Licensed Electrical Contractor vs Handyman: Who Can Wire Screens in a Condo?

Mounting a TV looks like a handyman job. Sometimes the mounting part is. But as soon as the work involves adding or moving an outlet, running a new circuit or working inside a panel, it's electrical work, and in Ontario that has specific rules.

The rule in plain terms

In Ontario, electrical work performed for hire must be done by a licensed electrical contractor (LEC). An LEC must have a master electrician designated to oversee its electrical work. The LEC files notifications with the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) for the work it does.

A general handyman, AV installer or IT company without an electrical contractor licence shouldn't be doing that electrical work for a condominium corporation or commercial landlord, however simple it looks.

What counts as electrical work

Typical examples in a signage project:

• Installing a new receptacle behind a screen
• Relocating an existing receptacle
• Running a new circuit from a panel
• Extending a circuit through a wall or ceiling
• Installing a receptacle inside a recessed enclosure

Plugging a screen into an existing outlet isn't electrical work. Cutting a hole and moving the outlet is.

How to check a contractor

1. Ask for the ECRA/ESA licence number of the electrical contractor.
2. Look it up using the ESA's public contractor lookup.
3. Confirm the name matches the company that will be invoicing for the electrical work, or the subcontractor named in the proposal.
4. Ask whether a notification will be filed and whether you'll receive the documentation. See ESA notifications.

Why it matters for a condo or commercial building

• Safety. Common areas are shared by everyone. Overloaded circuits or poor connections behind a wall are a fire risk.
• Insurance. Insurers may ask how work was done after a loss.
• Liability. A board that knowingly hires unlicensed electrical work is taking an unnecessary risk.
• Resale and audits. Documentation of licensed, notified work is useful during status certificate requests, reserve fund studies and building audits.

The one-contract approach

Many signage projects involve two or three companies: an AV or IT company for the screens, a separate electrician, and sometimes a drywall contractor. Coordination gaps between them are where delays and finger-pointing happen.

Our projects pair an ESA-licensed master electrician with engineers on the IT side, so the power, the network and the screen are all handled by one team under one contract.