Homeowner

Hire a Licensed Electrical Contractor

It’d be nice if it were easy to spot shady electricians.

Punjabi

In real life, unlicensed electricians won’t be so obvious. They may seem qualified, have good references, or offer low rates. But that doesn’t mean you can count on them to provide safe electrical work.

Don’t take risks with who you hire.

Protect your home and family. Hire only LECs.

Electricity is dangerous. Poor electrical work can have serious consequences like shocks, a house fire, or even death. So, if you need electrical work done in your home, even something as seemingly simple as installing pot lights, never risk hiring unlicensed help.

The only way to be sure that hired electrical work is safe and legal is with a Licensed Electrical Contractor (LEC) who gets a permit from the Electrical Safety Authority.

On this page:

• What is an LEC?
• Hiring an LEC protects you
• Make sure you’re hiring an LEC
• Red flags
• Find or verify an LEC

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What is an LEC?

Licensed Electrical Contractors are the only electrical service providers with an ECRA/ESA licence number. The number is proof that they have the expertise, equipment, and training to do the job safely. In Ontario, only LECs (or electricians employed by a Licensed Electrical Contracting business) are legally authorized to be hired to do electrical work in your home.

Important: Master Electricians and Certified Electricians cannot be hired directly to do electrical work in your home. They may work for a Licensed Electrical Contracting business, but they do not have an ESA licence themselves.

 

Hiring an LEC protects you. 

• LECs are qualified and trained to perform the type of electrical work you need.
• LECs are fully insured, which is the only way to be sure that you won’t be held responsible if there’s an accident on the job.
• LECs will provide references for you.
• LECs will file the electrical notification of work to the ESA, meaning that they’ll have a permit for the work.
• When the job is complete, LECs will have their work reviewed by the ESA.
• After approval, LECs will receive an ESA Certificate of Acceptance—a document that may be requested by your insurance company and could be necessary for home resale.

Make sure you’re hiring an LEC.

There are steps you can take to help make sure your electrical work is safe.

1. Ask to see the electrician’s licence number.
2. Look for their licence number on their truck, business card, and estimate.
3. Look them up on ESA’s Find a Contractor tool. 
4. If you’re working with a general contractor, ensure that their electrician is an LEC, and that they get an ESA permit.

Red flags. 

If you notice any of the following, chances are the electrician may not actually be licensed.

• There’s no ECRA/ESA licence number on their work vehicle or estimate.
• The electrician won’t show you their licence number when you ask for it.
• They do more than just electrical work, like drywall, flooring, plumbing, snow removal, or other home improvement.
• They don’t have all the appropriate paperwork, such as estimates, contracts, and professional licences.
• They ask you to get the ESA permit or say you don’t need one.
• They offer a discount if you pay cash, they accept only cash, and/or won’t provide a receipt.
• They say you don’t need to involve your local electric utility to change your electrical panel or upgrade your electrical service.
• They say, “If anyone asks, tell them you did the work yourself.”

If you notice any of these red flags, it’s important that you report the company to the ESA so we can investigate.

 

Find or verify an LEC. 

The ESA takes safe, legal electrical work very seriously. We make it easy for you to find a Licensed Electrical Contractor in your area, and to check if the person you’re hiring is licensed to legally do electrical work in Ontario.