Palm Beach — Palm Beach County
Many homes in Palm Beach County sit in gated communities run by an HOA, and many owners live here only part of the year. A bathroom tile job has to fit the community's approval process, the city's building department and the owner's schedule.
Many homes are in gated communities run by HOAs, including age-restricted 55+ communities. These associations often require architectural approval before renovations, and a bathroom tile job counts as a renovation. Ask for the approval form before you pick the tile, so the approval does not hold up the schedule.
Read the form for what it asks for: tile samples, the layout and the hours the work can happen. Some communities want these before the review starts, so have them ready when you submit.
Once approved, plan the work around the months the owner is in the home. Someone with authority to decide needs to answer questions while the bathroom is open, and that person should be reachable by phone.
If the community wants a second review after the tile plan changes, send the change in writing and wait for the reply before that part of the work starts. A written change is easier to check than a phone call.
A large primary bathroom has more floor to level and more wall to waterproof. Large-format tile shows every high spot, so the substrate has to be flat before it goes down. A flat substrate takes more time on a big floor, and that time is part of the job.
Plan the layout across the shower and the floor together, so the joints line up from one room to the next. Movement joints go at the walls and wherever one plane meets another. On a long run of floor, the joints keep the tile from cracking as the slab moves.
In the shower, the wall behind the tile is cement backer board or foam board, not standard gypsum. Under the tile sits a membrane that meets ANSI A118.10, and the shower pan gets a 24-hour water test before any tile goes on.
For floors that get wet, choose porcelain with a DCOF of 0.42 or higher. Natural stone still needs a sealer, so factor that into the upkeep of a large primary bath.
Permits depend on the city. West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Palm Beach Gardens are separate cities with their own building divisions. Unincorporated areas go through Palm Beach County Planning, Zoning and Building. Find out which one applies before you sign anything. Then ask the community whether it sets extra rules on top of the city's.
Many owners live in the county only part of the year. Name a contact who can answer questions while the bathroom is open and approve any change. Give that person the approval form and a phone number they can answer.
Palm Beach County is outside the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, but it still builds for high wind. Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, so plan the start date around it. A start date that avoids the peak of the season means fewer surprises once the old tile comes out.
For tile beyond the bathroom, see our tile installation in Palm Beach County page.
Before the tile
Many HOAs require architectural approval before renovations. Start with that form, before anything else.
Large-format tile shows every high spot, so the substrate is flattened before the tile goes down.
Movement joints run along the walls and wherever one plane meets another, which matters on long floors.
A named contact who can approve changes keeps the job moving while the owner is away.
The price depends on the size of the bathroom, the amount of tile on the floor and walls, the shower work and the tile you choose. A large primary bath with large-format tile takes more layout time and a flatter substrate. We quote after measuring the room, so the number fits your bathroom.
Start with the HOA approval, because many communities require it before renovations. After that the order is removal, substrate, membrane, a 24-hour water test of the shower, tile, then grout. Each step waits on the one before it, so a rushed step is the one that fails later.
It depends on the city. West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Palm Beach Gardens each have their own building division. In unincorporated areas, Palm Beach County Planning, Zoning and Building handles it. Check which one covers your address before you book the work.
Name a contact who can answer questions while the bathroom is open and approve any change to the plan. Give that person the community's approval form and a phone number they can answer. Settle the layout and the tile before the work starts, so no decisions are left for an empty house.
"Full master bathroom renovation — floor, walls, shower surround, and niche. AP Stone did the substrate, waterproofing, and tile in a single coordinated project. Absolutely perfect result, done in five days."
Carlos M.
Palm Beach — Master Bathroom
"We had two bathrooms done at once to minimize disruption. The crew worked both rooms simultaneously. The 24x48 porcelain in both rooms looks incredible. No issues after 18 months."
Susan K.
Palm Beach — Two Bathroom Renovation
"Guest bathroom in subway marble wall tile and large-format porcelain floor. They leveled the old substrate before installing — something two other quotes didn't even mention. The floor is perfectly flat."
Michael B.
Palm Beach — Guest Bathroom
Get a free estimate for Bathroom Tile Installation in Palm Beach.