Common Questions About Electrical Services in Ontario

Norfolk County, Brant County, Oxford County, and Haldimand County. If your address is on a county boundary or in a smaller community, call (519) 410-3626 to confirm.

Yes. We're fully licensed (ECRA/ESA 7016060), insured for residential and commercial work, and a Verified Municipal Vendor for Norfolk County. License and insurance details are available on request.

Shadow Lake Electrical was founded in June 2022.

Yes, two. We're an authorized distributor for Briggs & Stratton, although we may use other brands depending on your specific needs and budget. All installations include manufacturer warranty and support.

Residential and commercial quotes are written, itemized, and free. Solar consultations are also free and include an on-site assessment plus an energy usage review.

Depends on the season and scope. We give you a real timeline when we quote, not a placeholder. Emergency work is 24/7 across all four counties.

For larger installations (generators, solar arrays, whole-home rewires, panel upgrades), yes. Deposit terms are in the written quote.

Etransfer, cheque, and credit card. Payment terms are in the written quote.

Yes, financing options can be discussed at consultation.

Yes. Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week across all four counties, including weekends and holidays. Call (519) 410-3626.

Total or partial power outages not caused by the utility, burning smells from panels or outlets, sparking receptacles, breakers that won't reset or repeatedly trip, storm damage to service equipment, water intrusion into electrical systems, and failed generator transfers during an outage.

Norfolk County emergency calls are typically on-site within an hour. Response for Brant, Oxford, and Haldimand varies with distance and traffic. You get a real ETA on the phone.

Call anyway. We'll tell you whether it needs immediate attention or can wait for a scheduled appointment, without pushing you into a service call you don't need.

Yes. Complete home rewires are a regular part of our work, particularly for older homes in Norfolk and Haldimand counties. Insurance companies increasingly require these replacements.

Most 100A to 200A upgrades complete in a single day, with power restored the same evening. Larger service upgrades (400A) or panel relocations can run longer.

Yes. We handle the full electrical package for new builds, from underground service through final trim. We coordinate with GCs, framers, and inspectors to hit the build schedule.

For assessments and initial walkthroughs, yes. For most installation work, no, though someone needs to grant access. Panel upgrades and service work often require a homeowner on site for the utility disconnect.

Retail, office, industrial, agricultural, warehouse, multi-tenant residential, restaurant, and light manufacturing.

Yes. After-hours and weekend scheduling is available for commercial work where daytime installation would disrupt operations.

Yes. Annual and semi-annual preventative maintenance contracts are available for commercial clients, with priority scheduling for emergency callouts included.

Yes. Single-phase and three-phase installations, panel upgrades, and service work are both part of our commercial scope.

Yes. Pre-purchase, insurance compliance, and periodic code compliance reports are available, formatted for insurance carriers and property transactions.

Most residential installations take one to three days depending on gas line work, panel complexity, and permitting. Commercial installations vary by scope.

That depends on what you want to run. Whole-home coverage sizes the generator to your peak panel load. Essential-circuit coverage sizes it to a specific list of appliances and circuits. We calculate the load during the assessment and give you both options where either fits.

If you have natural gas at the property, we typically tap that. If not, we install a propane tank sized to your generator's fuel use and expected runtime.

Annually, at minimum. Skipping maintenance voids most manufacturer warranties.

Yes, in most cases. We assess your existing solar inverter and design a battery integration that works with it, or recommend an upgrade if the existing inverter isn't battery-compatible.

Not necessarily. For long outages, a generator with fuel supply outlasts a battery. For short frequent outages, a battery is instant and silent. Many installs combine both.

Residential installations typically take one to three days on site. Commercial systems vary by scope.

A site assessment, an energy usage review from your utility bills, a custom system design proposal, a cost and savings analysis, and information on battery storage options and utility interconnection. No obligation.

Yes. Panels produce less in winter due to shorter days and snow, but they produce. System sizing accounts for winter performance.

Usually no. Snow slides off panels on typical roof pitches without intervention.

Yes, though off-grid systems require careful sizing (solar plus battery plus typically a backup generator) and cost more than grid-tied. Common for rural properties without utility service or seasonal cottages.

Yes. Battery storage pairs with solar for outage backup and extended off-grid operation. Sized to your critical loads and desired runtime.

Yes. We offer a workmanship warranty on all installation labour. Manufacturer warranties apply to generator, battery, solar, and EV charging systems.

Yes. Where an ESA permit is required, we pull it, schedule the inspection, meet the inspector on site, and hand you the documentation after.

Yes, where required. Every installation that legally requires inspection gets inspected, no exceptions.

We provide inspection documentation, permit records, and workmanship warranty statements as needed.

Level 1 uses a standard 120V outlet and adds about 3 to 5 miles of range per hour. Level 2 uses a dedicated 240V circuit and adds 20 to 40 miles of range per hour. Level 2 is standard for daily EV drivers with a home charging setup.

Most complete in a single day. Longer if a panel upgrade is needed to support the charger.

Yes. Hardwired chargers and most plug-in installations require an ESA permit and inspection. We pull the permit and schedule the inspection as part of the install.

The mounting can be done by anyone, but the circuit installation must be done by a licensed electrician and permitted.

Depends on your existing load and the amperage of the charger. We do a load calculation during the assessment and tell you either way. If capacity is short, we quote the options: panel upgrade, load management device, or smaller charger amperage.