A Toronto project can involve more than one electrical approval or review process. Building permit, ESA notification, ESA Plan Review and utility coordination are related, but they are not interchangeable.
Electrical drawings can form part of a Toronto building-permit package when the construction requires electrical information. The electrical set should match the same current layout and equipment assumptions as the rest of the permit file.
Some larger or specialized installations meet ESA Plan Review criteria before electrical work begins. Plan Review audits the proposed installation for OESC compliance; it does not certify the design.
Service capacity, metering, transformer or connection requirements can involve the local utility and may affect the design even when the City permit path is otherwise clear.
Send project context first, the next step can then focus on scope, information gaps and the right page or service route.
A new electrical plan can look complete on paper and still be based on the wrong capacity assumption. Existing service and panel information should be considered alongside the new tenant use, major equipment, HVAC loads, kitchen equipment, EV charging or other significant electrical demand.
Older landlord drawings can help, but they should not automatically be treated as current. When capacity is uncertain, identify the gap early rather than hide the assumption inside the drawing set.
There is no universal electrical drawing package. The drawings, diagrams and calculations should reflect the systems affected by the project, the existing electrical conditions and the approval route being used.
Depending on the scope, the package may need to document power distribution and single-line information, including services, panels, feeders and major equipment connections. A single-line diagram is required for every ESA Plan Review submission.
The design may also require a load and capacity assessment to confirm that existing and proposed loads are compatible with the service, panels, feeders and equipment being used. Power layouts should coordinate receptacles, dedicated circuits, disconnects and equipment connections with the latest architectural and equipment plans.
For projects that affect lighting or life-safety systems, the package may include lighting, switching, controls, emergency lighting, fire alarm or emergency-power information, depending on the building and project scope.
Electrical design also needs to coordinate with other disciplines. HVAC equipment, commercial kitchens, pumps, controls, electric heating, EV infrastructure and specialty equipment can introduce loads and connection requirements that need to match the latest project information.
Send project context first, the next step can then focus on scope, information gaps and the right page or service route.
The designer, installer, ESA and utility do not perform the same function. Clear role ownership prevents a drawing package from being mistaken for an installation permit, an ESA review or a utility approval.
Electrical design, installation, safety review and utility approval are different responsibilities. Keeping those roles separate helps avoid confusion about who designs the system, who installs it, who reviews electrical safety and who controls the service connection.
| Role | Main responsibility |
|---|---|
| Designer / responsible professional | Develops the electrical design and technical documentation within the defined scope, including drawings, calculations and coordination where required. |
| Licensed Electrical Contractor | Performs the electrical installation work and, where applicable, files the ESA Notification of Work for the contracted electrical installation. |
| Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) | Administers electrical-safety notifications, inspections and Plan Review requirements under Ontario’s electrical-safety framework. |
| Utility / Local Distribution Company (LDC) | Manages service-connection requirements such as metering, transformer needs, utility standards and connection approval. |
These roles may interact on the same project, but one does not automatically replace another. A City building permit, ESA review, electrical installation and utility connection can each involve separate requirements.
Not every electrical project needs Plan Review. When current OESC criteria apply, the proposed electrical installation must be reviewed before electrical work begins. The criteria are technical, so use the current ESA requirements rather than an old rule-of-thumb.
Examples in the current ESA criteria include three-phase consumer service or standby generation at or above 400 A, single-phase at or above 600 A, and feeders greater than 1000 A. These are examples, not the complete Rule 2-010 list.
Certain Section 64 or bidirectional EV-supply installations are subject to Plan Review criteria. The relevant threshold increased from 10 kW to 12 kW effective July 6, 2026, so older guidance can be stale.
ESA currently requires a single-line diagram in every Electronic Plan Review submission, plus the project-specific drawings and documents called for by the Plan Review checklist.
ESA describes Plan Review as a compliance review and audit. It does not approve or certify the electrical plans and is not a substitute for a Professional Engineer where professional engineering is required.
The electrical package should respond to the actual use, equipment and building conditions. A restaurant, clinic, office and equipment-heavy unit should not receive the same design treatment.
Cooking, refrigeration, exhaust, make-up air, lighting and point-of-sale loads should be coordinated from the latest kitchen equipment and mechanical information. See the Restaurant Permit service for the broader approval path.
Specialized equipment, treatment areas and life-safety requirements can create electrical coordination needs beyond a normal office fit-out. The broader project may also need Medical & Dental Clinic Permit.
Final workstation, lighting, signage, equipment and HVAC loads can change the electrical plan; existing panel information should be checked before capacity is assumed. See Office Renovation Permit for the wider permit path.
Motors, compressors, lifts, welders, ventilation and process equipment can materially change load, distribution and safety requirements.
Electrical design should develop with architecture and mechanical systems so late equipment or service changes do not cascade through the permit package. See Building Permit Drawings for the coordinated drawing-set context.
The sequence should expose bad assumptions early: confirm the approval context, verify the electrical background, lock major loads, develop the required documentation and then coordinate the review and construction handoff.
City / ESA / utility context
service, panels, SLDs, existing data
architecture, HVAC, kitchen, EV, equipment
drawing set, ESA/City comments, contractor/utility handoff
An existing file can save time only when the revision and responsibility are clear. Send the electrical drawings that were actually submitted, the current architectural and mechanical set, panel schedules or single-line diagrams, and any City, ESA, contractor or utility comments.
The next step may be a drawing revision, capacity check, missing professional input, contractor-side response, additional ESA documentation or a broader redesign. A comment screenshot by itself is rarely enough to identify the responsible scope.
Permit or review drawings should also not be assumed to include contractor shop, fabrication or installation drawings unless that construction-stage work is explicitly part of the agreed scope.
Send project context first, the next step can then focus on scope, information gaps and the right page or service route.
You do not need a complete electrical package before contacting iPermit. The initial review is meant to clarify the project scope, identify the available information and determine what may still be needed for design or approval coordination.
Start with the project address and current or proposed use, together with the latest architectural plans available. These help establish the project layout, occupancy and the areas affected by the electrical work.
If the project includes significant new electrical loads, send information about major equipment, HVAC systems, commercial kitchen equipment, EV charging, electric heating or other specialty loads. This helps determine whether existing capacity and distribution assumptions need closer review.
Where available, also provide information about the existing electrical service, panels and single-line configuration. Existing drawings, panel schedules or other electrical records can help establish the current design basis.
Additional information can be useful but is not required to start. This may include panel photos, landlord or base-building criteria, utility correspondence, equipment specifications and any City or ESA comments already received.
The goal of the initial review is to determine the appropriate electrical design and approval path before asking you to collect information that may not actually be needed.
These answers separate electrical design from City building permits, ESA notifications, ESA Plan Review and installation responsibilities so the next step is easier to identify.
Electrical drawings may be needed when the construction or building-permit scope includes electrical systems the City needs for complete review. Separate electrical documentation may also be needed for ESA processes. The exact package depends on the building, use, electrical work and approval route.
No. Electrical design describes the proposed system. An ESA Notification of Work is the regulatory notification tied to electrical installation and inspection. The party doing the electrical work files the notification.
Plan Review applies when an installation meets specific OESC criteria. Current examples include large services/feeders, certain emergency-power systems, certain EV or Section 64 installations and higher-voltage work. The exact criteria should be checked against current ESA requirements.
ESA currently requires Plan Review through its Electronic Plan Review portal. Every submission needs a single-line diagram, with additional drawings/documents based on the project type. Some specialized designs can also require Professional Engineer involvement.
A project-specific package may include distribution, single-line information, load/capacity data, panel schedules, lighting and controls, receptacles, equipment connections, emergency/life-safety interfaces and other technical information needed for the agreed scope.
Not every electrical drawing automatically requires a Professional Engineer. Qualification and responsibility depend on the building, system and nature of the design. When the work is professional engineering, it must be provided under the applicable Ontario professional requirements.
Identify the existing service/distribution information and the major loads being added or changed. Depending on the project, a load/capacity assessment and additional site or utility information may be required before the design can rely on the existing infrastructure.
