Published Ontario prices for upgrading a house from 100 to 200 amp service run $1,500 to $6,500 or more, and most sit at $2,500 to $5,000 before HST. Replacing a panel without changing the service size is $1,700 to $3,000, and swapping an old fuse box for a breaker panel $2,000 to $4,000.
The figures come from Ontario electrical contractors’ own 2026 price guides, two of them written for Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and Guelph. They are ranges, not quotes: the meter base, the service mast, how far the panel moves and what the utility needs all change the number.
100 to 200 amp service upgrades
A service upgrade replaces more than the panel. The meter base, the service entrance cable and often the mast are sized for the old service, so they change too, and the utility disconnects the house while the work is done and reconnects it after ESA has passed it. In Kitchener and Waterloo that is Enova Power; in Cambridge and North Dumfries, GrandBridge Energy.
A typical job takes a day on site, with the power off for part of it. The bigger cost swings come from the service itself: an overhead service is usually simpler than an underground one, and a panel that has to move to meet today’s clearances adds new wiring.
Published 100 to 200 amp upgrade prices
CAD · before HST · published prices
- 200 amp panel upgrade, totalFrom a Guelph and Tri-City electrical contractor’s 2026 panel upgrade cost guide
- $3,000 to $6,500
- Service upgrade, Guelph and the Tri-CitiesFrom a Guelph and Tri-City electrical contractor’s 2026 EV charger cost guide
- $1,500 to $4,500
- 100 to 200 amp residential upgradeFrom an Oshawa electrical contractor’s October 2026 panel upgrade cost guide
- $2,500 to $5,000
- 100A to 200A upgradeFrom a York Region electrical contractor’s 2026 panel upgrade cost guide
- $2,500 to $5,000
- 100A to 200AFrom an Ottawa electrical contractor’s 2026 Ontario panel upgrade price guide
- $2,500 to $4,500
- 100 amp to 200 amp panel upgradeFrom an Ottawa-area electrical contractor’s 2026 Ontario panel price list
- $2,500 to $5,000
- 100 amp to 200 amp panel upgradeFrom an Ottawa electrical contractor’s October 2026 panel upgrade cost guide
- $2,000 to $5,000
- 200 amp panel upgrade, ESA permit includedFrom a North York electrical contractor’s 2026 electrician cost page
- $3,200 to $4,500
- Standard 100A to 200A upgrade (Toronto)From an Etobicoke electrical contractor’s 2026 electrician pricing guide
- $3,500 to $6,500 or more
- 60A to 200AFrom an Ottawa electrical contractor’s 2026 Ontario panel upgrade price guide
- $3,500 to $5,500
Panel replacement and fuse boxes
If the house already has enough capacity but the panel is old, damaged, full or a make insurers dislike, replacing the panel alone costs less because the service stays as it is. Older fuse panels, still found in pre-1960s houses around Kitchener’s and Cambridge’s older cores, are usually replaced with a breaker panel, and many insurers ask for it.
Published panel replacement prices
CAD · before HST · published prices
- 100A panel replacement, same service sizeFrom a York Region electrical contractor’s 2026 panel upgrade cost guide
- $1,500 to $2,500
- 200A panel replacement, same sizeFrom a York Region electrical contractor’s 2026 panel upgrade cost guide
- $2,000 to $3,500
- Panel replacement at the same amperageFrom an Ottawa-area electrical contractor’s 2026 Ontario panel price list
- $1,800 to $3,000 or more
- Panel replacement at the same amperageFrom an Ottawa electrical contractor’s October 2026 panel upgrade cost guide
- $1,500 to $3,000
- Fuse box to breaker panelFrom an Ottawa electrical contractor’s 2026 Ontario panel upgrade price guide
- $2,000 to $4,000
- Fuse box to breaker panel conversionFrom an Ottawa-area electrical contractor’s 2026 Ontario panel price list
- $2,200 to $3,800
- Fuse box to breaker panel conversionFrom an Ottawa electrical contractor’s October 2026 panel upgrade cost guide
- $2,000 to $4,000
Extras that add to the price
These are the items a quote might list on top of the base upgrade. The underground re-cable is rare in older neighbourhoods with overhead lines, but common on newer streets where the service runs underground from a transformer.
Published add-on prices
CAD · before HST · published prices
- Meter base replacementFrom a York Region electrical contractor’s 2026 panel upgrade cost guide
- $300 to $600
- Service entrance cable or mastFrom a York Region electrical contractor’s 2026 panel upgrade cost guide
- $400 to $1,100
- Sub-panelFrom a York Region electrical contractor’s 2026 panel upgrade cost guide
- $900 to $1,800
- Underground service re-cable from the transformerFrom a York Region electrical contractor’s 2026 panel upgrade cost guide
- $5,000 to $15,000
ESA permit
Every service or panel change needs an ESA notification. Under ESA’s 2026 fee guide a licensed contractor pays $92 for a service or panel change filed on its own; a quote should include it. Some contractor pages quote ESA fees of several hundred dollars, which is more than ESA charges for this job.
Source: ESA 2026 Wiring Fee Guide.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to upgrade from 100 to 200 amps in Ontario?
Published 2026 prices from Ontario electrical contractors run $1,500 to $6,500 or more, and most fall at $2,500 to $5,000 before HST. A new meter base, a longer service mast or an underground service adds to it.
Do I need a 200 amp service?
Not always. A load calculation decides it. Many 100 amp houses manage fine; adding an EV charger, a heat pump, an induction range, a hot tub or a basement suite is what usually tips them over. A load management device can sometimes avoid the upgrade for an EV charger.
Who turns the power off for a service upgrade?
The local utility. Your contractor books the disconnect and reconnect with Enova Power in Kitchener and Waterloo, or GrandBridge Energy in Cambridge, and the power comes back on after ESA approves the new service.
Is the ESA fee included?
It should be. A licensed contractor files the notification; ESA’s 2026 fee for a service or panel change on its own is $92.
Where these prices come from
These figures are from Ontario electrical contractors’ own published price guides, including three from Guelph and Kitchener-Waterloo, checked October 25, 2026. We describe each source rather than name it. They’re ranges, not quotes, and before HST. ESA fees come from ESA’s own 2026 fee guide.