Brantford · Bathroom Renovations
Bathroom Renovations in Brantford
Clawfoot tubs and original windows survive in many East Ward and Brant Avenue bathrooms, which were added in the 1920s to 1950s over a rear addition or into a bedroom. Post-war North Ward, Echo Place and Henderson bungalows have one small bathroom. In Holmedale, a second one in the basement has to be planned for flooding.
Bathrooms in Brantford
What’s different in Brantford
| Permit office | City of Brantford Building Department (official site, opens in a new tab) |
|---|---|
| Plumbing permit | Adding a fixture, moving a drain or building a new bathroom. Rough-in inspected before walls close. |
| Floodplain basements | Backwater valve and water-resistant finishes in Holmedale and Eagle Place. New equipment above the first floor elevation on the overlay. |
| Post-war bathrooms | One 5-by-7 room in most North Ward, Echo Place and Henderson bungalows. |
| Older wiring | Knob-and-tube common before about 1940 in the East Ward, Eagle Place and on Brant Avenue. |
Worth knowing first
A clawfoot tub over an old rear addition needs a joist check
Many East Ward bathrooms sit over a later rear addition, and many still have the original cast-iron clawfoot. Owners want to keep it. A clawfoot weighs 110 to 180 kg (250 to 400 lb) empty, and far more when full. So we check the joists before it goes back, and sister them while the floor is open if they are undersized. Stripping and refinishing the tub costs about $600 to $1,200, with a new drain, overflow and floor-mounted filler. Under the old East Ward tile we expect layered floors, joists cut for drains and a repaired cast-iron stack.
The scope, pricing tiers and 5-step process are the same everywhere we work. See Bathroom Renovations ›
Frequently asked questions
Bathrooms in Brantford: three local questions
You can, but plan it for water. Holmedale was evacuated during the February 2018 Grand River ice jam flood. A basement bathroom there needs a backwater valve, tile or vinyl flooring, moisture-resistant board and a wall-hung or legged vanity. If the lot is (F)-zoned, the basement also can’t become a second unit. For many Holmedale owners, a main-floor powder room is the better buy.
Yes, if the house predates about 1940. It turns up across the East Ward, Eagle Place and Brant Avenue, and it should never run near water or under insulation. We replace it with grounded circuits for the GFCI outlets, fan, lights and any heated floor under an ESA permit. Budget about $1,500 to $4,000 for the bathroom area. Insurers ask for the ESA certificate afterwards.
Adding a fixture or moving a drain, which covers moving a toilet or adding a shower. Each needs a plumbing permit from the City of Brantford Building Department, applied for through Cloudpermit. The City inspects the drain and vent rough-in before walls close. A bathroom inside a new second unit falls under that unit’s building permit instead. On the Flood Protection Overlay, new mechanical and electrical equipment sits above the first floor elevation.
Bathrooms In Brantford? Let’s Talk.
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