Bathroom Renovation Cost in Vaughan and the GTA (2026 Price Guide)
In 2026, the typical bathroom renovation cost for a full main bathroom in Vaughan and the GTA is $20,000 to $25,000, plus HST. Ensuites run higher, and most of our bathrooms take 3 to 5 weeks on site. Three things move the price most: whether the plumbing moves, what you tile with and whether the shower gets custom glass.
Quick numbers
| Bathroom type | Cost, 2026 | Time on site |
|---|---|---|
| Powder room (toilet and sink) | $6,000 to $12,000Source: Leo Constra, Vaughan | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Main 3-piece bathroom (tub or shower, toilet, vanity) | $20,000 to $25,000Source: Surfaces by Design projects | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Main 4-piece bathroom (tub and separate shower) | $20,000 to $25,000 and up, to about $40,000Source: Surfaces by Design and MSD Contracting, GTA | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Primary ensuite | $28,000 to $45,000, full rebuilds to $75,000 or moreSource: Leo Constra, Vaughan | 4 to 5 weeks |
| Tub-to-shower conversion | $7,500 to $12,000Source: DD Interior Services, Ontario | 1 to 2 weeks |
The main bathroom range and the weeks for the first four rows come from our own projects.
The tub-to-shower time is the standalone figure Asteri Construction gives for Toronto. Other prices are 2026 ranges published by GTA and Ontario contractors, linked so you can check them. All figures are in Canadian dollars, plus HST.
I am Vlad Portnik, and I run the site and the schedule on our bathroom jobs. We have renovated bathrooms across Vaughan and the GTA since 2011. This bathroom renovation cost guide shows where the money goes, so you can read any quote line by line.
How much does a bathroom renovation cost in the GTA in 2026?
For a full main bathroom, we usually land between $20,000 and $25,000 before HST. That is the room taken to the studs, new plumbing rough-in, a membrane, new tile, a vanity, fixtures and glass. A large primary ensuite with a custom shower and slab surfaces costs more.
Other GTA contractors publish similar numbers. Leo Constra puts a full Vaughan renovation at $15,000 to $30,000, with most landing between $16,000 and $24,000. KeelFox lists a mid-range Ontario bathroom at about $20,100, and about $21,000 in Toronto.
Ontario adds 13% HST on top, so a $22,000 bathroom costs another $2,860. Ask every contractor whether their number includes it. GTA quotes usually leave it out.
Cost per square foot
Per square foot, GTA bathrooms are reported at $250 to $450. A Mississauga guide from Homi Renovation gives $160 to $280 for most jobs. Treat these as a sanity check only.
Small rooms cost more per square foot. A toilet, a valve and a vanity cost the same in a 40 square foot bathroom as in an 80 square foot one. A 5 by 8 bathroom and a 10 by 10 bathroom are closer in price than their size suggests.
Cost by bathroom type
A powder room and a primary ensuite are different projects with different trades, so comparing their prices only goes so far. Here is what each one usually includes when we price it.
Powder room
A toilet, a vanity or wall-hung sink, flooring, lighting and paint. There is no shower, so there is no membrane, no glass and far less tile. That is why a powder room is the one bathroom that can come in near $10,000.
Main 3-piece bathroom
The family bathroom with a tub or a shower, a toilet and a vanity. This is the $20,000 to $25,000 room on our job sheets. Where it lands in that range depends on tile size, the vanity and whether the tub stays.
Main 4-piece bathroom
A 4-piece bathroom has a tub and a separate shower. That adds a second wet area to waterproof, more tile and usually a glass enclosure. Expect the top of the main-bath range or above it.
Primary ensuite
Ensuites are where Vaughan budgets climb. Double vanities, a walk-in shower, a freestanding tub, heated floors and a slab feature wall all show up here. Leo Constra reports $28,000 to $45,000 for most ensuites and up to $75,000 or more for full rebuilds.
Tub-to-shower conversion
DD Interior Services prices a 5 foot alcove converted to a tiled porcelain shower at $7,500 to $12,000. That includes tub removal and the drain rework. Doing it as part of a full bathroom puts you back in the full-renovation range.
Where the money goes (labour, tile, waterproofing, fixtures, glass, electrical)
Most of a bathroom sits behind the tile. The membrane, the drain, the circuits and the slope of the shower floor are the parts you never see again. Split the quote into what is hidden and what is on show, and it becomes easier to judge.
Behind the walls
| Line item | Reported cost, 2026 | What decides it |
|---|---|---|
| Plumbing rough-in | $3,000 to $5,000Source: Leo Constra | Number of fixtures, age of the drains |
| Moving a toilet, tub drain or shower valve | $2,000 to $6,000 extraSource: Leo Constra | Joist direction, distance to the stack |
| Waterproofing membrane, corners and penetrations | $800 to $1,600Source: DD Interior Services | Schluter-type sheet or liquid, niches, whole floor or shower only |
| Electrical and lighting | $1,500 to $3,000Source: Leo Constra | Pot lights, fan, lit niche, mirror |
| Heated floor with thermostat | $1,500 to $3,000Source: Leo Constra | Floor area, its own circuit |
What you see
| Line item | Reported cost, 2026 | What decides it |
|---|---|---|
| Porcelain tile, installed | $10 to $25 per sq ftSource: Leo Constra | Tile size, pattern, wall height |
| Large-format porcelain or natural stone, installed | From about $40 per sq ftSource: Leo Constra | Wall flatness, handling, slab count |
| Vanity and countertop | $1,500 to $3,500Source: Leo Constra | Single or double, stock or custom, stone top |
| Shower or tub package | $2,500 to $5,000Source: Leo Constra | Freestanding tub, rain head, valve type |
| Frameless glass enclosure | $2,000 to $4,000Source: Leo Constra | Panel count, hardware, height |
Add the lines up and you get a materials figure. Labour sits on top of most of them, and it is a big share of the job.
Labour vs materials
KeelFox models a 5 square metre Ontario bathroom at three finish levels. Labour takes a larger share of a basic job and a smaller share of a premium one. Premium materials cost more, while the hours barely change.
| Finish level | Typical total, 5 m² bathroom | Labour share |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | About $14,800Source: KeelFox, Ontario | About 53% |
| Mid-range | About $20,100Source: KeelFox, Ontario | About 46% |
| Premium | About $27,700Source: KeelFox, Ontario | About 36% |
Skilled trades in the GTA bill about $80 to $130 an hour. A cheaper tile saves less than people expect, because the setter takes the same time to install it.
What is the most expensive part of a bathroom renovation?
The shower. The membrane, the drain, the valve, most of the tile and the glass all land in one corner of the room. On most of our quotes it is the largest single block of money.
Plumbing relocation comes next. A toilet shifted two feet sounds small. Under the floor it can mean working around joists, rerouting a drain to the stack and pulling a permit.
Wall finish matters too. Large-format porcelain needs flatter walls, two or three installers per sheet and different tools. Our note on what large-format porcelain changes on site explains why that work is its own line on the quote.
Can you renovate a bathroom for $10,000? (honest answer)
For a powder room or a light refresh, yes. A main bathroom taken to the studs with new waterproofing is another story. We have not seen one done properly in the GTA at that price in years.
What $8,000 to $15,000 usually buys is a refresh over sound existing waterproofing. That means a new vanity, toilet, lighting, paint and maybe new floor tile. Leo Constra prices that tier at $8,000 to $15,000 and Asteri starts its refresh tier at $8,900.
The trap is a $10,000 quote for a full gut, because something has to give. It is usually the membrane, the fan venting or the slope of the shower floor. Those decide whether the ceiling below is still dry in ten years.
If I had to pick one line never to cut, it is the membrane.
Can you renovate a bathroom for $5,000?
Only cosmetic work: paint, a new vanity top, a faucet, a toilet, a mirror and lights. Once a wall or the shower comes out, you are past $5,000 before any tile goes up.
What moves a fixed price
We give a fixed, written, itemised quote. That number holds for the scope you signed. Two things can still change it, and both go on paper before they cost you anything.
The first is a change you ask for: a different tile, a second niche, an upgrade to custom glass. The second is a condition hidden behind a wall that must be fixed for the room to be safe and to code. In an older house we find drains that are not to code, joists notched for a pipe and tile laid straight onto board.
If material prices rise after you sign, we absorb it. Our note on what can still move a price that was fixed shows how a change order works. Contractors also advise keeping 10 to 15% in reserve as a contingency for hidden conditions, a sensible cushion in an older house.
Mistakes that add cost later
- Demolition before the tile, vanity and glass are ordered, which leaves you without a bathroom for extra weeks.
- A fan vented into the attic instead of outside, which shows up later as a stain on the ceiling below.
- Waterproofing folded into a single tile number, so nobody can tell what system is being used.
- Heated floor added as an afterthought, which means lifting the floor you just paid for.
Our note on what waterproofing does after the tile goes on lists the questions to ask about the membrane at the measure.
From our job sites
Wet-Room Ensuite Retreat, Thornhill. The owners wanted a primary ensuite built around an enclosed wet room. Inside it sit his and hers ceiling-mounted rainfall heads and a 66 inch freestanding tub.
The scope also included a 72 inch double vanity, 2 by 4 foot porcelain tile throughout and heated flooring. We added wall-mounted faucets, custom glass, a backlit mirror, linear niche lighting, a hard-wired heated towel rack and a book-matched porcelain slab feature wall.
It was completed in December 2023; see the Wet-Room Ensuite Retreat project page. An ensuite with custom glass and slab work sits at the top of our 3 to 5 week range on site.
From tub to walk-in shower, Markham. A family needed the tub in their main bath turned into a shower for an elderly relative. Within the tub’s footprint we reworked the plumbing and the floor for a walk-in shower with a bench.
We also retiled in a matte finish and replaced a linoleum counter with black quartz. The job was completed in February 2022; see the tub to walk-in shower project.
Do you need a permit for a bathroom renovation in Vaughan?
Usually not for a like-for-like renovation, where fixtures stay where they are. You do need a building permit if walls move, a drain is relocated or the bathroom is new, such as in a basement suite. The City of Vaughan plumbing permit page sets out when plumbing work needs one.
Electrical work is different. The ESA says most electrical work in a home needs an ESA permit and a Licensed Electrical Contractor. Our co-owner Alex Portnik is a Master Electrician, so the bathroom circuits, heated floor and lighting are filed with the ESA under his licence.
Where a building permit is needed, we arrange the drawings, file the application and meet the inspectors. If the bathroom is part of a basement apartment, our guide to legal basement apartment costs in Vaughan covers the suite rules.
FAQ
Is $25,000 enough for a bathroom?
For a full main bathroom in the GTA, usually yes. It sits at the top of our typical $20,000 to $25,000 range, plus HST. It is often not enough for a large primary ensuite with a freestanding tub, slab walls and custom glass.
Do I need a permit to renovate a bathroom in Ontario?
Not for a like-for-like renovation with fixtures in the same place. You need a building permit when walls move, a drain is relocated or a new bathroom is added. Electrical work needs an ESA permit either way.
How much does it cost to convert a tub to a shower in the GTA?
Ontario contractors report $7,500 to $12,000 for a 5 foot alcove turned into a tiled porcelain shower, including tub removal and drain rework. Glass, a niche or a curbless entry add to that. A standalone conversion usually takes 1 to 2 weeks on site.
Is heated flooring worth it?
In a bathroom, yes. An electric mat on its own thermostat is a small line on the quote, and clients mention it first a winter later. It has to be planned with the electrical, because adding it later means lifting the floor.
What is the average cost of a bathroom renovation in Toronto?
A full main bathroom in Toronto and the GTA typically falls around $20,000 to $25,000, plus HST. KeelFox puts a mid-range Toronto bathroom at about $21,000. Large ensuites with custom glass or moved plumbing cost more.
How much does it cost to remodel a 10×10 bathroom?
A 10 by 10 bathroom is about 100 square feet, which is a large main bath or a modest ensuite. Homi Renovation reports $17,000 to $27,000 for a 10 by 10 in Mississauga. With large-format tile, a double vanity or a separate tub and shower, expect more.
What should you avoid when renovating a bathroom?
Avoid starting demolition before long-lead items are ordered, and never vent the fan into the attic. Do not accept a quote that hides waterproofing inside the tile price. Decide on heated floors and lighting before the walls close.
What adds the most value to a bathroom?
Good waterproofing, a walk-in shower with glass, a heated floor and good lighting are what our clients use every day. A tired tub replaced by a walk-in shower often changes how a main bathroom feels more than any finish.
Book your free in-home consultation
Every bathroom we build starts with a measure at the house. One of the three owners looks at what is under the floor and behind the wall. Then we tell you what your room realistically takes, in weeks and in dollars.
See how we run these jobs on our bathroom renovations page. When you are ready, book your free in-home consultation and you will hear back from one of us within a day.