Small Bathroom Renovation
Small Bathroom Renovationin Toronto
5x8 layouts · Powder rooms · Condo bathrooms
Most Toronto bathrooms are 5 feet by 8 feet
That footprint has been standard in semis, bungalows, and post-war two-storeys across the city for seventy years, and it is what most people mean by a small bathroom. You cannot add floor area to it. What you can do is stop wasting the area you have — and that is a set of specific, known moves, not a mood board. For full-size house bathrooms see bathroom renovation ideas in Toronto, and for condos see small condo bathroom ideas.
Six moves that buy back space in a small bathroom
None of these add square footage. All of them change how much of it you can use.
Swap the tub for a curbless shower
The single biggest visual gain in a 5x8. A curbless or low-profile shower with a clear glass panel reads as floor that keeps going, where a tub with a curtain reads as a wall at the halfway point. Keep one tub in the house for resale and put the shower in this one.
Wall-hung vanity, wall-hung toilet
Seeing the floor run under the fixtures is worth more square footage than it costs. A wall-hung toilet needs an in-wall carrier and about 8 inches of wall depth — doable on a stud wall, not on a concrete condo demising wall.
Move the door swing out, or make it a pocket
An inward-swinging door in a 5x8 eats the only clear floor you have. A pocket door recovers about 9 square feet of usable movement, and in a Toronto semi the wall is usually non-structural, which keeps the cost sane.
Recess everything you can
A niche in the shower, a recessed medicine cabinet between studs, a toe-kick drawer under the vanity. None of these are expensive on their own and together they remove every surface-mounted object from a room that has no room for them.
One tile, floor to ceiling, running the long way
Large-format tile with fewer grout lines makes a small bathroom read bigger. Running the pattern along the long axis and taking the wall tile all the way up stops the eye from finding the edges of the room.
Get the light right and stop fighting the size
A lit mirror plus two or three well-placed pot lights beats a single ceiling fixture that puts everything in shadow. Small bathrooms feel cramped mostly because they feel dark.
Recent work
Small bathrooms we have rebuilt
Small bathroom cost & timeline in Toronto (2026)
| Scope | Cost range | Timeline | Typical inclusions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powder room / two-piece | $7,000–$13,000 | 1.5–2 weeks | Tile, vanity, toilet, fixtures, lighting, paint. Same positions, so usually no permit. |
| Standard 5x8 three-piece rebuild | $13,000–$20,000 | 2–3 weeks | Strip to studs, sheet waterproofing, tub or shower, vanity, toilet, tile floor and walls, fan, lighting. |
| Tub-to-shower conversion in a 5x8 | $15,000–$23,000 | 2–3 weeks | The above plus a new sloped tray, a relocated drain if the tub drain is off-centre, and a glass panel. |
| Small condo bathroom | $16,000–$26,000 | 3–4 weeks | Same scope as a house bathroom plus board approval, elevator booking, restricted hours, and material staging. |
Make the Right Choice
Why homeowners chooseOsoba Renos Osoba Renos & Design
Home Remodeling Contractor in Toronto & GTA — clear pricing, in-house trades, and a guaranteed timeline.
Clear Pricing
Full transparency. After your free estimate we share a detailed proposal based on precise measurements — no hidden costs, no last-minute surprises.
5-Year Warranty
Our quality commitment, in writing. For up to 5 years after we deliver your project, our workmanship is covered — no exceptions.
In-House Trades
An experienced full-time crew — not a rotating cast of subs. Same faces, consistent quality, and a stress-free site from day one.
Dedicated Project Manager
One point of contact who runs the whole project on your behalf and resolves anything that comes up — quickly, without you chasing.
Guaranteed Timeline
A structured schedule with clear milestones, planned around every phase — so your project finishes on the date we set together.
People also ask
Small bathroom renovation in Toronto - questions
How much does a small bathroom renovation cost in Toronto?
A standard 5x8 three-piece rebuild runs $13,000–$20,000 in 2026. A powder room is $7,000–$13,000. Converting the tub to a walk-in shower in the same footprint pushes it to $15,000–$23,000. Small condo bathrooms carry a 15–25% premium for elevator booking, restricted hours, and board approval.
Is a small bathroom cheaper to renovate than a big one?
Less than you would think. The fixed costs are the same — demolition, waterproofing, plumbing rough-in, electrical, permit, mobilisation of every trade — and only the tile and the vanity scale with the room. A 5x8 typically lands 25–35% below a large ensuite, not 60%.
How long does a small bathroom renovation take?
Two to three weeks of working days for a full 5x8 rebuild. Ten working days is realistic when nothing moves and the tile is in stock. The waterproofing has to cure and the tile has to set — those days cannot be compressed by adding people.
Should I remove the tub in my only bathroom?
Usually not, if it is the only tub in the house. Toronto family buyers look for at least one, and appraisers notice. If you have a second full bath upstairs or you are staying long-term, converting the small one to a walk-in shower is the better room.
Can you move the toilet in a small bathroom?
Sometimes. On a wood-joist floor, if the joists run the right way and there is access below, we can relocate the flange and re-slope the drain. On a concrete condo slab it is generally not possible without a raised floor, which you do not have the ceiling height to spare for. Moving a toilet needs a permit either way.
What tile size works best in a small bathroom?
Large-format — 12x24 or 24x48 — laid with the long dimension along the longest wall. Fewer grout lines means fewer visual breaks. Save the mosaic for the shower floor, where you need the grout for slip resistance and the slope.
Let’s talk
Contact Osoba Renos & Design
Send a photo and the room dimensions. We will tell you what fits and book a free in-home estimate.
- Phone647-562-4275
- E-mailosobarenos@gmail.com
- Service areaMississauga & GTA