Bathroom electrical · Toronto & GTA
Bathroom renovation electrical in Toronto and the GTA
Bathrooms combine water and electricity in a small space, so the rules are stricter and the details matter. We wire the lighting, fans, outlets and heated floors safely, and make them look good.
Our work
Before and after a bathroom
The same bathroom before and after our electrical work.
Small room, strict rules
Water and electricity, handled properly
Bathrooms have their own section of electrical rules for good reason. Water conducts electricity, people touch fixtures with wet hands, and steam gets into places it shouldn't. That's why bathroom outlets need ground fault protection, why fixtures near the tub and shower have to be rated for damp or wet locations, and why the position of outlets and switches relative to water matters.
None of this has to limit the design. It just has to be planned. We work from your layout to place lighting, outlets and controls where they're safe and where they make sense: lighting at the mirror for even, shadow-free light on your face, outlets where the hair dryer and toothbrush live, and the fan on a control that actually gets used.
The fan is the most important fixture
An exhaust fan that's too small, too noisy or badly ducted leads to mould, peeling paint and swollen trim. We size the fan to the room, check that it vents outside rather than into the attic, and can put it on a timer or humidity sensor so it runs long enough to do its job.
What we wire
Everything electrical in a bathroom
Vanity and mirror lighting
Fixtures at the mirror for even light on your face, and lit or anti-fog mirrors wired in.
Pot lights
Damp-rated over the room, wet-rated above the shower and tub, on dimmers for evening.
Exhaust fans
Sized to the room, vented outside, on a timer or humidity control.
GFCI outlets
Ground fault protection on bathroom receptacles, placed where you use them.
Heated floors
A dedicated, protected circuit and a programmable thermostat.
Towel warmers and extras
Hard-wired towel warmers, night lights and shaver outlets in medicine cabinets.
Real work
A bathroom renovation, before and after
The photos at the top of this page show a bathroom we worked on, before and after the renovation, with new vanity and mirror lighting. Drag the divider to compare. Good bathroom lighting is mostly about position: light from the sides and front of the mirror, not just overhead, so faces aren't shadowed.
In older homes in Toronto and Etobicoke, a bathroom renovation is a good moment to replace original wiring and add the ground fault protection older bathrooms often lack. In ensuites in newer homes in Vaughan and Mississauga, the work is more often about heated floors, better lighting and a quieter, stronger fan.
Renovating more than one room? See our renovation electrical page, or the kitchen electrical page if the kitchen is next.
- Layout from your designLighting, outlets, fan and controls placed for safety and use
- GFCI protectionOn bathroom receptacles
- Rated fixturesDamp and wet locations as required
- Fan and ducting checkVented outside, on the right control
- Heated floor circuitWith mat testing alongside your tiler
- ESA permit and inspectionsRough-in and final
How it works
How a bathroom comes together
Plan the layout
Mirror, vanity, shower, fan and heated floor positions.
Rough-in
Boxes, cable and fan duct placed before the walls close.
ESA rough-in inspection
Before insulation and drywall.
Heated floor test
The mat is tested before and after tile with your tiler.
Finish
Fixtures, fan, outlets and thermostat installed, then the ESA final.
Questions
Bathroom electrical: common questions
Do bathroom outlets need GFCI protection?
Yes. Receptacles in bathrooms need ground fault protection, which cuts power in a fraction of a second if current leaks to ground, for example through water. It can be a GFCI outlet or a GFCI breaker at the panel.
Can I have pot lights over the shower or tub?
Yes, with fixtures rated for wet locations and installed as the code requires for that zone. Ordinary pot lights aren't suitable above a shower.
Does electric in-floor heating need its own circuit?
Usually. Heating mats have their own power needs and must be ground-fault protected, and the thermostat controls them. We size the circuit to the mat and test the mat before and after the tile goes down, with your tiler.
Why does my bathroom fan not clear the steam?
Often it's undersized for the room, or the duct is too long, crushed or not vented outside. A new fan only helps if the ducting is right too, so we check both.
Do you take out the ESA permit?
Yes. In Ontario, the licensed contractor files the notification of work with the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) and books the inspection. We handle it on every job that needs one, and you get the ESA Certificate of Acceptance when the work passes. Keep it: insurers and home buyers often ask for it.
Where we work
Bathroom electrical across the GTA
We serve homeowners, builders and businesses across Toronto and the GTA.
- North York
- Toronto
- Forest Hill
- Etobicoke
- Scarborough
- Mississauga
- Vaughan
- Richmond Hill
- Oakville
- Caledon
- King
- Barrie
- Markham
- Aurora
- Newmarket
- Brampton
- Alliston
- Wasaga Beach
- Collingwood