Electrical · Published September 15, 2026 · 7 min read · By Groupe Nuvem
What is an electrical service?
The electrical service is everything that brings power from the Hydro-Québec grid to your circuits: the mast and service head (or underground connection), the meter and its base, the service cable, the disconnect and the distribution panel with its main breaker. Its capacity is measured in amps: 60 A in pre-1970 homes, 100 A in most homes built from 1970 to 2000, and 200 A in recent construction.
Signs you should move to 200 A
- You are adding an EV charger (32 to 48 A on its own), a central heat pump, a hot tub or electric heating in an addition.
- The panel is full: no room for a new breaker, or "tandem" double breakers everywhere.
- Breakers trip when several appliances run at once (dryer + oven + heating).
- The panel is a known-risk model (Federal Pioneer Stab-Lok, Sylvania-Zinsco) or still uses fuses: your insurer may require replacement.
- You are converting oil or gas heating to electric.
Detailed 2026 pricing
In the Quebec City and Portneuf area, a turnkey 200 A electrical service generally costs between $3,000 and $6,000 before tax. The range comes down to four factors:
| Item | Range | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| 200 A panel (40 or 60 circuits) and main breaker | $600 – $1,200 | Brand, number of spaces, AFCI breakers required by Code |
| Mast, service head, meter base, cable | $500 – $1,500 | Overhead or underground, distance, mast through the roof |
| Labour (2 electricians, 6 to 10 h) | $1,500 – $2,500 | Reworking existing circuits, grounding, wiring condition |
| Permit, inspection, Hydro-Québec coordination | $150 – $400 | Municipality, work declaration |
Add $1,500 to $4,000 if the underground connection must be redone (trench, conduit) or if several non-compliant circuits need reworking (aluminum wiring, ungrounded outlets, missing GFCIs in wet rooms).
The steps with Hydro-Québec
- Visit and quote. An electrician assesses the panel, the connection, grounding and your future needs. Written, fixed quote.
- Municipal permit and notice to Hydro-Québec. Nuvem files the work declaration and requests the disconnection/reconnection. Nothing for you to do.
- Work day. Power off in the morning, replacement of the mast, meter base and panel, transfer of all circuits, new grounding. Power restored the same day in the vast majority of cases.
- Inspection and certificate. We provide the CMEQ compliance certificate, often requested by the insurer or notary on a sale.
Rebates and financing
There is no direct rebate for the electrical service itself, but several programs cover the projects that justify it: Roulez vert (up to $600 for a home charger), Hydro-Québec's LogisVert for efficient heat pumps, and the Canada Greener Homes Loan (interest-free, up to $40,000) for a package of energy retrofits including the related electrical upgrade.
Lead times and season
Count 2 to 4 weeks between the accepted quote and the work, depending on the season and Hydro-Québec's lead time for the disconnection. Work is done year-round; in winter a new underground connection waits for the thaw, but replacing a panel and an overhead mast remains possible.
Our advice
If you are changing the panel, go straight to 200 A and plan spaces for tomorrow's charger, heat pump and hot tub: the price difference between 100 A and 200 A is small at the time of the work, but doing it twice costs double. See our electrical service page or request a quote: we serve the 28 municipalities of Portneuf, Quebec City, Côte-de-Beaupré and Charlevoix.