The complete guide to condo renovation in Toronto

Search “condo renovation Toronto” and most of what comes back is written for renovations in general, with a city name bolted on. That’s a problem, because a condo renovation isn’t a house renovation with a smaller footprint — it runs through a different set of rules entirely. This guide covers the parts that are actually specific to condo towers: what boards require, what things really cost here, and where kitchens, bathrooms and flooring behave differently thirty floors up than they do at grade.

What a condo renovation actually costs in Toronto

Cost ranges below are a starting point for budgeting, not a quote — building type, unit size, finish level and how much of the layout is changing all move these numbers meaningfully.

The only way to turn a range into a real number is a walkthrough and a fixed quote in writing — which is also the only quote you should trust.

The condo board approval process

This is the step that catches first-time renovators. Almost every Toronto condo board requires a renovation or alteration request before work starts on anything beyond paint — and most buildings won’t let a contractor on site without it. A typical application includes:

• A written description of the work and the trades involved
• A certificate of insurance naming the building as an additional insured
• Sometimes a refundable damage deposit, held until the final inspection
• An elevator booking for material deliveries and demolition removal
• Confirmed working hours — most boards restrict noisy work to weekdays, often 9am–5pm

Boards typically take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to approve an application, and that clock runs separately from your renovation timeline — so it’s worth starting the application the moment your scope is locked, not after your contractor is ready to start demolition.

Kitchens: what’s different in a condo

Condo kitchens are usually built against an interior wall, without direct access to an exterior wall for venting — which is why range hood venting is often the single trickiest part of a condo kitchen renovation, and needs to be solved before cabinets go in, not after. Plumbing and gas lines typically run through a shared stack serving several units above and below yours, so relocating a sink or stove is possible but adds real cost and needs to be scoped carefully rather than assumed. On the upside, condo kitchens reward smart layout more than square footage — an island, better storage, and open sightlines to the living space usually do more for how the unit feels than the raw size of the renovation.

Bathrooms: what’s different in a condo

Waterproofing matters more in a condo than almost anywhere else in the renovation, because a failure doesn’t just damage your unit — it can leak into the unit below, which makes it a building liability, not just a personal one. That’s why proper membrane waterproofing and a documented installation matter more here than the tile you pick. As with kitchens, moving plumbing fixtures is possible but costs more than keeping them in place, since it usually means opening into a shared stack.

Flooring: the rule most owners don’t know about

Most Toronto condo boards require an acoustic underlay — a sound-dampening layer under hard flooring — to limit noise transfer to the unit below, and some specify a minimum sound-rating (STC/IIC) the finished floor must meet. Installing flooring without checking your building’s requirement is one of the most common reasons a condo renovation fails a board inspection after the fact, so it’s worth confirming before you fall in love with a floor.

Choosing a condo renovation contractor

A few questions worth asking before you sign anything:

1. Have they worked in your building, or one like it? Board paperwork, insurance and elevator logistics aren't things a house renovator does daily.
2. Is the price fixed, in writing? A range “to be confirmed once we start” usually means it will grow once you can no longer walk away easily.
3. Is there a completion date, in writing? Condo renovations that drift don’t just cost more in fees — they cost more in carrying costs the whole time you’re not living the way you want to.
4. Who handles the board application? If the answer is “you,” budget extra time and expect to learn your building’s bylaws firsthand.

Every point above is why we built UnitWorks the way we did: one crew, condo work only, a fixed price and a fixed completion date in writing, and we handle the board application, insurance certificate and elevator booking ourselves. If you’re early in planning a renovation, we’re happy to walk you through your specific building’s process even before you’ve decided who does the work.

Quick answers

How much does a condo renovation cost in Toronto?

As a rough guide: flooring and paint typically run $8,000–$18,000, a bathroom $18,000–$35,000, a kitchen $30,000–$55,000, and a full renovation $90,000–$160,000+ depending on size and finishes. These are starting points, not a quote — your building, your unit size and the finishes you choose move the number a lot, which is why a real number only comes after a walkthrough.

Do I need condo board approval to renovate?

For anything beyond paint and cosmetic work, almost always yes. Most Toronto condo boards require a renovation or alteration request, a certificate of insurance, and sometimes a refundable damage deposit before work begins — especially for anything touching plumbing, electrical or flooring.

How long does a condo renovation take in Toronto?

Flooring and paint typically run 2–3 weeks, a kitchen 3–5 weeks, and a full renovation 6–10 weeks — plus however long your building takes to approve the application, which is worth asking about before you set a moving date.

Related reading: Renovate or Sell As-Is? The Real Math for Toronto Condo Owners