Prices checked September 2026. In Ontario, electrical work for pay has to be done by a Licensed Electrical Contractor (LEC) registered with the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA), and the work itself by a certified electrician (309A or 309C) or a registered apprentice. Most jobs must also be reported to the ESA through a notification, the electrical version of a permit. Those rules protect you, and they are part of the price.
How much do electricians charge per hour in Ontario?
Contractor rate guides published in 2026 put a Toronto and GTA journeyperson electrician at about $100 to $150 an hour and a master electrician at $150 to $200, with London and Hamilton roughly $80 to $130. Most shops bill a one-hour minimum on weekdays and more in the evening. For comparison, Government of Canada Job Bank data puts the median electrician wage in the Toronto region at $34.86 an hour; the gap covers the contractor licence, insurance, the truck, stock and unbilled travel.
What do common electrical jobs cost?
The figures below come from 2025 and 2026 price guides published by GTA and Ontario electrical contractors, compared against each other, plus the ESA’s own 2026 fee schedule. They are market ranges for a house or condo in reasonable condition.
| Job | Low | Typical | High | What drives it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly rate, GTA | $80 | $100–$150 | $200 | Journeyperson vs master electrician, city |
| Minimum visit | $75 | $100–$200 | $250 | Weekday vs evening, travel |
| Replace an outlet or switch | $100 | $120–$200 | $250 | Box condition, aluminium or old wiring |
| GFCI outlet | $100 | $150–$250 | $350 | Replacing an existing outlet vs a new location |
| Light fixture swap | $80 | $140–$240 | $340+ | Ceiling height, fixture weight, age of the house |
| Pot light, retrofit into a finished ceiling | $100 | $150–$300 | $350 each | Joist direction, insulation, attic access |
| 100 A to 200 A service upgrade | $1,800 | $2,500–$4,500 | $5,500+ | Existing mast and meter base, overhead vs underground service |
| EV charger (Level 2) | $1,200 | $1,500–$2,500 | $3,000+ | Distance from the panel, whether the panel has room |
| ESA notification (contractor rate) | $46 | $86–$105 | $201 | Number of devices, service work included |
What does an electrician cost on Doyo?
Doyo sells three electrical jobs at a set price shown before you book: Outlet Install is $224.20, Light Fixture is $224.20, and Panel Inspection is $246.40. Every price is the full price, Doyo’s service fee included; nothing is added at checkout. Your card is held when an electrician is confirmed and charged only when the job is marked complete.
Electricians on Doyo work under an ECRA/ESA Licensed Electrical Contractor licence, checked by Doyo and kept current. You can ask for the licence number and look it up on the Electrical Safety Authority’s site. Doyo does not book panel or service upgrades at the moment, so the upgrade figures here are market prices to help you judge the quotes you get elsewhere. A panel inspection on Doyo is a sensible first step if you are not sure an upgrade is needed.
How much does a 100 amp to 200 amp upgrade cost in Ontario?
Most GTA homeowners are quoted between $2,500 and $4,500 to go from 100 A to 200 A service, and some pay as little as $1,800 when the existing mast and meter base can stay. It can pass $5,500 when a new mast, meter base or longer service cable is needed. The job involves the electrician, the ESA inspection and your local utility, such as Toronto Hydro or Alectra, which disconnects and reconnects the service.
Utility charges vary and can be the surprise in the bill. Toronto Hydro asks for a service upgrade request, may issue a quote or offer to connect, and in some cases needs a design prepayment; Alectra books upgrades of 200 A and over with a design lead time of several weeks. Ask your electrician to list the utility’s charge separately, and ask the utility directly if the figure looks high.
What changes the price of electrical work?
- Age of the wiring. Knob-and-tube or aluminium branch wiring in older Toronto homes takes longer to work on safely and may need extra parts.
- New location vs replacement. Swapping an outlet in an existing box is quick; running cable to a new spot through finished walls is not.
- Ceiling height and fixture weight. A chandelier on a 5 metre (16 foot) ceiling needs two people and scaffolding.
- Panel capacity. An EV charger, hot tub or heat pump may need a panel with free space or a load-management device.
- The utility. Service upgrades depend on Toronto Hydro, Alectra or your local utility’s schedule and charges.
- Condo rules. Some buildings require booking the elevator and proof of the contractor’s insurance.
- Evenings and weekends. Expect a longer minimum and a higher hourly rate.
How do I avoid being overcharged by an electrician?
- Check the ECRA/ESA licence number on the ESA’s contractor search before you book. It must appear on estimates and vehicles.
- Let the contractor file the ESA notification. The ESA advises homeowners not to take out a permit in their own name for work a contractor does.
- Compare the permit line to ESA’s 2026 fees. A 1 to 10 device job is $46 and a service up to 200 A is $86 at the contractor rate, with a $92 minimum; anything much larger on a quote is the contractor’s admin time, which is fair to ask about.
- Get the estimate in writing, and know the 10% rule: under Ontario’s Consumer Protection Act, 2002, the final price cannot be more than 10% over the estimate unless you agree to a new one.
- Keep deposits modest on small jobs, and ask for the ESA Certificate of Acceptance at the end of permitted work.
- Ask whether the quote includes tax, so two quotes can be compared.
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منابع
- Electrical Safety Authority — 2026 fee codes (effective April 1, 2026) · esasafe.com
- Electrical Safety Authority — Hiring a Licensed Electrical Contractor · esasafe.com
- Government of Canada Job Bank — Electrician (NOC 72200) wages, Toronto region · jobbank.gc.ca
- Toronto Hydro — Service upgrade request · torontohydro.com
- Alectra Utilities — Service requests · alectrautilities.com