Completed project: a bathtub surround re-tiled in Aurora

This Aurora homeowner had a good whirlpool tub wrapped in tile that had aged badly — an old embossed white pattern with chrome cross-handle valves and grout that no amount of scrubbing would bring back. The tub was worth keeping; the surround was not. So we replaced just the surround, which is a fast, high-impact upgrade when the tub itself is still solid.

The scope of work

We carefully removed the old tile without disturbing the tub, checked and prepped the substrate, and waterproofed before setting new tile. The surround was re-tiled in white-and-grey marble-look large-format porcelain, and we swapped the tired chrome trims for a matte-black hand shower, valve and tub spout to modernise the whole look. A ribbed glass panel finishes the wet side.

What a tub surround re-tile costs

Re-tiling a surround is one of the best-value bathroom upgrades because it reuses the tub and plumbing you already have. Rough guide for York Region:

• Standard tub surround re-tile: $3,000–$6,000
• Larger or feature-tile surround with new fixtures: $6,000–$9,000

Tile choice and whether the fixtures are being swapped drive the price, so each job gets a fixed quote after a look.

Why hire a professional

• Removing old tile without cracking the tub or damaging the plumbing takes a careful hand.
• Waterproofing behind a tub surround matters just as much as in a shower — it is the wettest wall in the house.
• Large-format tile has to be set dead flat, or every lippage edge catches the light and the eye.

Tiling and bathroom work across York Region

We re-tile tubs, showers and floors for homeowners across Aurora, Newmarket, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, Markham, Bradford and the wider York Region. A surround re-tile pairs naturally with fresh caulking and a new faucet or fixtures, and it is a smaller cousin of our full bathroom renovations.

Got a good tub in a tired surround? Request a free estimate and we will price the re-tile.

"When the tub is still good, re-tiling the surround gives you eighty percent of a new bathroom for a fraction of the cost."