Congratulations! You’ve decided to embark on the journey of creating the bathroom of your dreams.

The following details provide some information on the legal requirements of your project to help you avoid any catastrophe during and after your renovation.

If you’re still in the planning stages, read how to plan your bathroom renovation for support.

Will you need a permit?

If you’re removing and replacing fixtures or doing what people in the trade might call a "re and re," you will not require a permit.

Go ahead and start tearing out the old to make way for the new.

If you are making changes to mechanical systems like plumbing, electrical, and HVAC, you will require a permit.

For example, adding a second vanity to your washroom would require additional plumbing; therefore, you’d require a permit for this work.

Changing the location of the outlets your switches would require you to move electrical systems within the walls, and for this you’d require a permit to help ensure the work is done properly.

Removing, relocating or adding vents in the floors, ceilings or walls implies changes to HVAC.

The reason for permits and building codes

It literally comes down to not setting your home on fire or causing a flood. Understand that many builder’s codes are the result of trial and error.

Unless something goes wrong, you could get away with building things without permits.

However, you may run into problems should an emergency occur, and your property sustains damage.

When insurance companies inspect properties after a fire, a flood, or any other incident relating to the infrastructure of your home, they pay specific attention to the blueprints or architectural drawings of the property.

If they see differences in the property that are not reflected in the drawings, they will know that structural changes were made without permits.

This will most likely mean that you do not receive coverage for damage to your home, especially if the new build or structural change caused the incident. 

Electrical codes

Something as simple as relocating the switches or outlets entails moving electrical wires within the drywall and framing of your home.

The city’s building codes ensure that these wires are not relocated without staples to keep them in place.

Say the wires are left hanging loosely on the framing. Putting up drywall in this scenario could compress the wire caught between wood and drywall, potentially causing a fire.

Any electrical outlet within six feet of a wet area (bathtub, shower, sink or toilet) needs to be GFCI-protected (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter.)

This is to prevent a power surge should water come into contact with the outlet. GFCI protection prevents the spark from reaching the electrical panel of your home using a built-in mechanism or kill switch that interrupts its path.

In case of a flood, plugs and outlets need to be placed at a minimum height of 1 foot and 3.7 inches (40.65 cm)

You can find more electrical codes through the Electrical Safety Authority within this document here. 

Plumbing codes

Ever watch the water go down the drain after a bath or shower so beautifully and perfectly that you didn’t give it a second thought? You can thank a good builder for that.

For every horizontal foot of the drainpipe, builders require ¼ inch (0.65 cm) of slope. This ensures proper drainage. Too much or too little slope are both ingredients for detrimental scenarios, which is why this requirement became a code.

A toilet drain cannot be less than 3 inches (7.62 cm) in diameter.

 A shower drain needs to be 2 inches (5.08 cm) in diameter, and a bathtub drain must be at least 1 ½ inch (3.81 cm) in diameter.

Any sink drain needs to be a minimum of 1 ¼ (3.2 cm) in diameter, although builders prefer 1 ½ inches (3.81 cm) for better drainage.

All plumbing fixtures must have a P-Trap except toilets because they have this drainage system built into them. P-Traps prevent sewage gasses from coming up through the drainpipe in our kitchens and bathrooms.

If you take a look underneath your kitchen sink for example, you’ll notice the bottom of the pipe curves downward like the letter “U.” This part of the pipe contains water that traps sewer gasses, blocking them from coming up through the drainpipe to our nostrils.

Section 7 of Ontario's building code covers much of the details discussed here. Take a look here to learn more. 

HVAC codes

Many homeowners like to switch out old bathroom fans for newer models. When homeowners do this, builders typically use a flexible duct to connect the fan to the vent on the roof. Assuming the attic is not a finished space, the duct will require insulation to prevent condensation in the line.

In the summertime, condensation in the duct can cause it to “sweat.” As a result, you could end up with water absorption in the drywall of the ceiling. This can lead to moisture and mold issues.

In colder seasons, moisture trapped in the duct due to lack of insulation can become ice. Frozen water reduces the inner diameter of the duct, making it harder for the vent to work efficiently. 

Similar to plumbing pipes, it is important for ducts to have a minimal slope to prevent water from collecting in any area – this of course is another code.

To learn more HVAC related codes, check out Section 6 of Ontario's building code here.