Powering Up: New Hydro Connection Fees for Ontario Builders

Before we talk dollars: who does what in an Ontario hydro connection?

Three players show up in every new-build hydro connection:

• You (or your builder): site planning, trenching/restoration (often), meter base location, service entrance routing, and coordinating the schedule so the utility can actually access the site.
• Your utility: connection design, ownership demarcation point, their side of the wiring and metering, and any required system changes or expansion.
• ESA (Electrical Safety Authority): the notification/permit and required inspections to confirm work meets the Ontario Electrical Safety Code requirements.

Step-by-step: the clean Ontario sequence (so hydro doesn’t become the bottleneck)

Here’s the sequence that keeps projects moving:

• 1) Pick service size: Most new homes land at 200A, but not all. Decide early. This page helps: 100 or 200 amp service.
• 2) Confirm load assumptions: Heat pumps, EV chargers, hot tubs, electric ranges, and future suites change the story. Use our calculator to sanity-check: Electrical load + wire size calculator.
• 3) Utility request + design: You (or your electrician/builder) requests the connection. The utility designs the service and tells you what’s required on your side (trench specs, conduit size, meter base location, etc.).
• 4) ESA notification/permit: Electrical work requires a notification (permit) to ESA before work starts. ESA notes a minimum fee for a residential notification. ESA: “How much does an electrical notification cost?”
• 5) Site work + service entrance: Trenching/conduit (if underground), meter base, panel, service mast (if overhead), grounding, bonding, and inspections as required.
• 6) Utility hookup + meter: Utility completes their side and energizes once ESA/utility requirements are satisfied.

Permit coordination matters too. If you’re juggling a full permit package for a new build, keep the paperwork sequence straight: How to obtain a building permit in Ontario.

“Basic connection” vs “expansion”: the line that changes the bill

Utilities generally treat some new connections as “basic” when your building lies along their existing distribution and the connection fits within standard allowances. If you need the utility to extend lines, add poles, upgrade equipment, or build out infrastructure, costs can jump — and they’re often project-specific.

For example, Hydro One’s Conditions of Service describe that a Basic Connection includes standard transformation/metering and, for new residential connections, includes up to 30 metres of overhead secondary conductor for up to 200-amp service (or an equivalent credit toward underground conductor). It also states customers pay incremental costs for things like secondary conductor over 30 metres, poles/anchors/hardware on the customer’s property, and the difference between overhead and underground secondary wire. (See Hydro One Conditions of Service PDF, Section 2.1.1.)

Hydro One Conditions of Service (PDF)

Overhead vs underground: what actually changes (cost, look, and headaches)

Overhead service is typically cheaper on the utility side and faster to maintain. You’ll often see a service mast, overhead drop, and fewer trenching requirements. Overhead can also make sense when the lot is rocky, wet, or driveway restoration would be expensive.

Underground service looks clean and avoids overhead clearance issues, but you pay for trenching, duct/conduit, sand/bedding (often), and restoration. On some properties it’s a no-brainer; on others it’s a budget buster.

Builder analogy: overhead is like taking the stairs — not glamorous, but reliable. Underground is like a hidden staircase behind a bookshelf — beautiful, but you pay for the secret door and the carpentry.

Cost components: where the money actually goes

When homeowners ask “What does hydro connection cost in Ontario?” they’re usually mixing several buckets. Here are the buckets that matter:

Important note: trenching and site restoration are usually where you can blow the budget without noticing. Cable is expensive, and driveways don’t magically repair themselves (no matter how nicely you ask).

Ontario “ballpark” ranges (with honest caveats)

Because utilities and sites vary, there’s no single official “Ontario hydro connection price.” What you can do is build a planning range and then tighten it with quotes. Here’s a builder-style way to budget:

• ESA notification/inspection: ESA states a minimum residential notification fee of $88 (fee varies by work). Treat this as a floor, not a quote. (It’s typically embedded in your electrician’s price.)
• Typical trenching + conduit (market pricing): On simple sites, trenching and conduit can land in the low thousands. On long rural set-backs, rock, wet ground, or major restoration, it can climb into the tens of thousands. This is market pricing (not a government rate) — get a quote for your actual distance and soil conditions.
• Utility contributions: Some connections fit inside basic allowances; others trigger project-specific contributions (especially when service is far from existing distribution or upgrades are needed). Confirm with your utility’s “offer to connect” or design letter.

Trenching and poles: what to ask so your quotes are comparable

When you collect quotes (electrician, excavator, utility), make sure everyone is pricing the same scope. Ask these questions:

• Distance: What is the measured distance from the supply point to the meter base? (Not “about there.” Measured.)
• Overhead vs underground: Who is providing what? Is there an allowance/credit for underground? Are there extra charges for poles/anchors on the property?
• Trench spec: Who supplies conduit/duct, sand/bedding, warning tape, and who does final backfill/compaction?
• Restoration: Who repairs driveway/landscaping, and to what standard?
• Timing: What lead time does the utility need to schedule connection and energization?
• Temporary power: Do you need a temporary service for construction? If yes, plan it early so trades aren’t trying to run a jobsite on extension cords and optimism.

100A vs 200A: the decision that ripples through everything

Ontario homes are trending more electric: heat pumps, induction ranges, EV chargers, and secondary suites. That pushes many builds toward 200A service — but not automatically. A smaller, high-performance home with efficient equipment may be fine at 100A, while a larger home with future electrification needs may not be.

Use these two pages together:

• 100 or 200 amp service (decision framework)
• Electrical load + wire size calculator (quick reality check)

And if you’re doing a new build and trying to keep operating costs predictable, don’t ignore the “whole-house math” side of the project. That’s where energy design, insulation strategy, and mechanical sizing meet real life. If you’re comparing build paths, these are useful references: Sustainable home design and cost planning tools.

Common Ontario mistakes (that make hydro more expensive than it needs to be)

• Setting the house too far back “for privacy” without pricing utilities first. Privacy is great; 200 metres of cable is not.
• Deciding underground late after the driveway is installed. Yes, it can be done. No, you won’t love the bill.
• Meter base location chosen for looks instead of service routing and accessibility.
• Forgetting temporary power planning until trades are already booked.
• Not coordinating trenching with other services (water, gas, comms). One trench plan can save serious money.

A homeowner we worked with wanted the house tucked deep into the lot with a sweeping driveway. Beautiful plan — until we priced the service distance and underground request. By adjusting the building position slightly and coordinating the trench path with other services, we kept the “wow factor” and avoided paying luxury prices for invisible infrastructure.