Bathroom Renovation Contractors in Thornhill
BR Bathroom Renovation has been renovating bathrooms in York Region and the GTA since 2020. We work throughout Thornhill. 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. We are based in Concord, roughly fifteen minutes west, on the Vaughan side of the boundary.
Thornhill is one of the few places in the GTA where knowing the address is not enough to know who issues your permit, and that catches a lot of contractors out. More on that below, because it affects your timeline.
Thornhill Is Split Between Two Municipalities
Thornhill is not a municipality. It is a community that straddles the boundary between the City of Vaughan and the City of Markham, with Yonge Street as the dividing line. West of Yonge is Vaughan. East of Yonge is Markham.
That is not trivia. It determines which building department reviews your application, how long the review takes and what triggers a permit in the first place, and the two cities do not have identical rules. A contractor who assumes the wrong one is a contractor whose schedule slips before demolition day.
What a Bathroom Renovation in Thornhill 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.
Moving plumbing is the largest single factor anywhere. Relocating a toilet or shower drain means opening the floor and often the ceiling below, turning a finishing job into a structural one. After that: tile choice and quantity, stock versus custom vanity, frameless glass versus a curtain, heated floors, and the age of the house.
Thornhill’s Housing Stock
Old Thornhill around the heritage conservation district holds some of the oldest housing in York Region, and bathrooms there are small, awkwardly laid out and genuinely unpredictable behind the tile. Expect galvanised supply lines, a soft subfloor near the toilet flange, and ventilation that was never routed outside properly.
The postwar and 1960s to 1980s streets through Thornlea, Royal Orchard, Brownridge and Grandview are the bulk of our work here: original bathrooms at fifty or sixty years old, solid framing, and layouts that improve enormously without moving a single wall. The newer pockets in Patterson and around Bathurst run larger, where most jobs are primary ensuites.
Areas We Work In
Old Thornhill, Thornlea, Royal Orchard, Brownridge, Grandview, Uplands, Crestwood, German Mills, Bayview Glen and the Bathurst and Centre Street corridors.
Small Bathroom Renovations in Thornhill
Most original Thornhill bathrooms are five by eight with no storage and a layout built around plumbing installed decades ago. Three changes do the heavy lifting, and none of them require moving a wall.
Take Storage Out of the Wall, Not the Floor
A niche set into the shower wall and a mirrored cabinet recessed into the stud cavity give you storage without losing an inch of floor. In a room this size that is the highest return change available, and in older Thornhill homes the stud bays are usually deep enough to make it straightforward.
Low-Profile Vanities and Fixtures
A wall-hung vanity with drawers rather than doors does two jobs at once. Seeing the floor continue underneath makes the room read as larger, and drawers hold considerably more than a cabinet losing its middle to the pedestal trap. Pair it with a slimline toilet and the room gains usable space without gaining a square foot.
Think Twice Before Moving a Wall
If your bathroom shares a wall with a closet or hallway, it is technically possible to borrow the space. It is also the most expensive nine inches you will ever buy once plumbing, permit, structure and drywall are counted, and in Vaughan any plumbing alteration triggers a permit regardless of how small it is.
We will tell you honestly when it is worth it, which is occasionally, and when it is not, which is most of the time.
Bathroom Renovation Prices in Thornhill
These are the ranges we work within across Thornhill 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 |
Old Thornhill homes are old enough to warrant a 10 to 15 percent contingency. The postwar and 1960s to 1980s streets through Thornlea, Royal Orchard and Brownridge sit in the middle. Newer Patterson builds are the most predictable.
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 Thornhill?
This is where the Yonge Street boundary stops being trivia. Thornhill west of Yonge is the City of Vaughan. East of Yonge is the City of Markham. The two cities apply different thresholds, and the Vaughan side is stricter.
West of Yonge: City of Vaughan
Vaughan states it plainly: a building permit is required for any addition or alteration of plumbing fixtures, water and sewer services. Any alteration. That is a lower threshold than most neighbouring municipalities, and it means work you might assume is cosmetic can still require a permit.
Applications go through the City of Vaughan ePlans online portal. Drawings must be prepared by a qualified designer holding a Building Code Identification Number, or by the property owner following the city’s drawing requirements, at a minimum scale of 1:75. Simple residential permits are often approved within about two weeks. The Building Standards department takes residential enquiries at 905-832-8510.
East of Yonge: City of Markham
Markham exempts replacing existing taps, tubs, toilets or sinks in the same location. Adding new fixtures where there were none, or relocating existing ones, requires a permit. Where the work is plumbing only it is a plumbing permit rather than a full building permit. Plan review runs around 20 business days. Markham’s permit administrators can be reached at 905-475-4870.
Either Side
Hardwired electrical requires an ESA notification filed by the licensed electrical contractor before work begins. Inspections happen at set milestones, and the plumbing rough-in has to pass before anything is closed up. That inspection is the only independent confirmation that the work behind your tile was done properly.
We confirm which municipality applies at the consultation, before quoting, then apply, submit and attend the inspections.
Bathroom Renovation Questions From Thornhill Homeowners
Which city issues my permit, Vaughan or Markham?
Yonge Street is the line. West of Yonge is the City of Vaughan, east of Yonge is the City of Markham. We confirm it at the consultation rather than guessing, because the two cities apply different permit thresholds and different review timelines.
Do I need a permit for my bathroom renovation?
On the Vaughan side, any addition or alteration of plumbing fixtures requires a building permit. On the Markham side, replacing fixtures in the same location is exempt but adding or relocating them is not. Vaughan is the stricter of the two.
How long does a bathroom renovation take?
Three to five weeks for a standard main bathroom, one to two for a powder room, five to eight for a primary ensuite. Add permit review on top: roughly two weeks in Vaughan for a simple residential application, around 20 business days in Markham.
My house is in Old Thornhill and it is old. What should I expect?
Galvanised supply lines, a soft subfloor near the toilet flange, and ventilation that was never routed outside properly are all common. We photograph whatever we find, show you and price the repair before touching it, and we carry a contingency in the quote for homes of this age.
Can I stay in the house during the work?
Yes if you have a second bathroom. The work area is sealed, dust containment runs throughout and the site is cleaned at the end of each day.
Who does the plumbing and electrical?
Our own licensed plumber and ESA-certified electrician. One company, one invoice, one person accountable.
Can I supply my own tile and fixtures?
Yes. We will confirm the fit and quantity before you order.
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 Thornhill
Tell us the room, roughly what you want to spend and when you would like it done. We will come and measure, confirm which side of Yonge you are on and therefore which building department applies, then give you a fixed written price.
You can see photographs from our own job sites, including the in-progress stages, on our projects page.
Call 437-374-8110.