How much do contractors charge for suite electrical separate in New Brunswick?

Electrical service separation for a secondary suite in New Brunswick typically runs $3,500–$8,500+, depending on your panel setup, the suite's size, and how much work is needed to create two independent services.

Here's what drives that range. On the lower end ($3,500–$5,000), you're looking at a home that already has a 200A main panel with room to add a sub-panel for the suite — the electrician installs a dedicated sub-panel (typically 60A–100A), runs new circuits for the suite, and installs a separate meter base if required by your municipality. On the higher end ($6,000–$8,500+), the main panel itself needs upgrading (many NB homes from the 1970s–90s still have 100A or older panels), or the suite is in a detached structure requiring an underground feed, or the existing wiring is knob-and-tube that needs to be addressed before the separation can happen.

If your utility requires a completely separate meter (meaning two distinct accounts with NB Power, Saint John Energy, or Edmundston Energy depending on your area), add another $1,500–$3,000+ for the meter base installation and utility coordination. Not every municipality or landlord situation requires this — some suites run off a single meter with a sub-panel — but separate metering is increasingly expected for rental suites and makes billing much simpler for both parties.

The permit side of this is non-negotiable. All electrical work must be done by a licensed electrical contractor (licensed through NB Dept. of Justice and Public Safety — Technical Inspection Services). An electrical wiring permit must be obtained from NB Power before work begins — call 1-800-615-0522 or apply at nbpower.com. After the work is complete, TIS (1-888-659-3222) conducts the final inspection. There's no legal path for a homeowner to do this work themselves unless they hold a valid NB electrician's licence.

Your building permit situation also matters here. Secondary suites require a building permit from your local authority — the City of Moncton, City of Fredericton, City of Saint John, or whichever municipality you're in. If you're in a rural or unincorporated area, that's your Regional Service Commission. The electrical separation is just one piece of suite compliance — you'll also need to meet fire separation, egress, and ventilation requirements under the National Building Code of Canada 2020 (mandatory for new applications as of May 1, 2025).

A few things worth asking your electrician upfront: whether your existing panel has capacity, whether the utility requires separate metering in your area, and whether any existing wiring in the suite needs upgrading before new circuits can be added. Getting two or three quotes is worthwhile — prices in NB vary between urban centres (Moncton, Fredericton, Saint John) and smaller communities where fewer licensed electricians are available.

You can find licensed electrical contractors serving your area through the New Brunswick Construction Network directory — a good starting point before calling around for quotes.