What a BC Hydro service application actually is
The BC Hydro service application is the workflow that BC Hydro uses to authorize a new electrical service, or a change to an existing service, on a property. It is separate from the electrical permit, which comes from your municipality in Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, North Vancouver and West Vancouver, and from Technical Safety BC elsewhere (Technical Safety BC jurisdiction list). The two work in parallel and have to be coordinated, but they cover different parts of the electrical system.
BC Hydro provides the service connection itself: the overhead service drop, or the underground service up to its connection point. On private property, BC Hydro's requirements say the customer supplies and installs the materials, which in practice means your electrician installs the mast or conduit, service conductors, grounding and meter base to BC Hydro's specifications (BC Hydro overhead and underground connection requirements). The electrical permit authority covers that installation and everything inside: panel, branch circuits, devices and fixtures.
If your work changes the service connection, you need to make a connection request to BC Hydro. That includes the most common driver in 2026: upgrading from a 100A service to a 200A service, which usually requires a new mast, new service entrance conductors, and a new meter base. It also includes mast relocations, meter base relocations, conversions from overhead to underground service, single-phase to three-phase conversions, temporary service for new construction, and any new service for a property that did not have one before.
When you need a BC Hydro service application in 2026
Common BC triggers in 2026 that require a service application:
- 100A to 200A residential upgrade. The most common single trigger. Driven by heat pump conversions, EV chargers, induction ranges, secondary suite legalization, and combinations of those.
- Single-phase to three-phase commercial conversion. Restaurant kitchens, light-industrial properties, larger commercial fit-outs, EV DC fast charging.
- Mast or meter base relocation. Renovation projects that change the building envelope on the side where the service drops can require the mast to move.
- Overhead to underground service conversion. Common on character-home renovations and on streetscape rebuilds.
- Service for new construction. Every new house, every new commercial building, every laneway home with its own service needs an application.
- Temporary service for construction sites. Larger commercial sites need temporary service for cranes, hoists, site offices.
- Flood construction level (FCL) remediation. On Richmond and Delta flood-plain parcels, flood construction level (FCL) rules can affect where electrical equipment may be located, which can force a meter base relocation as part of the upgrade.
You do not need a service application for: like-for-like replacement of breakers inside the customer panel, branch-circuit additions that do not change the main service capacity, EV charger installs on existing 200A panels with capacity headroom, fixture and device replacements, or anything entirely downstream of the meter.
2026 timeline by job type
The BC Hydro lead time starts when the request is submitted, not when the homeowner first calls. Allow one to three business days between accepting the LGD quote and the application being filed. After that:
- Residential 100A to 200A overhead. Four to six weeks from application filing to energization in 2026.
- Residential 100A to 200A underground. Five to eight weeks. Slightly longer because the underground conductor route may need a BC Hydro civil engineer review.
- Residential mast relocation only (no capacity change). Three to five weeks.
- Commercial single-phase 200A upgrade. Five to nine weeks.
- Commercial single-phase to three-phase conversion under 100kVA. Eight to ten weeks.
- Commercial single-phase to three-phase conversion over 100kVA. Ten to twelve weeks, sometimes longer if a transformer pad is needed.
- New residential service for new construction. Six to ten weeks.
- Temporary service for construction. Two to four weeks.
These are 2026 working numbers, not the BC Hydro published service standard. The published standard understates real-world timelines because it does not include the back-and-forth on engineering review.
2026 BC Hydro fees
BC Hydro charges directly to the property owner of record. The fees are not part of the LGD invoice; LGD itemizes them on the quote so there are no surprises but the homeowner pays BC Hydro directly through the BC Hydro online portal once the application is approved.
- Residential 100A to 200A service change (overhead). Approximately $1,200 total in 2026.
- Residential 100A to 200A service change (underground). Approximately $1,400 to $1,800 total in 2026, depending on whether new conductor or new conduit is needed.
- Mast or meter relocation only. $400 to $900 depending on whether new conductors are pulled.
- Commercial single-phase 200A upgrade. $1,800 to $3,200.
- Commercial single-phase to three-phase conversion. $3,500 to $9,500, with $9,500+ being common on conversions that require a new transformer pad.
- New service for new construction (single residential). $1,400 to $2,400 depending on pole-to-house distance.
- Temporary service for construction. $600 to $1,500.
These are LGD's working estimates from recent jobs as of May 2026, not a published BC Hydro fee schedule. BC Hydro confirms the actual charge for your property when it processes the request, and LGD shows it as a separate pass-through line on the quote.
The seven-step BC Hydro process
The full workflow from "I want a 200A panel" to "BC Hydro re-energizes the new service" looks like this:
- Step 1. Contractor scoping. LGD does a site assessment, runs a CEC Section 8 load calculation, confirms the existing service rating, identifies any mast or meter base relocations needed, and issues a written quote that includes BC Hydro fees as a pass-through itemized line.
- Step 2. Application filing. Once the quote is accepted and the deposit is paid, LGD submits the connection request to BC Hydro with the property details, the existing and proposed service size, and the planned service-entrance configuration, and pulls the electrical permit.
- Step 3. BC Hydro engineering review. A BC Hydro engineer reviews the application. For residential 100A to 200A overhead this is usually a paper review with no site visit. For underground conversions, three-phase conversions, FCL-affected parcels, and anything unusual, a BC Hydro engineer may visit the site. This step takes one to four weeks depending on the queue.
- Step 4. BC Hydro quote to homeowner. Once engineering review approves, BC Hydro issues a quote directly to the homeowner via the BC Hydro online portal. The homeowner accepts and pays the fee through the portal. LGD does not see the fee transaction. This usually happens within one to three business days of the engineering approval.
- Step 5. Scheduling. Once BC Hydro is paid, BC Hydro schedules the disconnect and reconnect windows with the homeowner and the contractor. The disconnect window is typically a four to eight hour daytime appointment. Scheduling usually happens one to three weeks after payment, depending on the season.
- Step 6. Cutover day. On the scheduled day, BC Hydro arrives and disconnects the existing service at the pole. LGD's crew removes the existing mast, conductors, and meter base, installs the new equipment, and waits for BC Hydro to return. The electrical inspector (your municipality or TSBC) inspects the new equipment before BC Hydro reconnects. Once the electrical inspector signs off, BC Hydro reconnects and energizes. The total cutover day is typically four to eight hours with the customer off-grid.
- Step 7. Documentation handoff. LGD provides the homeowner with the BC Hydro service-change confirmation, the electrical permit final inspection certificate, the load calc documentation, the manufacturer warranty paperwork for the new panel and breakers, and the LGD one-year labour warranty letter.
Who inspects what: BC Hydro vs the electrical inspector
Two organizations are involved, with different roles:
- The electrical permit authority (your municipality in Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, North Vancouver and West Vancouver; Technical Safety BC elsewhere) covers the installation: the new panel, service conductors, grounding and bonding, and branch-circuit work, all under the Canadian Electrical Code. BC Hydro's own requirements refer installations back to the electrical code and Technical Safety BC.
- BC Hydro provides and connects the service and has its own requirements for where the meter goes: between 1.5 and 1.8 metres above finished grade, no more than 1 metre from the building corner closest to BC Hydro's source, and not inside a carport, garage or breezeway (BC Hydro overhead and underground connection requirements).
LGD books the inspection and the BC Hydro work so the outage on changeover day is as short as possible.
Common reasons a BC Hydro service application slips
- Incomplete application. Missing or inconsistent details mean BC Hydro sends the request back, and the clock effectively restarts.
- Mast clearance failure. The proposed mast does not meet code clearance from windows, decks, chimneys, or grade. Fix: revise the mast location or change to underground service.
- Meter base under FCL. Common on Richmond and Delta projects. Fix: relocate the meter base to a pedestal above the FCL.
- Access easement issue. BC Hydro cannot get to the pole because of a fence, a new tree, a new outbuilding. Fix: clear the easement, schedule with BC Hydro after.
- Transformer capacity constraint. Rare, but on some older Vancouver blocks the local transformer is at or near rated capacity. BC Hydro may require a transformer upgrade before approving an upgrade, which can add weeks. Fix: BC Hydro tells you up front during the engineering review.
- Heritage or zoning conflict. Some heritage-designated properties cannot have the mast moved without a heritage permit. Coordinate with the building department early.
How LGD handles the BC Hydro side
LGD submits the BC Hydro connection request for you, tracks it through BC Hydro review, sit on hold with BC Hydro when an application stalls, escalate to BC Hydro engineering when the engineer review is past published service standards, and coordinate the cutover day timing with the electrical inspector. The homeowner sees a single point of contact (LGD) instead of trying to manage BC Hydro paperwork as a side project to the actual electrical work.
If you are scoping a Vancouver-area 200A upgrade, see the full 200A panel upgrade cost breakdown for the LGD-side pricing. If you are upgrading to support a heat pump, the heat pump panel upgrade guide covers the CleanBC rebate stacking. If the upgrade is on a strata property, the strata Right to Charge framework covers the strata approval process.
FAQ
How long does a BC Hydro service upgrade take in 2026?
In LGD's experience, four to eight weeks for a residential 100A to 200A service upgrade, from submitting the request to BC Hydro to the new service being energized, and eight to twelve weeks for commercial three-phase conversions. BC Hydro does not publish a fixed timeline, and the clock starts when the request is submitted, not when you first call.
What does BC Hydro charge for a 200A service upgrade in 2026?
LGD budgets about $1,200 for BC Hydro's charge on a typical residential overhead 100A to 200A upgrade, based on recent jobs. This is an estimate, not a published BC Hydro fee: BC Hydro confirms the actual charge for your property, and you pay it to BC Hydro directly. Commercial three-phase conversions cost considerably more.
Is a BC Hydro service upgrade request the same as an electrical permit?
No. BC Hydro provides and connects the service and sets its own meter-location requirements. The electrical permit covers the installation itself and comes from your municipality in Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, North Vancouver and West Vancouver, or from Technical Safety BC elsewhere. Most upgrade jobs need both, coordinated.
Who submits the BC Hydro request?
BC Hydro accepts connection requests from customers, electrical consultants and electricians (BC Hydro express connections). In practice your electrician usually submits it, because the request and the electrical permit have to line up. LGD submits the request and handles the coordination for you.
Can BC Hydro hold up my service upgrade?
Yes, if the installation does not meet its requirements. Common issues are meter location (BC Hydro requires the meter 1.5 to 1.8 metres above finished grade and within 1 metre of the building corner closest to its source), mast or conduit details, access, and local transformer capacity on some older blocks.
What happens if the inspection finds a problem?
The electrical inspector (municipal or Technical Safety BC) lists the deficiencies, the contractor corrects them and requests re-inspection, and the service is connected once the installation passes and meets BC Hydro's requirements.