Full bathroom renovation
A bathroom taken back to the studs and rebuilt, typically three to five weeks, with the permit and code points that decide the sequence.
Ottawa and the surrounding suburbs
Bathroom renovations in Ottawa
Full renovations, tub to shower conversions, tiled showers built to last, basement bathrooms and accessible modifications for homes across Ottawa.
- A written quote with the scope, the permit responsibility and the trades named
- Plumbing by a certified 306A plumber and electrical by a Licensed Electrical Contractor
- A complete waterproofing system with a flood test before any tile goes down
- Liability insurance, WSIB coverage and a written contingency allowance in the contract
All services
Tub to shower conversion
Replacing a tub with a walk-in or curbless shower, usually one to two weeks, with the drain and framing questions that decide feasibility.
Tiling and shower waterproofing
The membrane, pan and flood test that decide whether a shower lasts twenty years or leaks into the ceiling below in year three.
Basement bathroom addition
Adding a bathroom below the sewer line, with the pump or break-up options, the permit, and the Ottawa flooding question.
Accessible bathroom modifications
Grab bars into real blocking, a curbless or low-curb entry and a layout that works with a walker, done once and properly.
What decides the cost of an Ottawa bathroom
Two questions, and neither is about tile. Does the plumbing move, and how old is the house. The City of Ottawa requires a building permit for alterations, additions or extensions to a plumbing system, with replacing existing fixtures as the exception, and separately for adding or removing walls. So a bathroom rebuilt in place is a finishes job, and shifting the toilet half a metre is a permitted construction project with inspections and a longer schedule.
Age decides what demolition finds. A 2005 Barrhaven ensuite has drywall and PEX behind the tile. A 1955 Alta Vista bungalow commonly has a steel tub set in mortar, cast iron drainage, galvanised supply piping narrowed by corrosion, no ground-fault protection, no exhaust fan, and no waterproofing membrane anywhere. None of that can be priced before the wall comes off, which is why a written contingency allowance belongs in the contract.
Ottawa adds its own pressures. The indoor humidity swing between a dry January and a humid July is large, so a bathroom with inadequate exhaust pushes moisture into cold cavities where it condenses, and a fan ducted into the attic is one of the most common defects in this city. Much of the housing also sits on sensitive marine clay that moves seasonally, which is why movement joints and an uncoupling membrane under floor tile earn their keep here.
We are an information site. We set out what the work involves, what it costs in Ottawa and what to ask, and we connect you with a local licensed contractor who does the renovation. We do not renovate bathrooms ourselves.
Indicative ranges
Ottawa bathroom renovation price guide (2026)
- $8,000 to $15,000Powder room, full renovation
- $18,000 to $30,000Main bathroom, gutted, no layout change
- $30,000 to $55,000Main bathroom, plumbing relocated, tiled shower
Indicative 2026 prices before HST for the Ottawa area, excluding tile and fixture material. Every quote follows a site visit. Permit fees, engineer's fees where a structural change is involved, and asbestos or lead testing in older homes are separate. Allow a written contingency of ten to fifteen per cent on any house built before 1980, and more before 1950. Ottawa bathroom renovation price guide (2026).
How the work runs
- Settle the layout questionDecide whether fixtures move, because that single answer decides the permit, the inspections, the floor work and a large part of the price.
- A site visit and a real quoteScope line by line, the trades named with their certificate numbers, the waterproofing system by product name, and a written contingency allowance with rules for drawing on it.
- Demolition, rough-in, inspectionEverything out to the studs, then plumbing, electrical and ventilation, then the inspections if the job is permitted, before anything is closed up.
- Waterproof, flood test, then tileA complete membrane system, a sloped pan, and 24 hours of water sitting in it with someone checking the ceiling below before a single tile goes on.
Areas we serve
We serve Ottawa, Barrhaven, Kanata, Stittsville, Orléans, Nepean, Alta Vista and the older core.
Guides
Bathroom renovation costs in Ottawa in 2026
What drives the price of an Ottawa bathroom, why the permit question matters most, and how to compare three quotes that look nothing alike.
Permits, ventilation and waterproofing in an Ottawa bathroom
The specific code provisions that govern a bathroom renovation here, what triggers a permit, and the three defects demolition finds most often.