Licensed Electricians in West Vancouver, BC
Kato Electrical Inc. serves homeowners and businesses across West Vancouver — from the older homes of Ambleside and Dundarave to the large properties of the British Properties and the waterfront homes of Horseshoe Bay.
West Vancouver's housing stock is unlike anywhere else on the North Shore. Large custom homes with extensive electrical loads, mid-century properties in Hollyburn and Ambleside that were wired for a different era, and hillside homes in the British Properties where the electrical service has to keep pace with pools, hot tubs, home automation, and multi-car EV charging. We work across all of it — licensed, insured, and permitted through Technical Safety BC.
Panel & Service Upgrades in West Vancouver
Many West Vancouver homes — particularly the mid-century properties across Ambleside, Dundarave, and Hollyburn — are still running electrical service that was sized decades ago. When a large custom home adds a pool, a hot tub, air conditioning, home automation, and EV charging, a 100-amp or even 200-amp service can run out of headroom fast. We assess the full electrical load and upgrade service capacity to match how these homes are actually used today, managing the permit and BC Hydro coordination from start to finish.
EV Charger Installation in West Vancouver
EV adoption in West Vancouver is high, and many homes here need more than a single charger — multi-car households in the British Properties and along Marine Drive frequently want two or more Level 2 chargers running simultaneously. That's a real load calculation, not a plug-and-play job, and often the reason a service upgrade comes up in the same conversation. We install Level 2 EV chargers and load-managed multi-charger setups, handle the BC Hydro rebate process, and permit everything through Technical Safety BC.
Pool, Hot Tub & Outdoor Electrical in West Vancouver
West Vancouver's hillside and waterfront properties have some of the most involved outdoor electrical requirements on the North Shore — pool and hot tub wiring, landscape and security lighting across large lots, heated driveways, and outdoor kitchens. BC Electrical Code has specific requirements for wiring around water, including dedicated circuits, GFCI protection, and bonding, all of which require a licensed electrician and a permit. We handle pool and hot tub wiring and full exterior lighting installations to code across West Vancouver.
Older Home Rewiring & Electrical Inspections in West Vancouver
The older homes of Hollyburn, Ambleside, and West Bay were built across an era when knob-and-tube and, later, aluminum branch circuit wiring were standard. Both are flagged by BC insurers at renewal and at point of sale, and West Vancouver's high-value property market means an electrical issue on a home inspection can carry real weight in a transaction. If you're buying, selling, or renewing insurance on an older West Van home, a licensed electrical inspection tells you exactly what's in the walls — and we provide the documentation insurers require.
West Vancouver neighbourhoods we serve:
We also serve the neighbouring North Shore and Lower Mainland communities, including North Vancouver, Vancouver, Burnaby, and Squamish.
Licensed, insured, and permitted through Technical Safety BC. Free quotes, no obligation. Emergency service available.
West Vancouver Electrical — Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers to what West Vancouver homeowners ask us most.
Yes, for most work. Electrical permits in West Vancouver are issued and inspected by Technical Safety BC, the provincial authority — the same as the rest of the North Shore. (The City of Vancouver is the Lower Mainland exception, running its own electrical branch.)
Permits are required for panel and service upgrades, new circuits, EV charger installation, pool and hot tub wiring, and rewiring. A licensed electrical contractor must pull the permit under their own licence — a homeowner cannot for this class of work. Kato handles the full permit and inspection process, included in the quote.
Yes. Multi-car households in West Vancouver — particularly in the British Properties and along Marine Drive — frequently want two or more Level 2 chargers running at once.
Whether that needs a service upgrade depends on the home's existing capacity and the combined load. Often a load management system lets multiple chargers share available capacity without a full upgrade — usually the more economical route. Kato runs the load calculation, recommends the right approach, handles the BC Hydro rebate process, and permits through Technical Safety BC. EV charger installation →
It depends on when it was built. Older homes in Hollyburn, Ambleside, and West Bay built before 1960 may still contain knob-and-tube wiring, often behind renovated walls. Homes from roughly 1965 to 1978 may contain aluminum branch circuit wiring.
Both are routinely flagged by BC insurers at renewal or sale — and in West Vancouver's high-value market, an electrical issue on a home inspection can materially affect a transaction.
You can't reliably identify either from a wall outlet; it takes a licensed electrician to inspect the panel, junction boxes, and accessible runs. Knob-and-tube rewiring → Aluminum rewiring →
Yes. Pool and hot tub electrical work is common across West Vancouver's hillside and waterfront properties, and it's governed by specific BC Electrical Code requirements for wiring around water — dedicated circuits, GFCI protection, and equipotential bonding.
Kato handles pool wiring, hot tub circuits, and associated outdoor electrical work to code. Hot tub installation →
Yes. We respond to urgent electrical situations across West Vancouver and the North Shore — power loss, sparking outlets or switches, a burning smell from the panel or a wall, exposed or damaged wiring, and breakers that won't reset.
