Ontario · Ottawa · updated October 16, 2026

What does an electrical permit cost in Ottawa?

An electrical permit in Ottawa is filed with Ontario's Electrical Safety Authority (ESA), not with the City, and priced from ESA's province-wide 2026 fee guide. The City of Ottawa's part is the building permit, when the renovation needs one, and it is priced by the value of the work rather than its floor area. Here is what both schedules say, and how to carry each fee in an electrical estimate.

Key takeaways

ESA says almost all electrical work requires an electrical permit from ESA, separate from a building permit, which does not cover electrical work.
ESA's minimum fee for a notification is $92. A residential renovation of 41 outlets or more is $201 at the contractor rate, or $256 with service work.
Ottawa charges $12.00 per $1,000 of construction value for alterations, with a $110 minimum, under its fee schedule dated January 1, 2025.
Electrical contractors in Ottawa price the ESA notification on its own line; the building permit is usually the general contractor's or owner's.

On this page: Who issues it · ESA's 2026 fees · Ottawa building permit · In the estimate · FAQ · Sources

Who issues an electrical permit in Ottawa

The Electrical Safety Authority. The City of Ottawa's building permit fee page does not mention electrical work; ESA's guidance for municipalities does: "Almost all electrical work requires an electrical permit from the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA)," separate from a building permit, and "A building permit does not cover electrical work."¹ ESA calls the filing a notification of work, or permit. The Licensed Electrical Contractor doing the work files it before the work starts, a homeowner doing their own work files their own, and the installation is inspected before it is concealed or buried; when it passes, ESA issues a Certificate of Acceptance to whoever filed.²

ESA's 2026 fees for an Ottawa job

ESA fees are the same across Ontario. Wiring and licensing fees rose 1.9% on April 1, 2026,³ and the 2026 Wiring Fee Guide, whose cover reads "Effective July 6, 2026", sets a $92 minimum fee for a notification. Residential renovations are priced by the number of outlets:⁴

Residential renovation	Contractor, no service work	Contractor, with service work	Non-contractor, no service work	Non-contractor, with service work
1–10 outlets	$46	$105	$64*	$222
11–30 outlets	$92	$150	$143	$257
31–40 outlets	$143	$201	$220	$293
41 outlets and up	$201	$256	$340	$399

* ESA marks the fees that the $92 minimum applies to when a notification's total comes to less.

The guide's other common lines, at the contractor rate: $253 for a new single-family dwelling up to 7,000 sq ft with a service up to 200 A ($366 for 201 to 400 A, $523 above); $86 for each service, subject to the minimum; $350 for the first two hours of plan review and $175 an hour after; and, when work starts without a notification filed within 48 hours, the inspection fees plus $354 for the first two hours and $177 an hour after.⁴ Commercial and industrial work is priced item by item in ESA's commercial reference guide, by amperage, unit or group of outlets; a low-voltage service of 800 A and up, for example, is $352.⁵

Ottawa's building permit fee, when the job needs one

The City of Ottawa's Comprehensive Building Code Fee Schedule, dated January 1, 2025, prices alterations to an existing building by value: the valuation of the proposed work, which includes materials, labour, overhead and professional fees, times "the current fee rate of $12.00 per thousand dollars of construction value," with a minimum fee of $110.⁶

Valuation of the alteration	Fee at $12.00 per $1,000
$5,000	$110 (the minimum; $60 by the rate)
$40,000	$480
$150,000	$1,800

Check the full schedule on the City's page before you rely on a figure, including how work that adds floor area is charged.

Where the permit belongs in an Ottawa estimate

The ESA notification is yours. The electrical contractor Ottawa clients hire files it and pays the contractor rate, so carry it on its own line from the fee guide. In VOLTA, enter it in Settings under Permits + mobilization and it prints on its own line on the quote.
The building permit usually is not. The general contractor or the owner typically holds it. Price it only when your contract makes it yours, and say so in the scope.
Service work moves the ESA fee. A renovation of 11 to 30 outlets is $92 without service work and $150 with it, so a panel or service change belongs in the scope before the fee is set.

For the Ontario-wide picture, see the Ontario hub; for the same question in the largest city, see what an electrical permit costs in Toronto.

Frequently asked

How much is an electrical permit in Ottawa?

It is an ESA notification priced from ESA's province-wide 2026 Wiring Fee Guide, with a minimum fee of $92. A residential renovation of 41 outlets or more is $201 at the contractor rate without service work and $256 with it.

Does the City of Ottawa issue electrical permits?

No: electrical permits in Ontario come from the Electrical Safety Authority, and ESA says a building permit does not cover electrical work. The City issues the building permit when the renovation needs one.

How is Ottawa's building permit fee for a renovation calculated?

By value: $12.00 per $1,000 of construction value for alterations, under the City's fee schedule dated January 1, 2025, with a minimum fee of $110. A $40,000 alteration works out to $480.

Who files the ESA notification for an Ottawa job?

The Licensed Electrical Contractor doing the work files it before the work starts, and receives the Certificate of Acceptance when the work passes. A homeowner doing their own work files their own notification.

Sources

Each source was opened and checked on October 16, 2026.

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