FAQs - bathroom

A powder room or small 3-piece bathroom renovation typically takes 2 to 4 weeks. A full 4-piece bathroom renovation runs 3 to 6 weeks. A comprehensive primary ensuite with significant tile work, structural modifications, and custom elements can take 6 to 10 weeks. Permit approval timelines, custom material lead times, and the condition of what's discovered behind the existing walls all affect the schedule. We provide a clear timeline before construction begins and communicate any adjustments in advance.
Cosmetic updates, replacing tile, a vanity, a toilet, or a light fixture, generally don't require permits. Plumbing rough-in relocations (moving a drain, relocating a shower), structural changes, and electrical work beyond fixture replacements do. We assess permit requirements during consultation and manage all applications in-house, you never have to navigate that process yourself.
A tub-to-shower conversion focuses specifically on replacing an existing bathtub with a walk-in shower. It involves plumbing drain modification, waterproofing, tile installation in the shower area, and a glass enclosure, but typically leaves the rest of the bathroom unchanged. A full bathroom renovation addresses everything simultaneously, tile throughout, new vanity, toilet, flooring, lighting, and ventilation. Many homeowners choose to do the full renovation because the disruption period is similar but the comprehensive result is much more impactful.
For primary ensuites, the answer is almost always yes. The incremental cost of adding in-floor heating during a renovation, when the floor is already coming up, is modest relative to the comfort it provides every day of a Canadian winter. And it adds perceived value to the bathroom for future buyers. The system should be installed before tile is set, coordinated with the electrical rough-in. We include it in ensuite renovations whenever the budget allows.
Large-format porcelain tile (24x24 or larger) is the most popular choice in GTA bathroom renovations right now, it creates a clean, contemporary look with fewer grout lines to maintain. For shower floors, smaller format tile or mosaic is needed to allow proper slope to the drain. Natural stone, marble, travertine, adds warmth and elegance but requires sealing and more maintenance than porcelain. We walk through all options with you during the design phase and help you select the right material for each surface in the bathroom.
When the renovation is permitted and the plumbing, electrical, and structural work is done by licensed trades following the Ontario Building Code, it will pass inspection. We have managed hundreds of permitted bathroom renovations across the GTA without inspection failures on properly scoped and executed work. The permits aren't bureaucratic overhead, they're the process through which your renovation is verified as safe and code-compliant.