Whether you are fitting out a new unit, adding equipment or upgrading a panel, almost every electrical job in a commercial or industrial building in Ontario falls under the rules of the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA). Knowing how the process works helps you plan the schedule, avoid delays at occupancy and protect your business.
Who regulates electrical work in Ontario?
The Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) oversees electrical safety in Ontario. Installations must meet the Ontario Electrical Safety Code (OESC), and anyone who performs electrical work for others for pay must hold a Licensed Electrical Contractor (LEC) licence issued by ESA. The licence number should appear on the contractor’s website, vehicles and quotes.
What is an ESA “permit”?
What most people call an electrical permit is formally a notification of work. Before starting, the licensed contractor notifies ESA of the work. Depending on the scope, ESA may inspect the installation at rough-in, at completion or both. When the work passes, ESA can issue a Certificate of Acceptance, which landlords, insurers and buyers often ask to see.
What kinds of commercial work need a notification?
As a rule of thumb, if wiring, equipment or protection is being added, altered or replaced, a notification is required. Typical examples include:
- Tenant fit-outs and renovations
- Panel and service upgrades
- New circuits for machinery, kitchen equipment or HVAC units
- Transformer installation and 3-phase and 600V distribution
- Lighting retrofits and new exterior or parking lot lighting
- EV charger installation
Your contractor can confirm what applies to your specific project; ESA also publishes guidance on its website.
Who files it: you or the contractor?
For commercial and industrial work, the licensed electrical contractor doing the work files the notification and arranges the inspection. This is one of the clearest signs you are dealing with a properly licensed contractor: they will build the notification and inspection into their schedule rather than suggest skipping it.
What happens if work is done without a notification?
Unpermitted work can surface at the worst moments: during a sale or refinancing, a lease turnover, an insurance claim or a fire inspection. Correcting it usually means opening up finished work so it can be inspected, and paying for the repairs on top of the original job. It can also create problems with insurance coverage. Getting it right the first time is almost always cheaper.
How to check a contractor’s licence
- Ask for the ESA licence number (ours is #7011426) and confirm it with ESA’s online contractor lookup.
- Ask whether the quote includes the ESA notification and inspection.
- For business clients, ask for proof of liability insurance and a WSIB clearance certificate before work starts.
How the ESA process fits a commercial project
- Planning: scope, drawings where needed, load calculations and the free estimate.
- Notification: filed by the contractor before work begins.
- Rough-in inspection: where required, before walls and ceilings are closed.
- Final inspection: after the installation is complete and tested.
- Documentation: keep the inspection records with your building files.
If a building permit is also needed for the wider renovation, the municipality handles that separately; ESA covers the electrical side. Inspection reports sometimes list items to fix; see our page on inspections and deficiency corrections.
Talk to a licensed electrical contractor
North York Electrical Inc. has served businesses, facilities and homeowners across the Greater Toronto Area since 1996. We are ESA-licensed (#7011426), insured and WSIB-covered, estimates are free, and we offer 24/7 emergency service, 365 days a year. Call (647) 990-2696 or send us your project details.
