Why hiring a licensed electrician in Ontario is worth it

The rules in Ontario

In Ontario, anyone who does electrical work for someone else, for pay, has to be a Licensed Electrical Contractor (LEC), licensed through the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA). The contractor must employ or be a Master Electrician, who is responsible for making sure the work meets the Ontario Electrical Safety Code.

For most work beyond like-for-like replacements, the licensed contractor also has to notify ESA before the work starts (what most people call "pulling a permit") and have the work inspected. When it passes, ESA issues a Certificate of Acceptance. Homeowners can do some work on their own home if they take out the permit themselves, but they take on the responsibility for getting it right.

Marrast Contracting is a Licensed Electrical Contractor, licence ECRA/ESA 7016430, and every job is led by Shaldin Marrast, a Master Electrician.

Safety: what you can't see matters most

Most electrical mistakes don't show up on the day. A connection that isn't tight enough, a wire that's undersized for the breaker protecting it, a missing ground or a junction box buried behind drywall can all work fine for months. Then the circuit gets a heavier load in January, the connection heats up, and the problem shows itself as a burning smell or a scorched outlet.

A licensed electrician is trained to prevent exactly these faults: sizing wire and breakers to the load, making connections that stay tight, grounding and bonding properly, and choosing devices rated for where they're installed, like GFCI protection near water and outdoor-rated equipment outside. The ESA inspection is a second set of eyes on the work.

The money side

Hiring the cheapest option, or doing it yourself, can look like a saving. Over the life of the work it often isn't.

• Insurance. If there's a fire or damage and the cause is unpermitted electrical work, your insurer may ask questions you'd rather not answer. Many insurers also ask about the panel and wiring when you buy or renew coverage on an older home.
• Selling your home. Buyers, their inspectors and their lawyers increasingly ask for ESA certificates for renovation work. Missing paperwork can hold up a sale or cost you in negotiation.
• Doing it twice. Work that fails inspection, or has to be opened up later to find a fault, costs more than doing it properly once.
• Lasting quality. Good work means fewer service calls. Our customers notice the finish: tidy panels, straight runs and devices that line up.

Licensed contractor vs. unlicensed help

Here's how the two compare on the things that matter after the job is done.

What a licensed job looks like, start to finish

Take a common example: adding a dedicated circuit for a new kitchen appliance. Here's what a licensed contractor does that you might not see.

1. Checks the panel and the loadConfirms the panel has space and the service has capacity for the new circuit, rather than assuming.
2. Sizes the circuitMatches the wire size and breaker to the appliance's requirements and the length of the run.
3. Files the notification with ESABefore the work starts, so the inspection is booked.
4. Installs to codeRoutes and secures the cable, makes connections that stay tight, and uses the right devices and protection for the location.
5. Labels the panelSo the next person knows exactly which breaker feeds the appliance.
6. Gets the work inspectedESA inspects, and the Certificate of Acceptance is issued when the work passes.

None of these steps is complicated for a trained electrician, but skipping any of them is how problems start.

Common myths about electrical work

• "It's only a small job, so it doesn't need a permit." Many small jobs do. Adding a circuit, a new outlet location or a light fixture where there wasn't one usually needs an ESA notification. Your electrician can tell you which jobs are exempt.
• "If it works, it's fine." Most electrical faults work fine until they don't. Undersized wire or a loose connection can run for months before it overheats.
• "Permits just add cost and delay." For most residential work, the ESA fee is a small part of the job, and the inspection is quick to book. The certificate protects you when you sell or claim on insurance.
• "Any contractor can do the electrical." In Ontario, only a Licensed Electrical Contractor can do electrical work for pay. A general contractor or handyman must hire one.

How to check a contractor's licence

It takes two minutes:

1. Ask for the contractor's ECRA/ESA licence number. A licensed contractor will give it to you without hesitation, and it should be on their quote, website and vehicle.
2. Look the number up on ESA's contractor search at esasafe.com. Check the business name matches the company you're dealing with.
3. Ask whether they'll file the ESA notification for your job, and ask for the Certificate of Acceptance when the work is done.
4. Get the price in writing, with what's included and what isn't.

Our licence number is 7016430. It's on every page of this website.

Good questions to ask before you hire

• Who will be on site, and is a Master Electrician responsible for the work?
• Will you file the ESA permit, and will I get the Certificate of Acceptance?
• Does my panel have the capacity for this, or will I need a panel upgrade?
• What warranty do you give on your workmanship? (Ours is a 1-year workmanship warranty.)
• If you find something unexpected, how will you tell me and price it before doing it?

If you'd like to ask us these questions directly, call (647) 930-2907 or send a request.

Hiring through a general contractor

On a larger renovation, you may never hire the electrician directly: your general contractor does. That's normal, and it works well when the electrician is licensed and the permit is filed in their name. It's still fair to ask your general contractor who their electrical contractor is, to check that licence number yourself, and to ask for the ESA Certificate of Acceptance at the end of the job. A good general contractor will be glad you asked. We do a lot of work for builders and general contractors across the GTA, and we file the permit on every job that needs one. See our work for builders.