What Does Business WiFi Installation Cost in Eastern Ontario?

In October 2026, a small office in rural Eastern Ontario accepted our quote for a new network: a gateway running two internet connections, two switches, a WiFi 7 access point and about 300 ft of new cable. The equipment comes to $840 on Ubiquiti's Canadian store, surcharge included, before HST and shipping. That's the easy part of a business WiFi installation to price, because the manufacturer publishes it. The cable runs, the setup work and the monthly care are where one quote can differ from the next.

Below is what each part involves, what pushes it up or down, and how that office's network fits together, so you can hold your own quote up against it. Prices are in Canadian dollars, plus HST.

Hardware: The Equipment Itself

A small-business network is built from these pieces:

A gateway: the router and firewall between your internet connection and everything inside.
A PoE switch. PoE (Power over Ethernet) sends power down the network cable, so a ceiling access point doesn't need an outlet beside it.
Access points: the units on the ceiling or wall that phones and laptops connect to.

Here's the MSRP for UniFi equipment on Ubiquiti's Canadian store, checked October 23, 2026, before HST and shipping. These cover the hardware only. Setup, installation and ongoing management may add to the cost.

UniFi Cloud Gateway Ultra (gateway): $169, or $186 with the surcharge
Switch Lite 8 PoE: $149, or $164 with the surcharge. It has a 52 W total power budget for the access points it feeds.
Switch Flex 2.5G PoE: $285, or $314 with the surcharge. It can feed up to 196 W to the devices it powers when it runs on its AC Adapter 210W ($115), which is sold separately.
Switch Flex Mini 2.5G: $65, or $71 with the surcharge. A five-port switch that runs on PoE or a USB-C adapter.
U7 Lite access point (WiFi 7): $140, or $154 with the surcharge. Rated for 115 m² (1,250 ft²), drawing up to 13 W.
U7 Pro access point (WiFi 7 plus a 6 GHz radio): $239, or $263 with the surcharge. Rated for 140 m² (1,500 ft²), drawing up to 21 W.

Why the Store Shows Two Prices

The store shows the MSRP and a higher "Surcharge incl." price for most UniFi gear. The higher one is what you pay at checkout: the U7 Lite's MSRP is $140, and it's $154 with the surcharge.

A notice from Streakwave, a Ubiquiti distributor, lists the memory surcharge amounts effective October 1, 2026. It says "ongoing volatility in the global memory and storage markets has significantly increased the cost of our hardware components," and "UI is adding these surcharges on their public store as well." If you hold a quote from before October, ask whether its hardware prices still stand.

What Moves the Hardware Cost

How many access points you need. Coverage ratings are the manufacturer's figures. Interior walls, steel and stock shelving cut them down, so square footage alone can leave dead spots.
Which model. The U7 Pro adds a 6 GHz radio and covers more floor space. Canada opened the 6 GHz band for licence-exempt use in May 2021. It only helps phones and laptops that support WiFi 6E or WiFi 7.
Whether the switch can power them. Three U7 Pro units would draw more than the Switch Lite 8 PoE's 52 W budget. Three U7 Lite units fit. Check what comes in the box, too: the Flex 2.5G PoE ships without its power adapter, so the adapter belongs on the quote.

Cabling: Where Quotes Vary Most

Each access point needs its own cable run, called a drop: one cable from the patch panel (where the cables meet near the switch) to one outlet or device.

No published survey covers Eastern Ontario cabling rates, so the closest public figures are from the Greater Toronto Area:

GT Global Services (GTA rates, checked September 2026): $90 to $400 per Cat6 drop, installed and tested. That's $150 to $250 with open ceilings or in a new build, and $200 to $400 in finished space or a retrofit.
Cablify's planning guide (2025, Ontario and the GTA): $120 to $200 all-in during new construction or a fit-out, $280 to $600 or more for a retrofit through a finished wall or ceiling, and $500 to $900 or more through concrete or masonry.

These are Toronto-area figures, so treat them as a reference point, not Eastern Ontario prices. They do show the order: open ceilings cost least, finished walls more, and concrete or masonry the most. Drop prices aren't always like for like, so ask every bidder what theirs includes.

Setup and Installation: Priced on Scope

Setup and installation are charged on top of the hardware, and there's no single price for them, because no two sites are the same. We price them in three parts:

Setup, per device. Each gateway, switch and access point is added to the management system, updated to current firmware and configured.
Installation, by the hour. We estimate it per cable drop, camera and access point. It covers mounting, running and terminating cable, testing, documentation and a walkthrough.
Cable, by the foot.

Scope also covers what old equipment comes out and how many separate networks (staff, guests, cameras) you need. Many installers roll cable and labour into one per-drop price like the ones above, so compare totals, not line items.

Our work starts with a network assessment. We document what you have, identify what needs replacing, and give you a written plan before anything is committed.

Ongoing Care: The Monthly Line

Equipment needs firmware updates, and someone should notice when it stops working. Our Network Shield service covers monitoring, firmware and security updates, configuration backups and remote support for the equipment we manage. It's a monthly charge on top of the hardware, typically per device:

Gateway: the base service, one per site. On UniFi or Omada you own the hardware; the WatchGuard option includes the Firebox appliance and its security subscription.
Wireless: each access point.
Switch: each switch.
Monitor only: internet connection monitoring for a site, with no gateway needed.

Monitoring earns its keep on problems nobody in the office would spot. With two internet connections, the gateway switches over on its own, so one line can be down for days, or losing data and running slow, without anyone noticing. We watch every connection, whether a site has one or two, and take it up with the provider when one is down or struggling. When we manage the access points, we also see WiFi trouble, such as devices dropping off again and again. Then we adjust the settings, or come out to check for interference if it needs a look in person.

Wireless and switch care need the gateway service on the same site. Terms are 12 months, then month to month with 30 days' notice. On-site visits, redesign or expansion, and cabling sit outside ongoing care and are charged separately, with anything more than a short fix quoted first.

Not sure the WiFi is your problem? Our post on connection drops covers what to note before you spend anything.

A Real Example: Two Internet Connections and Three Printers

The office from the top of this post already has a network in place, with a main room, a back room, three printers, Starlink and a second internet service from Xplore. The client accepted the quote in October 2026, and the equipment is configured and waiting for installation day.

Internet: the plan puts Starlink in bypass mode, so the UniFi gateway takes over routing and WiFi from the Starlink router. Starlink is the main line and Xplore the backup. If Starlink drops, the gateway moves traffic to Xplore, then moves it back on its own once Starlink returns. The same setup can instead keep one line for an internet phone system, with either line carrying everything if the other fails.
Hardware: a Cloud Gateway Ultra, a Flex 2.5G PoE switch and its AC adapter beside the gateway, a Flex Mini 2.5G switch in the back room and one U7 Lite access point. That's $774 at MSRP, or $840 with Ubiquiti's surcharge, before HST and shipping. The main switch powers the access point over its network cable, so the access point needs no outlet.
Cabling: the existing wiring stays, so the new cable comes to about 300 ft, charged by the foot, with the drop work in the installation estimate. The printers go on wired connections, which skip the dropped connections and "printer offline" messages that come with printing over WiFi.
Setup and installation: setup per device, then the installation, estimated in hours. The access point mounts on a wall near the gateway, which keeps that part short.
Ongoing care: Network Shield watches the gateway, the switches, the access point and both internet connections, and applies firmware updates once they're tested.

One access point covers this office. More floor, thicker walls or more people would need more, and the plan would change with them.

What to Ask For in a Quote

A quote you can compare should spell out:

Each piece of hardware by model, and whether its price includes the Ubiquiti surcharge, HST and shipping.
How many access points, where they go, and why.
What each cable drop includes, and whether the price assumes open ceilings or finished walls.
Whether the switch can power every access point on the plan, and whether its power adapter is included.
How a second internet connection is set up, if you have one: as a backup only, or with one line kept for the phones.
How setup and installation are priced, and any travel charge.
Who owns the equipment and the admin passwords when the job is done.
The monthly cost of ongoing care, what it covers, what's billed extra, and the term.

How We Put It Together

We design and install UniFi and Omada networks, cabling and access points included. We're a UniFi reseller and a WatchGuard partner, and Omada, TP-Link's business line, is a cost-effective fit for smaller sites. We aim to match or beat what Ubiquiti's own store charges for the hardware. An assessment and written plan come first, then installation priced on the scope of the job. Network Shield is the ongoing care that keeps the network updated and watched.

Running more than one building? The buildings need connecting before WiFi goes into each one. Our farm WiFi post covers barns and shops, and our farms page covers how we work with farms.

The Bottom Line

Proper WiFi costs the equipment, a cable run to each access point, the labour to plan and set it up, and a monthly fee if you want someone looking after it. Equipment prices are public, as long as you read the surcharge price. Cabling depends on your building and deserves the closest look. Labour should follow an assessment, not a guess. And if you're out of town on Starlink or fixed wireless, a second connection with someone watching both is worth pricing in.

Planning WiFi for a shop, office or clinic in Chesterville, Winchester or elsewhere in Eastern Ontario? Tell us about your site on the Network Shield page. The form is at the top. Include your town, the rough size of the space and the internet you have now, and we'll start with an assessment and a written plan.

Sources:

Ubiquiti Store (Canada), UniFi Cloud Gateway Ultra.
Ubiquiti Store (Canada), Switch Lite 8 PoE.
Ubiquiti Store (Canada), Switch Flex 2.5G PoE.
Ubiquiti Store (Canada), AC Adapter 210W.
Ubiquiti Store (Canada), Switch Flex Mini 2.5G.
Ubiquiti Store (Canada), U7 Lite.
Ubiquiti Store (Canada), U7 Pro.
Streakwave, Ubiquiti Memory Surcharge Notice.
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, Decision on the Technical and Policy Framework for Licence-Exempt Use in the 6 GHz Band (SMSE-006-21).
GT Global Services, How Much Does Structured Cabling Cost? A 2026 Per-Drop Guide for Ontario and South Florida.
Cablify, How Many Network Drops Per Room? The Complete Planning Guide.
CinnTech, Network Shield managed network service.