Why it matters
Bathrooms are small, which fools people into thinking they are cheap. They are not. They carry the highest labour cost per square foot in the house, because plumbing, tile, and waterproofing all need skilled trades working in a space the size of a parking spot. Kitchens and bathrooms run $45 to $140 per square foot all in, and the bathroom is the one that surprises people. Be careful with the word "refresh." It does not mean what buyers think it means. There is no such thing as a five-thousand-dollar bathroom renovation in the GTA. The smallest genuinely real bathroom job, a powder room, starts around $8,500. Anything with a tub, a shower, and tile in it starts at roughly double that. If you budget with a smaller number, you will be wrong by a factor of two or three, and you will discover it after you have removed your conditions.
How to spot it
Original tile and fixtures; a dated vanity with an integrated cultured-marble top (which has a life of about 20 years, so a 1990s one is finished); cracked grout or failing caulk lines; staining at the tub surround or at its base; and a floor that visibly dips near the tub or toilet.
What it costs
GTA, 2026. A powder room or vanity-level refresh, with the plumbing untouched, is $8,500 to $15,000. A three-piece refresh, new fixtures, tile and vanity with nothing relocated, is $15,000 to $30,000. A full mid-range renovation is $30,000 to $50,000; a compact 5x8 ensuite comes in lower, around $18,000 to $26,000. Luxury, with heated floors, frameless glass and premium fixtures, starts around $55,000. Every fixture you move adds $2,500 to $5,000. Condo bathrooms carry extra overhead: board approvals, elevator booking fees, damage deposits, and weekday-only work windows, which together can add thousands before a tile is cut.
What to do
Monitor. Ask whether the layout stays. If it does, budget a refresh at the real number. If anything moves, budget a gut. Either way, look hard at the floor and the tub surround for water damage before you price the finishes.
Education and triage, not a home inspection. Casaroo prices the tier from your photos and flags the moisture tells. A licensed inspection and a contractor confirm what is behind the tile. We flag; we don't inspect. Warning: some bathroom findings are not cosmetic. A floor that feels soft near the tub, staining at the base of a tub surround, or a bathroom with no visible exhaust fan are moisture questions, not taste questions. Treat them as mechanical until proven otherwise.