A multiplex's electrical connection can cost $22,000 or $130,000. Same type of building.
The City of Vancouver sampled multiplex projects and found underground service connections ranging from $22,000 to $130,000. The difference is rarely the building. It is how the lot gets connected.
Overhead service runs from the pole and is the lower-cost route. Underground service means trenching and restoration, and it can require a ground-mounted transformer on your lot.
What changed: after BC Hydro revised its design standards in February 2025, the share of Vancouver multiplex applications serviced fully overhead rose from 43% to 73%. In one underground case study, BC Hydro estimated a saving of more than $1,000 per home under its new policy.
Four questions to settle before you design, not after you have a permit:
- What electrical load will all the homes create together?
- Overhead or underground service for this lot?
- Is there room on the lot for a transformer, if one is needed?
- Does the Hydro timeline fit your construction schedule?
Servicing is a design decision. Treat it like one.
Note: figures come from a City of Vancouver sample. North Shore cases vary; confirm with BC Hydro.
Send the address and we’ll run a free desktop check of what it appears to allow, within two business days.
Request a lot check →City of Vancouver, Memo to Mayor and Council, "Update on Multiplex Electrical Service Connections," September 16, 2025.
General information, checked Nov 1, 2026. Rules change and differ by municipality; confirm for your lot before relying on it. Not legal, tax or financial advice.