Nothing on this page requires you to do anything technical — Panel Upgrade Sudbury wrote it because homeowners schedule faster and worry less when the sequence has no blanks in it.
Before the day
1. Quote — usually from photos
A photo of the panel label, the open panel (outer door only) and the outside meter area is enough to price most jobs without a visit. You get a written number for the bare swap and the 200-amp bundle side by side.
2. The ESA permit
Every panel replacement in Ontario is filed with the Electrical Safety Authority before work begins. The partner contractor files it — it's part of the quoted price, and it's what makes the final certificate possible. A job priced without a permit is a job your insurer will never accept.
3. The utility booking
Power to the house is cut at the service before anyone touches the panel. Depending on your address in Greater Sudbury, that's coordinated with Greater Sudbury Hydro (much of the urban core) or Hydro One (many outlying areas) — the contractor books it, you just confirm the date. This booking, not the electrical work, usually sets the schedule.
Swap day
| When | What's happening |
|---|---|
| Morning | Utility disconnects at the service. Old Federal Pioneer panel comes off the wall; on a bundle, the mast, meter base and service conductors are replaced for 200 A. |
| Midday | New CSA-certified panel mounted; every branch circuit transferred, terminated and labelled — the tedious, careful middle of the job. |
| Afternoon | ESA inspection of the completed work; utility reconnects; contractor walks you through the new panel directory. |
Plan for the power to be off most of the working day. In winter, contractors here plan around it — the house coasts fine over those hours, and fridge/freezer contents are a non-issue at Sudbury's ambient January temperatures anyway.
After the day: the document that was the whole point
Once the installation passes, the ESA issues its certificate of inspection. That certificate — not the invoice, not photos of the shiny new panel — is what your insurance broker needs to lift the refusal, satisfy the condition or remove the surcharge. Scan it, send it, keep the original with your house documents; it will surface again at your next sale. What it unlocks is covered on the insurance page.