If this sounds familiar
"I got ZERO estimates." Four contractors came out, measured, promised a number, and never sent it. You're not asking for much: a price and a date.
"We were floored by the final bill." The quote said one thing. The last invoice added "additional services that we never agreed to." Next time, every change goes on paper with a price before the work happens.
"Three weeks in, he stopped responding." The old shower's gone, the walls are open, and the contractor isn't. A payment schedule tied to finished stages keeps you from paying ahead of the work.
What people worry about most, and what to do
"The final bill was 177% of the original estimate"
Ask for an itemized price: demo, plumbing, waterproofing, tile labor, tile material, vanity, fixtures, glass, permit, cleanup. Ask how change orders get priced and approved, in writing, before anything changes. Square footage should match what's actually there. If a number jumps on the final invoice, you should already have a signed change order for it.
Call (786) 627-5048"Nobody sends the quote"
Getting a written price shouldn't take weeks. Ask, when they visit, when you'll have it. A contractor who can't send a quote on time is telling you how the rest of the job will go.
Call (786) 627-5048"I should have done it all while everything was out"
If the walls are already open, that's the cheapest time to move a drain, add a niche, replace old supply lines or change a tub to a walk-in shower. Decide on layout before demo, not after.
Call (786) 627-5048What to hold any remodeler to
- A detailed, itemized price, and a final bill that matches it.
- Fast answers and regular updates.
- They show up when they said they would.
- A license you can look up at myfloridalicense.com, and two recent references.
- They can explain exactly how the shower will be waterproofed.
- They come back to fix things after the job.
- If you're in a condo, they know how your building's approval works.
What moves the price of a Miami bathroom
Miami homeowners report quotes all over the map for the same small room. One posted "quotes of around $12-$22k for a small bathroom with a tub/shower combo." Another got four Florida quotes for one bathroom: $16k, $18k plus materials, $25k and $32k. The cheapest was shower only, with fiberglass walls. What moves the number:
- Moving the toilet, drain or shower. Keeping plumbing in place costs much less.
- Tub to walk-in shower. Usually means a new floor slope, drain and full waterproofing.
- Tile size and how much of the room is tiled. Floor only, shower only, or every wall.
- Glass. A frameless enclosure is a big line on its own.
- What's behind the old tile. Rotted subfloor or failed old waterproofing shows up at demo.
- Condo rules. Approvals, work hours and elevator bookings add time.
What's different about bathrooms here
Many Miami bathrooms sit in mid-century concrete-block houses, where opening walls can turn up old pipes. In a condo, the shower sits over someone else's ceiling, so waterproofing isn't optional. Ask how the pan and walls will be sealed and whether the membrane gets a flood test before tile goes on.
Humidity is constant. Ask about ventilation, a fan that's actually vented outside, and tile and grout choices that hold up in a room that rarely dries out.
Condo owners: your building's rules decide what needs approval, and plumbing changes almost always do. In Miami Beach, the city won't issue a permit for work inside a unit without a letter from the association.
What happens after you call
- You call (786) 627-5048, press 1, then choose bathroom, then enter your ZIP code.
- We connect you with a remodeler who works in your part of Miami.
- They visit, measure and look at what's behind the walls where they can.
- You get a written, itemized price with a schedule and permit dates.
- Condo approval and the permit come before demo.
- Work starts. You see the waterproofing before tile covers it.
Other things people ask about
Cleanup. Ask who hauls away debris and how the rest of the house will be protected.
Crews that come late and leave early. Agree on working hours up front, and who you call if nobody shows.
Refinishing an old tub. One homeowner wrote, "If you have an old cast iron tub, just replace it. Do not refinish it!" after the finish started failing three years later.
Regret over finishes. Pick tile and fixtures in person, in daylight, and think about how often you'll be cleaning them.
Bathroom remodels across Miami, including Miami Beach, Brickell, Little Havana, Allapattah, Little Haiti, Liberty City, Buena Vista, Coconut Grove, North Miami, Miami Shores and Princeton. See all service areas.
Questions Miami homeowners ask
Questions people ask
Is it normal for the final bill to be higher than the quote?
Not unless you approved changes in writing. Surprise charges and line items priced higher than the original quote aren't normal. Ask for every change order before the work, with a price on it.
How are you going to waterproof the shower?
Ask exactly that. You want to hear which membrane goes on the walls and pan, how corners and the niche get sealed, and whether it gets a flood test before tile.
Do I need HOA approval to move plumbing in my condo?
In almost every building, yes. Plumbing and walls touch shared systems. Get the association's written approval before a contractor applies for the permit. In Miami Beach, the city requires that letter.
Should I refinish my tub or replace it?
If it's an old cast-iron tub you plan to keep for years, replacing it usually holds up better than a refinish. If you're changing to a walk-in shower anyway, the question answers itself.
Was he not responsible for cleanup and disposal of construction waste?
That depends on the contract, which is why it should say so. Get debris removal and daily cleanup written in before work starts.
Get the price on paper before the old tile comes out
Call (786) 627-5048 and we'll connect you with a remodeler who works in Miami. Press 1, then choose kitchen or bathroom and enter your ZIP code. Or get a written price online.