In short
- Common elements in a condo include hallways, elevators and piping, says the Condominium Authority of Ontario; the declaration sets where your unit ends.
- A City building permit and condo approval are two separate steps; the plumbing-only City permit is $117.
- HomeStars' Ottawa guide: $7,000–$12,000 when only the surfaces change; a moved drain or supply adds $1,500–$5,000.
- An owner's change to common elements usually needs the board's approval and a section 98 agreement (Condominium Authority of Ontario).
Typical prices in Ottawa
| Job | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cosmetic refresh | $7,000–$12,000 | HomeStars Ottawa guide; layout stays |
| Mid-range rebuild | $15,000–$30,000 | New tile, vanity, toilet, fixtures |
| Moving plumbing | +$1,500–$5,000 | Check pipe ownership with the board first |
| City permit, plumbing work only | $117 | Per application, 2026 fee schedule |
Sources. Seen 29.10.2026: HomeStars, Bathroom Renovation Cost Guide for Ottawa; Condominium Authority of Ontario, common elements; City of Ottawa: Building permit projects, Building Code Fee Schedule, Noise by-law, construction sites; CRA, Home accessibility expenses.
The building comes first
A condo bathroom lives inside a corporation. The Condominium Authority of Ontario describes common elements as the shared parts of the property, such as hallways, elevators and piping, and says most owner-proposed changes to common elements need board approval and a formal agreement under section 98 of the Condo Act. Where your unit stops and the shared part begins sits in the declaration.
For a bathroom, the first call goes to the property manager. A refresh of tile, vanity and paint is one conversation. Moving a drain, cutting into a shared wall or touching a riser is another. Get the answer in writing before the company writes a price.
Permit and approval are two steps
The City of Ottawa lists alterations, additions or extensions to a plumbing system as permit projects, with replacement of existing fixtures excepted. A plumbing-only permit costs $117 per application on the 2026 fee schedule. Work that begins before the permit issues pays a surcharge equal to half the fee, to a maximum of $10,000. Cabinets and vanities may be replaced without a permit when the plumbing fixtures stay put. Condo approval is a different process and a different office. Ask the company which steps your job needs and who files each one; the permit guide covers the City side.
What it costs
In HomeStars’ Ottawa figures, surfaces alone run $7,000–$12,000, and new tile, vanity, toilet and fixtures $15,000–$30,000. A moved drain adds $1,500–$5,000, and in a condo it also needs the board’s answer on the pipe. The guide adds that a condo powder room can be converted into a shower space. See small bathroom renovation for how fixed costs behave in a compact room.
Condo jobs add small lines for logistics: protecting hallways and the elevator, hauling debris down, booking loading time. Ask whether the quote includes them.
Noise, hours and neighbours
Ottawa’s noise by-law keeps construction and heavy machinery quiet overnight: from 10 pm until 7 am Monday to Saturday, and until 9 am on Sundays and statutory holidays. Handheld power tools like drills and saws are restricted before 7 am and after 9 pm on weekdays, and before 9 am and after 9 pm on weekends and holidays. Your building may set narrower hours. Tell your neighbours which weeks the noise runs.
Water and the unit below
A leak in a condo bathroom reaches other homes. The risk sits in waterproofing at the shower floor and in the connections behind the wall. Ask the company to name the waterproofing system and who stands behind it, and photograph your ceiling and the one below before work begins.
Timeline in a building
HomeStars’ Ottawa guide allows one to two weeks on site for a standard full bathroom. In a condo, add the days the board takes to answer and the days the elevator is booked. Put the approval days into your own start date.
Who calls about the condo job
One independent renovation company receives a condo request from the Desk. It calls, goes over the building’s process with you and sends a written price. Other scopes are on the main bathroom renovation page.
Questions to ask the company
- What does the building need from you before work starts?
- Does the plan touch pipes the corporation owns?
- Who applies for the City permit if the drain moves?
- How does the crew protect the elevator and hallway?
- What happens if water reaches the unit below?
Have this ready for the call
- Your declaration and rules, or the property manager's contact.
- The floor, the unit number and how the building books the elevator.
- Photos of the bathroom and the ceiling of the unit below, if you can.
- Dates you can accept noise from neighbours, and dates you cannot.
Questions people ask
Where does my unit end and the building's pipe begin?
The declaration sets it, and the boundary differs between buildings. Piping appears on the Condo Authority’s list of common elements, so the riser is often the building’s. Ask the manager for the section before the company prices a drain or a supply line move.
Does board approval replace the City permit?
They are separate steps. The board checks the work against the declaration and rules. The City of Ottawa lists plumbing alterations as permit projects, and a plumbing-only permit costs $117. A job can need one, the other or both.
What paperwork does a condo board usually ask for?
It varies by corporation. The Condominium Authority of Ontario says some corporations ask for a formal application, the contractor’s insurance details and inspections before and after the work, and changes to common elements usually need a section 98 agreement. Ask the property manager for the list before the company prices.
Can a condo board require approved contractors?
Some do. The Condominium Authority of Ontario notes that each corporation has its own declaration, by-laws and rules, and that some limit work hours or require approved contractors. Read the rules before a company is booked, and send them with the request so the company can say on the first call whether it meets them.
Who checks the floor below the shower?
Ask the company in writing. Request the waterproofing details in the written quote, photograph your own ceiling and, with the neighbour’s consent, the ceiling below before work. Ask who carries responsibility for water damage before you sign the contract.
