ESA permits in Ontario: what homeowners need to know

What is an ESA permit?

The Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) oversees electrical safety in Ontario. It enforces the Ontario Electrical Safety Code, licenses electrical contractors and inspects installations. When people talk about an electrical permit here, they mean a filing with ESA.

ESA's own term for it is a notification of work. It tells ESA that a specific job is happening at a specific address, and who is doing it. That record links the work to a licence and puts the job in line for inspection.

The City of Toronto doesn't issue electrical permits. Neither do Mississauga, Vaughan or the other GTA municipalities. A building permit from the city is a separate approval, covering structure, layout and fire separation. Some projects need both, and our page on permits and load calculations compares the two side by side.

Who takes out the permit: you or your electrician?

If you hire someone to do electrical work, the job belongs to a Licensed Electrical Contractor. That contractor files the notification under their own licence. You shouldn't be asked to pull it yourself, and a request like that is a warning sign.

Ontario does allow homeowners to do some electrical work on a home they own and live in. In that case you file the permit yourself, as a homeowner. ESA's website explains who qualifies and what's involved.

A homeowner permit covers your own hands only. It isn't a way to have a handyman or a friend do the wiring for cash. Anyone paid to do electrical work in Ontario has to be licensed, and the permit goes in their name.

With a homeowner permit, you also carry the responsibility. You book the inspection, answer the inspector's questions and fix whatever fails. For panels, services and anything near the utility supply, a licensed contractor is the sensible choice.

Which jobs need an ESA permit?

The short answer is most of them. Adding, extending or altering wiring almost always needs a notification. Here are the jobs homeowners ask about most:

• Pot lights

  Yes. New pot lights mean new boxes, new cable and often a new circuit or switch. Ontario treats that as new wiring, whether it's two lights or twenty. See pot lights and lighting.

• Panel or service upgrade

  Yes, every time. The utility won't restore a new or altered service until ESA authorizes it. See panel upgrades.

• EV charger

  Yes. A Level 2 charger needs a dedicated 240-volt circuit, and that circuit is permitted and inspected. See EV charger installation.

• Rewiring a house

  Yes. Replacing circuits, whether a few rooms or the whole house, is permitted work, often with an inspection before walls close.

• Basement or second suite

  Yes. A suite also needs a building permit from the municipality, so two sets of inspections run side by side.

• Hot tub, generator or new circuit

  Yes. Each adds a significant load or a new connection to the panel.

Some simple replacements, such as swapping a fixture or a switch for a similar one in the same spot, may not need a notification. The rules on exemptions are specific, and ESA lists them. If you're unsure, ask your contractor before the work starts, not after.

The ESA permit process, step by step

When a licensed contractor handles the job, the permit process runs mostly in the background. Here's the order it usually follows:

1. Scope and quoteThe contractor visits, agrees the work with you and puts a fixed price in writing.
2. Notification filedBefore work begins, the contractor files the notification with ESA under their licence.
3. Rough-inOn jobs with new wiring in walls or ceilings, the cable and boxes go in first.
4. InspectionESA reviews or inspects the work. Larger jobs may get a visit before walls close and another at the end.
5. CorrectionsIf the inspector notes a defect, the contractor fixes it and ESA confirms.
6. CertificateOnce the work passes, ESA issues a Certificate of Acceptance for the job.

On a service upgrade there's one more link in the chain. ESA's approval is what allows the local utility to reconnect power to the new equipment.

What happens at an ESA inspection?

The inspector checks the work against the electrical code. They look at how cable is run and secured, at box fill, grounding and bonding, and at whether the protection suits the location. In a bathroom or outdoors, for example, they check for the right ground fault protection.

ESA decides what each job needs. Some jobs get a site visit, and some get more than one. Your part is simple: give access to the areas being inspected, and keep finished surfaces off rough wiring until it's cleared.

A noted defect isn't a disaster. It's a list of corrections, and fixing them is the contractor's job. Closing walls before a required inspection is the mistake that costs real money, because they may have to be opened again.

The Certificate of Acceptance: why it matters

The Certificate of Acceptance is ESA's record that the work was inspected and accepted. It names the address and the work covered. Keep a copy with your deed, warranties and renovation receipts.

You'll be glad you did when an insurer asks about an older panel, or a buyer's lawyer asks about the finished basement. It's also useful to the next electrician, who can see what was done and when. If you've lost a certificate, ESA's website explains how to request a copy.

ESA permit fees and inspection costs

ESA sets its own fees, and they depend on the type and size of the work. A single new circuit and a whole-house rewire are priced very differently. The current fee schedule is published on esasafe.com, so we point you there rather than quoting numbers that can change.

In general, the notification fee covers the inspections that go with the job. Extra visits can carry their own charge, and ESA's fee guide explains when. When we quote a job, the ESA permit is part of the written price, so you aren't left paying ESA separately.

What if electrical work was done without a permit?

Unpermitted work is more common than people think, especially in older basements and past renovations. It creates three kinds of risk:

• Safety. Nobody independent has checked it, so faults can sit hidden until a heavy load finds them.
• Insurance. After a fire or water loss, an insurer may ask whether the electrical work was permitted. A gap can complicate a claim.
• Resale. Buyers and their inspectors ask for certificates. Missing paperwork for a suite or a new panel can stall a sale or reopen the price.

If you suspect a past job wasn't permitted, start with a licensed assessment. Our full home electrical inspection shows what's there and what needs attention. From there, a licensed contractor can file for corrective work and have it inspected. Some walls may need opening, but it settles the question properly.

How to look up a contractor's licence

Every Licensed Electrical Contractor has an ECRA/ESA licence number. It should appear on the quote, the website and the invoice. ESA's contractor search on esasafe.com lets you enter that number or the company name and see whether the licence is current.

Check that the business name in ESA's record matches the company quoting you. A licence borrowed from someone else, or one that has lapsed, won't protect you. Ours is ECRA/ESA 7016430, and you'll find it on every page of this site. For more on hiring, read our guide on why a licensed electrician is worth it.

Quick answers about ESA permits

Do I need a permit to install an EV charger in Ontario? Yes. The charger's dedicated circuit is new wiring, and it gets permitted and inspected like any other circuit.

How long is an ESA permit good for? ESA sets time limits on open notifications, and they can change. Your contractor keeps the permit active until the final inspection. If a project stalls for months, ask them to check its status.

Can I check the status of a permit? Ask your contractor first, since the notification is in their name. ESA's website also explains how owners can ask about permits and certificates for their property.

Does a permit slow the job down? Rarely by much. Filing happens before we arrive, and inspections are planned into the schedule. The only real delay comes from closing walls too early.

Do you pull the permit on every job? Yes, on every job that needs one, and you get the Certificate of Acceptance at the end. More answers are on our FAQ page.