How Much Does It Cost to Add a Baseboard Heater in Victoria BC?

Adding a baseboard heater to a room in Victoria starts at $876.28 before GST, which covers a new dedicated heating circuit run from your panel to the heater location, up to 100 feet. Replacing an existing baseboard heater on a circuit that is already there starts at $390.60. Call Grifflyn Electric at (778) 350-2677 for a firm number on your home.

Technically reviewed by Carl Simard, Red Seal Certified Construction Electrician (SkilledTradesBC Certificate of Qualification No. 00316-EW-26), and Behn Larsen, FSR Class B (Certificate # CEL000220404).

The short answer

There are two very different jobs people describe as adding a baseboard heater, and they are priced differently.

The first is a brand new heater in a room that has never had one. That room has no heating circuit, so an electrician has to run a dedicated circuit from the panel, land it on a new breaker, and terminate it at the heater and thermostat. That is the same scope of work as a Level 3 dedicated circuit installation, and it starts at $876.28.

The second is a replacement. The circuit, the breaker and the wiring are already in place, and the old heater is being swapped for a new one. That starts at $390.60 and is priced by the wattage of the heater going in.

Grifflyn Electric was the first electrical company in Greater Victoria to publish a standardized pricing catalogue. The figures below are the same ones we work from every day.

Baseboard heater costs in Victoria, BC

All prices are before GST and are based on a standard installation. Because electrical work in older Victoria housing stock is variable, we reserve the right to requote any job that goes beyond a standard installation once a certified electrician has assessed it on site.

Electrical work	Price
New dedicated baseboard heater circuit, under 100 feet	$876.28
20 amp circuit upgrade, add-on	$150.00
Upgrade to a fan forced wall heater at time of install	$350.00 add-on
Baseboard heater replacement, over 750 watts	$390.60
Baseboard heater replacement, over 1500 watts	$509.70
Baseboard heater replacement, over 2500 watts	$580.93
Each additional baseboard heater replaced on the same visit	$358.88
Fan forced wall heater replacement, 500 to 1000 watts	$625.00
Fan forced wall heater replacement, 1500 to 2000 watts	$725.00
New built-in thermostat on the heater	$135.00
Wall thermostat in a new location	$377.00
Thermostat in a new location, as an add-on during a heater install	$297.74
Programmable smart thermostat update	$277.00
Smart thermostat, add-on during the same visit	$185.00

What the $876.28 covers

A new baseboard heater circuit is a complete install, not a hookup. The price covers the work from the panel to the heater.

• A new breaker landed in your existing panel
• A dedicated circuit run from the panel to the heater location, up to 100 feet
• Termination at the heater and at the thermostat
• The Technical Safety BC permit and the inspection that goes with it
• Testing, labelling and cleanup
• Our lifetime workmanship warranty on the installation

The heater itself is a separate item. Most homeowners buy the unit they want and we install it. If you would rather we supply it, we will price it on the quote so you can see both numbers.

Replacing a baseboard heater

Replacement is the cheaper job because the circuit already exists. Pricing follows the wattage of the heater being installed, because higher wattage units are physically longer, heavier and draw more current, which changes the terminations and the time on site.

• Over 750 watts, $390.60
• Over 1500 watts, $509.70
• Over 2500 watts, $580.93
• Each additional heater replaced on the same visit, $358.88

That additional heater price is the one worth paying attention to. If you have four tired heaters in a 1970s Saanich rancher, replacing them all in one visit costs considerably less per unit than booking four separate calls, because the travel, setup and permit happen once.

Heaters do not last forever. The elements oxidize, the fins corrode in damp Island winters, and older units with failing built-in thermostats start running well past their setpoint. If a heater is scorching the wall above it, smells persistently of burning dust after a full cleaning, or will not shut off, it needs to be looked at rather than cleaned again.

Upgrading to a fan forced wall heater

If you are already paying for a new heating circuit, the premium option is a fan forced wall heater instead of a baseboard. It is a $350.00 upgrade at the time of install.

A fan forced heater sits in the wall rather than along the floor, so it takes up no floor space at all. Nothing to work furniture around, nothing to keep curtains and bedding clear of, and nothing collecting dust along the baseboard. It also moves air through the room rather than relying on heat rising off a fin, so the room warms more evenly and reaches temperature faster.

It is the better choice in a few situations in particular.

• Bathrooms and entryways, where you want heat quickly and have very little wall to give
• Small bedrooms and offices where furniture would otherwise sit against the only available wall
• Rooms with low or awkward wall space, which is common in older Victoria homes with wide trim, radiator alcoves and built-ins
• Suites and converted spaces where floor area is at a premium

Replacing an existing fan forced heater is priced separately, at $625.00 for a 500 to 1000 watt unit and $725.00 for a 1500 to 2000 watt unit.

What moves the price on a Victoria home

Victoria has a high proportion of pre-1960 housing, and that shapes electrical costs here more than in most Canadian cities. Two rooms that look identical can land at different numbers once the wall is open.

• Distance from the panel. A heater on the far corner of the second floor costs more in cable and labour than one in a room backing onto the panel.
• Access. Open attics and unfinished basements are quick. Finished ceilings, plaster and lath, and crawlspaces with limited clearance are not.
• Wiring age. If the room still has knob and tube wiring, a new heating circuit often turns into a larger conversation about the whole room.
• Panel capacity. Electric heat is a heavy, continuous load. If the panel is full or the service is undersized, the project grows.
• Heater wattage. A 2500 watt unit may need a larger circuit than a 750 watt unit in a bedroom.
• Heritage and strata requirements. Heritage designated properties and strata buildings carry approval steps that take time.

Thermostats, and why they matter more than people think

A baseboard heater is only as good as the thermostat controlling it. The cheap bimetallic dial built into the end of an older heater can swing several degrees either side of where you set it, which is why one room feels stuffy and the next feels cold.

A built-in thermostat on a new heater runs $135.00. A wall thermostat in a new location is $377.00 on its own, or $297.74 when it is added during a heater installation. A programmable smart thermostat update is $277.00, or $185.00 as an add-on during the same visit.

If you are heating with electric baseboards, a smart or programmable thermostat is usually the single best return on a small spend. BC Hydro runs instant discounts on select smart thermostats through the Power Smart Shop, and publishes a full guide to getting the most out of electric baseboard heating.

Permits and inspections

A new heating circuit is regulated work in British Columbia. It requires an installation permit, and the installation is subject to inspection. We pull the permit as a licensed contractor and manage the inspection, and the cost is included in the price we quote you.

Swapping a heater on an existing circuit is generally treated differently from running new wiring. Technical Safety BC sets out what does and does not require a permit on its homeowner electrical permit page, and the current rules follow the Canadian Electrical Code as adopted in BC.

A quote that leaves the permit out is not cheaper, it is incomplete. Unpermitted electrical work has a way of surfacing later, during an insurance claim or a sale.

Does your panel have room?

This is the question that changes the budget. Electric resistance heat is one of the heaviest continuous loads in a house, and a 60 or 100 amp service that was sized for a 1940s Fairfield bungalow does not have much left once a range, a dryer and a water heater are accounted for.

Before we run a new heating circuit, we look at what the panel can actually carry. BC Hydro lets homeowners check their home's electrical capacity directly, which is a useful starting point. If the panel is full or the service is undersized, a 200 amp service upgrade becomes part of the conversation, and we will tell you that before you commit to anything.

Baseboard heat or a heat pump?

Baseboard heaters are inexpensive to install, simple to repair, silent, and give you true room-by-room control. They are also resistance heat, which means every dollar of electricity buys exactly one dollar of heat. A heat pump moves heat rather than making it, and typically delivers two to three times the heat for the same electricity.

For a single cold room, an addition, a suite, a converted garage or a workshop, a baseboard heater is almost always the right call. For whole-home heating, it is worth running the numbers against a heat pump electrical connection before you commit. You can check what you are paying per kilowatt hour on BC Hydro's residential rates page.

Plenty of Victoria homes end up with both: a heat pump carrying the main living space and baseboards holding the back bedroom and the basement.

Why homeowners choose Grifflyn Electric

• Lifetime workmanship warranty
• Up to 5 year warranty on parts
• Licensed by Technical Safety BC, Licence #LEL0209496
• Red Seal certified journeyperson electricians on every job
• $5 million liability coverage
• BBB A+ accredited
• Top rated electrical company on Google
• First electrical company in Greater Victoria to publish standardized upfront pricing
• Full, expanded service department built to get you in fast
• We answer the phone 24 hours a day

Where we work

Grifflyn Electric handles residential electrical work across Greater Victoria, including Victoria, Saanich, Oak Bay, Esquimalt, View Royal, Colwood, Langford, Sidney, Sooke and Brentwood Bay. There is no callout fee inside our core service area. Malahat, Sooke, Sidney and Metchosin carry a $60.00 vehicle surcharge.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to add a baseboard heater in Victoria BC?

Adding a baseboard heater to a room that has no heating circuit starts at $876.28 before GST. That covers a new dedicated circuit run from your panel to the heater location, up to 100 feet, a new breaker, termination at the heater and thermostat, the Technical Safety BC permit and the inspection. The heater itself is quoted separately or supplied by the homeowner.

How much does it cost to replace a baseboard heater?

Replacing a baseboard heater on an existing circuit starts at $390.60 for a unit over 750 watts, $509.70 for a unit over 1500 watts and $580.93 for a unit over 2500 watts. Each additional heater replaced on the same visit is $358.88, so replacing several at once costs considerably less per unit than booking separate calls.

Can I upgrade to a fan forced wall heater instead?

Yes. A fan forced wall heater is a $350.00 upgrade at the time of install. It is the premium option: the unit sits in the wall rather than along the floor, so it takes up no floor space, and it circulates air through the room rather than relying on heat rising off a baseboard, which heats the room more evenly and more quickly. It is a strong choice for bathrooms, entryways, small bedrooms and suites where wall and floor space is tight.

Do I need a permit to add a baseboard heater?

Running a new heating circuit is regulated work in British Columbia and requires an installation permit, with an inspection to follow. We pull the permit as a licensed contractor and the cost is built into the price we quote you.

Can a baseboard heater share a circuit with my plugs?

No. Electric heat is a continuous load, and we install fixed baseboard heating on its own dedicated circuit rather than sharing one with receptacles or lighting. That is the reason a new heater in a room that has never had one costs more than a straight replacement.

Are baseboard heaters 120 volt or 240 volt?

Both exist, but most permanent baseboard heating in Victoria homes is 240 volt. A 240 volt circuit delivers the same heat using half the current, which means a smaller conductor and less voltage drop over a long run. We confirm the voltage and the circuit size against the heater you have chosen before we wire anything.

What size baseboard heater do I need?

A common starting point is roughly 10 watts per square foot of floor area, so a 150 square foot bedroom lands near a 1500 watt heater. Older Victoria homes with single glazed windows, uninsulated walls or high ceilings often need more than that rule of thumb suggests. We size the heater to the room rather than to the formula.

How much does a thermostat cost?

A built-in thermostat on a new heater is $135.00. A wall thermostat in a new location is $377.00 on its own, or $297.74 when it is added during a heater installation. A programmable smart thermostat update is $277.00, or $185.00 as an add-on during the same visit.

Will my panel have room for another heating circuit?

That depends on your service size and what is already on it. Electric resistance heat is one of the heaviest continuous loads in a house, and older 60 and 100 amp services in Victoria often have little capacity left. We check the panel before quoting. If there is no room, a service upgrade becomes part of the project and we will tell you that upfront.

Is baseboard heating expensive to run in Victoria?

Baseboard heat converts electricity to heat at close to 100 percent efficiency, but it never produces more heat than the electricity it consumes. A heat pump typically delivers two to three times more heat for the same power, which is why it is worth comparing the two for whole-home heating. For a single cold room, a suite or a workshop, a baseboard heater is usually the more sensible spend.

Do you charge a callout fee?

There is no callout fee across our core Greater Victoria service area. Malahat, Sooke, Sidney and Metchosin carry a $60.00 vehicle surcharge.

Are your prices fixed?

Our catalogue prices are based on a standard installation. Electrical work in older Victoria homes is variable, so we reserve the right to requote any job that goes beyond a standard installation once a certified electrician has assessed it on site. You approve any change before work continues.

Get a straightforward price on your job

If you want a clear number before anyone starts work, call Grifflyn Electric at (778) 350-2677 or request a quote. We will tell you what the job costs, what the permit involves and when we can be there.

Grifflyn Electric Inc.
355 Catherine St, Victoria, BC V9A 3S9
(778) 350-2677