North York · Toronto Hydro service area
Panel and 200 amp service upgrades in North York
Thousands of North York bungalows and two-storeys from the 1950s and 60s still run on their original 60 or 100 amp service. We upgrade them to 200 amps, book the Toronto Hydro disconnect and handle the ESA permit from start to finish.
Why North York homes need it
A service sized for 1955
North York was largely built after the Second World War. Streets of brick bungalows and modest two-storeys went up across Willowdale, Don Mills, Lansing, Downsview and Bathurst Manor, each wired for a household with a fridge, a range, a washing machine and a few lights. Sixty or 100 amps was plenty.
Today the same houses are asked to power central air, an induction cooktop, a home office, a finished basement and often an electric car. Many owners only discover the limit when breakers start tripping, an insurer asks about the panel, or the EV charger installer says there's no room. A 200 amp upgrade gives the house the headroom it needs for the next few decades.
Staying put instead of rebuilding
Not every North York lot is being rebuilt. Plenty of families are keeping the bungalow and renovating it: opening up the main floor, finishing the basement, adding a rear extension or a second storey. Each of those plans runs through the panel. We look at the whole project, size the service from a load calculation and place the new panel where it suits the finished layout, not just where the old one happened to be.
Overhead or underground
The question that sets the price
How Toronto Hydro supplies your house changes the scope more than anything else.
| Overhead service | Underground service | |
|---|---|---|
| How to tell | A cable runs from a pole to a mast or bracket on your house | No wire to the house; the meter is fed from below grade |
| What we replace | Mast, weatherhead, meter base and panel | Meter base and panel, plus underground cable work where required |
| Price effect | Usually the lower end of our range | Usually higher, because of digging and cable |
| Common on | Many older North York streets | Newer subdivisions and many custom rebuilds |
With Toronto Hydro
How a North York service upgrade is scheduled
Site visit
We check the panel, meter and service entrance, and do the load calculation.
Written quote
Equipment, labour, the ESA permit and the Toronto Hydro coordination in one price.
Utility booking
We request the disconnect and reconnect from Toronto Hydro and give you the date.
Upgrade day
Power off in the morning, new service and panel installed, every circuit moved and labelled.
ESA and reconnection
ESA inspects and authorizes the connection, Toronto Hydro restores power, and you get the Certificate of Acceptance.
What's included
A complete upgrade, not just a new box
- Load calculationSized to how you live now and what you're planning
- 200 amp panel and main breakerWith room for future circuits
- Meter base and service entranceMast and weatherhead for overhead services
- Grounding and bondingBrought up to current requirements
- Every circuit moved and labelledA clear, accurate panel directory
- ESA permit and Certificate of AcceptanceFiled and booked by us
Planning an EV charger too? It's often cheapest to add the charger circuit on the same day. See EV chargers in North York.
Questions
Panel upgrades in North York: questions
Can I replace the fuse box in my North York bungalow with a breaker panel?
Yes. There's no blanket rule forcing you to, but a fuse panel is a common reason insurers decline or surcharge a policy, and it leaves no room for new circuits. Most owners replace it when they buy the house, plan a renovation or add an EV charger, and move to 200 amp service at the same time.
Can a 100 amp service be upgraded to 200 amp?
Yes, and it's one of the most common jobs in North York's postwar houses. The panel, meter base and main cable are replaced, and often the mast or underground entry as well. Toronto Hydro reviews any request to increase a service and decides whether its own line to the house needs work. We make that request and file the ESA permit for you.
Do I need a permit to upgrade my electrical panel?
Yes. A panel or service upgrade needs an ESA notification of work, and Toronto Hydro won't reconnect a new or altered service until ESA authorizes it. As the licensed contractor, we file the notification, book the inspection and give you the Certificate of Acceptance once the work passes.
How long does a panel upgrade take?
The work at the house is usually one day. The wait before it is longer, because Toronto Hydro sets the disconnect date and reviews a request for a bigger service first. We tell you the date as soon as it's booked. ESA's inspection follows the work.
I'm adding a second storey. When should the service be upgraded?
Plan it with the addition, not after. The load calculation should include the finished house, and the new panel location may change once the layout is drawn. Doing both together usually means one Toronto Hydro disconnect instead of two.
How long is the power off during a panel upgrade?
Usually most of one working day. The utility disconnects the service in the morning, we swap the panel and service equipment, and power is reconnected once the work is ready. We book the utility appointment for you and tell you the date in advance.
How much does a panel upgrade cost?
It depends on the house. The biggest factor is whether the hydro service to your house is overhead or underground, followed by where the meter and panel sit and how much wiring needs to move. The utility matters too: Toronto Hydro charges a fee for the disconnect and reconnect, which Alectra and Hydro One customers usually don't pay. Send us photos of your panel and meter for a first idea, and we give you a fixed written quote after a site visit.
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