Finished bathroom renovation in a Burnaby home with greige tile and oak vanity

Bathroom Reno in Burnaby: Costs, Timelines & What to Expect

A bathroom reno in Burnaby usually takes three to five weeks and costs $12,000 to $25,000 for a standard renovation, though a full gut in a Metrotown condo or an older east Burnaby house runs higher. The biggest variable is what sits behind the walls.

This guide covers real 2026 cost ranges, how long the work takes, when the city requires a permit, and what a bathroom renovation in Burnaby runs into that a quick quote tends to miss.

How much does a bathroom reno in Burnaby cost?

A standard bathroom reno in Burnaby costs $12,000 to $25,000 in 2026: a new tub or shower, tile, vanity, toilet, lighting, fan, and paint in a typical 5-by-8 layout with fixtures staying put. A full gut with a layout change, a curbless shower, or a heated floor runs $30,000 to $60,000 and up.

Two things move the price: whether plumbing relocates, and what condition the substrate is in once it is opened. Moving a drain means opening the floor and re-running the stack, which adds labour and usually a permit. In older east Burnaby homes we regularly find cast-iron drain lines corroded at the hub joint and worth replacing while the wall is open, which is half a day of work no walkthrough quote includes. A lump-sum quote hides that, so ask for the prep and demolition line separately. Our Vancouver bathroom renovation cost guide breaks the numbers down by scope and applies closely to Burnaby.

Opened bathroom floor in an older Burnaby home showing cast-iron drain replacement

How long does a bathroom renovation in Burnaby take?

A standard bathroom renovation in Burnaby takes three to five weeks from demolition to final walkthrough. Roughly a week goes to demolition and rough-in, a week to waterproofing and tile, and the rest to fixtures, grout cure, glass, and paint.

The schedule stretches when a permit or strata approval sits in the critical path. A same-footprint refresh can start within days; a layout change that needs a City of Burnaby plumbing permit adds one to three weeks before work begins, and strata approval in a high-rise adds more. Tile choice matters too: large-format porcelain needs a flat substrate, so an out-of-level floor, common in post-war Burnaby bungalows, needs a self-levelling pour and an extra cure day before tile. A heated floor adds an electrical inspection before tile covers the mat; booked early it disappears into the cure time, booked late it becomes several idle days with the bathroom out of service.

Large-format porcelain tile samples and a level on a bathroom subfloor

Do you need a permit for a bathroom renovation in Burnaby?

You do not need a permit in Burnaby for a like-for-like cosmetic update. Swapping a vanity, toilet, tub, tile, or fan in the same spot is maintenance. You do need one once you relocate plumbing, add or move electrical circuits, or change anything structural.

Most “refresh” projects skip the permit and most “renovation” projects need one. Moving the shower, adding a heated-floor circuit, removing a wall to enlarge the room, or converting a tub to a curbless walk-in shower all cross that line. For a condo, strata approval is a separate step on top of the city permit, and most Burnaby buildings want proof of a licensed plumber and insurance first. Skipping a required permit surfaces at resale during an inspection and can mean opening finished walls. Our Burnaby bathroom renovation team files the permit and strata paperwork as part of the job.

What should Burnaby homeowners know before starting?

The biggest factor in a Burnaby bathroom project is the age and type of your home, because it decides what the crew finds behind the tile. Burnaby’s housing splits into two worlds that renovate differently.

Post-war bungalows and character homes in east Burnaby and the Heights tend to have plaster walls, plank or early-plywood subfloors, cast-iron or galvanized plumbing, and rooms that are out of square. These need substrate levelling, sometimes partial re-piping, and a tile layout set to the walls rather than the room’s sightlines. Otherwise the finished floor reads as crooked even when every tile is level. Concrete high-rises around Metrotown and Brentwood remove the subfloor worries but bring acoustic-underlay requirements, a rarely-flat slab, and no easy way to recess a linear drain without strata engineering sign-off.

Waterproofing is the step we will not cut. We use a Schluter KERDI bonded membrane over KERDI-BOARD rather than a liner behind cement board, because a bonded assembly can be inspected before tile and is what the Schluter system warranty requires. It costs more up front, and in a wet climate it earns that back.

Schluter KERDI waterproofing membrane installed in a Burnaby shower before tile

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a small bathroom renovation cost in Burnaby?

A small or powder-room renovation in Burnaby usually runs $6,000 to $12,000, and a standard main bathroom $12,000 to $25,000. The low end assumes fixtures stay put and finishes are mid-range; the high end reflects moved plumbing, custom tile work, or a full layout change.

Can you renovate a condo bathroom in a Burnaby high-rise?

Yes, and it is routine work in Metrotown and Brentwood towers. The differences are procedural: strata approval, proof of licensed trades and insurance, booked elevator and work-hour windows, and acoustic underlay under new tile. Build in an extra two to four weeks for approvals.

Should I pull the permit for my Burnaby bathroom reno myself?

Your contractor should pull it. A licensed renovation company files the City of Burnaby permit and any strata submission, and is named as the party responsible for inspections. If a contractor asks you to take out an owner permit for work their business is doing, treat it as a warning sign.

Finished curbless walk-in shower in a Burnaby condo bathroom by RT Stone & Tile

Planning a Bathroom Renovation in Burnaby?

A realistic Burnaby bathroom budget is $12,000 to $25,000 for a standard renovation and three to five weeks of work, with older homes and high-rise condos each adding their own steps. Knowing which one you have before you start keeps the project on schedule.

RT Stone & Tile has renovated bathrooms across Burnaby, from Metrotown condos to character homes in the Heights, with Schluter-certified waterproofing on every one. If you are searching for a bathroom renovation near me in Burnaby, contact us or call 604.781.2510 to book a walkthrough, or see our bathroom renovation services.

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Honed marble countertop island in a Vancouver kitchen at evening

Are Marble Countertops Still Worth It in 2026?

Marble is the countertop people ask for by name, and it also carries a reputation for being fragile and high-maintenance. Both are partly true, which is why the question deserves an honest answer rather than a showroom pitch.

Whether a marble top in 2026 is still worth it comes down to how you cook, how you feel about a surface that changes over time, and which finish you pick. This guide covers real costs in Vancouver, the honed-versus-polished decision, and the downsides no slab yard volunteers.

Are marble countertops still worth it in 2026?

A marble countertop in 2026 is worth it for homeowners who want genuine natural stone with unique veining and will accept a surface that develops a patina. It is the wrong choice for anyone who wants a countertop that looks identical in ten years to the day it was installed.

Marble is still specified in high-end Vancouver kitchens because nothing engineered fully replicates the depth and movement of a real slab. Quartz has closed the gap on looks, but under raking light from a window the printed veining still reads as a pattern rather than stone. What has changed in 2026 is that homeowners come in better informed — most people asking us for marble already know it etches, and they want it anyway for the island where the material is the point.

Close-up of natural veining in a polished marble countertop slab

How much do marble countertops cost in Vancouver?

Marble countertops in Vancouver run roughly $80 to $200 per square foot installed, with most kitchens landing between $4,500 and $9,000 for the full job. Carrara sits at the low end; Calacatta and Statuario at the high end, because the slabs are rarer and the veining more dramatic.

That price includes templating, fabrication, edge profiling, sink and cooktop cutouts, and sealing. It does not include tearing out the old countertop, plumbing disconnection and reconnection, or backsplash work — which is why a lump-sum kitchen quote is worth breaking apart line by line. Premium quartz in the same kitchen runs $70 to $150 per square foot installed, so marble is not dramatically more expensive. It is the maintenance, not the price, that should drive the decision. Our kitchen renovation team can price marble against quartz and quartzite for your layout.

Honed or polished marble — which finish handles daily use better?

Honed marble hides wear better than polished marble in a working kitchen, because its matte surface does not show etch marks sharply. Polished marble looks stunning on install day, but every acidic spill leaves a dull spot against the gloss.

Etching is not a stain and not something you can seal your way out of — an acid like lemon juice, wine, or tomato eats a microscopically shallow dish into the calcium carbonate. On honed stone those dishes are nearly invisible. For a kitchen that gets real cooking we almost always steer clients to a honed finish, and we tell them the counter will still develop a soft, uneven sheen from use. On a marble top in 2026 that lived-in look is widely treated as part of the appeal — but you have to actually want it.

One crew note: honed marble needs resealing more often than polished because the open surface is slightly more porous. Budget on resealing every 6 to 12 months, and run a water-drop test — if the water darkens the stone within a few minutes, reseal.

Honed and polished marble samples compared side by side

What are the real downsides of a marble countertop?

The real downsides are etching from acids, staining from oil and pigment, and edge chipping at the sink and corners. Each is manageable, none goes away, and a homeowner not told about them upfront will feel misled.

Staining is the preventable one. Marble is porous, so olive oil, red wine, coffee, and turmeric can soak in if left sitting; sealing on schedule and wiping spills promptly keeps staining rare. Chipping comes down to fabrication and habits — a well-profiled eased edge is far more durable than a thin sharp arris, and a cutting board protects the stone. Heat matters less than people assume, but a screaming-hot cast iron pan straight off the burner can still cause a hairline crack from thermal shock, so use a trivet. RT Stone & Tile runs a Vancouver showroom where you can put water and lemon on a honed and a polished sample before deciding — worth more than any spec sheet. See our showroom and team for hours, and our guide to choosing a kitchen countertop material and stone and tile overview for lower-maintenance alternatives.

Eased edge profile on a marble countertop at an undermount sink

Frequently Asked Questions

Is marble a bad idea for a kitchen island in a busy household?

Marble on an island is fine for a busy household if you choose a honed finish and accept some etching and patina over time. If anyone in the house wants the counter to stay pristine, put marble on a low-traffic baking counter or perimeter run and use quartz or quartzite on the island instead.

How often does a marble countertop need to be sealed in Vancouver?

Plan to seal a marble countertop every 6 to 12 months, and more often for a honed finish. Vancouver’s humidity does not change the schedule much — the deciding factor is how heavily the counter is used and whether a water drop still beads or soaks in.

Does marble add resale value to a Vancouver home?

Marble reads as a premium finish to most buyers and photographs well in listings. It rarely returns its full cost on its own, and a visibly etched slab can read as worn, so the resale case is strongest when the marble is well maintained or freshly honed before selling.

Finished Vancouver kitchen with marble countertops by RT Stone & Tile

Planning a Kitchen Renovation in Vancouver?

A marble top rewards homeowners who go in with clear eyes: honed finish, a resealing habit, and an appreciation for a surface that ages. If that sounds like you, marble is still worth it in 2026. If not, quartzite gets you most of the look with far less upkeep.

RT Stone & Tile fabricates and installs marble, quartzite, and quartz countertops for kitchens across Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. Contact us or call us at 604.781.2510 to talk through which surface fits how you cook.

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