Kitchens & bathrooms

Bathroom renovation

Small room, disproportionate risk. A bathroom is the only space in a house where a workmanship failure quietly destroys the structure underneath it, and waterproofing is the part that is invisible the moment the tile goes on.

Scope

What the work is—and what it isn’t.

Most disputes begin with an exclusion nobody read. Confirm both columns against any quote you receive before comparing prices.

Normally included

Demolition to studs and subfloor where required
Plumbing rough-in and fixture installation
Electrical, including GFCI protection and exhaust fan
Waterproofing membrane to the shower or tub surround
Tile setting, floor and wall
Vanity, counter, mirror and accessories
Drywall, paint and trim

Normally excluded

Moving the toilet drain, unless explicitly quoted — it is the most expensive fixture to relocate
Subfloor or joist repair discovered after demolition
Asbestos in old floor tile or mastic

What moves the price

Why two quotes for the same room differ.

These are the decisions and conditions that actually drive cost on this trade. Understand them and a wide spread between quotes usually explains itself.

01
Whether the shower is a tub-shower combination, a prefabricated base, or a fully tiled curbless build. These are three different jobs.
02
The waterproofing system specified. A proper bonded membrane costs more than the alternative and is the single item you should never let a quote omit.
03
Tile size and pattern. Large-format tile needs a flatter substrate; herringbone and mosaic multiply labour.
04
Whether the toilet drain moves.
05
Heated floor, niches, benches and glass — each is a real line item, not a detail.
06
Ventilation. An undersized or unducted fan is the root cause of most bathroom mould.

Cost ranges

What it costs in Halton.

Cost ranges for this trade have not been published yet.

Rather than repeat a national average that means nothing in Halton, this table stays empty until the figures are ones I have priced myself. The cost drivers above are the part that matters most anyway—they explain why the numbers vary.

If you want a real number for your property, that is what the walkthrough is for.

Book a free walkthrough →

Before you sign

What the quote must contain.

If any of these is missing, ask for it in writing before you compare prices. A quote that cannot answer these questions is not a quote—it is an estimate wearing a suit.

The waterproofing system named by manufacturer and product, not 'waterproofed'
Tile allowance per square foot, and who is responsible for breakage and overage
Fan make, rating in CFM, and confirmation that it ducts outside — not into the attic
Whether the subfloor is being assessed and what happens if it is soft
Glass supplier and whether the price includes templating after tiling
Who pulls the plumbing and electrical permits

Walk away

Red flags on this trade.

None of these are matters of taste. Each one has a specific consequence, and each is visible before you commit any money.

No named waterproofing product
Tiling directly over existing tile in a wet area
An exhaust fan that terminates in the attic or soffit
No allowance for subfloor repair on a house over thirty years old
A price that assumes nothing is wrong behind the wall

Before the final payment

Flood-test evidence, or at minimum a written confirmation the membrane was tested before tiling
Slope to drain verified — water leaves, it does not pool
GFCI protection confirmed and tested
Fan measurably moving air to the outside
Silicone at all changes of plane, grout everywhere else

Agree a written deficiency list before releasing the last payment. It is the only leverage that survives the end of a job.

If you are selling

What this does to a sale.

Buyers forgive a dated bathroom and punish a leaking one. If the budget only covers one room, the bathroom with the active problem beats the kitchen with the old doors.

Ready to hire

I’ll give you one or two names, not a directory.

Contractors on the bench supply current WSIB, liability insurance and licence documentation, and I have walked their finished work. No referral fee is accepted from any of them.

Request an introduction See the vetting standard →

Also worth reading

Reading a quote & protecting yourself→All trades and specialties→Free renovation walkthrough→

A straightforward first conversation

Thinking about bathroom renovation?

Tell me where you are in the process. We’ll discuss the property, the market, and the questions that matter most to you.

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