In Ottawa, upgrading an electrical panel typically costs $2,200 to $4,500 in 2026 for a standard 100-amp to 200-amp service upgrade, with most homeowners landing around $3,000 to $3,800 all-in. If the job also requires a new service mast, meter base, and grounding — common in homes built before 1970 — the total usually climbs to $4,000 to $7,500. A straight like-for-like panel replacement (keeping the same amperage and service entrance) is cheaper at roughly $1,500 to $2,800, while an underground service upgrade requiring trenching can reach $6,000 to $10,000. Those figures include the panel, ...
The clearest way to budget is by job type rather than a single average. A like-for-like panel swap — replacing a tired 200-amp panel with a new one while reusing the existing mast, meter base, and service conductors — runs about $1,500 to $2,800 in Ottawa. The most common job, upgrading a 100-amp service to 200 amps with a new panel and breakers, costs roughly $2,200 to $4,500. Add a new service mast, weatherhead, meter socket, and grounding electrode and you're looking at $4,000 to $7,500. Homes on underground service that need trenching from the transformer or pole cost the most, typically $6,000 to $10,000, because excavation, conduit, and restoration are involved. A separate sub-panel for a garage, workshop, or basement suite adds roughly $900 to $2,000. Labour in Ottawa generally runs $95 to $150 per hour for a licensed electrician, and a straightforward upgrade takes one crew a full day.
A complete quote should cover the panel and breakers, service conductors, grounding and bonding, the ESA notification fee, the inspection, Hydro Ottawa disconnect/reconnect coordination, and basic drywall patching around the panel. Anything not listed will show up later as a change order.
Every panel or service upgrade in Ontario legally requires a notification filed with the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) before work begins, and an inspection afterward. For a residential service upgrade, the ESA notification fee generally runs about $130 to $250 depending on scope, and your electrician files it under their licence — not yours. On top of that, changing your service size means Hydro Ottawa has to disconnect the overhead or underground service, and reconnect it once ESA signs off. That coordination typically means a scheduled power outage of four to eight hours on the day of the work, and it's why panel upgrades are almost always booked as a single full-day job. Note that a service upgrade does not usually require a City of Ottawa building permit on its own — the ESA is the governing authority for electrical work — but if you're opening walls or altering structure, a building permit may apply. Never accept a quote from a contractor who suggests skipping ESA notification; unpermitted electrical work can void your home insurance and stall a future sale.
Ottawa's older housing stock is the main reason quotes here spread so widely. Century homes in Sandy Hill, the Glebe, Hintonburg, and Old Ottawa South frequently still have 60-amp fuse panels, cloth-sheathed wiring, or pockets of knob-and-tube that an electrician will find only after opening the panel. Post-war and 1960s–70s bungalows in Alta Vista, Elmvale Acres, and parts of Nepean often have aluminum branch wiring, which requires pigtailing with approved connectors at every device — a job that can add $1,000 to $3,000 on its own if the ESA inspector flags it. Ottawa's freeze-thaw climate is hard on exterior service masts and weatherheads; corroded or leaning masts on older overhead services usually need full replacement rather than reuse. Finished basements are another common surprise, since panels are often buried behind drywall or inside converted rec rooms, and running new service conductors means cutting and patching. Ask any electrician to inspect before quoting rather than pricing over the phone.
If your home has a Federal Pacific Stab-Lok or Zinsco panel — both common in Ottawa homes built between 1950 and 1985 — replacement is strongly recommended regardless of amperage. These panels have documented breaker-failure issues, and many insurers now surcharge or refuse coverage until they're replaced.
Not every home needs a 200-amp service, but most Ottawa homes that add modern loads do. A 100-amp panel is generally fine for a small home with gas heat, a gas range, and no major additions. You should upgrade to 200 amps if you're installing a Level 2 EV charger, converting to a heat pump or electric backup heat, adding central air plus a hot tub, finishing a basement with a second kitchen, or running a workshop with 240-volt tools. Ottawa's push toward cold-climate heat pumps has made this the number one driver of panel upgrades locally — a heat pump with electric backup can pull 40 to 60 amps on its own. If you have a 60-amp fuse panel, upgrading is effectively mandatory: most insurers will not write a policy on a 60-amp fused service, and lenders often flag it during a sale. Some homeowners can defer an upgrade using a load-management device for EV charging, which costs $500 to $1,200 installed and is worth asking about.
Beyond capacity, condition matters. Breakers that trip repeatedly on normal loads, a panel that feels warm to the touch, a persistent burning or ozone smell near the panel, visible rust or water staining inside the enclosure, scorch marks around breaker slots, or lights that dim noticeably when the furnace or dryer starts are all signals to call a licensed electrician immediately. Fuse panels of any size, cloth-insulated wiring entering the panel, and double-tapped breakers (two wires under one screw) will all be flagged by an ESA inspector. In Ottawa's older neighbourhoods, water intrusion is a specific risk: basement panels near foundation walls can corrode after spring melt or heavy rain, and a corroded bus bar is a fire hazard that no amount of breaker replacement will fix. Insurance is another practical trigger — many Ontario insurers now require documentation of panel age and type at renewal, and an upgrade with ESA sign-off is the paperwork that satisfies them.
The ranges above are planning figures — your real number depends on what an electrician finds on site. Insist on an in-person assessment, not a phone estimate, and get at least three written, itemized quotes. Each quote should state the panel brand and amperage, the number of breaker spaces (aim for at least 40 to leave room for future EV and heat pump circuits), whether the mast, meter base, and grounding are being replaced, the ESA notification fee, who coordinates the Hydro Ottawa disconnect, expected outage duration, drywall patching, and the labour and parts warranty. Confirm the contractor holds a valid ECRA/ESA licence number — it must appear on the quote — plus liability insurance and WSIB coverage. Be cautious of bids far below the rest: the usual corners cut are skipping the ESA notification, reusing a corroded mast, or installing an undersized panel with too few spaces. A properly done upgrade should last 30 to 40 years, so the small premium for a licensed, permitted job is worth it.
In 2026, an electrical panel upgrade in Ottawa typically costs $2,200 to $4,500 for a 100-amp to 200-amp service, with most homeowners paying around $3,000 to $3,800. If a new service mast, meter base, and grounding are required, expect $4,000 to $7,500 total.
A new electrical panel installed in Ottawa costs roughly $1,500 to $2,800 as a like-for-like replacement at the same amperage, and $2,200 to $4,500 if you're also upgrading the service to 200 amps. The panel and breakers themselves are only $400 to $900 of that — the rest is labour, permits, and service work.
Upgrading to a 200-amp service in Ottawa runs about $2,200 to $4,500 when the existing mast and meter base can be reused, and $4,000 to $7,500 when they can't. Underground services that require trenching can reach $6,000 to $10,000.
Across Canada, panel replacement generally runs $1,500 to $4,500, with service upgrades reaching $8,000 or more in older homes. Ottawa sits near the middle of that range, though the city's older housing stock — aluminum wiring, knob-and-tube, and corroded masts — pushes many local jobs toward the higher end.
Yes. Every panel or service upgrade in Ontario requires an ESA notification filed before work starts and an inspection afterward. Your licensed electrician files it under their ECRA/ESA licence, and the fee — usually $130 to $250 for residential work — should be listed in your quote. Skipping it can void your home insurance.
Most Ottawa panel upgrades are completed in a single day, with a scheduled power outage of four to eight hours while Hydro Ottawa disconnects and reconnects the service. Jobs involving a new mast, trenching, or aluminum wiring remediation can stretch to two or three days.