Basement & Secondary-Suite Bathrooms in Victoria, BC
Adding a bathroom to a basement or a secondary suite is a different job from renovating one upstairs: the drain goes into concrete, the slab has to be dry, the fan has to be ducted outside and the permits have to be right for the suite to be legal.
What a basement or suite bathroom involves
Permits first
Adding fixtures needs a plumbing permit and usually a building permit; for a legal suite, inspections and an occupancy permit follow. Permits explained.
Drain in the slab
The concrete is cut and the new drain tied in by a licensed plumber, at the right slope, before anything is closed up.
Moisture test
We test the slab before any floor goes down — moisture coming up through concrete is the most common reason basement floors fail.
Waterproofing
Shower walls and floor on a full Kerdi / Schluter membrane, flood-tested where the design calls for it.
Ventilation
Every bathroom needs an exhaust fan vented to the outside — in a basement in a Victoria winter it is the difference between a dry room and mould.
Warm floors
Tile on an uncoupling membrane, with a heated floor if you want it, so the bathroom does not feel like a basement. Heated floors.
Secondary suites
With rental demand high across Greater Victoria, many basement bathrooms are part of a suite. For a suite to be legal in the City of Victoria, the building, plumbing and electrical permits must be approved, the work inspected and an occupancy permit issued. Each unit needs its own tub or shower, bathroom sink and toilet. We build the bathroom; your designer or general contractor handles the rest of the suite, and we coordinate with them.
Basement bathroom FAQ — Victoria, BC
Do I need a permit to add a basement bathroom?
Yes. Adding a bathroom means adding fixtures, which needs a plumbing permit in the City of Victoria, Saanich, Oak Bay and Central Saanich, and usually a building permit too. The fan and lighting need an electrical permit from the electrician.
What does a legal secondary suite need in its bathroom?
Under the BC Building Code each dwelling unit needs its own bathtub or shower, bathroom sink and toilet, and every bathroom needs an exhaust fan vented to the outside. In the City of Victoria a suite is legal once the building, plumbing and electrical permits are approved, the work is inspected and an occupancy permit is issued.
Can a shower go on a concrete basement floor?
Yes. The slab is cut for the drain, the shower floor is sloped and the whole wet area is waterproofed with a membrane system. We moisture-test the slab first, because water pushing up through concrete will lift a floor however well it is tiled.
What flooring works in a basement bathroom?
Porcelain tile on an uncoupling membrane, or waterproof SPC / vinyl plank outside the wet area. Both cope with a cool slab; a heated floor under tile makes a basement bathroom far more comfortable.
Plan a basement or suite bathroom
Free on-site measure — we check the slab, drain route and ventilation first.
- Free on-site measurement across Greater Victoria
- One firm written price — not an hourly rate that grows
- I’m on site for every job — tile and waterproofing are never subcontracted
- 3-year written workmanship warranty