What things cost
| Work | Cost |
|---|---|
| 100 A to 200 A service upgrade | $2,500–$5,000 |
| Panel replacement, same amperage | $1,800–$3,000 |
| Fuse box to breaker panel | $2,200–$3,800 |
| Subpanel for a garage, suite or workshop | $900–$1,800 |
| Meter base replacement, if required | $300–$700 |
| Associated wiring work | $500–$1,000 |
What pushes a job toward the top of the range: a new meter base, replacing the service entrance cable, grounding and bonding updates, relocating the panel, a long or awkward service run, difficult access, and coordination with the utility for the disconnect and reconnect.
Do I actually need 200 amp service?
Not automatically. A hundred amps runs an ordinary house with gas heat perfectly well. You need the upgrade when the load is genuinely arriving:
- Breakers tripping when normal appliances run together.
- A fuse box rather than breakers.
- An EV charger, a hot tub, a heat pump or air conditioning being added.
- A basement being finished or a second unit being created.
- A home inspector or insurer flagging the service.
The EV charger is the most common trigger now, and it is worth thinking one step ahead. If a charger is likely within a few years, doing the service upgrade while the walls are open for other work is far cheaper than doing it twice.
A good electrician will do a load calculation rather than guessing. Ask for it.
What ESA involvement actually means
Three things worth understanding before you compare quotes:
- Licensed contractor. The company must hold an ECRA/ESA licence. The number is public and checkable on the ESA register, and it should appear on the quote.
- Notification. The contractor files the work with ESA. This is what generates the inspection, and it is what produces the certificate at the end.
- The certificate. Keep it. It is what you show an insurer after a claim and a buyer’s lawyer at resale. Work with no ESA record is a problem that surfaces years later, at the worst moment.
If a quote is noticeably cheaper than the others, the first question is whether the ESA permit is in it. The second is whether the company is licensed at all.
What about knob and tube or aluminum wiring?
A panel upgrade does not fix the wiring in your walls. If the house has knob and tube or aluminum branch circuits, the new panel sits at the head of the same old system, and your insurer will still ask about it. Insurers commonly refuse or surcharge policies on knob and tube.
That is a separate and much larger project. Have the electrician tell you plainly what is in the walls before you decide how far to go — it changes the budget by an order of magnitude, and it is better known at the start.
Red flags in an electrical quote
| What you see | Why it matters | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No ECRA/ESA licence number | Only a licensed electrical contractor may do this work in Ontario | Ask for the number and check it on the ESA public register |
| Permit not included in the price | It reappears later, or worse, never gets filed | Confirm the ESA notification is in the quoted price |
| No load calculation | 200 amps sold by default is sometimes unnecessary and sometimes not enough | Ask what calculation supports the recommended service size |
| Utility coordination not mentioned | The service disconnect and reconnect has to be scheduled with the utility | Ask who arranges it and how long power will be off |
| Knob and tube not discussed after an old-house visit | It changes both the budget and your insurance position | Ask directly what wiring is in the walls |
| Certificate not promised | Without the ESA certificate the work is invisible to insurers and buyers | Require the certificate as a condition of final payment |
Frequently asked questions
Typically most of a working day, because the utility must disconnect and reconnect the service. Ask the contractor to confirm the scheduled window with the utility before the date.
No. The panel is the head of the system; knob and tube or aluminum branch circuits remain in the walls, and insurers still treat them as a risk. Rewiring is a separate and much larger project.
Not always, but often. A Level 2 charger is a substantial continuous load, and whether 100 amp service can carry it depends on everything else in the house. Ask for a load calculation rather than a rule of thumb.
Yes. Service and panel work in Ontario must be done by an ECRA/ESA licensed contractor who files a notification with the Electrical Safety Authority, which triggers an inspection and produces a certificate.
$1,800 to $3,000 for a like-for-like panel swap. Converting an old fuse box to a breaker panel runs $2,200 to $3,800 because more of the connection work changes.
Between $2,500 and $5,000 in 2026, covering labour, the new panel and the ESA permit. A new meter base adds $300 to $700, and service entrance cable, grounding updates or panel relocation push it higher.
Sources
- Renovation Advisor, Electrical panel upgrade Ontario 2026, 21 July 2026 — renovationadvisor.ca
- Lumos Electric, Cost to upgrade an electrical panel in Ontario, 10 June 2026 — lumoselectric.ca
- Government of Ontario, Your rights when starting home renovations or repairs — ontario.ca, checked 18 September 2026
Prices are published ranges collected on 18 September 2026, not quotes.
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