Vaughan Electrician: EV Chargers, Basements and Panel Work

Most houses in Maple, Vellore Village, Kleinburg, Patterson and Thornhill Woods were built in the last few decades with copper wiring and a 100A or 200A service. So in Vaughan, we are rarely chasing old wiring. The calls are about adding things: a charger in the garage, a finished basement, a heat pump to replace an aging furnace and AC.

EV chargers in Vaughan garages

A Level 2 charger runs on a dedicated 240V circuit. The first step is a load calculation on your existing panel. Many 200A homes can take a charger as-is. On a 100A service, the options are usually a load management device that pauses charging when the house is drawing a lot, or a service upgrade. We’ll explain which one fits your house and why.

When a 200A upgrade makes sense

Upgrading from 100A to 200A means a new panel, typically a new meter base and service conductors, an ESA permit and inspection, and a scheduled disconnect and reconnect with Alectra, the local utility. Owners usually do it when they plan to stack loads: an EV, a heat pump, a hot tub, or a basement suite with its own stove and laundry.

Basements and in-law suites

Finishing a basement involves new circuits, lighting, interconnected smoke and CO alarms, and sometimes a subpanel. It is much cheaper to plan this before the framing is closed in. A secondary suite also has zoning and fire separation requirements from the City of Vaughan that are separate from the electrical permit, so check those early.

All of this needs an ESA notification and inspection, which we file.

Services

• Residential electrical services
• Commercial electrical services
• Electrical panel upgrades and repairs
• EV charger installation

For businesses along Highway 7, Jane Street and around the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, we handle tenant fit-outs, lighting retrofits and repairs.

Vaughan homeowner questions

Where should the charger go in a two-car garage?

Near the charge port of the car you park most, with enough cable to reach the second spot if you might get another EV later. Shorter runs from the panel also keep costs down.

Is my builder-installed panel big enough for a finished basement?

Often, but a panel can be at capacity in physical space even when the service size is fine. A subpanel solves that in many cases. Send us a photo and we can usually tell.

Can you add pot lights to an existing finished ceiling?

Yes. In most drywall ceilings we can add them with small access cuts.

Next step

Text or email a photo of your open panel and its label, plus a short description of the job, and we’ll come back with questions or a time to visit. Call 647-424-4894 or book a free estimate online. Watt Wizards Electrical serves Vaughan, Woodbridge, Toronto, Etobicoke and Mississauga. Email [email protected].

See the full list of areas we serve