Short version: in Ontario, most electrical work needs a permit. The Ontario Electrical Safety Code (OESC) starts from “notify ESA” and carves out a small number of like-for-like exceptions. Here is exactly when you need an electrical permit (called a notification of work), when you can skip it, and the traps most homeowners fall into.
If the work adds, moves, upsizes, or extends anything electrical — you need a permit. If it is a straight like-for-like swap of an existing device on existing wiring — you probably do not. When in doubt, notify. The fee is small; the risk of skipping it is not.
These are true “like-for-like” jobs — no new wiring, no upsized device, no change in circuit function.
Rental units, income properties, and commercial work cannot be DIY-permitted — they must go through an LEC, whose electricians are typically certified through Skilled Trades Ontario as 309A tradespeople.
The permit is what triggers the ESA inspection. The inspection is what produces the Certificate of Acceptance — the document that keeps your home insurance valid, clears a real estate closing, and proves the work meets the OESC. No notification, no certificate, no protection.
An ESA inspector typically checks the panel labelling, breaker sizing, grounding and bonding, and that the installed devices match what was notified. On larger jobs there is often a rough-in visit before drywall goes up and a final visit once everything is energized. Most residential inspections are quick, usually well under an hour, and scheduling normally happens within a few business days of the notification being filed.
Residential notifications start at $88 in 2026. Compare that to a denied insurance claim, a stalled house sale, or ESA ordering the drywall opened years later. If your job is not clearly a like-for-like swap on modern grounded wiring, treat it as permit-required and hire an ECRA/ESA Licensed Electrical Contractor.
A straight like-for-like swap on modern grounded wiring — same type of fixture, no rewiring — does not require a notification. If the wiring is aluminum or ungrounded, or the new fixture changes circuit configuration, a permit is required.
Yes. Replacing a standard switch with a dimmer is not considered like-for-like in Ontario and requires an ESA notification.
Yes. EV charger installs typically involve a new dedicated circuit, breaker, and often panel capacity assessment — all permit-triggering work under the OESC.
Yes, only for work in your own primary residence. You are responsible for OESC compliance and for meeting the ESA inspector. Rental, income, and commercial properties must go through a Licensed Electrical Contractor.
Home insurance can deny claims linked to unpermitted electrical work, real estate closings can stall when buyers request the Certificate of Acceptance, and ESA can order the work opened up for inspection later.
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A straight like-for-like swap on modern grounded wiring — same type of fixture, no rewiring — does not require a notification. If the wiring is aluminum or ungrounded, or the new fixture changes circuit configuration, a permit is required.
Yes. Replacing a standard switch with a dimmer is not considered like-for-like in Ontario and requires an ESA notification.
Yes. EV charger installs typically involve a new dedicated circuit, breaker, and often panel capacity assessment — all permit-triggering work under the OESC.
Yes, only for work in your own primary residence. You are responsible for OESC compliance and for meeting the ESA inspector. Rental, income, and commercial properties must go through a Licensed Electrical Contractor.
Home insurance can deny claims linked to unpermitted electrical work, real estate closings can stall when buyers request the Certificate of Acceptance, and ESA can order the work opened up for inspection later.
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