01Trade cost
Plumbing cost in Canada
Rough-in and finish plumbing: supply, drainage, venting, fixtures and domestic hot water. Fixture count, not floor area, sets the number, which is why a washroom-heavy layout prices far above an open one.
02The rate
Commercial hourly
$110 – $190
Billed rate, national band
General hourly
$95 – $165
House-scale work
Commercial $/sf
$15 – $23
7% of hard cost
General $/sf
$19 – $30
From the residential band
The cost per square foot above is not a separate dataset. It is 7% of the curated new-build hard-cost band and 6% of the curated fit-out band that the market pages already publish, so this page can never contradict them.
03General versus commercial
The two segments, side by side
| Segment | Hourly | New build $/sf | Fit-out $/sf |
|---|---|---|---|
| General / residential | $95 – $165 | $19 – $30 | $17 – $26 |
| Commercial | $110 – $190 | $15 – $23 | $5 – $11 |
Why commercial plumbing bills higher
Commercial plumbing carries backflow prevention, grease interception, larger mains, accessibility-compliant fixtures and inspection sequencing that a house never sees, so the same hour of labour buys less installed work.
What the quoted rate covers
Normally: Supply and drain rough-in to fixture locations; Standard fixtures and trim at specified grade; Domestic hot water connection and venting. Normally not: Site servicing and connection to the municipal main; Backflow prevention testing and annual certification; Fire protection piping, which is a separate trade; Permit fees and inspection charges.
Buildlor facts
- Plumbing is 7% of hard cost on a new build.
- Plumbing is 6% of hard cost on a fit-out.
- Hard cost is typically 60 to 75 percent of an all-in budget, so a trade's share of the total is smaller again.
04What moves the number
Cost drivers
- Fixture count and grouping: fixtures stacked on a common wall cost a fraction of fixtures scattered across a plan.
- Slab penetrations: cutting and patching an existing slab for new drainage is the single most common cost surprise in a fit-out.
- Fixture grade: a specified commercial fixture package can double the finish allowance without changing the rough-in.
- Hot water strategy: central plant versus point-of-use changes both the plumbing and the electrical budget.
05By market
Plumbing cost by city
Every market below carries a curated cost factor, so the trade rate moves with it. Markets we publish a dedicated page for are linked.
| Market | Commercial $/sf | General $/sf |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto, ON | $16 – $25 | $21 – $32 |
| Montreal, QC | $14 – $22 | $19 – $29 |
| Calgary, AB | $15 – $23 | $19 – $29 |
| Ottawa, ON | $15 – $24 | $20 – $30 |
| Edmonton, AB | $14 – $22 | $19 – $29 |
| Winnipeg, MB | $14 – $21 | $18 – $27 |
| Mississauga, ON | $16 – $25 | $20 – $32 |
| Vancouver, BC | $17 – $26 | $22 – $34 |
| Brampton, ON | $16 – $24 | $20 – $31 |
| Hamilton, ON | $15 – $24 | $20 – $30 |
| Surrey, BC | $16 – $25 | $21 – $32 |
| Quebec City, QC | $14 – $21 | $18 – $27 |
| Halifax, NS | $14 – $22 | $18 – $28 |
| Laval, QC | $14 – $22 | $18 – $28 |
| London, ON | $14 – $22 | $19 – $29 |
| Victoria, BC | $16 – $25 | $21 – $32 |
| Markham, ON | $16 – $24 | $20 – $31 |
| Vaughan, ON | $16 – $25 | $20 – $32 |
| Saskatoon, SK | $14 – $22 | $18 – $28 |
| Gatineau, QC | $14 – $22 | $18 – $28 |
| Kitchener, ON | $15 – $23 | $19 – $30 |
| Longueuil, QC | $14 – $22 | $18 – $28 |
| Regina, SK | $14 – $21 | $18 – $27 |
| Burnaby, BC | $17 – $26 | $22 – $33 |
| Windsor, ON | $14 – $22 | $18 – $28 |
06Questions
How much does plumbing cost per hour?
Plumbing is billed in a band, not at one rate. Commercial work bills above general work for the same hour because of documentation, inspection and coordination. The bands on this page are national baselines; the market table shows how they move by city.
Why is commercial plumbing more expensive than residential?
Commercial plumbing carries backflow prevention, grease interception, larger mains, accessibility-compliant fixtures and inspection sequencing that a house never sees, so the same hour of labour buys less installed work.
What share of a construction budget is plumbing?
7% of hard cost on a new build and 6% of a fit-out, on the division splits Buildlor publishes. Those shares are how the cost per square foot on this page is derived.
Is this a quote?
No. Buildlor is a data publisher, not a contractor. These are indicative benchmarks for the stage before you tender, and every page states what it excludes.
Buildlor Construction Cost Index · Last updated 2026-01-15 · Maintained by Buildlor Cost Desk
Not advice — Buildlor is a data publisher. We do not bid, price, estimate, or build work, and nothing here is a quote, a tender price, or construction advice. Figures are indicative order-of-magnitude benchmarks for early budgeting and must be confirmed by a qualified cost consultant, quantity surveyor, or general contractor before you rely on them. About Buildlor