A bathroom renovation in Stittsville is usually a redo of a builder's bathroom from the last twenty-five years. In Stittsville's K2S postal area, about 61 per cent of homes were built in 2001 or later, against 29 per cent across the City of Ottawa (2021 Census). Replace the vanity, floor and finishes with every fixture left where it is, and the City's no-permit list covers the work. Move a toilet or add a bathroom and you need a building permit, at $12.75 per $1,000 of construction value with a $117 minimum. On a rural lot with a septic system, the septic office reviews the plan first. For the budget, HomeStars' 2026 Ottawa guide puts a mid-range bathroom renovation at $15,000 to $30,000.
For the citywide picture, including the waterproofing standard and what each type of bathroom involves, see our page on bathroom renovation in Ottawa. Our Stittsville renovation contractor page covers basements, additions and the rest of our work there.
How far Stittsville is from our office
Dream Touch Renovations runs its projects from one office: Suite 210, 33 Roydon Place, in Nepean. There is no Stittsville office. Stittsville is one of the areas the company lists in its own service area, and OpenStreetMap routing puts it 21 to 27 km from the office, depending on the street, or 23 to 25 minutes in free-flowing traffic: Merivale Road to West Hunt Club Road, then Old Richmond Road, Hope Side Road and Terry Fox Drive, or out along Highway 417 to the north end. Rush hour takes longer.
Dream Touch does the design, the permit drawings, the City application and the inspection bookings in-house, as on every project. The first step is a site visit, booked in office hours: Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Stittsville homes are young: the 2021 Census numbers
Canada Post files the K2S forward sortation area, the first three characters of a postal code, under its Stittsville station. Statistics Canada's 2021 Census counted 38,903 people there and 13,710 occupied homes. This is when those homes were built, beside the City of Ottawa as a whole (share of occupied homes, 25 per cent sample data):
| Built | K2S (Stittsville) | City of Ottawa |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 or before | 2.6% | 15.9% |
| 1961 to 1980 | 6.2% | 28.3% |
| 1981 to 1990 | 13.0% | 15.5% |
| 1991 to 2000 | 16.9% | 11.3% |
| 2001 to 2005 | 11.3% | 7.1% |
| 2006 to 2010 | 19.0% | 7.2% |
| 2011 to 2015 | 10.3% | 7.0% |
| 2016 to 2021 | 20.8% | 7.7% |
About 61 per cent of K2S homes were built in 2001 or later, twice the City-wide 29 per cent, and 20.8 per cent went up between 2016 and 2021 alone. Only about 22 per cent date from 1990 or earlier, against about 60 per cent across Ottawa. House type follows the same pattern: 69.9 per cent of occupied homes in K2S are single-detached houses (41.7 per cent City-wide), and 20.5 per cent are row houses.
What that means for the bathroom
A house finished between 2001 and 2010, about 30 per cent of K2S, still has the bathrooms its builder fitted 15 to 25 years ago, unless an owner has already redone them. If the layout works, keep it. HomeStars' Ottawa guide calls keeping fixtures in their current positions the single most effective way to control cost, because moving plumbing adds $1,500 to $5,000 on its own. The first decision in these houses is between a new bathroom in the old footprint and a new layout with a permit.
Row houses add one constraint. An interior unit has outside walls only at the front and the back, so a new or larger bathroom fan has to duct to one of those walls or through the roof. Settle the fan route before the layout.
The older fifth of K2S is a different job. HomeStars' Canada-wide guide warns that houses built before the 1980s often have galvanized steel pipes that need replacing before new fixtures go in, and suggests a contingency of 10 to 15 per cent for a home more than 40 years old. In K2S, 8.8 per cent of homes were built in 1980 or earlier.
A newer house: check the Tarion warranty before demolition
Tarion, which administers Ontario's new home warranty, covers defects in work and materials in a new home's plumbing, electrical and heating systems, and water getting in through the building envelope, for two years from the date of possession, and major structural defects for seven years. Tarion also lists alterations, deletions or additions made by the homeowner among the things the warranty does not cover.
That matters in Stittsville more than in most of Ottawa: 20.8 per cent of K2S homes were built between 2016 and 2021, against 7.7 per cent City-wide. On 2026-10-06, a house taken into possession after 2019-10-06 is still inside the seven years, and one taken after 2024-10-06 is still inside the two. If a bathroom in a house that new leaks or drains badly, report it under the warranty and have it assessed before anyone opens the wall. Once the wall is rebuilt the original defect is hard to show, and the renovation itself counts as the homeowner's alteration.
City sewer or a septic system? Settle it before you choose fixtures
Stittsville's built-up area is on the City's central water system. The City of Ottawa's 2013 Infrastructure Master Plan lists a Stittsville elevated water tank, 4.5 megalitres, as storage for pressure zone 3W, and names a Stittsville and Fernbank diversion sewer among the planned sewer works it assessed for growth to 2031.
The rural land around it is different. The City runs communal well systems for a few rural communities, Munster Hamlet and Richmond (Kings Park) among them, and says other rural residents typically get their water from private wells. A house with no City sewer connection treats its wastewater on its own lot, in a septic system.
On a septic system, a bathroom renovation has an extra step. The City says the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority coordinates the review and approval of any septic system installed, altered or repaired anywhere in Ottawa, and the authority's Ottawa Septic System Office takes a Renovation or Change of Use application for houses that use one. Citing Part 11 of the Building Code, its page says a building shall not be altered if any part of the on-site system cannot meet the new daily design sewage flow. The application asks for floor plans, a description of the change, and the existing septic records or a septic inspection and review by a licensed engineer. The response takes 5 to 10 business days once everything is in, and an approval is a comment on capacity, not a permit to start work.
A bathroom can tip those numbers. Ontario's Building Code sizes a house's septic system from Table 8.2.1.3.A, which rates a three-bedroom house at 1,600 litres a day and a four-bedroom house at 2,000, with extra flow added for a large finished floor area or for each plumbing fixture unit over 20, at 50 litres a day each, and the largest result governs. A new bathroom adds fixture units. A basement guest suite with a new bedroom adds more. The City also limits a lot on a well or septic system to one additional dwelling unit, where a lot on City water and sewer can have two.
Moving a toilet or adding a bathroom: the City permit
The City of Ottawa's list of projects that need no building permit includes replacing bathroom cabinets, provided the plumbing fixtures stay in the same location, new flooring, and painting and decorating. Its permit questions page says a renovation that includes installation, extension or material alteration needs a permit. So a new vanity, tile and fixtures in the old spots stay off the permit. A toilet moved across the room, a tub replaced by a larger shower on a new drain, or a new bathroom in the basement needs one.
The fee follows the City's 2026 schedule. Alterations and renovations pay $12.75 per $1,000 of construction value, counting materials, labour, overhead and professional fees, with a $117 minimum. On $25,000 of work, that is $318.75. A permit for plumbing work only is $117. Starting before the permit is issued adds a surcharge of 50 per cent of the permit fee, up to $10,000. HomeStars' Ottawa guide prints a flat $160 to $200 for a bathroom permit; the City's rate is the one that applies.
The City puts the duty on the owner: you make sure the permit is in place before work starts, even when the contractor applies for it. Electrical work is a separate track. The City does not regulate it, and the Electrical Safety Authority permits and inspects it.
A basement bathroom in Stittsville: add the backwater valve
For a basement bathroom, Stittsville's build dates bring a rebate. The City of Ottawa's Residential Protective Plumbing Program rebates an indoor sanitary backwater valve up to $1,000, plus the full $117 fee for a plumbing-only permit, in houses built before 2012-01-01. The City made sanitary valves mandatory in new homes after 2012, and storm valves after 2004. In K2S, about 69 per cent of homes were built in 2010 or earlier.
The valve sits on the main drain inside the foundation, and a basement bathroom opens the floor next to it anyway. Since 2026-07-01, the work has to be finished and the rebate application received within 18 months of the permit's issue date. Our guide to backwater valve rebates in Ottawa walks through the paperwork. The valve guards against a backup from the City sewer, so it is a question for houses on City sewer, not for a house on septic.
HomeStars' Ottawa guide puts a basement bathroom at $15,000 to $30,000, toward the top of that range when the slab has to be broken for a drain and an ejector pump.
What a bathroom renovation costs: four questions people ask
The figures below come from HomeStars' 2026 cost guides, all updated 2026-08-21. They are market ranges; a Dream Touch quote comes after the site visit. HomeStars' Ottawa guide prices a whole bathroom renovation at $12,000 to $55,000 in its task table and splits it three ways:
- budget renovation, cosmetic updates only: $7,000 to $12,000
- mid-range, with new tile, vanity, toilet and fixtures: $15,000 to $30,000
- high-end, with premium materials or custom work: $40,000 to $55,000 or more
For what each kind of bathroom includes, room by room, see our breakdown of bathroom renovation cost in Ottawa.
Can I renovate a bathroom for $10,000?
In Ottawa, $10,000 buys a cosmetic renovation. It sits inside HomeStars' Ottawa budget tier of $7,000 to $12,000 and below the $15,000 floor of its mid-range tier with new tile. HomeStars' Canada-wide guide is lower, with a basic fixture and tile update at $5,000 to $10,000, but its Ottawa figures are the ones to plan with here. So for $10,000 in a Stittsville house: keep every fixture where it is, keep the tub if it is sound, and spend on the vanity, toilet, faucet, lighting and paint. HomeStars' Ottawa task prices give the scale: a toilet installed for $600 to $1,100, a faucet for $800 to $1,500, and a sink, often with the vanity, for $1,500 to $2,000.
Can I renovate a bathroom for $5,000?
At Ottawa prices, $5,000 does not cover a whole bathroom: it is under the bottom of HomeStars' Ottawa budget tier. It covers one part done properly. On HomeStars' Ottawa figures, a toilet, a faucet and a sink installed together come to $2,900 to $4,600, and a new shower starts at $4,500. HomeStars' Canada-wide figures put a powder room renovation at $2,000 to $5,000, and a bathtub liner, which fits over a sound existing tub, at $1,600 to $4,500. In a builder bathroom with fixtures that work, $5,000 fits a vanity, toilet and faucet swap, or a powder room.
How much is a bathroom renovation in Ontario?
HomeStars publishes no Ontario-wide figure; its guides go city by city. HomeStars' 2026 guides put a full renovation at $15,000 to $30,000 for most projects in Toronto, with mid-range work around $17,000, and at $15,000 to $55,000 in Ottawa. Its Canada-wide average is about $14,500, with most homeowners spending $8,500 to $21,000. The Toronto guide adds that labour is 40 to 60 per cent of the total there, with plumbers and electricians billing $100 to $200 an hour.
What is the most expensive part of a bathroom renovation?
It is tile or labour, depending on how the bill is split. HomeStars' Ottawa guide names tile installation as usually the largest single cost line, at $4,000 to $35,000 in its task table depending on tile type and floor area, with ceramic installed at $9 to $20 a square foot and marble at $25 to $50. Its Toronto guide counts labour as the largest single line item instead. The cost that changes the scope most is moving plumbing: $1,500 to $5,000 on its own in Ottawa, and in Stittsville a moved or added fixture can also mean a City permit and, on a septic lot, a capacity review.
When to book, and how long it takes
HomeStars' Ottawa guide says contractors are busiest from spring through fall, that December through March often means better availability, and that interior bathroom work is unaffected by cold weather. It puts a standard full renovation at one to two weeks of work, longer with moved plumbing, custom tile or structural changes. Where a permit is needed it comes first, and on a septic lot so does the 5 to 10 business day capacity review.
Sources
- Statistics Canada, Census Profile, 2021: Forward Sortation Areas, K2S, and Census Profile, 2021: Census Subdivisions, Ottawa (CSD 3506008): period of construction, structural type of dwelling and population, read 2026-10-06
- Canada Post, Listing of Forward Sortation Area Codes (FSA), April 2022 (PDF)
- OpenStreetMap, driving directions, 33 Roydon Place to Stittsville (OSRM), read 2026-10-06
- City of Ottawa, Infrastructure Master Plan 2013, sections 5.1 to 5.3 (PDF), Table 5.4 and section 5.3.7
- City of Ottawa, Municipal well systems, read 2026-10-06
- City of Ottawa, Septic systems: Do I need a building permit?, read 2026-10-06
- Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, Apply for a Septic Permit (Renovation or Change of Use Permit), read 2026-10-06
- Government of Ontario, Building Code, O. Reg. 163/24, Part 8, Table 8.2.1.3.A, daily design sanitary sewage flow
- City of Ottawa, Projects not requiring Building Permits and Building permits: Frequently asked questions, read 2026-10-06
- City of Ottawa, Comprehensive Building Code Fee Schedule, read 2026-10-06
- City of Ottawa, Adding an apartment (additional dwelling units)
- City of Ottawa, Residential Protective Plumbing program, read 2026-10-06, and its frequently asked questions (PDF)
- Tarion, Warranty coverage after you close and What is not covered by the new home warranty, read 2026-10-06
- HomeStars, Bathroom Renovation Cost Guide for Ottawa, Bathroom Renovation Costs for Toronto in 2026, Bathroom Renovation Cost in Canada and How Much Does a Bath Fitter Cost?, all updated 2026-08-21
Planning a bathroom in Stittsville? Tell us the year the house was built, whether it is on City sewer or a septic system, and which fixtures you want to move, and we will plan the permit and the layout around them. Get in touch here or call (613) 862-4555.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit to renovate a bathroom in Stittsville?
It depends on the plumbing. The City of Ottawa needs no building permit to replace bathroom cabinets when the plumbing fixtures stay in the same location, or for new flooring and painting. Moving a toilet, changing a drain or adding a bathroom needs a permit, charged at $12.75 per $1,000 of construction value with a $117 minimum. The Electrical Safety Authority handles electrical work separately.
When were most homes in Stittsville built?
Most are recent. In Statistics Canada's 2021 Census, about 61 per cent of occupied homes in Stittsville's K2S postal area were built in 2001 or later, against 29 per cent across the City of Ottawa, and 20.8 per cent were built between 2016 and 2021. Single-detached houses make up 69.9 per cent of homes there and row houses 20.5 per cent.
Does a septic system change a bathroom renovation in Stittsville?
Yes, on a rural lot. The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority's Ottawa Septic System Office reviews renovations to houses on septic, to confirm the system can carry the new daily design sewage flow. Ontario's Building Code adds 50 litres a day for each plumbing fixture unit over 20, so a new bathroom can tip the numbers. The review takes 5 to 10 business days once the application is complete.
How much does a bathroom renovation cost in Stittsville?
HomeStars publishes Ottawa figures rather than Stittsville ones. Its 2026 Ottawa guide puts a cosmetic update at $7,000 to $12,000, a mid-range renovation with new tile, vanity, toilet and fixtures at $15,000 to $30,000, and high-end work at $40,000 to $55,000 or more. Moving plumbing adds $1,500 to $5,000 on its own, and a basement bathroom runs $15,000 to $30,000.
Does the Tarion warranty cover a bathroom in a new Stittsville home?
For a time. Tarion's two-year warranty covers defects in a new home's plumbing, electrical and heating systems and water getting in through the building envelope, counted from the date of possession, and major structural defects are covered for seven years. Alterations made by the homeowner are excluded, so a leak in a new bathroom should be reported and assessed before any renovation. In K2S, 20.8 per cent of homes were built between 2016 and 2021.