Bathroom renovation in the GTA

What a bathroom renovation includes

A bathroom is the most tightly packed room in a house. Plumbing, electrical, ventilation, waterproofing, and tile all meet in a few square metres, and each one depends on the one before it being done properly.

A full bathroom renovation takes the room back to the studs and rebuilds it: new plumbing rough-in where needed, a waterproofed shower or tub surround, tile, vanity, toilet, lighting, exhaust fan, and paint. A lighter refresh keeps the layout and replaces fixtures and finishes. We do both, and we will tell you honestly which one your bathroom needs.

Who it’s for

Our bathroom clients are mostly homeowners with an original or builder-grade bathroom that has aged out: a stained tub, cracked grout, a vanity that has swollen at the base, a fan that no longer clears the mirror. Some want an ensuite that feels like it belongs in the house they have otherwise updated. Others need a bathroom that is easier and safer to use, with a low-threshold shower in place of a tub.

Signs your bathroom is due

• Grout or caulking that turns black again weeks after cleaning.
• Loose or hollow-sounding tiles around the tub or shower.
• A soft or spongy floor near the toilet or tub.
• Stains on the ceiling of the room below.
• A fan that runs but leaves the room steamed up.
• Slow drains and low water pressure from old supply lines.
• Storage that amounts to one shallow cabinet under the sink.

Soft floors, stains below, and recurring mould point to water getting where it should not. Those are worth acting on soon, because the damage keeps growing behind the tile.

What is done right behind the tile

The part of a bathroom you never see decides how long it lasts.

• Waterproofing. Tile and grout are not waterproof. A proper shower has a continuous waterproof layer behind or under the tile, sloped to the drain.
• Plumbing. With the walls open, it is the moment to replace old supply lines and valves instead of tiling over them.
• Ventilation. A correctly sized fan, ducted to the outside, is what keeps paint and grout from failing.
• Electrical. Bathroom receptacles need ground-fault protection, and heated floors and new lighting need their own planning.

Our process, with the design first

1. Phone conversation. Tell us what is wrong with the room and what you would like instead.
2. Free site visit. We measure, check where the drains and vents run, and look for signs of water damage.
3. Budget and design. We settle on a realistic budget, then design from your mood board and inspiration photos.
4. 3D rendering. On request, you get a full rendering of the bathroom. In a small room, seeing tile scale and vanity size before ordering avoids expensive second thoughts.
5. Approval. You sign off on the design before anything is removed.
6. Build. Demolition, rough-in, waterproofing, tile, fixtures, and finishing.

The same principle that keeps a kitchen usable applies here: we don’t take the room apart at contract signing and leave it empty while the design is worked out. Read more on our renovation process page.

Timelines

On-site time depends on the scope. Industry-wide, a refresh with fixtures in the same place is typically measured in days to a couple of weeks, while a full rebuild with a custom tiled shower typically takes two to four weeks, because waterproofing, mortar, and grout need curing time between steps. Custom glass is measured after tile is finished and installed afterward.

TODO: owner to confirm Calico's typical bathroom timelines.

Permits

Most bathroom renovations that keep fixtures where they are do not need a building permit. Adding a bathroom, relocating drains, altering structure, or changing a window does. Our guide to renovation permits in Ontario explains the line, and our city pages cover the local offices for Oakville, Mississauga, and Toronto.

Setting a budget

The three tiers below show what each level of spending typically buys. For a breakdown of where the money goes, see our bathroom renovation cost guide. Tell us your budget at the start and we will design to it.