FAQ

An electrician installs, maintains, and repairs the wiring, panels, outlets, switches, and fixtures that carry power through a home or building. Day-to-day work includes running new circuits, upgrading service panels, installing lighting, EV chargers, and generators, replacing aluminum or knob-and-tube wiring, and troubleshooting faults such as tripping breakers or dead outlets. Every installation must meet the Ontario Electrical Safety Code and, where required, be inspected by the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA). Electricians read blueprints, plan circuit loads, and pull permits for larger jobs like service upgrades or full rewires. In Toronto and the GTA, licensed electricians handle residential renovations, commercial fit-outs, industrial maintenance, and 24-hour emergency calls for power loss, burning smells, or damaged wiring.

An electrician is a person — a tradesperson certified to perform electrical work under the Skilled Trades Ontario Certificate of Qualification (309A construction and maintenance, or 442A industrial). An electrical contractor is a business licensed by the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) to offer electrical services to the public in Ontario. Every contractor must hold an ECRA/ESA licence and employ (or be led by) a master electrician. In short, the electrician does the work; the contractor is the company legally responsible for the work, the permits, and the ESA inspection. Hiring a licensed contractor — not just an electrician — is what protects you legally and financially if something goes wrong.

A master electrician is a certified electrician who has passed the ESA-administered Master Electrician exam and is authorized to act as the technical designate for a licensed electrical contracting business in Ontario. Every ECRA/ESA-licensed contractor must have at least one master electrician on staff — that person is legally responsible for making sure the company’s work meets the Ontario Electrical Safety Code and that permits and inspections are handled correctly. To qualify, a candidate needs a valid Certificate of Qualification (309A or 442A), several years of documented industry experience, and a passing grade on the master electrician exam covering code, business, and safety. Master electricians typically design larger projects, sign off on service upgrades, and act as the point of contact for ESA inspectors.

In Ontario, an electrician must hold a Certificate of Qualification (C of Q) issued by Skilled Trades Ontario in either 309A (Construction & Maintenance Electrician) or 442A (Industrial Electrician). Both are compulsory trades — meaning working as an electrician without one is against the law. To earn the C of Q, a candidate completes a registered apprenticeship of roughly 9,000 hours of on-the-job training plus in-school technical training, then passes the provincial Certificate of Qualification exam. Apprentices work under a fully licensed journeyperson and are registered with the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. If the electrician plans to run their own business, they also need to become a master electrician and register the company as an ECRA/ESA-licensed contractor with the Electrical Safety Authority.

The path takes about 4–5 years. First, register as an apprentice with Skilled Trades Ontario under a sponsoring employer — usually a licensed electrical contractor. Complete roughly 9,000 hours of paid on-the-job training under a licensed journeyperson, plus three levels of in-school technical training (about 720 classroom hours total) at an approved college. After finishing the apprenticeship, write and pass the Certificate of Qualification exam for 309A (Construction & Maintenance) or 442A (Industrial). Because both trades are compulsory in Ontario, the C of Q is the legal ticket to work as an electrician. To open your own business, add the Master Electrician exam and register your company for an ECRA/ESA contractor licence through the Electrical Safety Authority.

No. Electrical work in Ontario is regulated by the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) under the Electricity Act and the Ontario Electrical Safety Code. Only a licensed electrical contractor (ECRA/ESA-licensed business) or a licensed electrician working for one may perform electrical work for hire. Doing paid electrical work without the proper ECRA/ESA licence is a provincial offence and carries fines of up to $50,000 for individuals and $1,000,000 for corporations. There is one narrow exception: a homeowner may do certain electrical work in their own single-family dwelling, provided they file a notification with the ESA and have the work inspected. Rental properties, condos, and commercial buildings are off-limits. Any work that does not meet code — no matter who did it — must be corrected by a licensed electrician.

In Ontario, a homeowner may do electrical work in a single-family home they own and occupy — not in rental units, secondary suites, condos, or commercial buildings. Before starting, the homeowner must file a Notification of Work (ACP) with the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) and pay the inspection fee. Typical DIY-allowed tasks include replacing a switch or outlet on an existing circuit, swapping a light fixture, or running a new circuit in an unfinished area. Service panel changes, meter base work, and anything on the utility side of the meter must be done by a licensed electrician. All work must meet the Ontario Electrical Safety Code and pass ESA inspection. Skipping the notification can trigger fines, insurance denial, and a mandatory tear-out of non-compliant work.

Check the ESA’s Contractor Search tool at esasafe.com. Every legitimate electrical business in Ontario carries a 7-digit ECRA/ESA licence number — usually displayed on the truck, invoice, uniform, and website. Enter that number (or the company name) on the ESA site and you’ll see the licence status, expiry date, and the name of the master electrician on record. For individual tradespeople, ask to see the Certificate of Qualification (309A or 442A) issued by Skilled Trades Ontario and confirm it is current. Ask for the ECRA/ESA number in writing before signing anything, and always request an ESA inspection permit (“notification of work”) for panel upgrades, rewires, and new circuits. If the electrician cannot or will not produce those numbers, walk away.

Hiring a licensed electrician protects your home, your family, and your insurance. Licensed electricians work under an ECRA/ESA-licensed contractor, follow the Ontario Electrical Safety Code, and file notifications with the ESA so the job is inspected and documented. That paper trail matters when you sell your home, refinance, or file an insurance claim after a fire or flood. Licensed contractors carry WSIB coverage and liability insurance, so a workplace injury or property damage falls on their insurer — not on you. They also warranty their work. Unlicensed work often looks fine but hides code violations that only surface during a home inspection or, worse, a fire investigation, and undoing bad work costs far more than doing it right the first time.

The risks are financial, legal, and life-safety. Unlicensed work rarely meets the Ontario Electrical Safety Code, so hidden mistakes — undersized wire, missing grounds, overloaded circuits — can cause shocks, arc faults, and house fires. Home insurance policies typically exclude damage caused by work that was not performed by a licensed electrical contractor, meaning a fire claim can be denied outright. There is no ESA inspection, no permit record, and no warranty, so problems surface during resale — buyers and lenders demand a certificate of inspection, and passing one means paying a licensed electrician to redo the work. The unlicensed installer carries no WSIB or liability coverage, so if they are hurt on your property or cause damage, you are on the hook. Fines under the Electricity Act reach $50,000 for the person doing the work.

An electrical contractor is a business licensed by the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) to design, install, and repair electrical systems for the public in Ontario. Every contractor holds a 7-digit ECRA/ESA licence, employs at least one master electrician as its technical designate, and is legally responsible for permits, ESA notifications, and code compliance on every job. Contractors range from small owner-operated shops focused on residential service calls to large firms handling commercial fit-outs, industrial plants, and infrastructure. Unlike an individual electrician (a certified tradesperson), the contractor is the corporate entity that carries WSIB coverage, general liability insurance, and warranty obligations. When you hire "an electrician" in Ontario, you are technically hiring a licensed contractor and being served by one of its qualified electricians.

Electrical contractors handle every stage of electrical work: design, installation, upgrade, maintenance, and emergency repair. Residential services include panel and service upgrades, aluminum and knob-and-tube rewiring, EV charger and generator installation, pot lights, smoke and CO detectors, and troubleshooting. On the commercial side, a contractor installs lighting, distribution panels, tenant fit-outs, backup power, and low-voltage cabling. Industrial work covers machine wiring, VFDs, motor control, and PLC integration. Most licensed electrician teams also offer thermal inspections, load calculations, ESA permit filing, and 24-hour emergency response for outages, burnt outlets, or arc faults. A full-service contractor pulls the ESA notification, performs the work to the Ontario Electrical Safety Code, coordinates the ESA inspection, and provides a written warranty on labour and parts.

Any electrical work beyond changing a light bulb should go to a licensed electrical contractor — not a handyman. In Ontario, electrical work for hire is legally restricted to ECRA/ESA-licensed contractors. Handymen are not permitted to install outlets, run circuits, wire fixtures, or touch panels, and their work will not be recognized by the ESA or your home insurer. A contractor pulls the ESA notification, follows the Ontario Electrical Safety Code, and provides a Certificate of Inspection you can produce at resale or during an insurance claim. Handyman-installed wiring often looks fine but hides code violations that a home inspector or, worse, a fire investigator will find later. If the task involves anything hard-wired — new circuits, panels, EV chargers, hot tubs, or outdoor lighting — call a contractor.

Yes. In Ontario, only a licensed electrical contractor (or a homeowner working on their own single-family dwelling) may file a Notification of Work with the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) — Ontario’s version of an electrical permit. The contractor logs into the ESA portal, describes the scope of work, pays the fee, and receives a permit number. Once the job is complete, the contractor requests an inspection; an ESA inspector visits, checks the installation against the Ontario Electrical Safety Code, and issues a Certificate of Inspection when the work passes. That certificate is what banks, buyers, and insurers ask for during a resale or claim. A homeowner who hires a licensed electrical contractor should always ask for the ESA permit number and, later, the signed Certificate of Inspection.

Yes — a legitimate electrical contractor in Ontario carries general liability insurance (typically $2 million or more) and Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) coverage on every worker. Liability insurance covers property damage or injury caused by the contractor’s work — a wiring fault that damages a home, or a client injured on site. WSIB covers the electricians themselves if they are hurt on your property, so you are not exposed to a workers’ compensation claim. Before signing, ask the contractor for a Certificate of Insurance and a WSIB Clearance Certificate — both are free to produce and confirm coverage is active. Any contractor that refuses is a red flag. The Electrical Safety Authority also requires contractors to maintain minimum insurance as a condition of the ECRA/ESA licence.

In Ontario, any electrical work performed for hire — no matter how small — must be done by a licensed electrical contractor. That includes service panel upgrades, new circuits, EV charger and hot-tub wiring, backup generator hookups, pot-light installations, kitchen and bathroom renovations, whole-home rewires, commercial fit-outs, industrial machinery wiring, and low-voltage data and security cabling. Even smaller jobs — replacing an outdoor receptacle, adding a bathroom fan on a switched circuit, or extending a circuit into a finished basement — require a licensed contractor and, in most cases, an ESA notification. Homeowners may legally do certain work on their own single-family dwelling if they file the notification themselves, but rental units, condos, and commercial spaces are off-limits. When in doubt, hire the contractor and get the ESA Certificate of Inspection.

Yes — commercial work is a core specialty for many ECRA/ESA-licensed contractors. An electrical contractor handling commercial buildings takes on retail fit-outs, restaurant kitchens, office tenant improvements, warehouses, medical clinics, and small manufacturing spaces. Typical scope includes service and distribution panel design, three-phase power distribution, LED lighting and lighting-control systems, emergency and exit lighting, fire alarm interconnects, HVAC hookups, rooftop unit disconnects, EV chargers for commercial parking, and data and communications cabling. Commercial projects usually involve larger loads, stricter code requirements around egress and emergency systems, and closer coordination with the ESA, the fire code, and the local building department. A contractor with commercial experience will handle the ESA notification, engineer-stamped drawings when required, and inspection coordination as part of the fixed-price scope.

Yes, but industrial work is a specialty that typically requires the 442A Industrial Electrician Certificate of Qualification rather than the 309A residential/commercial ticket. Industrial projects — food plants, warehouses, manufacturing facilities, waste-treatment sites — involve three-phase distribution, motor control centres, variable frequency drives, PLC integration, high-bay lighting, machine wiring, and preventive-maintenance programs on rotating equipment. A licensed industrial electrician working under an ECRA/ESA contractor will lock out and tag out equipment, perform thermal imaging on switchgear, service transformers, and troubleshoot production stoppages. Contractors on industrial sites must also carry construction health and safety credentials, WSIB coverage for higher-risk work, and often site-specific safety orientation. Always confirm the contractor has 442A-certified electricians on staff before awarding industrial work.

Ask for the 7-digit ECRA/ESA licence number and verify it on esasafe.com. Ask for a Certificate of Insurance ($2M liability or higher) and a current WSIB Clearance Certificate. Confirm which electricians (309A or 442A) will actually be on site and that the company will file the ESA notification and schedule the inspection. Get a written, itemized quote — not a verbal estimate — showing materials, labour, permit fees, and a completion timeline. Ask about warranty terms (a year on labour is standard). Ask if the electrical contractor has done similar work recently and request two local references. Finally, ask how change orders and unforeseen conditions are priced. A contractor who answers all of that in writing is the one to hire; a contractor who deflects any of it is the one to avoid.

Start with the ESA Contractor Search at esasafe.com to confirm the ECRA/ESA licence is active. Read Google and HomeStars reviews and look for consistent themes — response time, cleanup, honesty on pricing. Get three written, itemized quotes so you can compare scope, not just totals. Confirm the contractor has recent experience with your specific job (panel upgrade, EV charger, commercial fit-out) and ask for two local references. Verify insurance and WSIB. For larger projects, look for a master electrician on staff and permits filed under the company’s name. Pick a contractor who explains the ESA process, provides a written warranty, and communicates clearly — not the cheapest one, since low-ball bids usually mean unlicensed labour or code shortcuts. A well-run electrical contractor will file the permit, do the work to code, and hand you the inspection certificate.

A master electrician is a certified electrician who has passed the ESA’s Master Electrician exam and is authorized to act as the technical designate of an ECRA/ESA-licensed electrical contracting business in Ontario. Every licensed electrical contracting company must have at least one master electrician on staff — that person is the company’s technical head, responsible for making sure all work is designed and installed to the Ontario Electrical Safety Code. To qualify, a candidate needs a valid Certificate of Qualification (309A construction and maintenance, or 442A industrial), several years of practical experience, and a passing grade on the master exam covering code, business law, and safety. The master electrician’s name is tied to the ECRA/ESA licence and appears on the ESA contractor lookup for the business.

A master electrician is the only category legally allowed to be the technical designate of a licensed electrical contracting business in Ontario. A journeyperson electrician (309A or 442A) can perform electrical work, but only under a contractor whose ECRA/ESA licence is held by a master. Beyond that, a master electrician signs off on project designs, submits ESA notifications on behalf of the company, hosts ESA inspectors, resolves code deficiencies, and answers to the ESA if enforcement action is taken. They also typically own or lead the company, price larger projects, and mentor apprentices and journeypersons. In day-to-day tool work, a master electrician does what any licensed electrician does — the difference is regulatory authority and legal responsibility for the company’s technical performance.

The requirement is regulatory, not project-based. Ontario law makes it illegal to operate an electrical contracting business without an ECRA/ESA licence, and an ECRA/ESA licence cannot be issued without at least one master electrician acting as the technical designate. So every legitimate project — from a single outlet swap in a rental unit to a full commercial fit-out — is ultimately backed by a master electrician on the contractor’s roster. On larger, more complex projects (service upgrades, distribution redesigns, industrial installs), the master electrician often reviews or stamps the design personally, coordinates directly with the ESA inspector, and signs the final compliance documentation. Their code depth is what protects the client from re-inspection failures, insurance disputes, and post-closing repair demands.

In Ontario, "permits" for electrical work take the form of ESA notifications, and only a licensed electrical contractor may file them. Because every ECRA/ESA-licensed contractor must have a master electrician as its technical designate, in practice the master electrician (or an authorized administrator working on their behalf) is the person who logs into the ESA portal, files the notification, pays the fee, and later requests the inspection. The master electrician is legally accountable for the accuracy of the notification and for the compliance of the work performed under it. If the ESA cites a deficiency, the correction letter is addressed to the contractor and, ultimately, to the master electrician of record. So yes — practically speaking, a master electrician is the one who signs the ESA permit.

A master electrician can review, test, and certify their own company’s work, but formal Certificates of Inspection in Ontario are issued only by the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA). ESA inspectors are separate, government-appointed personnel who visit the site after the contractor files a notification. What a master electrician can do is perform a professional site assessment: load calculations, thermal imaging, code compliance walk-throughs, and pre-purchase inspections of an existing home’s wiring. These reports are often used by buyers, insurers, and property managers to identify problems before an ESA inspection is required. But when a legal Certificate of Inspection is needed — for a service upgrade, a renovation, or after unpermitted work is discovered — only ESA can issue it, and only after a licensed contractor has filed the notification.

Roughly 6–8 years total. A candidate must first complete an apprenticeship as an electrician, which averages 4–5 years and about 9,000 hours of on-the-job training plus three levels of in-school technical education. After passing the Skilled Trades Ontario Certificate of Qualification exam (309A or 442A), the tradesperson works as a licensed journeyperson to build practical field experience. The ESA typically requires several additional years of documented industry experience before a candidate is eligible to write the Master Electrician exam, which tests knowledge of the Ontario Electrical Safety Code, business practices, and safety. Once the exam is passed, the person can be named as the technical designate on an ECRA/ESA contractor licence and legally use the master electrician title in Ontario.

No. A licensed electrician holds a Certificate of Qualification (309A or 442A) from Skilled Trades Ontario and is legally allowed to perform electrical work under an ECRA/ESA-licensed contractor. A master electrician has taken the additional step of passing the ESA-administered Master Electrician exam and being named as the technical designate on a contractor’s licence. Most electricians remain journeypersons for their entire careers — they are highly skilled tradespeople but do not choose to own or run a contracting business. Every legitimate electrical contracting company in Ontario needs at least one master electrician on the roster, but the average job crew is made up of journeypersons and apprentices working under the master’s authority. In short: every master is a licensed electrician, but not every licensed electrician is a master.

Yes — and in Ontario, a master electrician is almost always at the centre of any legitimate electrical contracting business. To open an electrical contractor licensed by the ESA (ECRA/ESA licence), the applicant must nominate a master electrician as the technical designate on the licence application. The master electrician can be the sole owner, a partner, or an employee with a written technical-designate agreement. Owning a contracting business also means carrying general liability insurance and WSIB coverage, filing annual returns with the ESA, and staying current on the Ontario Electrical Safety Code as amendments are released. Many electricians pursue their master’s certification precisely so they can start their own company, price their own work, and take on projects that require a licensed contractor of record.

The master electrician is the technical head of an ECRA/ESA-licensed contracting business. Their responsibilities include reviewing and approving designs, filing ESA notifications, receiving inspection results, correcting code deficiencies, mentoring apprentices and journeypersons, and staying current on updates to the Ontario Electrical Safety Code. They act as the company’s point of contact with the ESA and are personally accountable if the contractor’s work fails inspection or triggers enforcement action. A master electrician also sets internal safety standards — lockout/tagout, arc-flash protection, ladder and PPE rules — and often signs off on higher-risk jobs like service upgrades, industrial installs, and emergency generator transfers. Beyond code, they usually price larger projects, review invoices before they go out, and represent the company at inspections, insurance investigations, and legal proceedings related to the work performed.

Hiring a company led by a master electrician means the electrical work is designed, installed, and inspected by someone with the highest level of trade certification in Ontario. The master electrician is legally accountable to the Electrical Safety Authority for every job, and their name is publicly tied to the contractor’s ECRA/ESA licence. That accountability translates into cleaner installations, correct load calculations, faster ESA inspections, and fewer callbacks. For larger projects — panel upgrades, EV chargers, custom home wiring, commercial fit-outs — the master electrician’s code depth prevents expensive re-inspection failures and insurance disputes. On the paperwork side, you get accurate ESA notifications, valid Certificates of Inspection, and a written warranty backed by a business that has met the province’s toughest licensing bar. It is the safest bet for anything beyond a simple repair.

In Ontario, an ESA permit is officially called a Notification of Work, filed with the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) before electrical work begins. It is the province’s version of an electrical permit and is required for almost every kind of electrical installation — from a new outlet on a dedicated circuit to a full service upgrade. The notification tells ESA the address, scope of work, and who is responsible for it. Only a licensed electrical contractor (ECRA/ESA-licensed business) or a homeowner working on their own single-family dwelling may file one. After the work is finished the filer requests an inspection, an ESA inspector visits, and if the installation meets the Ontario Electrical Safety Code, a Certificate of Inspection is issued. That certificate is the legal proof the work is compliant.

An ESA permit (Notification of Work) is required for virtually every electrical installation in Ontario — not just major projects. New circuits, panel and service upgrades, aluminum or knob-and-tube rewires, EV charger and hot-tub hookups, kitchen and bathroom renovations, backup generator ties, pot-light installations, commercial fit-outs, and industrial machine wiring all require a notification. Even small jobs like adding an outdoor receptacle, a bathroom fan on a switched circuit, or extending a circuit into a finished basement need one. Simple like-for-like repairs — swapping a burnt outlet or a broken switch on an existing circuit — usually do not. If you are not sure, a licensed electrician can confirm during the estimate and will file the notification as part of the job. Skipping a required notification is a provincial offence and can invalidate insurance coverage.

The party performing the work is responsible for filing the ESA notification. When you hire a licensed electrical contractor, the contractor files the notification under its ECRA/ESA licence, pays the fee, and later requests the inspection. The permit number and eventual Certificate of Inspection are issued in the contractor’s name. If a homeowner does the work themselves in their own single-family dwelling, they must file the notification under their own name and pay the homeowner rate. On multi-trade projects (renovations, additions), the general contractor typically coordinates but does not file for electrical — the electrical portion still has to be filed by the licensed electrical contractor or the homeowner personally. Never let a handyman or unlicensed installer promise to handle the permit — only ECRA/ESA-licensed businesses have portal access to file.

Yes, but only for electrical work in a single-family home the homeowner owns and occupies — not a rental unit, a condo, a secondary suite, or a commercial building. The homeowner logs in to the ESA portal, files a Notification of Work (ACP), pays the homeowner fee, and describes the scope. Once the work is complete the homeowner requests an inspection; an ESA inspector visits, checks the installation against the Ontario Electrical Safety Code, and issues a Certificate of Inspection if the work passes. The homeowner is personally responsible for code compliance — no licensed electrician stands between them and the ESA. If the work fails, the homeowner must correct the deficiencies (typically by hiring a licensed electrician) and pay for the re-inspection before the certificate is issued.

Individual electricians cannot file ESA notifications under their own name — only ECRA/ESA-licensed electrical contractors can. In practice, the electrician on your job works for a licensed contractor, and the contractor’s office (or the master electrician acting as technical designate) files the notification on the ESA portal before the work starts. The notification, permit number, and eventual Certificate of Inspection are all issued in the contractor’s name, not the individual electrician’s. If an electrician offers to do work for cash off the books and skip the notification, they are moonlighting outside their employer’s licence and the work has no legal permit or inspection. That leaves you exposed to insurance denial, resale problems, and enforcement action. Always confirm the notification will be filed under the contractor’s ECRA/ESA licence.

Work performed without an ESA Notification of Work is a code violation and a provincial offence under the Electricity Act. If the ESA discovers the unpermitted work — usually during a later inspection, a home sale, or a fire investigation — you will be ordered to hire a licensed electrical contractor to file a retroactive notification, expose the affected work for inspection, correct any deficiencies, and pay for the inspection. Fines can reach $50,000 for individuals and $1,000,000 for corporations. Beyond fines, home insurers routinely deny fire or damage claims when the underlying work has no permit and no Certificate of Inspection. During resale, buyers and their lawyers will demand a certificate — if there is not one, expect a price reduction or a mandatory correction as a condition of closing. Getting the permit up front is always cheaper.

An ESA Notification of Work is generally valid for one year from the date it is filed, but ESA can extend or shorten that period on a case-by-case basis. If the work is not completed and inspected within the validity window, the notification lapses and a new one has to be filed (with a new fee) before the job continues. For longer projects — commercial fit-outs, phased renovations, or industrial installs — the licensed electrical contractor can request an extension in writing, describing why more time is needed. Any change in scope (extra circuits, added subpanels, new equipment) usually needs an amended notification rather than an extension. Best practice is to request the ESA inspection promptly after the work is complete, since delays can trigger additional inspection fees or force you to redo the notification.

Legally you can list the house, but any unpermitted electrical work becomes a problem at the offer stage. Home inspectors, buyers, and their lawyers will ask for ESA Certificates of Inspection covering visible upgrades — panel changes, aluminum wiring corrections, added circuits, pot lights, hot tubs, or EV chargers. If a certificate cannot be produced, buyers typically demand a price reduction, a holdback, or a condition requiring the seller to hire a licensed electrical contractor to file a retroactive notification, expose the work for inspection, correct any deficiencies, and produce the certificate before closing. Insurance underwriters will ask the same questions when the new owner applies for coverage. In practice, unpermitted work does not stop a sale — it just makes it slower, cheaper for the buyer, and more expensive for the seller.

Almost always. Any renovation that touches wiring — kitchen, bathroom, basement finish, attic conversion, addition, or full gut — requires the licensed electrical contractor to file an ESA Notification of Work before the electrical portion starts. Typical renovation-scope items that require the notification include adding or moving outlets, running new circuits, installing under-cabinet or pot lighting, hooking up range hoods and dishwashers, wiring bathroom fans and heated floors, adding EV chargers, and connecting HVAC equipment. If drywall is coming down or new walls are going in, ESA will want to inspect the wiring before it is covered — this is the rough-in inspection. After trim work, a final inspection follows. Small like-for-like repairs on existing circuits (swapping a burnt outlet, replacing a fixture) usually do not require a notification, but anything more involved does.

Yes — always. Replacing an electrical panel is one of the most safety-critical jobs an electrician performs, and Ontario requires the licensed electrical contractor to file an ESA Notification of Work before touching the panel. The notification covers the disconnect from the utility, the new panel and breakers, the grounding and bonding, and any service size change (100A to 200A, for example). Coordination with Toronto Hydro (or the local utility) is usually part of the job — the utility disconnects the drop before the work and reconnects it afterward. Once the panel is installed the contractor requests an inspection; the ESA inspector verifies conductor size, breaker ratings, torque, labelling, grounding, and bonding, then issues a Certificate of Inspection. Panel work performed without a permit is a common trigger for insurance disputes and re-inspection orders at resale.

An ESA inspector visits the site at the time scheduled by the licensed electrical contractor and physically examines the electrical work covered by the Notification of Work. The inspector checks the installation against the current Ontario Electrical Safety Code — verifying conductor sizes, breaker ratings, grounding and bonding, box fill, GFCI and AFCI protection, working clearances, labelling, and correct torque on major connections. On rough-in inspections (before drywall goes up) the inspector focuses on wire runs, staples, cable protection, and box installation. On final inspections the inspector checks device installation, cover plates, panel labelling, and connection torque on service equipment. If the work meets code, the inspector issues a Certificate of Inspection. If there are deficiencies, a correction notice is issued and a follow-up inspection is scheduled after fixes.

An ESA inspector applies the Ontario Electrical Safety Code line by line. On a residential project they check: correct conductor size and insulation for the load; proper breaker size and type (AFCI in bedrooms, GFCI in kitchens, bathrooms, garages, and outdoors); cable stapling, protection through studs, and box fill; secure grounding and bonding at the panel, water main, and gas piping; working clearance in front of panels; correct torque on lugs and breakers; and clear labelling of circuits. They inspect device installation — no reversed polarity, no back-stabbed connections where prohibited, no exposed live parts. On service upgrades the inspector verifies meter base, main disconnect, service conductor size, and utility coordination. Any deviation from the code becomes a correction item on the deficiency report until the licensed electrician fixes it.

Make sure the site is safe, accessible, and ready for the inspector. Turn off the panel before rough-in inspections if wiring is exposed. Leave junction boxes open, cables un-stapled where the inspector needs to trace them, and provide a working circuit diagram or panel schedule if requested. Keep drywall off the walls until the rough-in passes — covering wiring before the inspection means opening it back up. For final inspections all devices should be installed, plates on, panel labelled, and covers secured. Provide the ESA notification number and, if requested, the Certificate of Insurance and 309A/442A licence numbers for the electricians on site. A licensed electrical contractor handles most of this automatically, but the homeowner should ensure pets are secured, the panel area is clear, and there is enough light for the inspector to work.

Most residential inspections take 20–60 minutes on site, depending on the scope of work. A simple final for a single-circuit addition can wrap up in 15 minutes; a full service upgrade with sub-panels can take an hour or more. Rough-in inspections tend to be quicker than finals because there are fewer components to verify. Commercial and industrial inspections are longer — a large fit-out or industrial machine install may take a half-day, sometimes split across multiple visits. The scheduling window is usually a half-day (morning or afternoon), and a licensed electrical contractor or the homeowner (for own-home work) must be on site to open panels, remove covers, and answer questions. After the inspection, the Certificate of Inspection or the deficiency notice is issued within a few business days through the ESA portal.

A failed inspection is not the end of the world — it just means the ESA inspector found one or more items that do not meet the Ontario Electrical Safety Code. The inspector issues a written correction notice through the ESA portal listing each deficiency (for example: missing AFCI on bedroom circuits, incorrect grounding at the panel, poor cable support). The licensed electrical contractor must fix every listed item, then request a re-inspection. A re-inspection fee applies. Once the corrections are verified, the Certificate of Inspection is issued. For homeowner-filed notifications the process is the same, but the homeowner pays the re-inspection fee and is personally responsible for the corrections — usually meaning hiring a licensed electrician after the fact. Most failed inspections come from minor deficiencies, not fundamental design errors.

Yes, in most cases. If the utility has already energized the service (or the service was never disconnected), the circuits that have been installed under an open notification can be used while the inspection is pending. What you cannot do is treat the installation as final — the Certificate of Inspection is only issued after the ESA inspector signs off. On new service upgrades where the utility has to reconnect, ESA usually requires the inspection (or at least a service authorization) before Toronto Hydro or the local utility will reconnect. A licensed electrical contractor handles the coordination and will tell you which circuits are safe to use and which must stay off until the final inspection. Do not cover rough-in wiring with drywall before the rough-in inspection.

Most renovations that involve exposed wiring need two ESA inspections: a rough-in and a final. The rough-in happens after all cables are run, boxes are set, and connections are made — but before drywall goes up. The inspector verifies wire sizes, stapling, cable protection, and box fill while everything is still visible. The final inspection follows once devices, fixtures, and cover plates are installed and the panel is labelled — the inspector verifies terminations, GFCI/AFCI protection, and overall workmanship. Very small renovations that do not involve concealed wiring may only need a single inspection. Larger phased projects (whole-home rewires, additions, commercial fit-outs) may need several rough-in visits as work progresses. The licensed electrical contractor schedules each inspection with the ESA.

ESA does not tear open finished walls, but if a Notification of Work covers wiring that has been concealed before the rough-in inspection was completed, the inspector will require it to be exposed. In practice this means removing drywall, ceiling tiles, or paneling until the inspector can trace the circuits. That is why it is critical to schedule the rough-in inspection before any drywall goes up. If you are buying a home with unpermitted electrical work already hidden behind finished walls, ESA can still require limited exposure — usually at junction boxes, panels, and other accessible points — so the licensed electrical contractor can verify code compliance. The cost of opening and repairing finished walls falls on the owner. Timely rough-in inspections are the single best way to avoid this expensive rework.

Keep the Certificate of Inspection for every ESA Notification of Work performed on the property. The certificate lists the address, scope of work, date, inspector, and permit number — it is the legal proof the work meets the Ontario Electrical Safety Code. Store the PDF from the ESA portal and a printed copy in your property file. Also keep the licensed electrical contractor’s written quote and paid invoice, the Certificate of Insurance and WSIB Clearance Certificate, any warranty documentation, and photos of the work in progress (particularly panel labelling and wiring in walls before drywall). These records matter at resale, during insurance claims, when applying for a mortgage renewal, and when future renovations touch the same systems. A tidy electrical file saves days of back and forth later on.

A Certificate of Acceptance is ESA’s legal confirmation that a specific piece of electrical equipment — usually a piece of machinery, a control panel, or a custom-built assembly not carrying a recognized certification mark (like CSA, cUL, or ETL) — has been individually inspected and approved for use in Ontario. It is different from the Certificate of Inspection issued for building wiring. A Certificate of Acceptance is required when equipment is built or imported without an accepted third-party approval label — common with industrial machinery, one-off control cabinets, and custom process equipment. ESA sends a special-inspection engineer to review the equipment against Canadian standards; if it complies, an approval label is applied and the certificate is issued. Licensed electrical contractors handling industrial installs will coordinate the Certificate of Acceptance as part of the scope.