Should I renovate all the bathrooms in my home at once or do them one at a time?

Renovating all your bathrooms at once is almost always more cost-effective — GTA contractors typically offer 10 to 20% savings on labour when combining multiple bathrooms into a single project — but the decision ultimately depends on your budget, your household's ability to cope with the disruption, and whether you have alternative bathroom access during construction.

The financial argument for doing them together is straightforward. When a contractor mobilizes for a bathroom renovation, there are fixed costs that apply whether you are doing one bathroom or three: project setup and demolition equipment, dumpster rental ($400 to $800 per load), permit applications, trade scheduling, and general overhead. These costs are incurred once for a combined project versus three separate times if you do each bathroom individually. Your plumber makes one trip to do all the rough-in work, your electrician handles all the circuits in a single mobilization, and your tile installer can work continuously rather than being scheduled three separate times months apart.

Most GTA bathroom contractors will quote a multi-bathroom project at 10 to 20% less per bathroom than if each was done individually. On a three-bathroom home in Toronto with a combined renovation cost of $60,000 to $90,000, that savings can be $6,000 to $18,000 — enough to upgrade your tile selection or add heated floors throughout.

When to Do Them All at Once

You have a place to shower and use a toilet during construction. If you are renovating every bathroom simultaneously, you need a backup — a gym membership, a family member's home nearby, or a temporary arrangement for 1 to 2 weeks during the most disruptive phase. Some contractors will phase the work so that one bathroom is reconnected with a functional toilet and temporary shower before the others are fully demolished.

Your home's plumbing infrastructure needs updating. If your Toronto home has galvanized supply lines, aging cast iron drain stacks, or outdated shut-off valves, doing all the bathrooms at once means the plumber can replace the main supply lines and drain stack sections in a single project rather than revisiting them multiple times. This is especially relevant in 1950s to 1970s homes across North York, Scarborough, and Etobicoke where the plumbing is 50 to 70 years old.

You are preparing the home for sale. Updated bathrooms are among the highest-ROI improvements in the GTA real estate market. If you are renovating for resale, doing them together gets the home market-ready faster with a cohesive design throughout.

When to Do Them One at a Time

Budget constraints. A mid-range bathroom renovation in Toronto runs $25,000 to $35,000 per bathroom. If doing all three at once means $75,000 to $105,000 — and that is beyond your current budget — phasing the work over 1 to 2 years is a perfectly reasonable approach. Start with the primary bathroom (the one used most or in worst condition), then tackle the others as budget allows.

Only one bathroom in the home. If you are adding a second bathroom and renovating the existing one, the new bathroom should be completed first so you have a functional bathroom before the existing one is demolished.

Young children or family members with health/mobility needs. The disruption of multiple simultaneous bathroom renovations — dust, noise, no water during plumbing connections, workers throughout the home — is significantly harder on young families and elderly household members. Doing one at a time keeps the disruption contained.

A Practical Middle Ground

Many GTA homeowners take a phased-but-connected approach: hire the same contractor for all bathrooms, but schedule them sequentially within a single contract. Your contractor renovates the ensuite first (3 to 4 weeks), then moves to the main bath (3 to 4 weeks), then the powder room (1 to 2 weeks). You always have at least one functioning bathroom, you get multi-bathroom pricing, and the same trades maintain consistency in quality and design. This approach typically adds 2 to 3 weeks to the total timeline compared to doing everything simultaneously, but the livability trade-off is worth it for most families.

Need help finding a contractor who can handle a multi-bathroom project? Toronto Bath Remodeling can match you for free.