Bathroom Renovation Contractors in Markham
BR Bathroom Renovation has been renovating bathrooms in York Region and the GTA since 2020. We work across Markham, from Unionville and Thornhill through Cornell, Berczy and Cathedraltown. We take bathrooms down to the studs: plumbing, waterproofing, tile, fixtures and finishing. A full gut of a standard main bathroom takes three to five weeks, and we pull the permits and meet the inspectors.
We are based in Concord, in the City of Vaughan, about twenty-five minutes west. We say that plainly rather than implying a Markham office we do not have, because Google works out where a business is regardless and homeowners tend to notice when a company claims six addresses.
What matters more than the address is whether the crew turns up. Most of our work sits inside a thirty minute radius on purpose, which is the reason a three week job takes three weeks rather than seven.
What a Bathroom Renovation in Markham Costs
Every bathroom is priced from a measured scope rather than a square foot rate, and the price is fixed and written before anything is ordered. What drives the number is consistent, and it is worth understanding before you compare quotes side by side.
Moving plumbing is the largest single factor. Relocating a toilet or a shower drain means opening the floor and often the ceiling below, which turns a finishing job into a structural one. Keeping fixtures where they are is the biggest saving available to most homeowners. After that it is tile choice and quantity, stock versus custom vanity, frameless glass versus a curtain, heated floors, and the age of the house.
Condo Bathrooms Near Highway 7 and Kennedy
Condo renovations run roughly 10 to 20 percent higher than the same job in a house. That is not a contractor marking it up. It is the board approval package, elevator booking fees, restricted weekday-only work windows, and carrying every scrap of demolition debris out through a service elevator instead of wheeling it to a driveway.
The corridor along Highway 7 and around Kennedy Road is where most of our Markham condo work sits. We price those jobs differently from the start rather than discovering the building’s rules in week one, and we handle the approval paperwork rather than handing it back to you.
Neighbourhoods We Work In
Unionville, Markham Village, Cornell, Berczy Village, Cathedraltown, Angus Glen, Milliken Mills, Wismer, Greensborough and the Markham side of Thornhill.
Markham’s housing stock splits cleanly and it changes the work. Unionville and Markham Village hold the oldest homes, where bathrooms are small, layouts are awkward and the subfloor is worth checking before anyone promises a timeline. Cornell, Berczy, Wismer and Greensborough are largely 2000s builds: bigger ensuites, builder-grade fixtures reaching the end of their life, and standard framing that makes the job predictable. Cathedraltown and Angus Glen run larger again, and most of our work there is primary ensuites.
Replacing Builder-Grade Fixtures
Most bathrooms in Cornell, Berczy and Wismer were finished with the cheapest fixtures the builder could specify: a frameless mirror glued to the wall, a particleboard vanity swelling at the base, a fibreglass tub surround and a fan that never cleared the steam. None of it was meant to last twenty years.
Replacing that package is the most common job we do in Markham, and it is also the one with the clearest return. You are not solving a design problem, you are replacing components that have reached the end of their service life.
Vanity and Mirror
In a room this size the vanity and mirror carry the whole look. A wall-hung vanity with drawers rather than doors makes the floor read as continuous and holds considerably more usable storage, since a cabinet loses its middle to the pedestal trap. A mirrored cabinet recessed into the stud cavity adds storage without taking an inch from the room.
Pick a Direction Before You Pick Materials
Builder homes are finished in neutrals chosen to offend nobody, which is exactly why they feel like nothing. Deciding early whether you want warm or cool, matte or polished, modern or traditional makes every later choice faster and stops you assembling a room out of individually reasonable decisions that do not agree with each other.
Shower and Tub Upgrades
Bathtub to shower conversions are the most requested change we get in Markham, usually once the children have grown and the tub has become a thing to climb over rather than sit in. A straight swap in the same footprint takes two to three days. Moving the drain turns it into a longer job with a permit attached.
Ventilation, the Part Nobody Asks About
The Ontario Building Code requires every bathroom to exhaust directly outside. A surprising number of homes vent into the attic instead, which is how insulation gets wet and mould starts. If your mirror is still fogged twenty minutes after a shower, the fan is either undersized or not actually going anywhere.
We check the existing run before quoting rather than assuming it is fine, because replacing a fan is cheap and rerouting ductwork through an insulated wall is not.
Bathroom Renovation Prices in Markham
These are the ranges we work within across Markham in 2026. They are real GTA figures rather than national averages, and pricing does not vary meaningfully from one GTA municipality to the next. What varies is the age of the house, the scope, and whether it is a condo.
| Bathroom | Scope | 2026 range | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmetic refresh | Surfaces and fixtures, no plumbing moved | $8,000 to $12,000 | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Powder room | Vanity, toilet, floor, paint | $6,000 to $12,000 | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Small bathroom, under 50 sq ft | Full gut, standard finishes | $12,000 to $18,000 | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Standard main bathroom | Full gut, tub or shower, tile to ceiling | $16,000 to $26,000 | 3 to 5 weeks |
| Primary ensuite | Double vanity, glass shower, freestanding tub | $28,000 to $45,000 | 5 to 8 weeks |
| Accessible / barrier-free | Curbless shower, widened door, blocking | $30,000 to $50,000 | 4 to 7 weeks |
Condo bathrooms along the Highway 7 corridor and around Kennedy run 10 to 20 percent above these figures, driven by board approvals, elevator bookings and restricted work hours rather than the work itself. Older homes in Unionville and Markham Village carry a 10 to 15 percent contingency.
Your quote is measured, itemized and fixed in writing before anything is ordered. If we open a wall and find something, we photograph it, show you and price the repair before touching it rather than adding it to an invoice at the end.
Do You Need a Permit for a Bathroom Renovation in Markham?
Replacing existing taps, tubs, toilets or sinks in the same location does not require a permit in Markham. Adding new fixtures where there were none, or moving existing ones, does. The City of Markham states it plainly: any work installing new plumbing needs a building permit.
How the Markham Process Runs
Where a project is plumbing only, it is a plumbing permit rather than a full building permit. Plan review at the City of Markham runs around 20 business days for residential applications, which is slightly longer than neighbouring Richmond Hill, so we apply earlier on Markham jobs to keep the build schedule intact.
Hardwired electrical requires an ESA notification, filed by the licensed electrical contractor before work begins. If your scope touches a gas appliance, that is a separate TSSA permit. Inspections happen at set milestones, with the plumbing rough-in inspection passing before anything is closed up. That inspection is the one independent check that the work behind your tile is sound, which is worth remembering when a quote comes in low because permits were left out of it.
We apply, submit the drawings and meet the inspector, and it is part of the quote rather than an extra afterwards. If you would rather confirm any of this yourself, Markham’s permit administrators can be reached at 905-475-4870. We would genuinely rather you check than take our word for it.
Bathroom Renovation Questions From Markham Homeowners
Do I need a permit for my bathroom renovation in Markham?
Not for swapping a tap, tub, toilet or sink in the same spot. Yes for installing new plumbing or relocating existing fixtures. Plan review runs about 20 business days, so we apply early rather than waiting for demolition day.
How long does a bathroom renovation take?
Three to five weeks for a standard main bathroom, one to two weeks for a powder room, five to eight for a primary ensuite. Condo bathrooms add a week or two for board approvals and restricted access hours.
Do you work in Markham condos?
Yes. We prepare the board approval package, book the service elevator and work inside the building’s permitted hours. Most of our condo work is along the Highway 7 corridor and around Kennedy Road.
What happens if you find damage behind the tile?
We photograph it, show you and price the repair before touching it. Older homes in Unionville and Markham Village are where this comes up most, and we carry a contingency in the quote for it rather than presenting it as a surprise.
Can I stay in the house during the work?
Yes, provided you have a second bathroom. The work area is sealed, dust containment runs throughout, and the site is cleaned at the end of every day. If it is your only bathroom we will talk the timeline through with you honestly before you commit.
Who does the plumbing and electrical?
Our own licensed plumber and ESA-certified electrician. One company, one invoice, and one person accountable when something needs sorting out.
Can I supply my own tile and fixtures?
Yes. We will confirm before you order that what you have chosen fits the space and that the quantity is right, which is usually where self-supplied material goes wrong.
What warranty do you offer?
A workmanship warranty written into the contract, starting the day of the final walkthrough. Manufacturer warranties on fixtures and materials pass through to you.
Book a Free In-Home Estimate in Markham
Tell us the room, roughly what you want to spend and when you would like it done. We will come and measure, then give you a fixed written price. If we are not the right fit for the job, we will say so.
You can see photographs from our own job sites, including the in-progress stages, on our projects page.
Call 437-374-8110.