Electrical Planning Report
Electrical Planning Report Vancouver
Before the permit, before BC Hydro, before the panel work — you need to know what your electrical service can actually carry. Adding an EV charger, a heat pump, a secondary suite, or fitting out a commercial space all change your load profile, and the authority having jurisdiction wants that documented. Kato Electrical produces permit-ready electrical planning reports across Metro Vancouver: accurate load calculations, a clear single-line diagram, and a straight recommendation you can build from.
Request a Planning Report: (604) 239-3084 · Mon–Fri 8am–4pm · Same-day response · Or email info@katoelectrical.com
✓ Permit-Ready PDF Package ✓ CEC Load Calculations ✓ Single-Line Diagrams ✓ BC Hydro Coordination ✓ P.Eng Sealed Drawings When Required
What an Electrical Planning Report Is
An electrical planning report — sometimes called a load calculation report or service assessment — documents how much electrical capacity a project needs, how the existing service is performing, and what upgrades, if any, are required to meet the Canadian Electrical Code and the demands of your design.
In plain terms, it answers one question before you spend money: does my electrical service have the capacity for what I'm about to add — and if not, what's the path to get there? It's the document that turns "we think the panel can handle it" into a calculated, defensible answer an inspector, a strata council, a lender, or BC Hydro will accept.
It's an essential package for permit submissions, BC Hydro service-change applications, strata approvals, and lender or insurer requests — and it's the difference between a project that moves forward cleanly and one that stalls mid-permit because nobody confirmed the load.
When You Need an Electrical Planning Report
Most of these come up the moment a project adds load to a service that may already be working harder than anyone realizes.
You're Adding Major Electrical Loads
EV chargers, heat pumps, induction ranges, hot tubs, air conditioning — each one adds meaningful demand. Stack two or three on an older 100-amp Vancouver service and the question stops being theoretical. A planning report tells you whether the existing service absorbs the new load or whether an upgrade comes first.
You're Adding a Suite, Laneway, or Multiplex
Vancouver's shift toward secondary suites, laneway houses, and multiplexes is one of the most common drivers of planning-report demand right now. More dwelling units mean more calculated load — and the City and BC Hydro both want that load documented before the service is sized.
You're Planning a Tenant Improvement or Commercial Fit-Out
Restaurants, clinics, retail, light industrial — commercial spaces almost always require a load calculation and single-line diagram as part of the permit package. Equipment schedules change the math considerably, and the report is what the reviewer reads first.
You're Upgrading or Changing Your Service
Going from 100A to 200A, 200A to 400A, or overhead to underground all require BC Hydro coordination — and BC Hydro requires a load calculation to authorise the change. The report is the starting document, not an afterthought.
You're Consolidating Panels or Removing Sub-Panels
When a home or building has accumulated sub-panels to compensate for an undersized main service, a planning report establishes what the consolidated, properly sized system should look like.
A Strata, Lender, or Insurer Has Asked for Documentation
Sometimes the work is fine — what's missing is the paperwork. A planning report provides the calculated, professional documentation these parties need to sign off.
What You'll Get
A planning report from Kato is organized, legible, and built to survive a permit review without a stack of follow-up questions.
Demand & Load Calculations — Project-specific calculations for services, feeders, and panels, per the Canadian Electrical Code and your local authority's requirements.
Existing Service Assessment — A review of current service size, main disconnects, grounding and bonding, available fault level, and how much of your capacity is already in use.
Panel Schedules — Clean, legible schedules showing connected loads and demand factors, so the math is transparent to anyone reviewing it.
Single-Line Diagram — A clear system overview showing service, distribution, and major equipment at a glance.
Upgrade Recommendations — If capacity is tight, we lay out practical options with pros and cons, budget ranges, and the construction impact of each — not just a number, but a path.
Permit-Ready Package — An organised PDF with a summary letter, calculations, drawings, and appendices you can attach directly to your application.
Stakeholder Coordination — We liaise with designers, general contractors, strata councils, and BC Hydro when the project calls for it.
Engineering Support — When a sealed engineering document is required, we coordinate with a licensed professional electrical engineer (P.Eng) so your package meets that bar.
Our Process
We assess, calculate, recommend, and document — and we walk you through the result so you actually understand it.
1. Kickoff & Scope — Share drawings or a simple list of the new loads you're adding (EV, heat pump, range, suite, equipment). We confirm scope and any permit requirements up front.
2. Site Review & Data Capture — We gather nameplate data, breaker and conductor sizes, and review panel condition. For straightforward residential cases, a remote option is sometimes possible; commercial and complex sites need a visit to capture accurate data.
3. Calculations & Drafting — We perform the demand and load calculations, build the panel schedules, and draft the single-line diagram.
4. Recommendations — If upgrades are needed, we give you a practical route to construction, with options and budget ranges.
5. Deliverables & Walkthrough — You receive a neat, permit-ready PDF — and we walk you through it so you know exactly what it says and what comes next.
Timeline: Most straightforward residential reports are turned around quickly once we have your data. Commercial and multi-unit projects take longer in proportion to their complexity — we'll confirm the timeline at scope.
What We Need to Get Started
Address and project type (residential, commercial, tenant improvement, new build, renovation)
Existing service size, if known, plus photos of the main service and panel(s)
A list of the loads you're adding or changing (EV charger kW, heat pump/HVAC, appliances, machinery)
Any available drawings or past permits
If you're not sure what you have, that's fine — that's part of what the assessment is for. We'll guide you.
How the Report Fits With Permits, BC Hydro & Engineering
A planning report isn't the permit — it's the documentation that supports it. The actual electrical permit and inspection go through the City of Vancouver's Electrical Inspections Branch for homes and buildings inside Vancouver, or Technical Safety BC across most of the surrounding Metro municipalities. Our report is built to attach cleanly to whichever applies.
Where the project involves a service change — a larger service, a meter base upgrade, or an overhead-to-underground conversion — BC Hydro requires a load calculation to authorise it. The planning report is the document that starts that conversation, and we coordinate the utility side directly.
And when your project requires sealed (P.Eng) drawings, we coordinate with a licensed electrical engineer so the final package meets that requirement.
Why Choose Kato Electrical
We've produced planning documentation and executed the upgrades behind it across Metro Vancouver — from single-family service upgrades in Kitsilano to tenant improvements and multi-unit projects across the Lower Mainland.
Local expertise — we know Metro Vancouver's codes, the City of Vancouver vs. Technical Safety BC permitting workflows, and BC Hydro's coordination process.
Straight talk — clear findings and actionable next steps, not just a page of numbers.
Smooth permits — organised, permit-ready documents that reduce reviewer questions and delays.
End-to-end capability — unlike a report-only consultant, we can also execute the upgrade. From planning report to finished installation, it's one team.
Engineering when required — we coordinate sealed P.Eng drawings when your project needs them.
From the Field The reports that sail through review aren't the ones with the most pages — they're the ones where the load calculation is right, the single-line is legible, and the recommendation is realistic. That's the standard we build to, because a clean report saves everyone a round of back-and-forth.
Related services:
Panel Upgrades · EV Charger Installation · Electric Vehicle Ready Plan · Electrical Heating & Heat Pumps · Electrical Inspections · Get a Quote
We serve all of Greater Vancouver:
Vancouver · Burnaby · North Vancouver · West Vancouver · Coquitlam · Port Coquitlam · Port Moody · New Westminster · Richmond · Surrey · Squamish · Whistler
Frequently Asked Questions
What is included in an electrical planning report? Load calculations, a single-line diagram, an existing service assessment, panel schedules, and clear upgrade recommendations — assembled into a permit-ready PDF and compliant with the Canadian Electrical Code and your local authority's requirements.
Do I need a site visit? Commercial and complex projects almost always require a visit to capture accurate nameplate, breaker, and conductor data. For straightforward residential cases, a remote option is sometimes possible from photos and existing drawings — we'll tell you which applies at intake.
Can you help with BC Hydro service upgrades? Yes. When a service change is required, BC Hydro needs a load calculation to authorise it. We produce that calculation, outline the steps, and coordinate with BC Hydro and other stakeholders as needed.
Is the planning report the same as a permit? No. The report is the documentation that supports a permit application and a BC Hydro service request — it's not the permit itself. Permits are issued by the City of Vancouver (within Vancouver) or Technical Safety BC (most surrounding municipalities). The report is built to attach to whichever applies.
Do you provide sealed engineering (P.Eng) drawings? When a project requires a sealed engineering document, we coordinate with a licensed electrical engineer so your package meets that requirement.
How much does a planning report cost? Every project is different. After a short intake call and a review of your information, we provide a clear, fixed-price proposal — so you know the cost before you commit.
How do I get started? Email your address, panel photos, and a list of new loads, or book a short intake call. We'll confirm what's required and send a quote to get your report underway.
Ready to Move Forward?
Tell us what you're planning and we'll tell you what your electrical system can carry — and what it'll take to get where you want to go.
Call Kato: (604) 239-3084 · Book Online → · info@katoelectrical.com