Complete Home Electrical Renovation in Montreal: What to Know

If you own a home in Montreal — especially one built in the 1950s, 60s, or 70s — there's a good chance your electrical system is working harder than it should, and quietly posing risks you can't see. Knob-and-tube wiring, undersized panels, aluminum branch wiring, no arc-fault protection: these aren't just inconveniences. They're the kinds of things that make insurers nervous and that we, as electricians who have worked in hundreds of Montreal homes over the past 20 years, take seriously every single time we walk onto a job site.

A complete electrical renovation is a significant undertaking. It deserves a straight explanation — what it includes, what it costs, how long it takes, and what questions to ask your electrician before signing anything.

What Does a Complete Electrical Renovation Actually Include?

The phrase "complete electrical renovation" gets used loosely, so let's be specific. A true full rewire means replacing everything from the service entry to the outlets on the walls. In practice, that usually breaks down into the following scopes of work:

• Service upgrade: Replacing a 60A or 100A panel with a 200A service — the current standard for a single-family home with modern loads.
• Panel replacement: Removing the old breaker panel and installing a new one with proper breaker sizing, labelling, and space for future circuits.
• Branch circuit rewiring: Replacing all the old wiring that runs through your walls, ceilings, and floors — this is where knob-and-tube or deteriorated aluminum wiring gets removed.
• Device replacement: New outlets, switches, dimmers, and cover plates throughout.
• Code compliance upgrades: Arc-fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) in bedrooms, ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) in bathrooms, kitchens, and exterior locations, smoke and CO detector circuits.
• Permit and inspection: Filing the required permit with your municipality and coordinating the inspection — this is not optional, and any contractor who tells you otherwise is not someone you want in your home.

We recently completed a full rewire in a 1962 duplex in Rosemont. The original knob-and-tube wiring was still live, covered in decades of insulation that had been blown in right on top of it — a combination that creates a serious fire risk. The job took four days. The homeowner went from a 60A service with 8 breakers to a clean 200A panel with 30 circuits, AFCI protection throughout, and a system that will serve the building for the next 40 years.

When Is a Full Electrical Renovation Actually Necessary?

Not every older home needs a complete rewire. But there are clear signals that tell us the work can't be deferred:

• Your home still has knob-and-tube wiring (the ceramic knobs and tubes visible in your basement or attic).
• You have aluminum branch circuit wiring from the 1960s–70s — not the larger aluminum service conductors, which are fine, but the smaller 15A and 20A aluminum wires feeding outlets and switches.
• Your panel is 60 amperes and you're running a modern kitchen, EV charger, heat pump, or electric dryer.
• You're doing a gut renovation and the walls are already open — this is the single best window to rewire because you avoid the cost of opening and patching drywall twice.
• Your insurer has flagged the wiring or is requiring an electrical inspection before renewing your policy.
• You're experiencing repeated tripped breakers, flickering lights, or outlets that don't work — signs of a system under stress.

If you're unsure, an electrical inspection is the right first step. It gives you a clear picture of what you're working with before committing to a scope of work.

Quebec Electrical Code and Permit Requirements

In Quebec, all electrical work must comply with the Canadian Electrical Code as adopted by the CMEQ and must be carried out by a contractor holding a valid RBQ licence. This applies to any work beyond very minor repairs.

A permit is required for:

• Any service upgrade or panel change
• Adding new circuits
• Complete rewiring of a dwelling
• New construction or major renovation

The permit process involves submitting a notice of work to Hydro-Québec and scheduling an inspection with the Régie du bâtiment du Québec or your local municipality. The inspection happens after the work is roughed in and before the walls are closed. This step protects you — it means a third party has verified the work is safe before it's hidden inside your walls.

If you're also considering energy efficiency upgrades as part of your renovation, it's worth checking the Hydro-Québec rebate programs that may apply to heat pump installations, smart thermostats, and other upgrades that pair with an electrical renovation.

What Does a Full Electrical Renovation Cost in Montreal?

We're going to give you real numbers, not ranges so wide they're useless.

For a typical Montreal single-family home of 1,200–1,800 sq. ft., a complete electrical renovation — including panel upgrade to 200A, full rewire, new devices, permits, and inspection — runs between $12,000 and $22,000, depending on the size of the home, accessibility of the walls, and the complexity of the existing installation.

Breaking it down further:

• Panel upgrade only (100A to 200A): $1,800–$3,500
• Partial rewire (one floor or specific zones): $4,000–$8,000
• Full rewire, existing home with drywall: $12,000–$22,000
• Full rewire during gut renovation (walls open): $7,000–$14,000

The single biggest cost variable is access. When walls are open, rewiring is straightforward. When they're not, we're fishing wire through finished walls, ceilings, and insulated cavities — that's skilled, time-consuming work that adds labour hours. This is why, if you're renovating anyway, you should always do the electrical at the same time.

For context, we recently rewired a 1,500 sq. ft. bungalow in LaSalle during a full kitchen and bathroom renovation. Because the walls in the affected areas were already open, we were able to complete the full rewire for $11,200 — roughly 30% less than it would have cost if we'd been working in a finished home.

How to Choose the Right Electrician for a Full Renovation in Montreal

A full electrical renovation is not a job for the lowest bidder. Here's what to look for:

• Valid RBQ licence: Verify it directly on the RBQ website. Don't take a copy of a card at face value.
• CMEQ membership: Indicates the contractor operates within the professional standards of the industry.
• Detailed written quote: The quote should specify scope of work, materials (wire gauge, panel brand, breaker types), and what's included in the permit and inspection process.
• References from similar projects: Ask for references from full rewire jobs specifically — not just outlet replacements or panel changes.
• Clear communication about the permit process: Any contractor who suggests you skip the permit is putting you at legal and financial risk. Unpermitted work can void your home insurance and create serious problems at resale.

If you're also working on a project outside the island, our team covers the full Greater Montreal area. You can read more about how we handle urgent and planned work across the region in our article on fast electrician service on the Greater Montreal South Shore.

Planning Your Renovation: Timeline and Logistics

A complete electrical renovation requires some planning on your end. Here's a realistic picture of what the process looks like:

• Week 1–2: Site visit, quote, and scope confirmation. Permit application submitted.
• Week 2–4: Permit approval (timing varies by municipality).
• Renovation week(s): Rough-in work — running new wire, installing boxes, upgrading the service. This is when the home will have planned outages, usually managed in sections so you're not without power entirely.
• Inspection: Scheduled with the authority having jurisdiction before walls close.
• Finishing: Devices installed, panel labelled, final connections made.
• Hydro-Québec reconnection: If the service was upgraded, coordination with Hydro-Québec for reconnection at the meter.

For most homes, the active work takes 3–6 days. Larger homes or those with complex existing conditions can take longer. We always walk through the timeline with you before we start so there are no surprises.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit for a full electrical renovation in Montreal?

Yes, without exception. Any significant electrical work — including full rewires, panel replacements, and service upgrades — requires a permit in Quebec. The permit process includes a mandatory inspection before walls are closed. This protects you legally, financially, and in terms of insurance coverage. A contractor who suggests skipping the permit is not acting in your interest.

How long does a complete home rewire take in Montreal?

For a typical single-family home of 1,200–1,800 sq. ft., expect 3 to 6 working days for the active electrical work, plus time for permit approval before the job starts and a Hydro-Québec reconnection appointment if the service is being upgraded. The total calendar time from first contact to completed work is usually 3 to 5 weeks, depending on permit timing.

Can I stay in my home during the electrical renovation?

In most cases, yes — but you need to be comfortable with planned power interruptions during work hours. We typically manage outages by zone so that the entire home isn't without power at once. If your panel needs to be replaced, there will be a full outage for several hours on that specific day. We coordinate the Hydro-Québec disconnect and reconnect in advance and give you a clear schedule.

My home has aluminum wiring. Do I need a full rewire?

It depends on the type of aluminum wiring. Large-gauge aluminum conductors used for service entry and high-amperage circuits (like your stove or dryer) are standard and safe. The concern is with smaller aluminum branch circuit wiring — 15A and 20A circuits feeding outlets and switches — which was common in Quebec homes built between roughly 1965 and 1975. This wiring can be managed with approved remediation methods (like CO/ALR devices and anti-oxidant compound), but in many cases a full rewire is the right long-term solution. We assess this on a case-by-case basis and give you an honest recommendation.

Will my homeowner's insurance cover the cost of an electrical renovation?

Standard homeowner's insurance does not cover elective renovation work. However, some insurers will require you to upgrade your electrical system — particularly if you have knob-and-tube wiring or a 60A panel — as a condition of coverage or renewal. In those cases, the insurer is not paying for the work, but they may decline to insure the home until it's done. Always check with your insurer before and after a full rewire, as the upgrade can also reduce your premium.

Ready to Talk About Your Project?

A full electrical renovation is one of the most important investments you'll make in your home. Done right, it makes the building safer, improves its resale value, and gives you the capacity to live the way you actually want to — with an EV charger in the garage, a proper home office setup, a modern kitchen, and no more nuisance trips to the breaker panel.

Topal Électrique has been doing this work across Montreal and Greater Montreal for over 20 years. We're RBQ and CMEQ certified, we pull the permits, we show up when we say we will, and we explain what we're doing and why. No shortcuts.

If your home is overdue for an electrical upgrade — or if you're planning a renovation and want to do the electrical right while the walls are open — reach out to us here. We'll come take a look and give you a straight assessment before we talk about price.