Barrie · Alectra Utilities service area
Licensed electrician in Barrie
Barrie has grown from a lakeside town into a city that keeps expanding south. We work across it, from older homes near Kempenfelt Bay to new houses in the south end, with a Master Electrician leading the job and travel time shown on the quote.
Electrical work in Barrie
A city that keeps growing south
Barrie's oldest streets wrap around Kempenfelt Bay: Allandale, the downtown, Codrington and the East End, with houses from the early 1900s through the post-war years. Neighbourhoods from the 1970s to the 2000s fill most of the city north and west of the core. Then there's the south end. When the city's boundary moved south into former Innisfil land in 2010, it opened up new communities such as Hewitt's and Salem, where homes are still being built today.
The result is a city where an electrician needs to be comfortable with everything: tired fuse-era panels near the lake, aluminum-era and 1980s wiring in established suburbs, and brand-new houses that want chargers, pot lights and finished basements. Growth has also made basement apartments common, as owners add a second unit to help with the mortgage.
Building permits come from the City of Barrie, electricity comes from Alectra Utilities, and the electrical permit is filed with the Electrical Safety Authority by us.
By neighbourhood
What Barrie homes usually need
The age of the street is the best early guide to the work.
| Area | Typical homes | Most common work |
|---|---|---|
| Allandale, downtown, East End | Early 1900s to 1950s | Panel upgrades and full home rewiring |
| Letitia Heights, Sunnidale, Codrington | 1960s to 1980s | Panel replacement, outlets and grounding |
| Ardagh, Holly, Painswick | 1990s to 2000s | Basement suites, EV chargers, pot lights |
| Hewitt's and Salem | 2010s onward | Chargers, generators, finished basements |
Panels and rewiring
Bringing an older Barrie home up to date
Many houses near the bay still have a 60 or 100 amp service and a panel that has been added to more than once. Before anything else is installed, we look at the whole system: the service and meter base, the panel and its breakers, grounding and bonding, and a sample of circuits on each floor. From there, the plan might be a panel upgrade on its own, or full home rewiring done in stages while you live in the house.
If you're buying an older home in Barrie, a pre-purchase electrical inspection tells you what the wiring will need before you close.
Winter on the bay
Why Barrie owners ask about backup power
Snow and ice storms
Heavy snow off Lake Simcoe and Georgian Bay, and ice storms that bring lines down.
Sump pumps in spring
Spring melt that tests basement sump pumps just when outages are most inconvenient.
Working from home
Home offices that can't stop for a day while the power is restored.
Commuters with EVs
Long highway commutes that make a reliable home charger part of the routine.
We install standby generators as an authorized Generac dealer and Level 2 EV chargers, often in the same visit when the panel has room for both.
Neighbourhoods
Where we work in Barrie
We cover all of Barrie, including:
- Allandale
- Painswick
- Holly
- Ardagh
- Letitia Heights
- Sunnidale
- Codrington
- Grove East
- Innis-Shore
- Bayfield
- Little Lake
- Downtown Barrie
Services in Barrie
- Panel upgrades100A to 200A service
- Full home wiringWhole house or room by room
- Backup generatorsStandby + transfer switch
- EV chargersLevel 2, 40 to 60A circuit
- Pot lights and lightingInterior + exterior
- New construction for buildersRough-in to final
- 24/7 emergency electricianDay or night
- Full home electrical inspectionsPanel to outlets
- Troubleshooting and repairsDiagnostic call
- Knob-and-tube replacementInspected, then rewired
- Aluminum wiring repairPigtail or rewire
- Whole-home surge protectionAt the panel
- Outdoor and landscape lightingWeather-rated
- Renovation electricalKitchen, bath, basement
- Basements and legal suitesPermit-ready
- Kitchen electricalCircuits + lighting
- Bathroom electricalGFCI, fan, lighting
- Temporary powerSite power, day one
- Permits and load calculationsESA, loads, drawings
- Commercial electricalRetail, office, multi-unit
Barrie service pages
What customers say
Reviews from our customers
I had a fantastic experience with Marrast Contracting. They handled all of the electrical work for both my kitchen renovation and duplex conversion, and the quality of their work was excellent.
Marrast helped us with the panel upgrade, they were professional and fast. Will hire again for sure. Thanks a lot to the team
Over the years I have used a lot of contractors but these guys are simply the best. Full end to end service, I did not have to worry about a thing. Design, layout, permit, installation, patching, painting, etc. After completion, it was like they never had to run electrical conduits and cables throughout my house.
Shaldin installed new pot lights in my condo and I'm thrilled with his work. Netsayi was also delightful to deal with for scheduling. I would recommend Marrast Contracting - fair pricing, solid work, with both clear and effective communication throughout.
100% recommend! Marrast has been amazing to work with! Shaldin was super helpful in assessing and finding the right path forward for hardwiring sconces in my apartment without having to deal with concrete and Michael's attention to detail on the install was impeccable. I had them back this spring to install a ceiling medallion and pendant light and I love it! Will definitely be booking again when needed!
[Shaldin] came out to my place on short notice to have a look at an electrical issue I was having. He was the most reasonably priced from the couple quotes I got for a maintenance call, he was friendly and easy going, explained everything in a way I could understand and diagnosed and fixed the issue quickly with no extra surprises thrown my way. Highly recommend him and will be the only electrician I call in the future.
Questions
Barrie electrical questions
Who is the utility in Barrie?
Barrie is supplied by Alectra Utilities, which took over the former Barrie Hydro territory. For a service upgrade, Alectra disconnects the old service and reconnects the new one after ESA has passed our work. We book that with them for you.
Can you wire a basement apartment in Barrie?
Yes. A second unit needs a building permit from the City of Barrie and an electrical permit from ESA, which we file. The electrical plan covers the suite's circuits, interconnected smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and whether the existing service has room for a second household. We give your designer the layout they need for the City application.
Do you charge for travel to Barrie?
Barrie is outside the GTA, so jobs here include travel time. It's listed on the written quote before you book.
Do you take out the ESA permit?
Yes. In Ontario, the licensed contractor files the notification of work with the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) and books the inspection. We handle it on every job that needs one, and you get the ESA Certificate of Acceptance when the work passes. Keep it: insurers and home buyers often ask for it.
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes. Marrast Contracting is a Licensed Electrical Contractor, licence ECRA/ESA 7016430, and every job is led by Shaldin Marrast, a Master Electrician. You can check our licence on the Electrical Safety Authority's contractor lookup at esasafe.com.