Bathroom Renovation Contractors in Toronto
BR Bathroom Renovation has been renovating bathrooms in York Region and the GTA since 2020. We work across Toronto, from the older housing stock in North York and Etobicoke through downtown condos and the postwar bungalows in Scarborough. 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.
Toronto is a different job from the suburbs and it is worth saying why. The housing is older, so what is behind the wall is less predictable. Parking and access are harder, which affects how demolition debris leaves the property. Condo work brings board approvals and booked elevators. And the city has its own licensing regime that the surrounding municipalities do not.
What a Bathroom Renovation in Toronto Costs
Every bathroom is priced from a measured scope rather than a square foot rate, and you get that price in writing before anything is ordered. What moves the number is consistent.
Moving plumbing is the largest single factor. Relocating a toilet or shower drain means opening the floor and often the ceiling below, which turns a finishing job into a structural one. In older Toronto homes it can also mean discovering cast iron drain stack that should be replaced while it is exposed, which is the right call but not a cheap one.
After that: tile choice and quantity, stock versus custom vanity, frameless glass versus a curtain, heated floors, and the age of the building. Condo bathrooms run roughly 10 to 20 percent higher than the same job in a house once approvals, elevator bookings and restricted work hours are accounted for.
Older Toronto Homes and What Hides Behind the Tile
A bathroom in a 1920s semi in Leslieville and a bathroom in a 2015 condo at Yonge and Eglinton are barely the same trade. In pre-war and early postwar houses we regularly find galvanised supply lines that have narrowed to the diameter of a pencil, knob and tube remnants, cast iron drains at the end of their life, and a subfloor that has been quietly wet for years around the toilet flange.
None of that is a reason to panic. It is a reason to open the wall before promising a price. We photograph whatever we find, show you and price the repair before touching it, and we carry a contingency in every quote on a house built before 1960 rather than presenting the discovery as a surprise in week two.
Areas We Work In
North York, Etobicoke, Scarborough, York, East York and the old city, including Leslieville, the Beaches, Riverdale, High Park, Bloor West Village, Danforth, Willowdale, Don Mills and the Yonge corridor.
Getting the Most From a Toronto Bathroom
Toronto bathrooms are usually small, often the only full bathroom in the house, and frequently laid out around plumbing that was installed before anyone thought about how a family uses a room. The gains come from working with that rather than fighting it.
Decide the Direction Before You Buy Anything
Collect images, then narrow them down to a single direction: warm or cool, matte or polished, modern or traditional. Every later decision gets faster once that is settled, and it stops you assembling a room out of individually reasonable choices that do not agree with each other.
Know What the Space Will Actually Allow
A freestanding tub needs clearance on all sides that most Toronto bathrooms do not have. A double vanity needs sixty inches of wall. A curbless shower needs the subfloor recessed, which is straightforward on a joist system and complicated over a concrete slab. We will tell you what fits before you fall in love with something that does not.
Leave Room in the Budget for the Unexpected
On a house built before 1960, plan a contingency of roughly 10 to 15 percent. Not because quotes are unreliable, but because nobody can see through tile. The alternative is a project that stops halfway while you decide how to pay for a subfloor nobody knew was rotten.
Check the Trade Licences, Not Just the Reviews
In Toronto, a plumbing contractor doing permit work must be licensed with the city under Municipal Licensing and Standards. Electrical work requires an ESA notification filed by a licensed electrical contractor before the work starts. Both are verifiable in about five minutes. Ask any contractor you are considering, including us.
Bathroom Renovation Prices in Toronto
These are the ranges we work within across Toronto 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 |
On a house built before 1985, add a 10 to 15 percent contingency. That is not pessimism, it is what pre-war and early postwar Toronto homes routinely hide behind tile. Condo bathrooms run 10 to 20 percent above these figures because of access rather than the work.
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 Toronto?
Replacing a toilet, sink or tub in its exact existing location does not require a permit. You do need one once you move plumbing, alter a wall, or change electrical wiring. The rule of thumb Toronto Building applies is simple: replacing is fine, relocating is not.
How the Toronto Process Runs
Under the Building Code Act a permit is required for any material alteration, meaning anything affecting structure, plumbing, electrical, HVAC or load-bearing walls. A bathroom gut with new plumbing or electrical falls squarely inside that. Where a building permit is issued, the related plumbing and drain permit is applied for alongside it rather than separately.
The Ontario Building Code sets a 15 business day review period for a complete residential application. Incomplete applications reset that clock, which is the single most common cause of a renovation starting late.
Two Toronto-specific points worth knowing. Plumbing in this city is regulated under the Ontario Building Code and Municipal Code Chapter 681, and a plumbing contractor doing permit work must hold a City of Toronto licence through Municipal Licensing and Standards. Not a provincial licence, a city one. Second, permit fees are calculated per square metre of work and the city applied a fee increase effective 1 January 2026, so any figure you were quoted last year is out of date.
We apply, submit the drawings and meet the inspector at every required stage. The rough-in inspection passes before anything is closed up, and that inspection is the only independent confirmation that the work behind your tile was done properly. A quote that comes in noticeably low is often a quote with the permit left out of it.
Bathroom Renovation Questions From Toronto Homeowners
Do I need a permit for a bathroom renovation in Toronto?
Not for swapping a fixture in the same spot. Yes for moving plumbing, altering walls or changing wiring. Complete residential applications carry a 15 business day review period, so we apply well before demolition.
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. Condos add a week or two for approvals and restricted access hours. Older homes can add time if something behind the wall needs repair.
Do you work in Toronto condos?
Yes. We prepare the board approval package, book the service elevator and work inside the building’s permitted hours. Expect roughly 10 to 20 percent above the equivalent job in a house, driven by access rather than the work itself.
My house is from the 1920s. Is that a problem?
It is common and it is manageable. Expect galvanised supply lines, possible knob and tube remnants, cast iron drains and sometimes a soft subfloor near the toilet. We carry a contingency on pre-1960 houses and price any repair before we touch it.
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. If it is your only bathroom we will be straight with you about the timeline before you commit.
Who does the plumbing and electrical?
Our own licensed plumber and ESA-certified electrician. In Toronto the plumbing contractor also needs a city licence for permit work, which we hold. One company, one invoice.
Can I supply my own tile and fixtures?
Yes. We will confirm the fit and the quantity before you order, which is where self-supplied material usually 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 Toronto
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.