, and outlet in your home, and only a contractor holding a valid ECRA/ESA licence is authorized to perform that work for hire. A certified electrician on their own cannot sign a contract with you — they must work under an LEC, and that LEC’s Master Electrician is the one accountable to the Electrical Safety Authority for the finished job.
Every licensed electrical contractor in Ontario has a 7-digit ECRA/ESA licence number. It should appear on their vehicles, website, business cards, and every written estimate. Before hiring:
If the contractor hesitates on any of these, walk away.
A few direct questions separate the pros from the risks:
An ESA permit is not paperwork for its own sake — it is the mechanism that gets your job inspected by the Electrical Safety Authority. Skipping the permit is not a shortcut; it is the reason home sales fall through years later when an inspector finds unpermitted work. A good electrician handles the permit for you and schedules the ESA visit at the right stage of the job.
As of 2026, licensed electricians in Ontario typically charge $90–$130 per hour, with service calls, permit fees, and materials on top. Larger jobs like a panel upgrade or a full rewire are usually quoted flat-rate. Be wary of anyone dramatically below market — they are often uninsured, unlicensed, or planning to skip the permit.
The person doing the physical work is typically certified through Skilled Trades Ontario as a 309A Construction and Maintenance Electrician, which requires a multi-year apprenticeship and a provincial exam. That certification proves they can do the work safely, but it does not on its own let them contract with you — that authority sits with the LEC business licence held by their employer. Knowing the difference between the two credentials is exactly what separates a homeowner who gets a legitimate, insured job from one who ends up with unpermitted work discovered at resale.
Hiring an electrician the right way protects your home, your insurance, and the resale value of the property. Verify the ECRA/ESA licence, confirm an ESA permit will be pulled, and get everything in writing — do those three things and you have already eliminated most of the risk.
Ask for their 7-digit ECRA/ESA licence number and look it up on the ESA Find a Contractor tool at esasafe.com. Confirm the licence is active and the master electrician matches the person you are dealing with.
Most residential electrical work — panel upgrades, service upgrades, new circuits, rewires — legally requires an ESA notification (permit). Your LEC pulls it for you and schedules the ESA inspection.
Licensed electricians in Ontario typically charge $90–$130 per hour in 2026, plus service call, permit, and materials. Larger jobs are usually quoted flat-rate after a site visit.
A certified electrician (309A) holds a trade certification. A Licensed Electrical Contractor (LEC) holds the ECRA/ESA business licence that legally lets them contract with you. Only an LEC can be hired directly for electrical work.
ESA requires at least $2,000,000 in public liability and property damage insurance to hold an ECRA/ESA licence. A reputable contractor also carries WSIB coverage and will provide proof on request.
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Ask for their 7-digit ECRA/ESA licence number and look it up on the ESA Find a Contractor tool at esasafe.com. Confirm the licence is active and the master electrician matches the person you are dealing with.
Most residential electrical work — panel upgrades, service upgrades, new circuits, rewires — legally requires an ESA notification (permit). Your LEC pulls it for you and schedules the ESA inspection.
Licensed electricians in Ontario typically charge $90–$130 per hour in 2026, plus service call, permit, and materials. Larger jobs are usually quoted flat-rate after a site visit.
A certified electrician (309A) holds a trade certification. A Licensed Electrical Contractor (LEC) holds the ECRA/ESA business licence that legally lets them contract with you. Only an LEC can be hired directly for electrical work.
ESA requires at least $2,000,000 in public liability and property damage insurance to hold an ECRA/ESA licence. A reputable contractor also carries WSIB coverage and will provide proof on request.
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