In short
- HomeStars' Ottawa guide lists a complete renovation under 50 sq ft at $6,000–$8,000 and 50–100 sq ft at $10,000 and up, from completed jobs.
- A typical 5 by 8 bathroom gains the most floor from swapping the tub for a shower, according to one Ottawa firm.
- Fixed work such as waterproofing and demolition barely shrinks with the room, so a small bathroom's price falls more slowly than its floor area.
Typical prices in Ottawa
| Job | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Complete renovation, under 50 sq ft | $6,000–$8,000 | Completed jobs listed by HomeStars, Ottawa |
| Complete renovation, 50–100 sq ft | $10,000+ | Same HomeStars list |
| 5 by 7 bathroom | $9,000–$22,000 | One Ottawa firm’s cost page |
| Toilet installation | $600–$1,100 | HomeStars Ottawa guide |
| Sink installation (often with vanity) | $1,500–$2,000 | HomeStars Ottawa guide |
Sources. Seen 29.10.2026: HomeStars, Bathroom Renovation Cost Guide for Ottawa (updated 21/08/2026); Capital Bathroom Renovation, Bathroom Renovation Cost (one firm’s page); Bytown Bath, Small Bathroom Renovation Ottawa and Bathroom Remodeling Cost Ottawa; City of Ottawa, Noise by-law, construction sites and Building permit projects; Projects not requiring building permits.
Where the floor comes from
A standard tub eats 14 to 16 square feet of floor. In a 5 by 8 room that is more than a third of the floor. One Ottawa firm says a shower enclosure can take as little as 9 square feet, and a clear glass panel makes the room read as one space. For this reason a tub-to-shower swap is the first change most companies suggest. The tub page covers the conversion, and the walk-in shower page covers the curb question.
A shallower or wall-hung vanity, a door that slides or swings out and a toilet with a smaller footprint each recover a few inches. Together they change how the room works.
Fixed costs in a small room
Bytown Bath makes the point directly: a small bathroom does not always cost less than a large one, because the fixed work is the same. HomeStars shows the same shape in its completed jobs: a complete renovation under 50 sq ft at $6,000–$8,000, a room of 50–100 sq ft at $10,000 and up. Capital Bathroom Renovation puts a 5 by 7 room at $9,000–$22,000, which shows how far finishes move a small job.
What shrinks with the room is tile, paint and flooring. HomeStars’ table prices installed tile from $9 to $50 a square foot, so a small floor lets you choose better tile without the budget jumping.
The decisions that change the price
- Keep the toilet where it is. HomeStars adds $1,500–$5,000 for moving plumbing, and more where old cast-iron or copper pipe sits behind the wall.
- Keep the tub position or not. A shower in the old tub’s footprint keeps the drain close.
- Pick the vanity early. HomeStars puts a sink installation, often with vanity and mirror, at $1,500–$2,000.
- Choose the door. A sliding or outswing door frees the floor in front of the vanity.
How the work runs
HomeStars lays out five stages for a whole bathroom: a task list, demolition, drywall, ceiling and subfloor, fixtures with electrical and plumbing, then clean-up. The base layer takes one or two days, and a standard full job runs one to two weeks in its Ottawa guide. Ask the company how the days are ordered and which day the toilet works again.
When a permit comes in
A new vanity in the old spot stays off the permit list, because cabinets are exempt while the fixtures stay where they are. Moving a fixture or extending pipes is a plumbing alteration, and a plumbing-only permit costs $117. Heritage-designated houses lose the exemptions. In a tight room, moving the toilet is the change most likely to bring the permit in.
Old houses and tight rooms
Small bathrooms are common in older Ottawa houses, and HomeStars warns that the pipe behind their walls is often cast iron or copper, slower and dearer to work around. Read renovating an older home before deciding where fixtures sit, and the bathroom cost page for the full range.
Who measures the room
An independent renovation company gets a small-bathroom request from the Desk. It calls, measures, and sends a written price that keeps fixed work apart from finishes.
Questions to ask the company
- Which single change gives the most floor space in this room?
- Does the door swing in, out or slide, and what does each cost?
- Does anything move, and does the plumbing move with it?
- Where does storage go once the cabinet shrinks?
- What are the fixed costs that stay the same in a small room?
Have this ready for the call
- Wall lengths and ceiling height, measured in feet and inches.
- A photo from the door and one from the far corner.
- Where the door, window and fan sit.
- A list of what you store in the room today.
Questions people ask
Why is a 5 by 8 quote close to a larger room's quote?
The tile and paint shrink with the room. The waterproofing, the plumbing hookups, the demolition and the drying days stay put, according to one Ottawa firm. Ask each company to split the quote into fixed lines and size-based lines, then compare the fixed lines between quotes.
Is a glass panel better than a curtain in a small room?
One Ottawa firm says clear glass lets the eye run through the room and makes it feel bigger, while framed enclosures break the view. Glass raises the price. A curtain is cheaper and moves out of the way. The company can show both in your room.
Does a wall-hung vanity help?
A wall-mounted vanity leaves floor visible beneath it, which one Ottawa firm credits with making a cramped room feel less closed in. It needs a wall that can carry the load and the drain routed through the wall, so ask about the framing.
Can the toilet move in a tight room?
It can, at a cost and with a permit, since the City counts a moved toilet as a plumbing alteration. A toilet that stays on its flange is the cheaper plan, and the company may suggest a smaller model in the same spot. Ask for the moved-toilet option as its own quote line, so you see what it adds.
Where does storage go without a big cabinet?
Recessed niches in the shower wall and shelves above the toilet add space without using floor. One Ottawa firm recommends niches in place of shelves. Tell the company what you store, so the plan has room for it.
