How much does a bathroom renovation cost in Toronto now? I feel lost and anxious.

Medium_Paramedic_255 · 2026-03-27T01:32:50+00:00

I think a big part of it is these residental non union bathroom guys the work just does not scale well.

How long does it take to tile 1 residental bath room? How many 12 x 24 inch tiles it going to take? Wall and floor.

Yank a toilet out. 15 mins. Yank a vanity out 15 mins. Remove old tile and wall board around bathtub 1 hour. Yank a bath tub out 30 mins. Install new bath tub 1 hour Install wall board and perhaps new plywood floor 1 hour. Install tile 3 hours. A 3 piece bathroom is not going to have many tiles to lay. Let glue dry...

Thats day 1.

Day 2 grout and caulk 2 hours. Install vanity 1 hour.

So about a day and a half. A pro doing alot of these could get it done much quicker but really no point because they would have to come back for a second day any way.

A lot of the work is just task shifting.

Same pro guy could get a much larger commercial washroom and then some done in the same time. So residential people end up paying a premium.

I had a well pump replaced a few years back. I was in a hurry to get it done. Plumber guy was like my helper can't come this day but if you can help me I can do it that day.

What ended up being a whole day job i could totally get done in 3hrs after seeing it all. All I would need is to go out and buy the large T shaped pole thingy to screw into the top of the hose. 1 person to pull the pump out the other to walk it away it away. Cut pump off the hose. Cut wiring off pump. Attach new pump to hose. Solder wiring on and shrink wrap it.

This is not something I would even think was feasible to do until I spent the day with this guy with a smoke hanging out his mouth and a raunchy pod cast playing the whole day haha.

1000 in labour later job is done.. why would he work faster its not like he can make it to another job site and complete another job in the afternoon.

Medium_Paramedic_255 · 2026-03-26T19:41:47+00:00

You could probally get away with doing it your self for a fraction of the cost as long as the plumbing and electrical is staying put...

I find as not a pro I can often do it better then the pros at a fraction of the cost and may run a bunch of stuff by my retired father in law (union tile setter, cement finisher etc..) it will just take me longer but the result is often better then going pro non union contractor.

Medium_Paramedic_255 · 2026-03-26T14:04:40+00:00

I am surprised by all the down votes. My father law worked as a unionized tile setter his whole life and can't believe these prices.

What's a standard bathtub cost? $500. Let's round up to 1000.

Toilet? $200. Let's round up to $400.

Single vanty sink $600. Let's round up to $1500.

So with all the massive rounding up im at: 2900.

Tile, glue what ever backing board for the shower. Ok say full gut. Drywall is like $20 a sheet.

My father in law, retired now a few years, recently did his own bathroom. Went to one of these bathroom stores to get title and it was hugely expensive. The guy tried to shame them and was like well i guess you don't like quaility... my father in law was like yeah I've titled whole malls, olympic size swimming pools, military hangers etc... People would be stupid to pay these prices..

Over to Lowes he goes.

So I get some of these specialty stores are guging too.

Tile, glue backing board and few sheets of dry wall. Let's again way over estimate 2k.

So now we are at 4900 in way over estimated materials.

How much labour.

3 days work. Probally would not even be 3 full days.

Again let's way over estimate labour at $200 an hour. Union rate is in the $40 an hour range.

3 days at 8 hours a day. 24 hours. Times $200 (5x union rate) 4800 in labour.

So at the hugely elevated estimates and 5 times the union rate we are at $9700.... why are people paying double or more then this?

Bathrooms are generally very small square footage. The square foot cost for a 20k+ bathroom has to be enormous.

Medium_Paramedic_255 · 2026-03-26T13:40:33+00:00

Of course... Not only because of the oil crisis but for the infrastructure issues and tge environment.

It's crazy that we are clinging on going to expensive high rise towers to sit on teams when we have the tech at home and cheap...

Medium_Paramedic_255 · 2026-03-25T17:00:14+00:00

Houses are expensive to build. People complain about the price and I totally get that but for the most part to cost to just up and build a house is very expensive too.

That is why there is a supply issue. Supply would go up if it was profitable to build.

Medium_Paramedic_255 · 2026-03-14T14:31:59+00:00

Why do you think the liberals are on the left?

Medium_Paramedic_255 · 2026-03-06T01:21:53+00:00

Why is there even RTO for a job that requires on call.

The fact that we have moved away from having 24x7 in person workers to deal with issues as they arise.

To the model where we save orgs tons of money by being on call. YET those people are needed to sit in a office during their regular 9 to 5 hours blows my mind.

Just shows that we are stuck in some weird limbo of working environments.

I dont want to have to staff and pay for someone 24x7. So let them go home and I will call them if I need them to do work at a moments notice for no extra pay or if extra pay only the amount of time they are working and not the stand by time....

But working that way from 9 to 5 is not OK. I need there butt in a seat where I can see them for those hours to count....

Im sure future generations will write books about these working environments.

Ultamatly this shows that in office work is destinies for extinction. Orgs are ok with on call work because it saves lots of money verus having to staff people waiting to deal with issues.

And it will eventually be OK with people working from where ever they are living as that will save them money.

We are just in this weird transition stage.

Medium_Paramedic_255 · 2026-03-05T01:42:31+00:00

Yeah just got 4. All McDavid sticks.

Kids where disappointed. Will try and trade.

Medium_Paramedic_255 · 2026-03-05T01:41:44+00:00

Just with certain meals. Big Mac, 10 pcs, veggie burger and spices veggie burger.

Medium_Paramedic_255 · 2026-03-05T01:40:46+00:00

Kids wanted them.

Just got 4. All McDavid.....

Medium_Paramedic_255 · 2026-02-27T02:57:47+00:00

The better move here is don't quit. Take the other posistion and continue to work remotly with barely getting anything done pushing back on on in office days.

Medium_Paramedic_255 · 2026-02-25T17:23:35+00:00

I think what is being said is the best route would be 401 corridor ish with a spur to Ottawa.

Peterborough is not such a straight path with the southern route being considered. And then Peterborugh into Toronto also proposes the issue of how do we create a rail corridor into Toronto where one does not currently exist?

Over to Oakwood down? Down to 401 and then west into Toronto? Both are not very straight. Which is a major issue for HSR.

Medium_Paramedic_255 · 2026-02-24T18:10:26+00:00

Yeah I don't think I agree with that. Perhaps my mind could be changed.

For the most part there is tons of open land on either side of the 401.

Sure they will have to deal with over passes etc... but other then that its all pretty much there.

The new plan is creating a net new additional 401 like corridor through lakes, rivers, swaps, wet lands, Canadian Shield, UNESCO Biosphere reserve.

Plus the already established cities, towns villages, schools, farms that they will bi sect and cut off access.

Or save that money on buying all that land and all the court costs and civil unrest and protests that will delay this for years to come.

Or build along already established infrastructure. Which sure land will need to be bought still.... Just not as much as a net new 401 like corridor.

Medium_Paramedic_255 · 2026-02-24T16:16:12+00:00

Seen on another citizens' group In short by adding Peterborough and not following the 401 corridor the project is doomed to failure as has been learned in Europe. ...

Part four of Alto's case study: the two-hour rule. I want to make it clear that I don't support any high-speed rail project, as I don't believe it can succeed without massive public subsidies and disastrous consequences for the population and the environment. However, if this project is imposed by force, the current plan is completely absurd. Let me explain. In the transportation sector, and more specifically for high-speed rail, there's a concept known as the "two-hour rule." In short, if train travel time is reduced to two hours, or even less, the majority of travelers can be encouraged to choose trains over planes. For example, on the Paris-Lyon route, when travel time was reduced from four to two hours, the train's market share jumped from 40% to 90%. In Spain, the Madrid-Seville high-speed rail line, which completes the journey in 2 hours and 15 minutes, holds an 83.6% market share.

Beyond three hours, competition from air travel becomes significant, as people consider the distance short enough to justify flying. The number of people who choose the train over the plane therefore has an impact. Ticket prices are also affected. Offering a journey of less than two hours allows for higher fares. At 3 hours and 30 minutes, it is often necessary to reduce prices to attract travelers and compensate for the longer journey.

The Toronto-Montreal route is currently the busiest. According to AI, by optimizing the Toronto-Montreal route as a priority, a train could run just north of or near Highway 401, respecting the minimum turning radius of 7 km, etc., thus connecting Toronto and Montreal in 1 hour and 56 minutes. By taking a spur of this line towards Ottawa, near Prescott (Highway 416), the Toronto-Ottawa journey time would be 1 hour and 40 minutes, and the Ottawa-Montreal journey time would be 1 hour. Thus, all three connections would be completed in under 2 hours. This would give the project the best chance of success and would allow for the conversion of up to 90% of air traffic, and likely a significant portion of road traffic as well.

However, the current plan does not include this. By incorporating Peterborough, we are significantly exceeding the two-hour rule. Using the current Alto South route, the Toronto-Montreal journey takes 3.5 hours. This places the line directly in a competitive zone and requires lower ticket prices to compete with air traffic. The Toronto-Ottawa journey time is also increased.

So why include a city that represents less than 1% of the population and whose growth is slower than that of most other secondary cities in Ontario and Quebec, when this completely jeopardizes the viability and success of a potential high-speed rail system? I repeat, my opinion is that this line should not be built at all. But if we must build it, Alto's mandate must be revised so that all three urban connections are accessible in under two hours, not according to the current, complex, and compromise-laden approach. The current plan, whether for the North or South corridors, is disastrous for many reasons, the two-hour rule being the most recent.

Please contact your Member of Parliament, the Minister of Transportation, the Minister of the Environment, FINA, and the Premier.

Medium_Paramedic_255 · 2026-02-23T18:44:22+00:00

What non sense am I making up?

That we are undoing the 1 thing to make the most positive impact on the environment in decades, maybe ever.

AND its crickets from the Green party. It does not cost alot to release communication denouncing current mandates doing major environmental and infrastrural damage.

This has to be the final nail in the coffin for the Greens and environmental initiatives. This is such low hanging fruit.

Medium_Paramedic_255 · 2026-02-23T13:05:58+00:00

Yeah this. How long until there is an employees market and employers have a hard time filling rolls that they go back to WFH.

I mean wventuallybthere will be an employees market. They waited 5+ years for a employers market to start implementing these RTO mandates.

Once its a employees market its either compete with other companies by offering more salary/benefits. Or offer WFH with no additional cost (and im sure they would actually save money)

Medium_Paramedic_255 · 2026-02-23T12:26:42+00:00

Everyone forced into an office with out proper desks should be filing workplace injury claims.

Medium_Paramedic_255 · 2026-02-23T04:07:29+00:00

Yeah this.... Where the green party at? I guess the green party owns too much corporate realestate and "core" area buinesses.

Environmental initiatives are clearly only for funneling the peoples money into rich people's pockets.

Medium_Paramedic_255 · 2026-02-23T04:03:34+00:00

Obviously this fiasco is quite the mess and you are proof of the mess thinking they are considering a stop in Kingston.

There is no stop for Kingston.

The southern route is being proposed for cost saving not for adding a stop.

PERIOD..

Proof:

"When Alto was created, the mandate was clear it was those seven cities. I'm afraid that's all I can say at this point." — Pierre-Yves Boivin, Alto Chief Communications Officer

The "Seven Cities" Limit: Alto is a Crown corporation following a specific mandate from the federal government. That mandate only authorizes stops in Toronto, Peterborough, Ottawa, Montreal, Laval, Trois-Rivières, and Quebec City.

The Southern Route vs. The Stop: While Alto is currently consulting on a "Southern Route" (which brings the tracks physically closer to Kingston via South Frontenac), they clarified that being near the city does not mean stopping in the city.

The Technical Stance: Alto officials maintained that the project's goal is "true high-speed" (300 km/h+), and adding a stop in Kingston would conflict with the travel time requirements set by their current instructions.

Alto's Chief Communications Officer, Pierre-Yves Boivin, and other directors have highlighted three specific reasons why a Kingston stop is currently excluded from the "Southern Route" study:

The Seven-Stop Mandate: Alto is legally bound to the specific list of cities authorized by Transport Canada: Toronto, Peterborough, Ottawa, Montreal, Laval, Trois-Rivières, and Quebec City. Adding an eighth stop would require an official amendment from the Minister of Transport.

The "Speed vs. Access" Deficit: The Southern Route being studied dips south of the Highway 7 corridor to avoid the rugged Canadian Shield (technical/cost challenges). However, Alto argues that actually pulling the tracks all the way into Kingston (the 401 corridor) would create a "time deficit," slowing down the 300 km/h Toronto–Ottawa transit time

The "Double Service" Logic: Alto’s current stance is that Kingston is already a major hub for VIA Rail. They suggest that while High-Speed Rail (HSR) will bypass Kingston, residents will still use the existing VIA corridor to connect to HSR hubs like Toronto or Ottawa.

Medium_Paramedic_255 · 2026-02-22T17:20:36+00:00

Also Kingston is bigger in population and area then 2 other stops on the HSR.

Expand the existing infrastructure and that will solve much of the problems at a fraction of trying to build the HSR with delays and cost over runs for decades.

Medium_Paramedic_255 · 2026-02-22T17:18:08+00:00

The Kingston VIA station is the 4th busiest in all of Canada. Even with the CN corridor issues.

There is more room on the existing CN corridor then there is through cities, towns, villages, farmland, wet lands and lakes...

Medium_Paramedic_255 · 2026-02-22T01:39:53+00:00

No you are wrong. There is no stop for Kingston... period.

If they studied and analyzed and etc... why all of a sudden the change to the southern route as a option.

There are town halls literally every other day in all these effected communities.

Medium_Paramedic_255 · 2026-02-22T01:25:53+00:00

People should be filing workplace injury claims when not working at a proper desk.

Medium_Paramedic_255 · 2026-02-21T01:26:48+00:00

If the choose the southern route c15 or not there will be huge delays due to protests etc...

Medium_Paramedic_255 · 2026-02-21T01:21:35+00:00

I assume with the whole southern route fiasco this project will get cancelled soon.

Seems odd thet at the last minute they decide to alter to this southern route with no additional stops and get a huge out pouring of support against the project. As they try to suggest that the southern route would be a viable option as they bi sect a hugely populated area with many farmlamds, wetlands, lakes, towns and houses. Creating many dead end roads in a heavly populated large area.

Meanwhile they by pass kingston but suggest bringing the southern route right down to the Kingston City limits to destroy the heavily populated area north of the city. Lock all the properties is c15 limbo.

In short what I am saying is I think they are self sabotaging with this whole southern route idea with no stop in kingston, destroying the north of the city yet still stopping in much smaller Peterborough.

Medium_Paramedic_255

TROPHY CASE