Ranch houses on the canals
Fort Lauderdale has roughly 165 miles of canals, and many of the ranch houses lining them date from the 1950s and 60s. Cast-iron drains are common in houses built before 1975, so we plan for them. After demo we run a camera through the line, show you what it shows, and quote any section that needs replacing before we cut it out.
These houses tend to have one or two compact baths with the original tile, and the hall one is usually the first to go. Our guest bathroom package covers the demo and waterproofing, new tile on the walls and floor, a tub or shower, a standard vanity and the new fixtures in that space.
Water here comes from a limestone source and the city treats it with lime to pull out calcium hardness, but glass still spots. We suggest an easy-clean coating on the shower glass and fixtures that are simple to descale.
Oceanfront condos
A condo bathroom on the beach side runs on the association's rules as much as on ours. Anything that touches the slab or the shared risers needs the association's written approval before work starts, and the building sets the hours and the elevator schedule. We explain that process on the condo bathroom remodeling page, and owners comparing older towers to the south can read about 1970s and 80s towers in Aventura.
Permits and work hours in Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale issues bathroom permits through its own building department, and moving a drain, a wall or a circuit puts the job under permit. The state's 2026 exemption for small single-family jobs under $7,500 leaves out plumbing and electrical work, and it does not apply to condos or to properties in a flood zone. On noise, we keep demo inside the city's equipment hours: 8 AM to 7 PM Monday through Saturday, and not before 10 AM on Sunday.
Frequently asked questions
Is the guest bath price the same for a canal house and a beachfront condo?
No. The guest bath price is for a house, and condos have their own price because of the association paperwork, the elevator logistics and the sound-control underlayment many buildings require.
Does salt air change the materials you put in a Fort Lauderdale bathroom?
Near the water we choose stainless, marine-grade or powder-coated hardware, because salt corrodes plain metal fast. The exhaust fan also gets vented straight outside, never into the attic.
Can you check the old drain before we sign?
We look at what is visible during the estimate, but most of a slab drain only shows up once the floor is open. That is why any drain work is priced separately and in writing before we do it.
Keep reading
Reviewed