How we quote
How we quote electrical work — and what drives the variation.
Every job at Skyline Electric is quoted in writing before any work begins. We do not publish per-job pricing because the variation between two jobs that sound the same on paper — a panel swap, an EV charger install, a tenant fit-out — is real, and a quoted-from-a-website price is the kind of number that turns into a "surprise" on the invoice. Instead this page walks through what's in scope for each category and what drives the variation, so when you ask for a quote you know what we're quoting against.
Most jobs we can quote from a photo and a description. Send us a panel picture and a short note via the contact form — for routine work we will quote in writing without a site visit. Site visits are the right call when the scope involves a service upgrade, a long cottage run, a tenant fit-out, or anything where the existing condition is the unknown.
How we work
Written quote before any work. Every job is bid in writing after a site visit or a panel-photo review. We run a real load calculation on every quote — not a rule of thumb. If the address has a buried fault, an undersized service, a knob-and-tube branch we did not see, or any condition outside the typical scope, the written quote reflects that. We will explain the delta before we ask you to sign anything. After-hours and weekend work is at a different rate than business-hours work — we tell you the difference before we dispatch.
Jump to a category
- Diagnostic / service call
- Outlet & switch replacement
- FPE Stab-Lok like-for-like panel replacement
- 100A → 200A service upgrade
- 200A upgrade with new service entrance
- EV charger — Level 2, 200A panel with capacity
- EV charger + service upgrade combined
- EV charger — cottage long run
- Standby generator — 14kW Generac install
- Standby generator — 18-26kW
- Commercial standby — quoted per project
- Manual transfer switch + portable generator interlock
- Hot tub disconnect + bonding
- Pool electrical — quoted per project
- Whole-house lighting retrofit
- Knob-and-tube remediation
- Commercial tenant fit-out
Residential / commercial
Diagnostic / service call
A standard diagnostic visit is a flat call-out fee that covers travel and the first portion of time on site, plus billable hourly labour after that. We quote any actual repair in writing before we start.
Residential
Outlet & switch replacement
Like-for-like swap of a standard outlet, switch, or GFCI. Whole-house replacement scope (typically 25-45 devices in a 1,800 sq ft home) depends on access, age of wiring, and whether boxes need to be re-bonded. AFCI and tamper-resistant code upgrades are factored in where required. We quote the whole-house scope in writing after a panel and rough device count.
Residential
FPE Stab-Lok like-for-like panel replacement
Federal Pioneer / FPE Stab-Lok panels are a documented fire-and-failure-to-trip risk and most home insurers in Ontario now require replacement. Like-for-like swap to a Siemens or Eaton panel, re-terminate every branch circuit, label everything, ESA permit and Certificate of Inspection. One day on site. We quote the swap in writing - send us a photo of your existing panel and we can usually quote without a site visit.
Residential / commercial
100A → 200A service upgrade
New 200A panel, new 200A meter base, new service conductors from meter base to panel, utility disconnect coordination with Hydro One / Alectra / Burlington Hydro / Hamilton Utilities / Oakville Hydro depending on the address. Includes load calc, ESA permit, and final inspection. One long day on site. The variation in scope is what drives the variation in quote - utility disconnect timing, the condition of the existing service entrance, and whether the panel location moves.
Residential
200A upgrade with new service entrance
Same as above but the mast, weatherhead, and service drop attachment all need replacement - older homes with rusted-out meter bases, undersized masts, or service drops at the wrong height. Includes utility scheduling and the disconnect/reconnect window. Two days on site if the mast is in awkward terrain. Quoted in writing after we see the existing service.
Residential
EV charger — Level 2, 200A panel with capacity
Tesla Wall Connector, ChargePoint Home Flex, Wallbox Pulsar, Grizzl-E, or similar. Dedicated 40-50A circuit, run typically under 50 feet to a garage or carport, surface- or in-wall-mounted. Includes load calc, ESA permit, and final inspection. Half-day on site. Send us a panel photo and where the car parks - we can quote most installs without a site visit.
Residential
EV charger + service upgrade combined
For 100A homes where the load calc shows the existing service is at limit. Combined into one job so we only pull the meter once and you pay for one ESA inspection rather than two. Typically one to one-and-a-half days on site. The variation in scope is the same as a standalone service upgrade - we quote after the load calc.
Residential
EV charger — cottage long run
Cottage and waterfront installs where the panel is in the boathouse or the run from main service to the parking pad is 25-60 metres. Trenching where required, weatherproof disconnects, outdoor-rated cable, and chargers selected for seasonal use. Common around Lake of Bays and the Port Carling lakes. The scope variable is run length and trench access - send us a panel photo and a rough sketch of the run and we will quote in writing.
Residential
Standby generator — 14kW Generac install
Generac Guardian 14kW with automatic transfer switch, concrete or composite pad, gas line coordination, and ATS programming. Sized to a typical Ontario home with no electric range or central A/C running concurrently. Propane tank is a separate line item from your gas supplier. Two days on site. We quote after a site walk and a load calc on your actual must-run circuits.
Residential
Standby generator — 18-26kW
22kW Guardian or comparable Kohler / Cummins. Sized for larger homes, electric ranges, central A/C, well pumps, and shop loads. Same scope as the 14kW - pad, gas, ATS, programming - but heavier conductors and a larger transfer switch. Quoted after the must-run load calc.
Commercial
Commercial standby — quoted per project
Larger Generac Industrial, Kohler KD-series, and Cummins QSB diesel units for commercial sites in Hamilton, Burlington, and the Golden Horseshoe industrial corridor. Engineering, base tank fuel system, sound enclosure, and ATS selection vary too much for a standard scope. We quote in writing after a site walk.
Residential
Manual transfer switch + portable generator interlock
Code-compliant way to backfeed your panel from a portable generator. Choose between a generator interlock kit on the existing panel (cheaper, all circuits available but only the ones you turn on get power) or a six-or-ten-circuit manual transfer switch (more expensive, pre-wired selected circuits). ESA permit and inspection included. Quoted in writing.
Residential
Hot tub disconnect + bonding
GFCI-protected 50A or 60A disconnect within sight of the tub, proper equipotential bonding around the pad, and the feed from the panel. Add an outdoor weather-rated subpanel if the run is long. Includes ESA permit and inspection - your installer will refuse to fill the tub without the Certificate.
Residential
Pool electrical — quoted per project
In-ground pool electrical varies enormously based on heater type (gas, heat pump, electric), pump and salt-cell sizing, lighting, and whether the pool is being added to an existing service or built into new construction. Bonding grids, equipotential bonding of all metal within 3m of the water, and GFCI on every circuit are non-negotiable. We quote after a site walk.
Residential
Whole-house lighting retrofit
LED retrofit kits where the existing can or housing can be reused; full fixture swaps where it cannot. Dimmer compatibility checks are part of the quote - a lot of older dimmers will not work with modern LED drivers and we replace those at the same time. We quote per fixture count and per room after walking the home.
Residential
Knob-and-tube remediation
Hamilton, Dundas, and Ancaster century homes plus older Muskoka cottages still have active knob-and-tube. Targeted remediation in a single room or feeder is at the low end of effort; whole-house rewires with drywall cuts, patching, painting, and ceiling access cost the most. The variable is access - how much of the house we have to open up. Insurers increasingly require documentation either way. Quoted after a site walk because the scope variance is huge.
Commercial
Commercial tenant fit-out
Drivers of scope: lighting density and fixture spec, number of dedicated circuits, data and low-voltage rough-in, exit signage, emergency lighting, HVAC tie-ins, and whether the existing service can support the new load or needs upsizing. Restaurants and labs are heavier per square foot than offices. We quote from the architectural and electrical drawings - no guessing.
Ready when you are
Get a written quote for your job.
Send us a panel photo and a description — we will quote in writing, usually without a site visit. Site walks are scheduled for the jobs that genuinely need one.