What we find inside Hialeah block homes
A big share of Hialeah's houses went up between the 1950s and the 1970s, and many still have the bathroom they were built with: tile set on mortar over block, a tub with the shower over it and drains running under the slab. Cast iron drain lines are common in houses built before 1975. When we open the floor, we run a camera through what we can reach and show you the video.
A cracked or rotted pipe under the slab is not a repair you want to discover after the new tile is down. Miami-Dade rules treat a failed hidden pipe as new work, so it gets replaced under permit and inspected. We price that replacement and show it to you before we fix it, the same way we handle tile beyond the base scope.
Turning the hall bath tub into a shower
Most Hialeah hall baths are small rooms built around a tub, and plenty of families would rather have a walk-in shower there. We remove the tub, slope a new pan, waterproof the floor and walls, and install an anti-scald valve. Each step is spelled out on tub to shower conversions.
When the whole room needs it, the job becomes a full remodel. Demo, licensed plumbing and electrical, waterproofing, tile on walls and floor, toilet and a standard vanity, plus paint and cleanup, all fit inside one price, as listed on the guest bathroom remodel page.
South Florida water comes out of limestone, and it leaves mineral spots on glass and chrome. We suggest a glass coating that wipes clean and fixtures that are simple to descale.
Permits in Hialeah
Hialeah runs its own building department, so the permit comes from the city and not the county. Moving a drain, a supply line, a wall or a circuit needs a permit and inspections, while swapping a toilet in the same spot usually does not. The wider rules for the county are in our Miami-Dade bathroom permit guide.
Houses one generation newer, from the 1970s to the 1990s, are the norm out west, which is where Kendall bathroom remodels pick up.
Frequently asked questions
Do you camera-check the drain on every Hialeah job?
We run a camera through the drain we can reach once demo opens the floor. In houses this age it is the fastest way to see whether the old cast iron is sound before we build a new shower on top of it.
What happens when the old cast iron drain is cracked?
We stop, show you the video and price the section that has to go. Once you approve it, the pipe is replaced under permit and inspected before the floor gets closed.
Who issues the permit for a bathroom remodel in Hialeah?
The City of Hialeah building department, since Hialeah is its own municipality. Plumbing and electrical go under permits pulled by the licensed contractors who do that work.
Keep reading
Reviewed