Bathroom renovations in Newmarket and York Region
A bathroom is the smallest room in the house and the most expensive per square foot to get wrong, because everything in it is either wet, heavy, or hiding the framing. Done properly it lasts twenty years. Done badly it fails behind the tile where you cannot see it.
What separates a proper bathroom renovation from a cosmetic one
Waterproofing. Tile and grout are not waterproof. What keeps water out of your framing is the membrane behind the tile, and it is the single most skipped step in cheap bathroom work because nobody can see it afterwards. Every wet area we build gets a proper membrane system, correctly lapped and sealed at the corners and the curb.
Ventilation. An exhaust fan that vents into the attic is not ventilation, it is a mould delivery system, and we find them constantly in houses of a certain age. Fans get ducted outside, insulated where they cross cold space, and sized for the room.
Substrate. Cement board or an equivalent, not drywall, behind tile in wet areas. Floors checked for deflection before large-format tile goes anywhere near them.
How long you will be without the room
A straightforward full bathroom in a Newmarket house is typically two to three weeks from demolition to finished, assuming the layout stays where it is. That is not three weeks of continuous noise. It is a sequence with waiting built in: demolition, rough plumbing and electrical, inspection where required, board and waterproofing, tile, then fixtures, glass and paint.
Moving the toilet, tub or drain adds time and cost, because it means opening the floor and reworking drainage that has to keep proper fall. If your layout works, keeping it is the cheapest good decision available to you.
Condo bathrooms are a different job
If you are in a condo in Richmond Hill, Markham or downtown Toronto, the building governs a lot of what happens. Expect to book the service elevator, submit a contractor certificate of insurance, work inside set hours, and give notice for any water shut-off affecting the stack. Waste has to go out through a specific route, not the passenger lift.
None of that is a problem, but it has to be planned, and it is why a condo bathroom often takes about the same on-site time as a house while spanning more calendar days.
What actually drives the cost
In rough order: whether plumbing moves, the tile you choose and how large the format is, whether the shower is curbless, glass, vanity and fixtures, and whether we find anything behind the old walls. Rot in the subfloor around a toilet flange is the most common surprise, and it is why we quote a contingency rather than pretending nothing will turn up.
You get the scope and the price in writing before demolition starts, and if something unexpected appears, work stops and we talk to you before spending anything extra.
Questions we get asked
How long will my bathroom be out of use?
Typically two to three weeks for a full renovation with the layout unchanged. Moving the toilet, tub or drain adds time because the floor has to be opened and drainage reworked to maintain proper fall. You will get a schedule with the quote, not a vague estimate.
Do I need a permit for a bathroom renovation?
Usually not for a like-for-like replacement in the same layout. You generally do once you move drains, alter structure, or add a bathroom where there was not one. We will tell you which side of that line your job falls on, and pull the permit if it needs one.
Can you do a curbless or walk-in shower?
Yes, and it is one of the most requested changes we do, both for looks and for aging in place. It requires the floor to be recessed or built up so the drain still falls correctly, so it is easier in some houses than others. We will tell you at the quoting stage what yours needs.
What if I only have one bathroom?
We plan around it. That usually means sequencing so the toilet goes back into service as early as possible, and being realistic with you about the days where it genuinely will not be usable. Say so when you call, because it changes how we schedule the job.
Will you waterproof properly, or just tile over the board?
Every wet area gets a proper waterproofing membrane behind the tile, lapped and sealed at corners and the curb. It is the step that decides whether the room lasts twenty years or fails quietly inside the wall, and it is not optional on our jobs.
Related work we do
Send photos of your bathroom and we will talk it through.
Most bathrooms can be scoped from a few pictures and a conversation. Free consultation, written quote before demolition.