Bathroom Renovationin Toronto & GTA

Most full bathroom renovations land between $12,000 and $20,000. Three things move the number: how much tile is going in, whether the toilet drain or shower valve relocates, and what the shower glass costs. A 5x8 main bath kept in its existing layout sits near the bottom. Floor-to-ceiling large-format porcelain, a curbless shower and frameless glass put you at the top. Waterproofing is the line nobody should cut - a Schluter-Kerdi assembly is a few hundred dollars of membrane against a five-figure repair when a shower pan fails behind finished tile. You get an itemised quote: demo, framing, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing, tile, fixtures, paint, cleanup.

One to two weeks of active work for a straightforward rebuild in the existing layout: demo and rough-in, then waterproofing, tile, fixtures and finishing. Two things stretch it. Moving the toilet drain adds 5-7 days because the floor opens and gets inspected before it closes. And tempered shower glass runs a 10-14 day lead time from the day it is measured, which cannot start until the tile is set and grouted - so the glass often lands after everything else is finished. We book the measure the moment grout is in, and where a client needs the room usable sooner we hang a temporary rod and curtain rather than leaving the bathroom out of service.

Heated floors first. An electric mat under porcelain is a few hundred dollars in material on a typical main bath, and it is the upgrade clients mention unprompted a year later - a tiled floor is cold nine months of the year in this city. Then: a curbless walk-in shower with a linear drain, large-format porcelain to cut the grout lines you have to scrub, frameless glass, a floating vanity with light underneath, and a recessed niche sized for actual bottles rather than a token 12-inch square. Two things to skip unless you truly want them. Freestanding tubs look extraordinary and mostly go unused - we remove more than we install. And body-spray shower systems usually need a bigger supply line and sometimes a second water heater to work as advertised.

Five stages, and you know what happens in each before you sign anything. We measure on site and talk through layout and materials. You get a written proposal itemised by trade - no lump sums, no "miscellaneous" line. Demo comes next, behind a zippered dust barrier with floor protection on every path the crew walks, and this is where surprises surface: we photograph anything unexpected behind the walls and price the change order before continuing, so nothing appears on the final invoice you have not already approved. Then the invisible half - rough-in plumbing and electrical, inspection where a permit applies, then waterproofing and its cure time. Finally tile, fixtures, vanity, glass, paint and a punch list we walk together. Every bathroom carries a 5-year workmanship warranty.

Budget 15-25% more and 1-2 extra weeks. The renovation is identical; the building is what costs you. Service elevators are booked in blocks and unused hours are gone. Most towers restrict trades to roughly 9am-5pm on weekdays, so a tile day cannot run late to catch up. Every bag of debris goes down in that elevator instead of into a driveway bin, which is why condo demo takes about twice as long for the same square footage. Any hard-surface floor needs IIC-rated acoustic underlay matching the declaration. And board approval - drawings, $2M contractor liability, WSIB clearance - runs 1-2 weeks before a tool comes out. Start the board package first; it is the least predictable step and it runs in parallel with everything else.