A bathroom renovation in Richmond Hill costs between $18,000 and $45,000 for most complete projects, from a main bathroom refresh to a full primary ensuite rebuild. Where your project falls depends on the size of the room, whether the toilet and shower move, what is found behind the old tile and the finishes you select. This guide walks through the costs, the order of work and the planning choices that make a bathroom renovation in Richmond Hill go smoothly.
TGV Construction Group Inc. works across York Region from our office in Concord and has completed more than 300 projects in the GTA and Ontario since 2017. For neighbouring guides, see the Markham bathroom article, the average bathroom renovation cost, and our Richmond Hill basement guide. The service itself is described on the bathroom renovation page.
Richmond Hill neighbourhoods and their bathrooms
The older streets of Richvale, Crosby and the area around Mill Pond have houses from the 1950s to the 1970s. Many of them have had at least one round of updates, sometimes done over the original tile, so we may find two layers of flooring, a toilet flange sitting too low and wiring that predates bathroom GFCI rules. These rooms usually need the most preparation, but they also gain the most from a renovation.
Bayview Hill and the larger lots in the south-east have big custom houses from the 1980s and 1990s with spacious ensuites, often with a raised jetted tub, a separate shower and a long vanity with a single top. Oak Ridges, Jefferson, Westbrook and Rouge Woods were mostly built from the mid-1990s on; their bathrooms are newer and structurally sound, and the projects there are about layout, storage and finishes. Many families in Richmond Hill also share the house across generations, which makes accessible showers and a second full bathroom common requests.
Cost factors for a bathroom renovation in Richmond Hill
Same layout or new layout. Keeping fixtures in place keeps the plumbing simple. Moving the toilet, adding a second sink or relocating the shower means opening the floor and sometimes the ceiling below.
The raised tub. Removing a platform tub frees a lot of space but involves demolishing its frame, capping or rerouting its supply and drain, and levelling the floor where it stood.
Shower design. A tiled shower with a curb, one niche and a framed door is far simpler than a curbless shower with a linear drain, a bench, a rain head and frameless glass.
Condition of the structure. Old leaks around tubs and toilets leave soft subfloor and stained joists. In older Richvale and Crosby houses, we also allow for straightening out-of-level floors before tile.
Comfort features. Heated floors, a quiet fan ducted outdoors, pot lights and lit mirrors add electrical work but change how the room feels on a cold morning.
Finish selections. Porcelain against natural stone, a stock vanity against a custom piece, chrome against a designer finish: these choices move the total more than any single construction item.
Step-by-step process
- Walk the room together. At the free visit we measure, check the ceiling of the room below for old stains, and ask what does not work today: storage, light, the shower, the cleaning.
- Price it in writing. Every part of the job is listed: demolition, framing, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing, tile, fixtures and glass, with allowances for anything not yet chosen.
- Order before we open the room. Vanity, valve, tile and toilet are ordered and checked on arrival, so the bathroom is out of use for the shortest possible time.
- Careful demolition. Floors and stairs are covered, dust is contained at the door, and the room comes back to framing and subfloor.
- Inspect and agree on repairs. We check joists, subfloor and the wall behind the tub; anything damaged is shown to you with photos and a price before we fix it.
- Plumbing and wiring. Drains and supply lines are set for the new layout, the fan is vented outdoors, and a licensed electrician adds the new circuits and boxes.
- Build the waterproof shell. Shower walls get a cement or foam backer, the floor gets its slope, and a continuous membrane runs from the drain up the walls.
- Tile. Floor and walls are tiled to level lines, grouted, and edged with trim so no raw tile edges are left.
- Finish installation. Vanity, top, toilet, trims, lights, mirror and accessories are installed; the glass is measured once the tile is done.
- Final walkthrough. Every fixture is run and checked for leaks, joints are sealed, the room is cleaned, and we go through it with you.
How long a Richmond Hill bathroom takes
Count one to three weeks for selections and orders and three to five weeks on site for a full bathroom. A large ensuite with a platform tub to remove, a heated floor and custom glass sits at the longer end. The most common delay is not labour but a special-order vanity or glass panel, which is why we confirm delivery before demolition.
Permits
Building permits in Richmond Hill come from the city's building services department and follow the Ontario Building Code. Like-for-like work generally does not require one; a new bathroom, moved drains or vents and structural changes do. Electrical work is registered with the Electrical Safety Authority by the licensed electrician. If you live in a condominium, check the management's renovation rules first. Our GTA renovation permit guide explains the steps.
Planning advice
- Design for everyone in the house. A low-threshold shower, a bench, grab-bar blocking and a comfort-height toilet help a parent today and cost little when planned from the start.
- Separate the toilet if you can. In a large ensuite, a toilet room with its own door and fan makes the space work for two people at once.
- Ventilate properly. A fan that is too small or blows into the attic leaves mould on the ceiling within a few winters.
- Choose tile for the floor you have. Very large tiles need a very flat floor; on an older subfloor, a medium size is often the better choice.
- Compare full scopes, not totals. Our guide to reading renovation quotes shows which items are often left out.
A typical Richmond Hill ensuite
In a late-1990s house in Jefferson, the ensuite has a raised jetted tub under the window, a small corner shower and a single vanity. The owners remove the platform tub, build a walk-in shower where the old shower and part of the tub deck stood, place a freestanding tub under the window and install a double vanity with drawers. The subfloor is sound, so the budget goes into the shower, tile and fixtures. The work takes a little over four weeks on site and sits in the upper part of the Richmond Hill range; a main bathroom in the same house that keeps its layout lands near the lower end.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cost of a bathroom renovation in Richmond Hill?
Most full bathroom renovations in Richmond Hill fall between $18,000 and $45,000. A powder room or a main bathroom that keeps its layout with mid-range finishes is toward the lower end; a large primary ensuite with a walk-in shower, a double vanity, a freestanding tub and heated floors reaches the top of the range or above. The figure for your bathroom comes in a free written quote.
Does Richmond Hill require a permit for bathroom work?
Changing finishes and fixtures in the same places usually does not. Adding a bathroom, moving drains or vents, or altering a structural wall needs a building permit from the City of Richmond Hill and inspections during the job.
Can you renovate a bathroom while we live in the house?
Yes, most of our clients stay at home. We contain dust at the bathroom door, protect the floors on the way in and clean up each day. If it is your only bathroom, we plan the sequence to keep a toilet working for as long as possible.
Should I remove the jetted tub in my ensuite?
If it is rarely used, usually yes. A large walk-in shower in its place is easier to clean and more useful every day. Keep a tub somewhere in the house if you have young children or expect to sell to a family.
Can you add a bathroom in the basement as well?
Yes. If a rough-in exists we connect to it; if not, the slab is cut for the drain, and sometimes a pump is needed. See our Richmond Hill basement guide for how that fits into a full basement project.
Free bathroom renovation quote in Richmond Hill
We renovate ensuites, main bathrooms, powder rooms and basement washrooms across Richmond Hill and York Region, with one team responsible from demolition to the final walkthrough.
Phone (365) 363-6995, email estimating@tgvconstructiongroup.ca, or tell us about your Richmond Hill bathroom project on the Get a Quote page.
