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Service entrance replacement on the South Shore
With the panel, a redone service entrance has its price in the quote; underground, the excavation and the pole are extra. The permit rule varies from one city to the next.
On the South Shore, a service entrance redone with a 200 A panel, or an underground service, excluding excavation and the pole, has its price in the quote, written and free of charge. We handle the steps with Hydro-Québec; the permit depends on the city.
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How much does a service entrance cost on the South Shore?
For a single-family home, the price of the service entrance and a 200 A panel redone together is in the written quote, free of charge. The exact price depends on the distance between the meter and the panel, the condition of the wall and the number of circuits; it’s written in the quote, free of charge.
Underground, the excavation and the pole are extra. The private pole and the excavation, if we do it, are extra; Hydro-Québec bills its own fees.
We can do the excavation, or you can have it done.
The permit, city by city
Of these seven cities, two name the service entrance in their bylaw; the others refer to electrical work in general, systems or repairs. Here is what each one says, with its conditions. Saint-Lambert, Boucherville and Brossard are part of the Longueuil agglomeration; Chambly is in the MRC de La Vallée-du-Richelieu, but each keeps its own bylaw.
| City | What the City says |
|---|---|
| Longueuil | Under CO-2024-1285, electrical work doesn’t count among the repairs exempt from a permit: one may therefore be needed. |
| Brossard | On the City’s list of procedures with no permit: “electrical work”. |
| Boucherville | No permit for renovations under $5,000, labour included, outside a PIIA and outside the Vieux-Boucherville heritage site; electrical work isn’t named. |
| Saint-Lambert | Work to renovate the electrical systems of a main building requires a certificate of authorization. |
| La Prairie | Replacing the service entrance counts as minor work if the wiring inside walls and ceilings isn’t changed, under $5,000 and outside the historic district or a PIIA. |
| Candiac | Same rule: replacing the service entrance counts as minor work without a certificate, if the interior wiring isn’t changed and the work doesn’t exceed $5,000. |
| Chambly | No permit for normal maintenance up to $5,000; a building on the heritage inventory needs a permit whatever the value. Electrical work isn’t named. |
A service entrance redone with the panel usually stays under the $5,000 thresholds; an underground service goes over them. Whatever the city, we confirm its rule before opening the job, and we take care of the permit if one is needed.
Old La Prairie: one more authorization
Old La Prairie (Vieux-La Prairie) is a heritage site declared in 1975: 96 hectares between the river, rue Saint-Laurent, the Saint-Jacques River and rue Longtin. The City considers it an area of national heritage interest.
The City says it on its permit page: any exterior work on a building in the site requires an authorization from the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications, requested with the City permit.
Section 64 of the Cultural Heritage Act prohibits any repair or change to the exterior appearance of a building in a declared heritage site without the minister’s authorization, subject to the exceptions set by regulation. When the mast, the meter base and the meter are on the front of the house, that authorization has to be built into the schedule.
Overhead or underground
This choice changes the cost and the look, not the capacity: a 200 amp underground service and a 200 amp overhead service power exactly the same house.
Overhead costs less to install and is simpler to repair, but it stays exposed to ice, branches and wind. Underground removes the mast and the wires from the front of the house, at the cost of a trench.
Switching from overhead to underground depends on the grid in your street, the distance and what has to be crossed: it’s decided on site. The details are on our underground electrical service page.
Hydro-Québec: disconnection and reconnection
All the steps with Hydro-Québec are ours: forms, authorizations, coordinating the disconnection and the reconnection.
Up to 200 amps, the master electrician can disconnect and reconnect the service, with Hydro-Québec’s prior authorization; beyond that, Hydro-Québec steps in and sets the date.
The declaration of work goes to Hydro-Québec once the installation is ready to be connected, and only a master electrician can send it. Allow about two weeks before the job, as a rule.
How it goes
On the day of the work, the house is without electricity for about six hours.
We cut the power, remove the old mast, meter base and cable, install the new assembly, then connect the circuits before turning the power back on. After checking, the panel is labelled, and the documents go to Hydro-Québec.
If the panel is also at the end of its life, we replace it in the same job; if not, we only touch the service entrance. For the panel, see electrical panel replacement on the South Shore.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a service entrance cost on the South Shore?
Often redone with a 200 A panel on a single-family home; price in the STM-Électrique quote. Underground, the excavation and the private pole are extra. The exact price is in the written quote, free of charge.
Do you need a permit in Longueuil or Brossard to redo the service entrance?
Brossard puts electrical work on its list of procedures with no permit. In Longueuil, electrical work isn’t among the repairs exempt from a permit: one may be needed. Either way, we confirm the rule with the city before the job.
I live in Old La Prairie: do I need an authorization for the mast or the meter?
Yes: in the Old La Prairie heritage site, any exterior work requires an authorization from the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications, requested with the City permit. When the mast, the meter base and the meter are on the front of the house, that authorization has to be built into the schedule.
Who digs the trench for an underground service?
We can do the excavation, or you can have it done. The required private pole is extra, and Hydro-Québec bills its own fees. The service entrance itself has its price in the quote.
Do you also do the panel?
Yes, and often in the same job: a single disconnection for both, which costs less than two jobs. Both are often redone together on a single-family home. Our page on panel replacement on the South Shore covers each city’s rule.
Is the mast leaning or the meter base rusting? A photo of the whole assembly, taken from the ground, is often enough for a first opinion.
Get a quoteor call 438 542-7304To go further