- The contractor must have a valid business licence with the City of Edmonton
- Plans and drawings must be submitted for all installations with a value of $50,000 or more
- Single-line drawings with all pertinent information must be submitted for service upgrades of 400 amps and larger
Under the Alberta Safety Codes Act and Permit Regulations an Electrical Permit is required to install, alter or add to an electrical system.
Permits
All new electrical installations require a permit, such as:
- New construction
- Renovations/alterations
- Basement developments
- Hot tub installations
- Garage wiring
- Electric Vehicle Charging Station installations
- Service upgrade
- Any other additions to an electrical system, including adding new circuits/wiring for receptacles and/or lighting, repair/replacement of aluminum wiring and garden shed wiring
General Permit Information
- The electrical installation shall be completed in accordance with the Alberta Safety Codes Act and Regulations
- Work shall commence within 90 days of the permit issue date
- Permits expire after one year or if within the year, the work has been suspended or abandoned for a period of 120 days prior to completion
Requirements
Contractors
Homeowners
A Homeowner can apply for an Electrical Permit for their own home if they meet the following conditions:
- The homeowner must own and live in a single-family dwelling and can only obtain permits for renovations; permits will not be issued for rental properties
- Apartment-style condominiums, stacked, semi-detached and row housing dwelling units do not qualify; Electrical Homeowner Permits will not be issued for these types of units
- The homeowner must be doing the work themselves
- Permits will not be issued if wiring is concealed (walls boarded or dry-walled)
- Prior to an electrical permit being issued for a basement development, a building permit will be required
Work Limitations
Due to hazards involved, homeowners who are not certified master electricians cannot do work on the following:
- Installing or relocating the main electrical service panel or service equipment
- Installing swimming pool grounding and connecting the electrical equipment for a permanently installed swimming pool
- A solar photo-voltaic (PV) system
- If the home will be used for rental purposes
Apply For a Permit
Apply for an electrical permit together with the appropriate building permit type:
- As part of a New House Permit application for a new single detached, semi-detached, row house or backyard housing. New home plumbing work must be completed by a licensed mechanical contractor
- As part of a Home Improvement Permit application, in the case of an existing single detached house, backyard housing, or a single address on a semi-detached house or row house
An electrical permit shouldn’t be applied for separately unless the project is limited to only electrical work. Where the work includes other interior or exterior alterations, apply for an electrical permit together with the appropriate building permit. No fee refunds will be given if a standalone trade permit is applied for when trade permits should be included as part of the building permit project.
To obtain a homeowner's electrical permit, a homeowner must own and occupy the single detached house for which this permit is intended and must perform the work themselves.
Contractors must be licensed with the City of Edmonton.
Apply Online
Submit the application online.
Apply: Contractors & Professionals
Email or Drop off the Application
- Download and complete the appropriate fillable PDF
- Homeowner Electrical Permit application form
- Contractor's Electrical Application form
Where a secondary suite or backyard housing is constructed, provide the Electrical Inspection Load Calculation . Attach a detailed drawing with an electrical layout and any specifications to the completed application, and
- Email to ElectricalTechnicalAdvisors@edmonton.ca
- Drop off at the Edmonton Service Centre
For inquiries and questions, please book a virtual or in-person appointment. - All homeowner permit applicants may be contacted by the permit issuer to confirm identity and residency by presenting government-issued photo ID, driver's licence or equivalent through a video call
- Begin work only after the City of Edmonton has issued the required permits following a satisfactory review of the application
- Request an inspection within the Self-Serve Project Dashboard under the 'Inspections' heading, or if necessary, call 311
Inspections
After your project has progressed to the right stage, you must request that a Safety Codes inspector visit your site.
Failure to complete required inspections may result in you having to remove finished walls and/or additional inspection costs and delays.
All required inspections for a project are listed in SelfServe after issuing a permit. You can request, cancel, or reschedule them there. You can also request inspections by calling 311 (outside Edmonton: 780-442-5311).
Review the Residential Inspections page to learn:
- How to prepare for your inspection by displaying the address, providing safe access and having the reviewed permit documents printed on site for reference by the inspector
- At which stages to request inspections
- How to request inspections
- What to expect during each inspection type
Temporary Electrical Heating
Although less common than temporary natural gas or propane heat, the option to utilize electric heating sources can be requested by the building permit holder by adding an additional electrical permit in the Self-Serve Dashboard of the project. The subcontractor is not to apply for a stand-alone permit.
If one 30-amp temporary heater is plugged into a receptacle in a new home after the permanent power for the new home has been energized, then no permit or inspection will be required.
Upon the temporary electrical permit being issued, the permit holder requests a construction meter from Epcor, the utility provider. Epcor allows a maximum of one 30A|240V heater for each 100A service.
After the temporary heater and line have been installed, the building permit holder must request an inspection in the Self-Serve Project Dashboard. The installations must meet the requirements of the Canadian Electrical Code and the Safety Codes Act.
Find information about temporary natural gas or propane heat on the Plumbing and Gas page.
Fees
2025 Fees
Effective January 1, 2025
- If you are a homeowner doing your own electrical work - the minor alterations fee is $160 plus a safety codes fee of $6.40.
- If you are a contractor, check the 2025 Planning and Development Fee Schedules.
Notifications and Service Changes
Moving Underground Electrical Inspections to EPCOR
EPCOR will now be responsible for the Electrical Underground inspections for all new services for Building Permits issued after July 2, 2024. If you have any questions with regards to this change, please contact the Electrical Technical Advisors at 780-496-6674 or electricaltechnicaladvisors@edmonton.ca.
As of October 4, 2024, any open Underground Electrical Inspections will be transferred to EPCOR for their records and closed in SelfServe. The builder or underground contractor is responsible for contacting EPCOR (ServiceInspectionRequest@epcor.com or 780-412-3772) for the underground inspection using the building permit number and address.
For More Information
Contact Epcor Meters for information on service disconnects and reconnects when performing electrical service changes: 780-412-3810.
For electrical service installation requirements, refer to the Customer Connection Guide at epcor.ca.
Contact Us
Edmonton Service Centre
Hours of Operation:
8am-4:30pm
Monday - Friday (by appointment)
| Telephone |
In Edmonton: 311 |
| Email: | electricaltechnicaladvisors@edmonton.ca |