# Restaurant Electrical Upgrade Toronto | Toronto Panel Upgrade URL: https://electricalpanelupgradetoronto.ca/restaurant-electrical-upgrades/ ![Crew terminating three-phase feeders in a commercial kitchen distribution panel](/images/misc/two-electricians-seen-from-behind-terminating-thre.webp) # Restaurant Electrical Service Upgrades in Toronto and the GTA: Commercial Kitchens, Hood Systems and Build-Outs Restaurant electrical upgrades in Toronto size and install the commercial kitchen electrical service required for a restaurant fit-out, cloud kitchen, catering commissary, or ghost kitchen. Toronto Electrical Panel Upgrade [/ →](/) calculates the OESC Section 8 continuous kitchen load including hood exhaust makeup air unit (MAU), walk-in refrigeration, six-burner range, deep fryer, salamander broiler, convection oven, low-temp and high-temp dishwasher circuits, three-phase equipment feeders for combi ovens and pizza ovens, and general receptacle and lighting distribution. We coordinate three-phase 120/208V or 347/600V service with Toronto Hydro or Alectra Utilities, submit the commercial ESA plan review with engineered load calculations, phase energization around the general contractor's schedule, install service disconnect switches sized for restaurant equipment inrush current, and deliver Certificate of Acceptance in time for Toronto Public Health and City of Toronto business licensing inspection. A restaurant electrical service upgrade in Toronto costs $8,000 to $30,000 CAD depending on the size of the kitchen (fast-casual vs full-service vs commissary), whether a service upgrade from 200A to 400A or 600A is required, and how much distribution panel and feeder work is bundled with the service work. Most calls start with a trigger: a new restaurant lease build-out, a cloud kitchen conversion, a catering commissary relocation, a landlord-required service upgrade before tenant fit-out, or a Toronto Public Health kitchen expansion permit. We serve Toronto, Etobicoke, Scarborough, North York, York and East York on Toronto Hydro, plus Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan and Markham on Alectra Utilities, Oakville on Oakville Hydro, and Ajax, Pickering, Whitby on Elexicon Energy inside our 50km commercial radius. - ECRA/ESA Licensed - ESA Permit Included - Utility Coordination Handled - Written Itemised Quote Get a Free On-Site Estimate [/free-estimate/ →](/free-estimate/) +1-647-577-6113 [tel:+16475776113 →](tel:+16475776113) Written itemised quote $ 5,000 to $15,000 CAD - ESA permit filed and inspection booked - Utility disconnect and reconnect coordinated - Same-Week Scheduling View Pricing Detail [#pricing →](#pricing) - ECRA/ESA Licensed - ESA Permit Included on Every Job - Same-Week Scheduling - WSIB Certified - Free Written Itemised Quote ## What Is a Restaurant Electrical Upgrade? A restaurant electrical upgrade sizes and installs the service and distribution a commercial kitchen actually needs. It starts from the equipment schedule: every range, fryer, combi oven, dishwasher, walk-in, hood and make-up air unit, with nameplate ratings and phase requirements, assembled into a load profile with the right demand factors applied. That profile decides two things. Whether the existing service carries the fit-out or a 400A upgrade is needed, and how the distribution is laid out so each appliance lands on a correctly sized feeder. Commercial kitchen equipment is unforgiving about this: an undersized feeder shows up as nuisance tripping during service, which is the worst possible time to discover it. The second half of the job is sequencing. Rough-in has to happen before millwork and equipment arrive. Terminations happen once equipment is on site. The ESA inspection, which confirms the installation meets the Ontario Electrical Safety Code (OESC), and the hood and suppression interlocks have to be complete before the occupancy and fire inspections. We work to the general contractor’s programme rather than around it. For the commercial range, see commercial electrical panel upgrades [/commercial-electrical-panel-upgrades/ →](/commercial-electrical-panel-upgrades/) . ### Typical Scopes - **Distribution upgrade only.** The base-building service is adequate but the panel layout is not. New distribution panels and appliance feeders. - **400A service upgrade with kitchen distribution.** The usual full fit-out scope where the existing service was sized for a retail unit. See 200A to 400A service upgrades [/200a-to-400a-service-upgrades/ →](/200a-to-400a-service-upgrades/) . - **Three-phase conversion.** Where three-phase supply is available and the equipment schedule justifies it. - **Phased upgrade around an operating restaurant.** Distribution work after hours, final cutover on a closed day. ## When a Restaurant Needs Electrical Work First - **A new fit-out in an existing unit.** Previous tenant’s service was almost never sized for your kitchen. - **Adding a combi oven, fryer bank or larger dishwasher.** Single pieces of equipment that can exceed remaining capacity on their own. - **Refrigeration expansion.** Walk-in and reach-in compressors are continuous loads that consume calculated capacity disproportionately. - **Hood and make-up air replacement.** Interlocks, shunt trips and motor loads all touch the electrical scope. - **Nuisance tripping during service.** The clearest signal that the distribution was never sized for the equipment actually installed. - **A patio or second service area.** Outdoor heating, lighting and point-of-sale loads on a service with no headroom. ## What Drives the Cost Between $5,000 and $15,000 **Whether the service itself changes** is the biggest factor. A distribution-only upgrade is materially cheaper than a full 400A service change with a CT cabinet. **Phase configuration** is second, as three-phase distribution costs more in equipment and conductors. **Appliance count and spread** is third, because every dedicated feeder is a conduit run and a termination. **Operating constraints** are fourth: after-hours work and temporary power to keep refrigeration running both add cost. The commercial ESA plan review and the utility coordination are itemised separately so you can see them in the quote rather than finding them in a labour line. ## What to Expect Through the Build Early on, the work is documentation and lead times. We assemble the load profile from your equipment schedule, prepare the single-line diagram, submit the commercial ESA plan review, and file the utility service application if the service is changing. Those timelines drive the project schedule. Rough-in happens before millwork: feeders pulled, distribution panels set, appliance circuits run in conduit to their positions, and hood, make-up air and suppression interlock wiring pulled ready for the mechanical trades. Once equipment is delivered, terminations are made to nameplate requirements, interlocks are commissioned with the hood and suppression contractors, and each feeder is tested. The ESA inspector attends, and where the service changed the utility energizes and sets metering. You receive panel schedules labelled by appliance, the final single-line diagram, the Certificate of Inspection, and the itemised invoice, which is the package the landlord and the occupancy inspection both want to see. ## Electrical Load Demands of a Commercial Kitchen: Cooking, Refrigeration, Ventilation, Interlocks A commercial kitchen carries a different load profile than any other tenant type. Cooking equipment is high-amperage and largely continuous during service hours, refrigeration runs 24 hours a day, and the hood-and-suppression system has to be interlocked with the cooking equipment for occupancy sign-off. ### Cooking equipment loads - **Electric range or combi oven:** a Vulcan, Wolf or Rational combi oven pulls 30-60A on a three-phase 208V or three-phase 600V circuit depending on size. - **Convection ovens and pizza deck ovens:** an Alto-Shaam or Middleby Marshall unit at 30-50A per oven on a three-phase circuit. - **Deep fryers:** commercial fryers at 30-40A per well, often two or three wells on parallel circuits. - **Induction ranges in high-end kitchens:** 30-50A per burner station on a 208V three-phase feed. ### Refrigeration and walk-in loads - **Walk-in cooler compressor and evaporator:** typically 15-30A on a 208V single-phase or three-phase circuit, running continuously. - **Walk-in freezer with defrost cycle:** 20-40A of continuous load with periodic defrost heater draw. - **Reach-in refrigerators, prep tables and merchandiser cases:** 5-15A each on dedicated 120V circuits, common enough that a kitchen has ten to twenty such circuits. - **Ice machines:** 8-15A on a dedicated 120V or 208V circuit. ### Ventilation and interlocks - **Exhaust hood fan motor:** 5-15A on a 208V or 600V circuit sized to the fan capacity. - **Make-up air unit:** matched to the exhaust hood capacity, typically 15-30A. - **Ansul or Amerex fire suppression interlock:** wired to shut down cooking equipment when the suppression system discharges, and to shut down gas solenoids at the same time. - **Hood-mounted lighting:** dedicated 120V circuit separate from the cooking equipment feeds. ### Panel sizing implication - **A small quick-service kitchen:** typically 200A three-phase 208V, with 30-40 breaker positions on the kitchen subpanel. - **A full-service restaurant kitchen:** 400A three-phase, with a dedicated kitchen subpanel and separate front-of-house lighting and receptacle panel. - **A high-volume production kitchen:** 400-600A service, sometimes with 600V distribution to the largest equipment. ## Upgrading Service for a Restaurant Build-Out: Toronto Hydro Coordination, ESA Plan Review, Landlord Approvals A restaurant tenant improvement in a Toronto plaza or main-street unit usually needs a service upgrade to carry the new kitchen load. The upgrade sits inside a chain of landlord approvals, utility applications, and ESA plan review that has to be sequenced correctly. ### Landlord and lease coordination - **Landlord approval for a service increase:** the lease usually requires written consent for any service upgrade, especially where the existing service is shared or fed from a common building main. - **Common area load impact:** if the building main is at capacity, the landlord may need to upgrade the base building service before the tenant service can grow. - **Meter and metering room:** the meter position, meter room access, and any main service switchgear affected by the tenant upgrade needs the landlord’s technical sign-off. ### Utility service application - **Toronto Hydro, Alectra Utilities or Oakville Hydro new service application:** filed against the property, submitted with the load profile, the single-line diagram, and the site plan. - **CT cabinet arrangement for services over 200A:** the utility specifies the CT cabinet, the position, and the metering configuration. - **Utility disconnect and cutover coordination:** scheduled to minimise disruption to neighbouring tenants or the base building. - **Utility lead times:** typically 4-12 weeks depending on the utility and the scope. ### ESA plan review - **Commercial ESA plan review for a service size change:** a single-line diagram, load calculation, and equipment schedule filed for review. - **Review turn-around:** typically 2-4 weeks, with responses to any comments filed by the licensed contractor. - **ESA Notification of Work filed on plan-review sign-off:** the permit against which the on-site inspection is booked. ### Build sequence - **Rough-in before millwork and equipment delivery:** feeders and appliance circuits pulled to their positions, hood and suppression interlock wiring stubbed to the mechanical trades. - **Equipment terminations after appliance delivery:** each nameplate feeds a specific circuit, and terminations happen once the equipment is in position. - **Commissioning with the hood, suppression and gas trades:** interlocks tested end to end before ESA final. - **ESA final inspection and Certificate of Inspection:** the electrical sign-off that the City of Toronto occupancy inspection references. ## How Much Does Restaurant Upgrades Cost in Toronto? Restaurant service and distribution work runs $5,000 to $15,000 CAD depending on the appliance load profile and whether the service itself is being upgraded. Typical range $ 5,000 to $15,000 varies by scope (CAD) - ESA permit fee included - Final ESA inspection included - Utility coordination itemised, never hidden Get an Itemised Quote [/free-estimate/ →](/free-estimate/) ### What Moves the Price #### Overhead mast or underground lateral An underground service entrance needs trenching and civil work, so it sits higher in the range than a mast and weatherhead replacement. #### Panel brand and circuit count Siemens, Square D / Schneider Electric and Eaton load centres price differently, and a 42-circuit panel costs more than a small enclosure. #### Service entrance length and routing Conductor length from the meter base to the panel, plus any wall penetration or conduit work, changes the material and labour line. #### Scope flagged by the load calculation An OESC Section 8 result can add a subpanel, a grounding electrode conductor or a meter base that was not in the original plan. | Scope | Low | High | | --- | --- | --- | | Distribution upgrade, existing service adequate | $ 5,000 | $ 8,000 | | 400A service upgrade with kitchen distribution | $ 8,000 | $ 12,000 | | Service upgrade with three-phase and phased energization | $ 11,000 | $ 15,000 | ## Why Choose Us for Restaurant Upgrades? ECRA/ESA licensed, permit filed, utility coordinated, quote itemised. - ### 20+ Years of Panel Upgrade Experience Over two decades of ECRA/ESA-licensed panel replacement, service entrance upgrades, fuse box conversions and utility coordination across Toronto and the GTA. Panel work is the whole business, not a side service. - ### We work from the equipment schedule Nameplate ratings from the actual appliance list, not a per-square-foot estimate that leaves you short on opening week. - ### Sequenced to the build programme Rough-in before millwork, terminations after equipment delivery, inspection timed so it does not hold up the occupancy sequence. - ### Three-phase coordinated early Whether three-phase exists at the property is confirmed with the utility before equipment is specified, not after it arrives. - ### Panels labelled for operators Feeders labelled by appliance so kitchen staff and future service techs can isolate one piece of equipment without guessing. ## How Does Restaurant Upgrades Work? The sequence every job follows, from the first load calculation to the utility reconnect. 1. 01 ### Appliance load profile Every piece of equipment from the kitchen schedule, with nameplate ratings, phase requirements and demand factors applied. 2. 02 ### Service and distribution sizing Whether the existing service carries the fit-out or a 400A upgrade is required, and how many distribution panels the layout needs. 3. 03 ### Plan review and utility Commercial ESA plan review submitted with the single-line diagram, and the utility service application filed where the service changes. 4. 04 ### Rough-in with the GC Conduit, feeders and equipment circuits installed to the GC's programme, before millwork and equipment arrive. 5. 05 ### Energization and inspection Equipment terminated and tested, ESA inspection completed, and panels scheduled for the health and fire inspections that follow. ## How Toronto Electrical Panel Upgrade Compares | Feature | Typical provider | Toronto Electrical Panel Upgrade | | --- | --- | --- | | Load basis | Per square foot estimate | Appliance-by-appliance nameplate load profile | | Three-phase availability | Assumed | Confirmed with the utility before spec | | Scheduling | Fit around other trades | Sequenced to the GC programme in the quote | | Panel labelling | Circuit numbers only | Labelled by appliance for operators | ## Need Restaurant Upgrades in Toronto or the GTA? Free on-site estimate, written itemised quote, ESA permit filed before the work starts. +1-647-577-6113 [tel:+16475776113 →](tel:+16475776113) Free On-Site Estimate [/free-estimate/ →](/free-estimate/) ## Our Restaurant Upgrades Work Documentary photos from panel jobs across Toronto and the GTA. Select any image to enlarge it. ## What Customers Say About Our Restaurant Upgrades Work Real Toronto and GTA neighbourhoods, real panel jobs. > They worked from our equipment schedule rather than guessing. Every feeder was sized for the appliance that landed on it and nothing tripped on opening week. Dimitri A.Little Italy > Three-phase was confirmed with the utility before our supplier ordered the combi oven. That one call saved a specification change. Carla V.Queen West > Rough-in happened before millwork and the terminations were done the week equipment arrived. Our GC did not have to chase them once. Nick B.Roncesvalles ## Restaurant Upgrades FAQs ### How much does a restaurant electrical upgrade cost in Toronto? Restaurant service and distribution work runs $5,000 to $15,000 CAD. A distribution upgrade where the existing service is already adequate sits at the lower end. A 400A service upgrade with new kitchen distribution, or three-phase work with a phased energization around an operating business, moves toward the top. The commercial ESA plan review and utility coordination are itemised. ### Do I need three-phase power for a commercial kitchen? Most commercial kitchens benefit from it, and much commercial equipment is specified for three-phase 120/208V. Combi ovens, larger fryers, dishwashers and refrigeration run more efficiently and with lighter conductors on three-phase. The constraint is availability at the property, which we confirm with the utility before anything is specified. See \[three-phase electrical service upgrades\](/three-phase-electrical-service-upgrades/). ### When in the build should the electrician be involved? As early as the equipment schedule exists. The appliance list drives the service size, the distribution layout and the plan review submission, and all three have lead times measured in weeks. Bringing us in after millwork is installed is how fit-outs end up with a service that cannot carry the kitchen. ### What is an appliance load profile? A line-by-line list of every piece of equipment with its nameplate current, voltage and phase requirement, with the applicable demand factors applied to get a realistic calculated load. It is the difference between a service that runs comfortably at full covers and one that trips during dinner service. ### Can the work happen while we stay open? Often yes, with a phased approach. Distribution work can frequently be done outside trading hours, and the final cutover scheduled for a closed day. Where the service itself is being replaced there will be a defined outage, and we scope it in the quote rather than surprising you with it. ### Does the electrical work affect our health or fire inspection? Indirectly, yes. Hood and make-up air interlocks, fire suppression shunt trips and walk-in refrigeration alarms are all electrical scope that those inspections look at. We coordinate with the hood and suppression contractors so the interlocks are wired and tested before those inspections rather than after. ### Who handles the ESA plan review? We prepare and submit it: single-line diagram, load study, equipment ratings and short-circuit current rating. It is a distinct step before installation and separate from the final inspection, and skipping it stalls the project at energization. ### What about the walk-in and refrigeration circuits? Refrigeration is continuous motor load and gets dedicated circuits sized accordingly, with the compressor and condenser loads counted properly in the calculation. Alarm and monitoring circuits are kept separate from the power feeds so a tripped compressor does not take the alarm with it. ### Can you label panels for kitchen staff? Yes, and we do it by default. Feeders labelled by appliance rather than circuit number means a manager can isolate one fryer at 11pm without calling anyone. Panel schedules are fixed inside each door. ### Do you work with our general contractor? Yes. On fit-outs we work to the GC's programme, attend coordination meetings where needed, and sequence rough-in, terminations and inspection around the other trades. ### Still have a question? Ask the crew directly. We answer load calculation, permit and utility coordination questions before you commit to anything. Send a Message [/contact/ →](/contact/) Book a Free Estimate [/free-estimate/ →](/free-estimate/) ## Related Services ### 200A to 400A Service Upgrades 200A to 400A service upgrades in Toronto move commercial and large-residential service from a 200A continuous-rated service to a full 400A continuous-rated commercial service with a CT cabinet (current transformer cabinet) for utility metering, commercial switchgear or a 400A main breaker load centre from Siemens, Square D, or Eaton, bolt-on branch circuit breakers with proper short-circuit current rating (SCCR), a commercial ESA plan review submission, three-phase 120/208V or 347/600V distribution where the load profile requires it, and full commercial ESA Certificate of Acceptance. Toronto Electrical Panel Upgrade handles the utility service coordination including Toronto Hydro's Commercial Service Layout (CSL) review, the ESA commercial plan review submission with engineered load calculations, and after-hours energization work where the tenant cannot support daytime downtime. A 200A to 400A service upgrade in Toronto costs $8,000 to $22,000 CAD depending on whether the service is single-phase 240V, three-phase 120/208V, or three-phase 347/600V, whether a CT cabinet or utility transformer vault upgrade is required, and how much associated switchgear or feeder work is bundled. Most calls start with a trigger: a new commercial tenant fit-out (restaurant, commercial kitchen, gym, warehouse), a heavy manufacturing motor load addition, an EV fleet charging installation, a landlord-required commercial service capacity increase, or a Toronto Hydro-mandated service upgrade after a load study. We serve Toronto, Etobicoke, Scarborough, North York, York and East York on Toronto Hydro, plus Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan and Markham on Alectra Utilities, Oakville on Oakville Hydro, and Ajax, Pickering, Whitby on Elexicon Energy inside our 50km commercial radius. View service [200A to 400A Service Upgrades →](/200a-to-400a-service-upgrades/) ### Retail Electrical Upgrades Retail electrical upgrades in Toronto install the tenant improvement panel, distribution, and dedicated circuits a retail store, showroom, boutique, or franchise tenant fit-out needs to run its lighting, HVAC and rooftop unit condensing loads, exterior and interior signage, POS terminals and receipt printers, product refrigeration for grocery or florist tenants, and back-of-house workroom circuits. Toronto Electrical Panel Upgrade coordinates the commercial ESA plan review with the base building electrical demarcation, sizes the tenant panel for continuous retail load with 25% headroom for signage and holiday lighting circuits, installs a Class B revenue submeter integrated with the landlord's tenant billing platform, runs dedicated 20A circuits for each POS station per manufacturer specification, coordinates signage circuit installation with the sign contractor, and delivers Certificate of Acceptance in time for the retail tenant's soft-open date. A retail electrical upgrade in Toronto costs $5,000 to $14,000 CAD depending on tenant square footage (1,000 vs 3,000 vs 5,000 sq ft), whether the base building service supports the load, whether a walk-in refrigeration circuit is required, and how much signage circuit installation is bundled. Most calls start with a trigger: a new retail store lease build-out, a franchise brand rollout, a landlord-required tenant improvement upgrade, a Business Improvement Area (BIA) signage refresh, or a retail tenant relocation. We serve Toronto, Etobicoke, Scarborough, North York, York and East York on Toronto Hydro, plus Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan and Markham on Alectra Utilities, Oakville on Oakville Hydro, and Ajax, Pickering, Whitby on Elexicon Energy inside our 50km commercial radius. View service [Retail Electrical Upgrades →](/retail-electrical-upgrades/) ### Office Electrical Upgrades Office electrical upgrades in Toronto install per-floor tenant subpanels, workstation circuit distribution, IT closet dedicated feeders, and open-plan lighting circuits for downtown Toronto office fit-outs, professional building tenant improvements, and shared-office coworking build-outs. Toronto Electrical Panel Upgrade coordinates commercial ESA plan review, three-phase 120/208V distribution from the base building service to the tenant demarcation, per-floor subpanel installations with dedicated 20A workstation circuits and separate circuits for network switches and server closets, submetering integration for tenant billing where the base building requires it, and after-hours cutover to minimise business day downtime during the energization phase. Every install includes proper phase balancing across the tenant panel, arc-flash labelling, and a Certificate of Acceptance for the base building operator and tenant improvement contract. An office electrical upgrade in Toronto costs $6,000 to $18,000 CAD per floor depending on square footage, workstation count (20 vs 60 vs 120 stations), whether IT closet cooling requires dedicated circuits, and whether the base building service supports the load without an upstream distribution upgrade. Most calls start with a trigger: a new office tenant fit-out, a coworking build-out, a professional building tenant relocation, a landlord-required tenant improvement service upgrade, or an office IT infrastructure refresh requiring dedicated feeders. We serve Toronto, Etobicoke, Scarborough, North York, York and East York on Toronto Hydro, plus Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan and Markham on Alectra Utilities, Oakville on Oakville Hydro, and Ajax, Pickering, Whitby on Elexicon Energy inside our 50km commercial radius. View service [Office Electrical Upgrades →](/office-electrical-upgrades/) ![](/images/hero/two-electricians-in-plain-workwear-seen-from-behin.webp) Same-Week Scheduling ## Book Your Restaurant Upgrades Estimate Free on-site assessment across Toronto and the GTA. Written itemised quote before any work begins, with the ESA permit fee and utility coordination fee separated on the line. Get a Free On-Site Estimate [/free-estimate/ →](/free-estimate/) +1-647-577-6113 [tel:+16475776113 →](tel:+16475776113) - ESA permit and final inspection included - Toronto Hydro coordination handled - No hidden fees on the written quote ## Thanks, we have your request. A licensed crew member will be in touch to book the on-site estimate. ## Request a Written Itemised Quote Four fields. We reply with a free on-site estimate date and the ESA permit and coordination fees broken out separately.