Whether you're adding rental income with a basement suite or building a new laneway home out back — we handle the full electrical scope: load calculation, permits, BC Hydro coordination, and inspections.
Send plans or a description — we reply within 24 hours.
If so, we can scope and handle the electrical — start to finish.
You're converting your basement into a legal rental suite and need dedicated circuits, a subpanel, and permitted electrical — done properly so it passes inspection.
You're planning to build a laneway home and need to understand what the electrical side involves — BC Hydro connection, permits, and how long it all takes.
You have an existing unpermitted suite, or you're building a new home that includes a suite or laneway home as part of the scope.
The electrical scope is quite different between the two. Here's what each project typically requires.
These are the details that cause delays, failed inspections, and unexpected costs. We know them upfront — and handle all of it as part of the project.
We assess your existing electrical service and run a load calculation to determine whether your current panel can support the added load, or whether a service upgrade is needed first. For laneway homes, we also assess the BC Hydro connection options available for your property.
This step happens before any work begins — it determines the full scope and prevents surprises mid-project.
We apply for the electrical permit. In most cities, a building permit is also required before electrical work begins — we'll confirm the correct sequence for your municipality and coordinate accordingly. For laneway homes, we also initiate the BC Hydro connection application at this stage.
All wiring, subpanel or panel installation, circuit runs, fire stops, and specialty rough-ins — completed while walls are open. For secondary suites, this includes all penetrations through the fire separation assembly. For laneway homes, this covers the full rough-in of the new structure.
Required before insulation and drywall go up. We schedule and coordinate the inspection with your local authority having jurisdiction (TSBC or the city's electrical inspector). Walls cannot close until this passes.
Devices, fixtures, breakers, hardwired smoke and CO alarms, and all final connections — completed after drywall and painting. We test the interconnected alarm system across both units before sign-off.
We coordinate the final inspection and — for laneway homes — the BC Hydro service connection. Once the final inspection passes, BC Hydro can connect the new service and the unit is ready for occupancy.
A secondary suite is a separate unit inside your existing home. Electrically, it runs off your home's existing main panel — we add a subpanel for the suite and run dedicated circuits from there. Your BC Hydro service and meter typically stay the same (unless a service upgrade is needed).
A laneway home is a completely separate structure. BC Hydro treats it as a new electrical service — it needs its own meter or sub-meter arrangement, its own panel, and a new BC Hydro connection. It cannot simply be wired as an extension of the main home.
Not always — it depends on the load calculation. Many homes with a 200A service have enough capacity to add a suite. Homes with older 100A services often do not. We run the load calculation before any other work, so you'll know upfront whether a service upgrade is needed and what it will cost.
If an upgrade is needed, we handle that as part of the same project so there's no need to coordinate a separate contractor.
It depends on the size and your preference. BC Hydro offers two main options:
We discuss both options during the quoting stage so you can make an informed decision before any work begins.
Yes — for secondary suites, all hardwired smoke and CO detectors in both the main unit and the suite must be interconnected. If one activates, all alarms in both units sound. This is required under the BC Building Code and enforced in Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, and across the region. Battery backup is also required.
We install and test the interconnected system as part of the project — the inspector will verify it before sign-off.
Both. In most cities, a building permit is required first (applied for by the homeowner or their designer), and then an electrical permit is required before electrical work begins (pulled by us, as the licensed electrical contractor).
In Delta and Richmond, electrical permits are issued directly by Technical Safety BC (TSBC) rather than the city. We're familiar with the process across all municipalities we serve and will confirm the correct sequence for your project.
Yes. We initiate the BC Hydro connection application and coordinate the service arrangement as part of the project. BC Hydro's timelines can take several weeks, so we start this process early to avoid delays to your occupancy date.
Yes. We assess the existing electrical work, identify what doesn't meet current code, and provide a quote to bring everything up to standard. This typically involves adding or upgrading the subpanel, replacing non-compliant wiring, adding missing circuits, installing interconnected alarms, and fire-stopping penetrations. Once the work is complete, we apply for the permit and coordinate the inspections.
Typical timelines for the electrical scope alone:
Permit review and inspection scheduling add time to the overall project timeline — we'll give you a realistic schedule during the quoting process.
Secondary suite subpanel installation
Suite electrical rough-in
Dedicated kitchen circuits — secondary suite
Laneway house panel installation
Laneway home rough-in wiring
Hardwired interconnected smoke & CO alarm installation
Ready to get started? Send us your plans, a description of the project, or a few photos. We'll reply with a free quote — usually within 24 hours.
For a faster quote, share your plans or describe the project — suite size, existing panel, and whether you also need a service upgrade. We'll reply within 24 hours.