Toilet Installation in Ajax, Ontario

What an Ajax Test Neighbourhood Showed About Efficient Toilets

Ajax has already served as a testing ground for efficient fixtures. From October 2006 to August 2007, the Region of Durham monitored a demonstration community in Tribute's Hamlet development at Audley and Taunton Roads. About half of the homes were fitted with water-efficient toilets (3/6 litre dual-flush, four litre and six litre models), improved showerheads and ENERGY STAR dishwashers, fridges and washers, while the rest kept the builder's standard package.

The efficient homes used 132 litres less water per household per day, a saving of 22.3 per cent. The Region is careful to note that part of that came from the owners' own habits rather than the fixtures alone. Still, the toilet is the natural place to start, since the Region puts its share of household water use at roughly 35 per cent.

Choosing a Toilet for Your Bathroom

A few measurements and choices decide whether a new toilet fits well and works well:

• Rough-in: measure from the finished wall, not the baseboard, to the bolts that hold the toilet to the floor. Twelve inches is the most common rough-in, though 10 and 14 inch models are made for bathrooms that need them, and the new toilet has to match.
• Height: comfort-height (chair-height) toilets put the seat about two inches above a standard model, which makes sitting down and getting up easier.
• Bowl shape: a round-front bowl saves space in a tight powder room, while an elongated bowl is more comfortable for most adults.
• Flush performance: the Region of Durham points out that most toilets on the market now carry the WaterSense label, so the label alone will not separate them; compare flush performance too. The MaP (Maximum Performance) test results published for many toilets show how well each one clears the bowl.
• Bidet seats: if you want one, mention it when choosing the toilet so the seat fits the bowl. Electric bidet seats need an outlet within reach, and adding one is electrical work, not plumbing.

Installing the New Toilet

1. 01We confirm the rough-in, the height and the toilet, whether we supply it or you do, and put the price in writing for you to approve.
2. 02The water is shut off at the valve behind the toilet, the tank and bowl are drained, and the old toilet is unbolted and lifted off the floor.
3. 03With the old toilet out, we inspect the flange for cracks, breaks or a low position and fix any of those first, since no wax seal can close properly against a damaged flange.
4. 04A fresh wax seal goes on the flange, and the new toilet is lowered onto it, levelled and fastened with even pressure on both bolts. It is hooked up to the water with a fresh supply line, and a stiff or weeping shut-off valve is replaced while the water is already off.
5. 05We flush it several times, check the base and the supply connection for leaks, clean up and take the old toilet away.

Repair First, or Replace?

Not every problem toilet needs replacing. The Region of Durham warns that "a leaking toilet could cost you hundreds of dollars each year", and it names a worn-out flapper as the usual culprit, which is a small part to change. We also repair fill valves and handles, reset toilets that rock or seep at the base, and swap out leaking supply lines and shut-off valves. A new toilet makes more sense when the tank or bowl is cracked, the same toilet keeps breaking down, or it is a water-hungry older model.

Permits and Inspections in Ajax

Building Services at the Town of Ajax lists plumbing among its minor construction permit types, and plumbing permit applications are made through the Town's Online Application Portal or by email to buildingpermits@ajax.ca. The Town does not publish a list of plumbing jobs that are exempt from a permit, so check with Building Services before any toilet work that changes the piping, such as moving a toilet or adding a powder room, and ask if you are unsure about a straight swap. Inspections for a permitted job are booked online or on the inspection line at 905-619-2529, with at least 24 hours' notice.

Toilet Installation Cost in Ajax

Our 2026 Oshawa plumbing cost guide has no line for toilets, so we do not quote a standard figure. The price depends on whether we supply the toilet, the condition of the flange and the shut-off valve, and how much has to come apart to reach them. The quote is free, a toilet we supply is listed on it separately, and the written price is agreed before work begins.