Bathroom renovation cost in Toronto

Small does not mean cheap, and we say that to clients every week. A standard 3 piece bathroom of 35 to 45 square feet runs $12,000 to $25,000 for a proper gut renovation, because the plumber, electrician, tiler and waterproofing are all still there, just in a tighter space. A powder room with no shower is where the budget genuinely drops, $5,000 to $12,000.

For a refresh, yes. New vanity, toilet, flooring, lighting, paint and a reglazed tub can come in under $10,000 and make the room feel new. For a gut renovation with new tile and waterproofing, honestly, no. Those start around $12,000 in Toronto, and a quote promising a full gut for less is leaving something out that you will pay for later.

Because it is the most trade dense room in the house. A 40 square foot bathroom needs a plumber at $90 to $150 an hour, an electrician, a tiler, a waterproofing installer and a carpenter, all working in sequence in a space where only one of them fits at a time. Labour ends up at 50 to 60% of the budget, which is more than any other room. You are not paying for square footage, you are paying for trades per square foot.

Labour and tile work. Tiling alone runs $3,000 to $7,000 on a typical bathroom, and the plumbing rough in is right behind it, especially if anything moves. The individual fixtures matter less than people think. The gap between a decent toilet and a great one is a few hundred dollars. The gap between decent tile work and great tile work is thousands, and you look at it every day.

Often, yes, and we recommend it more than you would expect from a renovation company. If the tub is solid and the shape works, professional reglazing runs $400 to $800 and buys you five to ten good years. Replacing the same tub means demolition, plumbing and tile repair, usually $2,000 or more before the new tub itself. Save the money and spend it on waterproofing or the vanity.

Not for swapping fixtures in the same spots. You do need a permit the moment you move or add plumbing, relocate a drain, or change walls. Toronto charges $11.53 per square metre with a $214.79 minimum in 2026, and electrical work needs an ESA notification with GFCI protection. We pull permits in our own name, so you are never the legal contact for an inspection.

In a bathroom, almost always one of three things: the waterproofing system, the plumbing rough in, or the disposal and dust protection. Ask the bidder to name the waterproofing membrane in writing, Schluter Kerdi and Wedi are the common proper systems, and to split labour from materials line by line. A contractor who cannot do either is not cheaper, they are just billing you later.

This is the most common worry we hear, and it is a fair one. A standard renovation takes two to four weeks of construction, so the honest answers are a family member nearby, a gym membership, or scheduling around a vacation week. On one bathroom homes we compress the schedule hard and keep the toilet functional as long as demolition allows. Ask every contractor how they sequence a one bathroom house before you sign, because the answer tells you how much they have actually done it.

Heated floors, yes, almost every time. They add $1,500 to $3,500 and they are the upgrade clients thank us for every February. A curbless shower or wet room costs more in waterproofing and drain work, but it is the best looking and most future proof layout you can build, and it keeps the bathroom usable as you age. If the budget forces a choice, heat the floor first.

Typically $12,000 to $40,000, about 10 to 20% more than the same work in a house. Board approval takes two to six weeks before anyone lifts a tool, elevators have to be booked, work hours are restricted, and the plumbing stack is staying where it is. We have done enough downtown buildings, our Harbour St project among them, to keep both the board and the schedule happy.