Planning a bathroom renovation project is a great opportunity to add more personal touches to one of the most used rooms in the home. You can update each and every feature in your bathroom to make it more visually appealing and functional for you and your household. Bathroom renovations can increase the value of your house as well making it a smart investment. Planning a whole renovation project by yourself can be stressful, confusing and time-consuming. You can hire a local Ottawa based contractor to complete the project for you as per your requirements. To help you get started, we have compiled a list of common bathroom costs in Ottawa.
This cost guide is based on 125 Ottawa based homeowner reviews who completed a bathroom renovation project prior to November 2020. You can use the costs to estimate your own renovation project. You can also read our step by step guide to bathroom renovations and why you should hire a professional for the project instead of doing it yourself.
Bathroom Renovation Costs in Ottawa
| Task | Average Cost* | Lowest Reported* | Highest Reported* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faucet Installation | $945 | $200 | $3,800 |
| Shower Installation | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 |
| Sink Installation | $1,150 | $800 | $1,500 |
| Tile Installation | $19,375 | $5,000 | $35,000 |
| Toilet Installation | $636 | $150 | $1,000 |
| Whole Bathroom Renovation | $13,768 | $1,000 | $50,000 |
Costs as of November 2020*
Faucet Installation
- Replacing your old, rusty faucets with new and shiny fixtures can improve the flow in your bathroom. Faucet installations are one of the smallest tasks in any bathroom renovation project but make a big difference. Based on the number of faucets you want to install, a professional contractor will charge you $945 on average.
Shower Installation
- There are many new, trendy and easy to use showers available on the market. Doing a complete shower installation will require a contractor to create a new floor, add tiles on the wall and fix new shower accessories. Based on your requirements and choice of shower fixture, it may cost you approximately $3,000 to install a new shower.
Sink Installation
- There are very specific tools and supplies required to install a bathroom sink. If you’re planning to install cabinets below the sink or a mirror right behind it, a contractor can do all these tasks for you. By measuring the space you have, the contractor will install the sink, connect it to water supply and drainage, assemble the furniture and clean up when the job is done. It may cost you up to $1,500 to install a fully functional sink in your bathroom.
Tile Installation
- The cost of tile installation is based on the size of the floor and the type of tile you choose. You can choose a tile of your choice from different options available in the market like porcelain tile, ceramic, marble, mosaic, limestone, slate vinyl, pebble, terracotta or glass tiles. After measuring the floor, the contractor can give you an estimate of the time and budget for tile installation. It may cost you as low as $5,000 based on these parameters.
Toilet Installation
- A professional bathroom renovation specialist in Ottawa can help you with the replacement or installation of a toilet. It is important to hire a professional as they can connect the toilet to the water supply and drainage pipe successfully to avoid any water leakages or sewage backup. You may have to pay up to $1,000 to install a new toilet in your bathroom.
Whole Bathroom Renovation
- If you’re building a complete new bathroom or converting the powder room into a 3 piece bathroom, these projects are known as a whole bathroom renovation. Based on the size of the bathroom and the tasks involved it might take a contractor 1-2 weeks to complete the whole renovation.
- Excluding additional fixtures like a bathtub, new toilet, sink or furniture, it may cost you up to $50,000 to change the look of your bathroom.
Factors Impacting Bathroom Renovation Costs in Ottawa
Size of the Bathroom
- Any townhouse or a condo in Ottawa usually has two full bathrooms and a powder room on average. You can renovate the existing bathrooms, convert the powder room into a small shower space or add a bathroom in your basement, as per your needs.
- A contractor will measure the size of the bathroom including ceiling and flooring dimensions to create an estimated timeline and budget. Based on the sheer size and number of bathrooms, the cost will fluctuate greatly.
Number of Tasks Involved
- There are two types of bathroom renovations that impact the costs highly: partial renovation and whole renovation. Based on the type of renovation, the tasks will change. The more tasks you add up in the project, the more costly it will be.
- The partial renovation includes individual tasks such as replacing bathtubs, changing the flooring, painting walls and ceiling, installing new furniture and other bathroom fixtures. The whole renovation project includes all these tasks and a complete transformation of your bathroom from wall to wall.
- It is ideal to proceed with the whole renovation at once instead of planning small partial renovation tasks year over year. This will save you time, money and will also be aesthetically pleasing. For any partial renovation, you will have to rehire contractors every time. But with a whole bathroom renovation, the contractor will complete the work with an in-house crew instead of hiring subcontractors.
- If you’re not sure whether to opt for a partial renovation or a whole bathroom renovation, we recommend you talk to a contractor to discuss a renovation plan that works for you.
Moving Plumbing
- One of the crucial tasks in any bathroom renovation project is moving the plumbing. Changing the location of the toilet, sink or even the bathtub requires major changes in water and electrical flow. A professional plumber and electrician from a local contractor’s crew can move the plumbing for you.
- Before moving the plumbing, the service technician will check the water supply pumps, drainage pipes, electrical wires and fixtures underneath the floor and behind the walls. Studying these internal fixtures will help the professionals to create a solid plan for moving the plumbing. It is important that only licensed and experienced contractors perform the moving plumbing tasks as it involves a certain degree of danger and precision. Even the smallest mistake can result in staggering damages and personal injuries.
Step by Step Guide to a Whole Bathroom Renovation in Ottawa
Step 1: Make a List of Tasks
- Making a list of all the tasks involved in the renovation process will help the contractors to provide you with an estimate of the budget and timeline. Be it a whole bathroom renovation or partial, making a list of all the changes you desire to make is important to successfully execute the renovation.
Step 2: Cleaning and Demolition
- Before starting any new renovation, it’s important to clean and clear the area for new fixtures. Demolishing old bathroom fixtures like bathtub and sink, removing tiles, preparing walls for new paint are some of the crucial demolition and cleaning tasks.
- A contractor will only demolish certain areas of your bathroom as per your requirement. It’s important to know what you want to keep and discard. If anything crucial is demolished, it can result heavily in damages and cost more in replacement.
Step 3: Install or Repair Drywall, Ceiling and Flooring
- This step involves a lot of heavy work which should be done by a team of professionals to avoid any accidents. You can install or replace the drywall and have the painter paint it in your choice of paint and colour. You can choose specific designs for ceiling and flooring from Pinterest and let the contractor do the job for you.
- Based on the complexity of the job, it may take up to 1-2 days to complete the wall, ceiling and flooring of the bathroom.
Step 4: Bathroom Fixtures: Electrical, Plumbing and Furniture
- After all the base work is done in step 3, contractors will proceed with different fixtures. From installing the shower, fixing new lights and adding new shelves, everything is done simultaneously. This provides the contractor with a much-needed pace and requires a lot of coordination.
- You can choose independent service providers to complete an electrical, plumbing or furniture installation but we recommend you hire a bathroom renovation contractor as it can save you from managing multiple teams working together at the same time.
Step 5: Final Clean Up
- Any renovation project, be it big or small, can leave a lot of mess behind. Disposing of the old bathtub, sink, furniture, wall piece or tiles can pose questions in front of you. The contractor you hire will take care of this final clean up. Their crew will dispose of all the debris, clean all the surfaces and leave your bathroom ready to use.
Important Facts to Remember
- As per the size and complexity of renovation, these steps might change or overlap. Their timeline will also change based on the number of tasks involved. Though these steps give you an overall insight into the process, a contractor will create a customized execution plan for you as per your requirements.
- Many of the tasks involved in renovations require different types of service professionals like plumbers, electricians, carpenters and cleaning services. Hiring an individual service provider can add to the confusion in the already tiring execution process. Contractors in Ottawa employ these service providers in their crew so you won’t have to hire anyone separately and manage them. If required, they can also hire sub-contractors for your project so you don’t have to spend time looking for extra personnel.
Bathroom renovation projects are expensive and require a dedicated execution plan. Hiring the right contractors for the job is very important or you’ll be left disappointed with the final product. With HomeStars, you can hire trustworthy contractors by checking their Star Score, verification badge and homeowner reviews. When you’re ready to proceed, you can ask a local Ottawa contractor to provide you with a custom quote for your renovation project.