Is it worth adding a heated towel rack and bidet seat during a full renovation, or are those better as later upgrades?

Adding a heated towel rack and bidet seat during a full renovation is almost always the right time — both upgrades are significantly cheaper and easier to incorporate when walls are already open and trades are already on site.

The core reason comes down to electrical rough-in. Both a heated towel rack and an electronic bidet seat require dedicated electrical outlets — the bidet needs a GFCI-protected outlet within reach of the toilet, and a hardwired heated towel rack needs a switched circuit rough-in in the wall. When your electrician is already in the bathroom running circuits for your exhaust fan, vanity lighting, and heated floor, adding one or two more outlet or switch locations costs a fraction of what it would cost to return later. Coming back after the renovation means cutting into finished tile or drywall, patching, repainting, and paying a minimum service call rate — easily $400–$800 in added cost for work that would have been $100–$200 during the original rough-in.

The heated towel rack is a particularly smart addition during a GTA bathroom renovation. Toronto winters run from December through March with sustained temperatures of -10 to -20 degrees Celsius, and stepping out of a shower into a cold bathroom with a warm towel waiting is a genuine daily comfort upgrade. Hardwired models (which look cleaner and don't require a visible plug) need a switched outlet or a direct wire connection in the wall behind the rack location — something your electrician can add in 30 minutes while the wall is open. Plug-in models are available as a later upgrade, but they leave a cord visible and require a nearby outlet. Quality hardwired heated towel racks run $200–$600 for the fixture, with $150–$300 in electrical labour during the renovation. Post-renovation, that same installation could cost $500–$900 once you factor in drywall repair and tile patching.

The bidet seat is even more straightforward to plan for during a renovation. The seat itself doesn't need to be purchased or installed during the renovation — you simply need your electrician to place a GFCI-protected outlet on the wall beside or behind the toilet, at the right height (typically 6–12 inches above the floor, offset to one side of the toilet). That outlet costs almost nothing to add while the walls are open. Bidet seats range from $400 to $1,500 depending on features (heated seat, warm water, air dry, remote control), and they install in 20–30 minutes by the homeowner once the outlet is in place. The GTA market has seen strong growth in bidet seat adoption over the past few years — if there's any chance you'll want one in the next decade, the outlet is worth adding now.

One practical note on sequencing: confirm the outlet location for the bidet before your tile work is finalized. The outlet should be positioned so it's accessible but not visible from the front of the toilet — typically on the side wall or behind the toilet, clear of the tank. Your plumber and electrician should coordinate on this since the toilet rough-in location affects where the outlet can go.

The only scenario where waiting makes sense is if you're genuinely uncertain about the products you want and don't want to commit to a specific location. Even then, the right move is to have your electrician rough in a capped outlet and a blocking in the wall for the towel rack during the renovation, leaving the fixture selection for later. Rough-in without fixtures is the cheapest possible insurance against a costly retrofit.

Both upgrades are also worth considering from a resale perspective — in the current GTA market, buyers increasingly expect heated floors, bidet-ready outlets, and quality towel warming in renovated bathrooms, particularly in the mid-range and above.

If you're planning a full bathroom renovation and want to make sure these details are built into your contractor's scope from the start, Toronto Bath Remodeling can match you with local bathroom renovation professionals through the Toronto Construction Network — browse contractors at torontoconstructionnetwork.com/directory?category=bathroom-renovations.