Broward County
Fort Lauderdale humidity and salt air are hard on bathrooms. Many leaks start behind the tile, not on top of it, so the waterproofing matters as much as the finish. Below is the order a bathroom remodel usually follows and where a city permit fits in.
Many Fort Lauderdale houses are single-story homes built on a concrete slab. That changes the order of the work. The shower drain and the supply lines sit in or under the slab, so moving them means cutting concrete, not opening a wall. Decide where the drain goes before demolition starts.
The usual order is demolition, then plumbing and electrical, then inspection, then waterproofing, then tile or stone, and finally the fixtures. Each step depends on the one before it. If the membrane goes down before the plumbing is inspected, a failed inspection can mean tearing it out.
Plumbing and electrical changes usually need a permit and a licensed plumber or electrician. Keep that in mind when you compare quotes. A quote that leaves the permit out is not finished. Ask who pulls the permit and who books each inspection.
Vanity tops are measured with a template only after the vanity is installed. Ask for that order too. A top measured before the cabinet is set can arrive wrong.
Broward is inside the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, so hurricane code can reach the window, the exterior door, and the outside work around a bathroom. Ask which rules apply at your address before you choose those parts.
Air near the coast carries salt, and humidity stays high for much of the year. Many Fort Lauderdale homes sit on canals or near open water, so a bathroom there sees more moisture than the same room would inland. Metal hardware, shower frames, and exposed fasteners corrode first. Ask for finishes rated for coastal use, and get that rating in writing.
Waterproofing is the part of the job you cannot see once the tile is set. Ask for a membrane on every wet surface, including the shower walls, the curb, the niche, and the floor around the drain. ANSI A118.10 is the standard for waterproof membranes installed under tile. Ask which membrane is used and whether it meets that standard.
A tile job that looks right on day one can still leak in year three when the membrane was skipped. Ask to see the membrane before the tile covers it.
Tile choice comes second. Porcelain and quartzite handle moisture well. Natural marble can work in a shower, but it etches and needs sealing more often. Pick the tile for the room, then pick the waterproofing for that tile.
Why Choose AP STONE INC.
Ask for a membrane on every wet surface before any tile goes down.
AP Stone is a family company with its own installation crew, based in North Miami Beach.
Ask which office issues the permit for your address before any demolition starts.
Choose the marble or quartzite from the actual slab, not a photo, and check the veining across the whole piece.
Our team has more than 20 years in South Florida tile and stone work.
Bilingual team in English and Spanish.
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Start with a free estimate. Ask for the list of changes in writing once the bathroom has been measured.
02
Pick the tile, stone, and vanity in person before anything is ordered.
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Ask that the permit is pulled and the inspections are booked before demolition starts.
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The finish stage covers grout, caulk, and the final fixtures.
"Master bath in our Las Olas home. AP Stone handled the City of Fort Lauderdale permits, sourced the perfect Calacatta, and installed full-height book-matched marble shower walls. The frameless glass enclosure is flawless."
Carolina M.
Las Olas — Master Bath Renovation
"We had a leaking shower in our Coral Ridge condo. AP Stone tore down, found the previous contractor had skipped waterproofing entirely, and rebuilt with full Schluter membrane and new marble. Three years in, perfect."
David L.
Coral Ridge — Shower Restoration
"Galt Mile condo full bathroom suite. HOA approval, freight elevator, all the paperwork — AP Stone handled it. Walk-in shower with porcelain slab floor and marble walls. Looks like a Four Seasons."
Patricia N.
Galt Mile — Condo Bath Suite
The total depends on the size of the room, the tile or stone you choose, how many plumbing and electrical changes the job needs, and how much waterproofing the shower requires. Moving a drain on a slab costs more than keeping it where it is. We quote after measuring, so ask for a written estimate that lists permits.
The schedule follows the steps: demolition, plumbing and electrical, inspection, waterproofing, tile, then fixtures. Permit approval and each inspection add waiting time that cannot be skipped. The membrane and thinset also need cure time before the next step. Ask for the step list and the inspection dates in writing before work starts.
When the remodel moves plumbing or electrical, it usually needs a permit. Permits are issued by the city for addresses inside city limits and by the county for unincorporated areas. Building permits inside Fort Lauderdale city limits go through the City of Fort Lauderdale; Hollywood, Pembroke Pines and Weston are separate cities with their own building departments. Ask which office your address falls under before you sign.
Porcelain and quartzite handle humidity and salt air well. Natural marble can work in a shower, but it etches under acidic cleaners and needs sealing on a schedule. Whatever you choose, the membrane under the tile does the waterproofing, so ask for it on every wet wall and on the floor.
Contact us today for a free consultation and detailed estimate.