If you have started asking for bathroom renovation quotes in Prince George, you have probably noticed that the numbers are all over the place. One contractor says $14,000, another says $52,000, a third lands somewhere in between. How do you make sense of that?
Almost always, the answer is scope. Those quotes describe different projects: different materials, different waterproofing, different labour and a different idea of what is included. This guide breaks it down in plain terms.
Three levels of bathroom renovation
It helps to think of bathroom work in three broad levels. Each one is a genuinely different job, not just a different price.
The refresh: $15,000 to $28,000
A meaningful but targeted update: a new vanity, updated fixtures, new lighting, paint and, sometimes, new tile where the existing walls and floor are sound. It makes a bathroom feel noticeably better without changing how it is built.
What it does not include: full demolition, new plumbing rough-in, a new waterproofing system, heated floors, custom glass or structural changes. The risk at this level is what is hiding behind the old tile. If the waterproofing underneath is failing, a surface refresh only delays a full rebuild.
Best for: secondary bathrooms, rentals, or homes where the existing shower is confirmed to be in good shape.
The full renovation: $28,000 to $55,000
This is where most of our Prince George bathrooms sit. The room comes down to the studs in the wet areas, and we build it back properly: cement board with a bonded sheet membrane behind and under every wet surface, new plumbing rough-in where fixtures move, a heated floor if you want one, custom tile, a glass shower enclosure, a quality vanity and fixtures, and all the finishing.
The difference from a refresh is mostly the part you never see. Waterproofing is where we would tell anyone not to cut corners, and it is the same system in every bathroom we build, at every budget. This level also includes the design work: choosing materials with you, showing you the finished room before work starts, and a fixed price in writing.
Best for: main bathrooms and ensuites in homes you plan to stay in, and anyone who wants to do this once and have it done right.
The luxury bathroom: $55,000 to $85,000
At this level the design is fully custom: a freestanding tub, a steam shower, large-format or feature tile, built-in niches and benches, custom cabinetry, heated towel bars and lighting designed for the room. It is the bathroom you look forward to using every morning.
What moves the price most
- Moving plumbing. Relocating a toilet, tub or shower means new drain and supply lines, and sometimes work in the floor or ceiling below.
- Size. A 50 square foot bathroom and a 120 square foot ensuite are different projects, even with the same finishes.
- Age and condition. Older Prince George homes can hide surprises behind the walls: old drain lines, tired subfloors, and in homes built before about 1990, materials that need testing for asbestos before anyone cuts into them.
- Glass. Custom frameless glass is measured after the tile is done and has its own lead time and cost.
- Selections. Tile, fixtures and the vanity can swing the number a long way in either direction.
The question to ask every contractor
Ask: "What is the waterproofing system, and which product will you use?" The answer tells you a lot. A contractor who can name the membrane, explain how the corners, seams and drain are detailed, and list it as a line in the scope is building a shower that will last. "We tile over cement board" with no mention of a membrane is not enough.
You can read more about what drives cost in what really affects bathroom renovation cost.
How pricing works with us
Every Zenith project starts with a $250 in-home design consultation, credited toward your project if you go ahead. It is a 60 to 90 minute design session: we work through layout, materials, colour and your wish list, measure, and look at what is behind the walls where we can. Afterwards you get a fixed price in writing, with the scope spelled out and payments tied to milestones. If we open a wall and find something nobody could have seen, you approve a written change order before any extra work.
We work across Prince George and the communities around it, from Hart Highlands and College Heights to the rural areas outside town. See our bathroom renovation page for the kind of work we do, then book a design consultation, or call our Prince George office at (250) 999-4500.
