Do You Need an ESA Permit? Ontario Electrical Work Guide

October 22, 2026•5 min read

Almost all electrical work in Ontario has to be reported to the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) with a notification of work, which most people call a permit. Panel upgrades, EV chargers, new circuits, and wiring behind new drywall all need one. The person doing the work files it before the work starts.

Here's what that covers, who files it, and what happens after.

Jobs that need an ESA notification

Panel upgrades and service changes
EV charger installation (we walk through that job in our EV charger guide)
New circuits for a kitchen, basement, addition, or renovation
Pot lights that need new wiring runs
Hot tubs and pools
Generator hookups
Replacing old wiring, including knob-and-tube

The short version: if the job adds, moves, or replaces wiring, assume it needs one.

What usually doesn't

When we swap a worn outlet or switch in your home for the same kind of device, on the same circuit, it doesn't need an ESA permit. Anything that's changed, altered or added does, every time.

Two things catch people off guard. Replacing a breaker in the panel needs a notification, even though it sounds like a small swap. And the outlet-and-switch exception doesn't apply to rental units. If you're not sure where your job falls, ask us or call ESA before you start, not after.

A building permit isn't an electrical permit

They're separate. A renovation can need a building permit from your municipality and an ESA notification for the electrical, and having one doesn't cover the other. If you're finishing a basement in Oakville or adding a suite in Milton, plan for both.

Who files it

Two groups can legally do electrical work in an Ontario home: a Licensed Electrical Contractor, or the homeowner in their own home. Either way, the person doing the work files the notification.

When you hire us, we file it. It's part of the job, and we pull the permit and get the inspection every time. Electrical work done for pay in Ontario has to be done by a Licensed Electrical Contractor. Ours is ESA/ECRA licence #7016366, and you can check any contractor's licence with ESA before you sign anything.

Homeowners can do their own electrical work in their own home, but they still have to file the notification and get the work inspected. ESA's rule is the same for everyone: the wiring gets inspected before it's covered up.

What the inspection looks like

ESA can require up to three kinds of inspection, depending on the job:

Service inspection. For upgrades and replacements, before your power is restored. This is the one that applies to a panel upgrade.
Rough-in inspection. Before the wiring is hidden behind drywall or buried. It's why the electrical goes in before the walls close up.
Final inspection. After the work is finished.

An installation has to be inspected before it's concealed. That's the reason a basement renovation has an inspection midway through, before the drywall goes up.

Why the paperwork matters after the job

When the work passes, ESA issues a certificate of acceptance. That's the document you'll need for insurance, and for resale. Buyers' lawyers ask for it, and a finished basement with no record of an inspection is a question mark on the sale.

If you bought a house and the previous owner finished the basement or added circuits, it's worth asking whether that work was inspected. If nobody can show you the paperwork, we can look at the wiring and tell you what's there.

Older homes, more permits

The permit list gets longer in older homes. Renovations in the older parts of Burlington, Old Oakville, Old Milton, and the heritage streets around Acton and Glen Williams often open walls that hide older wiring, and replacing it is exactly the kind of work that needs a notification. That's also when a job that started as a kitchen refresh turns into a wiring project, so it helps to know that going in.

Common questions

Do I need an ESA permit for an EV charger?
Yes. A charger needs a new circuit, and new circuits need a notification and an inspection. Our EV charger installation guide covers the whole job.

Do I need one for a panel upgrade?
Yes, and a service inspection before your power is restored. We break down what the job costs in our panel upgrade cost guide.

Do I need a permit to replace an outlet or switch?
Not when we replace it with the same kind of device in your home. If we're adding an outlet, moving one, or changing the circuit, yes.

Can I file the notification myself?
If you're doing the work yourself in your own home, yes, and the work still gets inspected. If you hire an electrician, the electrician files it.

What's a certificate of acceptance?
It's the record ESA issues when the installation passes. Keep it with your house paperwork. You'll want it for insurance and when you sell.

Licensed, insured, ESA-inspected

Marc Whitford, our owner and a Master Electrician, has been an electrician for over 20 years, and MCS Electrical Solutions holds ESA/ECRA licence #7016366. We've built a 5.0-star rating on Google on work that gets permitted and inspected.

Not sure if your job needs a permit? Call or text (905) 515-0287. We'll tell you straight, and if it does, we handle the filing.

MCS Electrical Solutions

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