When is a 200-amp service entrance required?
The 200 A service entrance is increasingly common for new single-family homes in Quebec, because of rising modern electrical loads:
When 200 A is required:
- Home with central heat pump + range + dryer + water heater + EV charger
- Installing an EV charging station in addition to standard equipment
- Home with electric radiant floor heating in multiple rooms
- In-ground pool with heat pump and filter pump
200 A configuration:
- Entrance conductors: the size is the one required by Section 8 and Table 2 of the Quebec Construction Code, Chapter V — Electricity, according to ampacity and conductor type; the electrician confirms it on the plans
- Main breaker: 200 A
- Panel: the number of spaces depends on the circuits to be accommodated (heating, cooking, EV charger, etc.) and is determined at the design stage
- Entrance cable: TECK90 or conduit with individual conductors
Floor area is not the criterion: the amperage is determined by the Section 8 load calculation, which accounts for heated floor area, heating, range, water heater and other loads — not by a square-metre threshold.
The cost of upgrading from 100 A to 200 A is not set by any published schedule: it depends on the panel, the length and type of entrance cable, whether the meter has to be moved, and the connection work. The CMEQ publishes a reference hourly rate grid (the one in force covers the period from April 26, 2026 to April 24, 2027): it is the basis for comparing a quote, not a price for the work.