Get an instant electrical estimate for your project.

For a typical single-family home in Eastern Ontario, new construction electrical costs generally range from $12,000 to $25,000+ depending on square footage, service size, number of floors, and add-ons like EV charger circuits or heated floors. A 1,500 sqft bungalow with a 200A underground service might land around $14,000–$16,000 including HST and ESA fees, while a 3,000 sqft two-storey custom home with multiple add-ons could be $22,000–$28,000. The estimate tool above gives you a ballpark based on your specific inputs — use it to get a starting number, then request a detailed quote for final pricing.

New construction electrical happens in two or three stages depending on your service type. If you have an underground service, Stage 1 is the service setup — installing the meter base, burying the conduit, and pulling the service wire from the utility connection to your panel location. This happens early in construction, usually around the foundation stage. Stage 2 is the rough-in, which is the biggest phase — your electrician installs the main panel, runs all branch circuit wiring throughout the house (outlets, switches, lighting, kitchen circuits, stove and dryer feeds, smoke detectors), and installs any add-on circuits like EV chargers or heated floor connections. This happens after framing and before insulation and drywall. Stage 3 is the finish — installing all devices (outlets, switches, cover plates), trimming out the panel, labelling breakers, and coordinating the ESA final inspection. This happens after painting, near the end of construction. With an overhead service, Stages 1 and 2 are combined into a single visit.

The service size determines how much total electrical capacity your home has. A 100A service was standard decades ago and can work for smaller homes with modest electrical loads. A 200A service is the current standard for most new construction and is required if you're planning for electric heating, an EV charger, a hot tub, or any combination of high-draw appliances. In practice, almost every new build we do uses 200A service — the cost difference is relatively small, and it future-proofs your home. Going from 100A to 200A after the fact is significantly more expensive than specifying it upfront.

Underground service means the electrical feed from the utility pole runs through buried conduit to your meter base. It's cleaner looking, more protected from weather and falling trees, and is common in newer subdivisions where utilities are already underground. Overhead service means the feed comes from the pole via an aerial cable to a mast on your house. It's typically less expensive upfront but more exposed to storm damage. Your utility company (Hydro One, Hydro Ottawa, etc.) determines which type is available at your lot — in many rural areas, overhead is the only option. Underground service adds one extra construction stage and roughly $1,500–$3,000 to the electrical cost depending on the trench length.

Yes — all new construction electrical work in Ontario requires an ESA (Electrical Safety Authority) permit and inspection. This is not optional. The permit covers the notification of work, the rough-in inspection (which must pass before drywall goes up), and the final inspection after devices are installed. Once your electrical passes final inspection, the ESA issues a Certificate of Acceptance, which you'll need for your occupancy permit and for insurance purposes. As an ESA-registered contractor, Cornerstone Electrical handles all permit applications, scheduling, and inspection coordination — you don't need to deal with the ESA directly.

For underground service, your electrician needs to be on-site early — typically when the foundation is being backfilled, so the underground conduit can be buried at the correct depth before the grade is finalized. For the rough-in, the electrician comes in after the framing is complete, the roof is on, and windows and exterior doors are installed, but before insulation and vapour barrier go in. The rough-in needs to be inspected by the ESA before insulation covers the wiring. The finish stage happens near the end of construction, after drywall, mud, paint, and flooring are done — but before final cleanup and occupancy. Coordinating these timelines with your builder is critical. Delays in the rough-in inspection can hold up the entire insulation and drywall schedule.

The ESA rough-in inspection verifies that all wiring is installed correctly before it gets covered by insulation and drywall. The inspector checks wire sizing and type for each circuit, proper box fill calculations, correct spacing and support of cables, proper bonding and grounding, arc-fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) protection where required by the Ontario Electrical Safety Code, and that the panel is properly installed with appropriate breaker sizing. If anything fails, it must be corrected and re-inspected before the builder can proceed with insulation. This is why it's important to use a licensed electrician who does the work right the first time — failed inspections cause costly construction delays.

The Ontario Electrical Safety Code (based on the Canadian Electrical Code) sets minimum requirements for outlet and switch placement. As a rough guideline, a typical 1,500 sqft home will have around 55–70 devices (outlets, switches, and dedicated connections), while a 2,500 sqft home might have 80–100+. The code requires receptacles within 1.8m of any doorway and spaced no more than 3.6m apart along walls, dedicated 20A circuits for kitchen countertop outlets, GFCI protection in bathrooms and kitchens, weatherproof outlets on exterior walls, and smoke/CO detectors in specific locations. Our estimate tool calculates device count based on your square footage and includes all required code-minimum devices plus common additions.

AFCI (Arc-Fault Circuit Interrupter) breakers detect dangerous electrical arcing — the kind of fault that can start a fire inside walls. The Canadian Electrical Code now requires AFCI protection on most bedroom and living area circuits in new construction. AFCI breakers cost more than standard breakers (roughly $100 vs $30 each), which is one reason new construction electrical costs more than it did a decade ago. They're not optional — the ESA inspector will verify AFCI protection is installed where required. Our estimate includes the correct number of AFCI breakers based on your home's device count.

Yes — it's significantly cheaper to run a 50A EV charger circuit during the rough-in stage than to retrofit it after construction. During rough-in, the walls are open and the panel is accessible, so pulling the wire is straightforward. After drywall, the same job requires cutting into finished walls, fishing wire through insulated cavities, and patching drywall — easily doubling or tripling the cost. A pre-wired EV circuit adds roughly $750 to your new construction electrical budget. Even if you don't install the charger right away, having the circuit ready means you can add one in minutes when the time comes. The same logic applies to hot tub circuits and heated floor connections.

Most residential wiring in Ontario uses NMD90 (non-metallic dry) copper cable, commonly called "Romex" or "Loomex." The most common types are 14/2 NMD90 for general lighting and outlet circuits (15A), 12/2 NMD90 for kitchen, bathroom, and higher-load circuits (20A), 14/3 NMD90 for three-way switching (hallway and stairway lights), 10/3 NMD90 for dryer circuits (30A), 8/3 NMD90 for stove circuits (40A), and larger gauge wire for the service entrance depending on your panel size. The service entrance cable from your meter to your panel is typically #3/0 copper or aluminum for a 200A service. All wire must be CSA-approved and installed to the current Canadian Electrical Code requirements.

In Ontario, you must use a Licensed Electrical Contractor (LEC) registered with the ESA. This is a legal requirement, not a suggestion — unlicensed electrical work can void your home insurance, fail inspection, and create serious safety hazards. When evaluating electricians for new construction, verify their ECRA/ESA licence number, confirm they carry liability insurance (ideally $2M+) and WSIB coverage, ask whether they pull their own ESA permits (they should), request a written quote with a clear scope breakdown, and ask about their experience with new construction specifically — it's a different skill set than service work. Cornerstone Electrical is ESA-registered, 309A licensed, carries $2M liability insurance, and includes all ESA permit coordination in every new construction quote.

Most electricians bill new construction work in stages that align with the construction phases. A common structure is a deposit at contract signing (typically 10–20%), a progress payment after the rough-in is complete and passes ESA inspection (40–50% of total), and the balance due after the finish stage is complete and the ESA final inspection passes. This protects both you and the electrician — you're not paying the full amount before the work is inspected, and the electrician isn't carrying the full material cost upfront. Specific payment terms vary, so confirm the schedule in writing before work begins.

In Ontario, homeowners are technically permitted to do electrical work on their own primary residence and pull their own ESA permits. However, for new construction, this is strongly discouraged. The work is complex, the code requirements are extensive (AFCI protection, proper box fill, correct wire derating, bonding, grounding), and a failed ESA inspection will delay your entire build. The ESA also scrutinizes homeowner permits more closely than contractor permits. Most builders will not allow homeowner electrical work on their projects because of liability and scheduling concerns. The cost savings are minimal compared to the risk of inspection failures, construction delays, and potential safety issues.

The rough-in is your one chance to add circuits and wiring before the walls close up. Common additions worth considering: EV charger pre-wire in the garage (50A circuit), heated floor circuits in bathrooms or the ensuite, a hot tub or spa circuit if you might want one later, extra exterior outlets for landscaping lighting or a future workshop, rough-in for a ceiling fan in the living room or bedroom, a dedicated home office circuit (20A) for heavier equipment, and rough-in for under-cabinet kitchen lighting. All of these are dramatically cheaper to install during rough-in than to retrofit after drywall. Think about your lifestyle 5–10 years out, not just move-in day.

For a typical single-family home (1,500–2,500 sqft), the rough-in takes 1–2 days depending on complexity, the number of floors, and add-ons. The finish stage takes 1–2 days. Underground service installation (if applicable) takes about half a day. ESA inspections are scheduled separately and usually happen within a few business days of the request. Total elapsed time from first visit to final inspection is typically 2–4 months, but that's driven by the overall construction schedule, not the electrical work itself. The electrician is on-site for roughly 3–5 working days total, spread across the construction timeline.