Do I need a permit to renovate a bathroom in Kitchener?

Not to replace a toilet, sink or tub in the same location, or for new tile, flooring and a vanity in the same layout. Adding or moving plumbing fixtures, including a new bathroom, needs a City of Kitchener building permit, and so does re-insulating walls. Electrical work needs a separate permit from the Electrical Safety Authority.

How long does a bathroom renovation take?

A full ensuite or family bathroom usually takes a few weeks on site, with tile setting and curing being the pacing items. Powder rooms are faster. You receive a written schedule before we start.

Can you add a bathroom in my Kitchener basement?

Usually, yes. If there is a rough-in, the drains are already in place; if not, the slab is opened for new drainage, which we plan and price up front. Either way, adding fixtures needs a building permit in Kitchener, and we handle it.

Do you do full bathroom remodels or smaller updates?

Both. Some clients want new tile, a vanity and lighting in the same layout; others want the room gutted, the plumbing moved and a curbless shower built. We scope it honestly at the site visit.

Can you make a bathroom accessible without it looking clinical?

Yes. Zero-threshold showers, built-in benches, blocking for grab bars and comfort-height fixtures can all be designed in quietly, so the room still looks beautiful.

Do you work across all of Kitchener?

Yes, from the downtown neighbourhoods to Doon, Huron, Forest Heights and Stanley Park. Kitchener is about 15 minutes from our Waterloo shop.

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Bathroom renovations

Bathroom renovations in Kitchener

A proper ensuite, a family bathroom built to take a beating, a basement bathroom where there was only a floor drain. We renovate bathrooms across Kitchener, fifteen minutes from our Waterloo shop, and handle the plumbing, the inspections and the City of Kitchener permit whenever one is needed.

Start a project Call (519) 897-1561

About 15 minutes from our Waterloo shop. Part of our bathroom renovations service, and one of our Kitchener renovation services.

Freestanding soaker tub between two windows in a renovated ensuite

Glass walk-in shower with vertical wood-look tile and brass fixtures

Bathrooms in Kitchener homes

What a bathroom needs depends on the house around it. Here is what we see most across Kitchener.

One bathroom in an older home

Victoria Park, Cedar Hill, Mount Hope, the Auditorium neighbourhood

Century homes often have a single, awkwardly placed bathroom. We update the drains and supply lines while the walls are open, and often reclaim a closet or hallway for an ensuite without adding to the footprint.

A second bathroom for a bungalow

Forest Heights, Stanley Park, Rosemount, Centreville

Post-war bungalows and side-splits usually have one main bathroom. A basement bathroom or a main-floor ensuite changes how the house works, and it is a key part of any legal basement unit.

Dated ensuites

Doon, Huron Park, Laurentian West, Pioneer Park

1980s to 2000s two-storeys tend to have large ensuites built around a corner tub and a small shower. They convert into a generous walk-in shower, a double vanity and better light.

Finishing a rough-in

Huron Village, Doon South, Rosenberg

Newer homes often come with a basement bathroom rough-in. Adding the fixtures is permit work in Kitchener, and we handle it from the drawings to the final inspection.

Do you need a permit for a bathroom in Kitchener?

Swapping fixtures in place usually does not. Moving or adding them does.

Here is what the City of Kitchener's published permit list says about the work a bathroom renovation usually involves:

Do you need a permit for a bathroom in Kitchener?
Work	City of Kitchener
Cabinets, countertops, tile, paint and flooring in the same layout	No permit
Replacing a toilet, sink or tub in the same location	No permit
Adding or moving plumbing fixtures, including a new bathroom	Permit
Removing a non-load-bearing wall	No permitIn a single, semi-detached or townhouse dwelling
Re-insulating walls, ceilings or floors	Permit
A new window or door, or a wider opening	Permit
Electrical work: new circuits, lighting, a panel upgrade	ESA permitThe city does not inspect electrical

Kitchener is the only one of the three cities that lets you remove a non-load-bearing wall in a house without a permit, which helps when a bathroom borrows space from a closet.
Re-insulating an exterior wall, common when a bathroom is gutted to the studs, does need a permit in Kitchener.

From the City of Kitchener's published permit list, checked October 2026. We confirm the requirements for every project. The three-city comparison, with fees and timelines, is in our permit guide.

Permits and inspections in Kitchener

We prepare the drawings, file the applications and book every inspection. Here is what is involved.

Building permit

Applications go through the City of Kitchener's online services portal, and the city reviews house renovation applications within 10 business days once they are complete. The current fee for interior work is $0.37 per square foot with a $95 minimum, plus a $250 rebate fee refunded after the final inspection.

Inspections

For interior work Kitchener lists structural framing, the above-ground plumbing rough-in, the HVAC rough-in, insulation and vapour barrier, then the plumbing, HVAC and final building inspections. Nothing is covered until each one passes, and inspections are booked by 3 p.m. the day before.

Electrical

Lighting, heated floors and new circuits are permitted and inspected by the Electrical Safety Authority, not the city. Our licensed electrical partners file for their scope.

Bathrooms in a basement unit

A bathroom that is part of an additional dwelling unit follows Kitchener's ADU rules, including a zoning certificate before the building permit for most unit types. Our basement apartment guide covers the details.

More detail on permits in all three cities is in our permit guide.

How a Kitchener bathroom renovation comes together

One project manager from the first visit to the final walkthrough. The first four steps of our process cost nothing.

Site visit
We look at the room, the plumbing below it and the structure under the floor, and talk through how you use the space. The visit and a written preliminary proposal are free.
Design and selections
Layout, tile, vanity, lighting and fixtures settled before anything is ordered, with samples in your own light.
The work behind the walls
Demolition, new drains and supply lines, venting, framing for niches and benches, then waterproofing membranes and sloped shower pans, inspected before the walls close.
Tile, fixtures and finishing
Tile set to a planned layout, then glass, vanity, lighting and paint. Fixtures and tile are ordered ahead, so the room is never waiting on a delivery.

Recent bathrooms

Ensuites, family bathrooms and powder rooms from RTC projects across Waterloo Region.

Open the full gallery

Powder room with a white oak cane-front vanity and patterned wallpaper

Freestanding tub beneath a crystal chandelier with vertical wood-look tile

Staircase with black metal spindles beside a white sofa

Photographed in a completed RTC kitchen

From a client

I recently reached out for a project that I wasn’t sure how to complete, and was put in touch with Chad from RTC. He was so communicative, friendly, and helpful. He followed through on everything he said he would do, at the time he said he would do it. His crew was equally as professional on site. The quote for the work was fair and the quality of the work was great. Exactly what I had asked for.

Emily PeatHomeowner