Free written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
Fast, Reliable Bathroom Remodeling Across Coral Gables
Bathroom remodeling in Coral Gables typically costs between $9,000 and $28,000, with walk-in shower installations running $4,500 – $12,000 and tub-to-shower conversions starting around $3,500. Most full remodels take three to six weeks from demolition to final inspection. If you’re planning a bathroom project in the Gables, call Sawyer Remodeling at (254) 272-5876 for a written line-item estimate before any work begins.
We work throughout Coral Gables, from the tree-lined streets near the Biltmore to the waterfront lots along Riviera Drive, and we know how this city’s older housing stock behaves once you open a wall. Cast-iron drains, plaster over wood lath, and original doors that have settled over seventy years all change how a bathroom remodel gets scoped and priced. That local knowledge means the number on your estimate matches the number on your final invoice.
Why Sawyer Remodeling Is Coral Gables’s Preferred Bathroom Remodeling Company
Luca Romano leads our Coral Gables projects, and he runs every job under The Relay Visibility Guarantee: a written price before work starts, live arrival time tracking, and before-and-after photo updates. You’ll know who is walking into your home, when they arrive, and what it costs before a single tool is picked up. No voicemail loops either. A live person answers our phones 24/7.
Coral Gables homeowners deal with a specific set of remodeling headaches. The city’s own Building and Zoning Code sits on top of the Florida Building Code, which means permit questions here are different from what your cousin in Kendall dealt with. We pull the permits, coordinate the inspections, and send you the closeout paperwork. Our 365-Day Done Right Promise backs every project in writing: if it’s not done right, we make it right for a full year after we finish.
Material partners include Cambria and Caesarstone for countertops, Kohler and Grohe for fixtures, and KraftMaid and Wellborn for cabinetry. You choose from manufacturer-backed products, not whatever the supply house had on the shelf.
Styles & brands we work with
Shower Remodel in Coral Gables
A Shower Remodel in Coral Gables usually means replacing a tired fiberglass surround or a dated tile alcove with a walk-in shower built to current waterproofing standards, and our local price range for that work lands between $4,500 and $12,000. Many older Gables homes have showers that were never properly waterproofed behind the tile, so by the time a homeowner sees cracked grout, the real problem is moisture already working into the subfloor or the studs. We remove the old surfaces, inspect the framing, replace rotted sections if we find them, then build back with a Schluter edge trim (the metal strip that waterproofs where your tile meets the floor) and a mortar bed that drains correctly.
Frameless Glass and Tile Selection
Frameless glass enclosures are standard for walk-in showers in Coral Gables, and we order the glass after tile is set so measurements are exact. You’ll choose from Cambria or Caesarstone for any bench or curb cap, and Kohler or Grohe fixtures for the valve and showerhead. No hidden glass supplier. You see the invoice line item.
When the Subfloor Needs Attention
In pre-1940s Coral Gables homes, water damage beneath a shower is common enough that we never promise a tile-only rebuild without opening the floor first. If termite damage or dry rot shows up, we photograph it, send you the photo, and give you a written change order before we cut anything further. That’s how a shower remodel stays on budget instead of becoming a surprise.
Tub to Shower Conversion in Coral Gables
A Tub to Shower Conversion in Coral Gables replaces the existing bathtub with a low-threshold walk-in shower, and the typical cost runs $3,500 to $10,000 depending on whether we can reuse the existing drain location and what we find behind the old tub wall. For older Gables homeowners who want to age in place, a zero-threshold entry means getting out of bed, walking down the hall, and stepping in without lifting a leg over a tub wall. For younger owners in the 28-to-45 range, it’s usually about losing the tub nobody uses and gaining a shower with a seat and a hand shower.
Drain and Rough-In Work
The existing tub waste line usually gets repurposed for the shower drain, but if we find cast-iron or galvanized pipe that’s too far gone, we replace the rough-in before we close the walls. Inspection sign-off on the drain and framing happens before tile goes in. That’s not optional in Coral Gables.
Design and Finishes
You can keep your existing window if it’s on an interior wall, but if the conversion means moving a vent or changing a window opening on an exterior wall in a historic district, the city’s Certificate of Appropriateness process comes into play. We handle that paperwork and tell you the expected review timeline before we start. Most conversions finish in one to two weeks.
Trusted Brands We Service in Coral Gables
Our Coral Gables jobs are built around named brands with real manufacturer backing: Kohler and Toto for fixtures, Cambria and Caesarstone for surfaces, KraftMaid and Wellborn for vanities and cabinets. We stock common local parts and order specialty pieces with a tracking number you can see. If a Kohler valve fails under warranty two years from now, you call us and we handle the claim. You’re never dealing with a mystery importer. For whole-home and Bathroom Remodeling projects, we coordinate the same brand standards across every room.
See the difference
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After
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After
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AfterCommon Bathroom Remodeling Problems We See in Coral Gables Homes
- Cast-iron drain failure after demolition. Coral Gables has hundreds of homes built before 1940, and the cast-iron or galvanized drain pipe we uncover is often paper-thin. A scope of work that doesn’t include an allowance for drain replacement is a price increase waiting to happen.
- Missed Certificate of Appropriateness requirements. If your bathroom remodel changes an exterior vent, window, or visible mechanical penetration, and you’re in the Coral Gables Historic District, you need that review before the permit is issued. Skipping it means stop-work risk and a rejected inspection.
- Moisture-damaged subfloor under old tile. Decades of South Florida humidity and occasional seal failure leave subfloors soft or termite-damaged. Laying new tile over a bad subfloor is a callback in six months. We inspect and repair before tile sets.
- Plaster walls that don’t take standard drywall patches. Original plaster-and-lath walls need a matching texture or a full float repair. A drywall patch next to original plaster looks like exactly what it is: a patch. We match the surface so the finished room reads as original.
Pricing for Bathroom Remodeling in Coral Gables, FL
Here’s what you should expect to pay for bathroom work in Coral Gables right now:
| Scope of Work | Coral Gables Price Range |
|---|---|
| Full Bathroom Remodel | $9,000 – $28,000 |
| Small Bathroom Remodel | $5,000 – $12,000 |
| Tub-to-Shower Conversion | $3,500 – $10,000 |
| Walk-In Shower Installation / Shower Remodel | $4,500 – $12,000 |
| Bathroom Vanity Installation | $800 – $3,000 |
The cost drivers in Coral Gables are the ones generic contractor websites ignore: cast-iron drain replacement, subfloor repair, and the city’s historic-district review when exterior changes are involved. That’s why our written scope includes allowances for the plumbing and framing conditions we expect to find in a Gables home. You approve the number before we start, and change orders come with photos and a line-item price. Call (254) 272-5876 for a free estimate on your project.
If you’re outside Coral Gables but nearby, see our Bathroom Remodeling in Coral Gables page for service-area details. We also work across Miami, Key Biscayne, Miami Beach, and Hialeah.
Serving Coral Gables, FL - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Coral Gables area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Bathroom Remodeling in Coral Gables
Yes, in most cases. Coral Gables requires a plumbing permit for any drain or supply relocation, and an electrical permit if you’re adding or moving circuits. Even a like-for-like finish replacement can trigger a permit if it involves waterproofing behind tile or changing the shower valve, because the city enforces the Florida Building Code on all interior work. If the project touches an exterior vent or window in a historic district, you’ll also need a Certificate of Appropriateness. We pull every permit and coordinate the inspections. Call (254) 272-5876 and we’ll tell you exactly which permits your project needs.
A full bathroom remodel in Coral Gables runs $9,000 to $28,000, with small bathrooms starting around $5,000. The big local cost drivers are cast-iron or galvanized drain replacement in pre-1940s homes, subfloor repair from moisture or termite damage, and the Certificate of Appropriateness process if exterior changes are required. Material choices move the number too: a KraftMaid vanity with a Cambria top costs more than a box-store vanity, and Kohler fixtures are more than generic. Get a free written estimate by calling (254) 272-5876.
A full remodel takes three to six weeks, and a tub-to-shower conversion usually finishes in one to two weeks. The timeline stretches if we have to replace cast-iron drain lines, repair a damaged subfloor, or wait on a historic-district review from the city. We give you a calendar in the written scope of work, and you get photo updates before and after each major phase. For an exact schedule on your project, call (254) 272-5876.
Yes, and that’s the most common tub-to-shower conversion we do. We keep the existing drain location, remove the tub, rebuild the surround with proper waterproofing, and install a low-threshold shower base. If the drain or trap is in bad shape, we replace it, and if any exterior vent or window is involved in a historic district, we handle the Certificate of Appropriateness before we start. Most of these conversions don’t change the footprint. Call (254) 272-5876 for a specific quote.
The scope should name the specific permits, include allowances for cast-iron or galvanized drain replacement, list every material and brand, and state exactly when inspections happen. Ours does all of that, plus a payment schedule and the 365-Day Done Right Promise in writing. If a contractor hands you a one-page estimate that says “bathroom remodel: $14,000” with no line items, walk away. Get a written scope from us by calling (254) 272-5876.
Call Sawyer Remodeling for Your Coral Gables Bathroom Project
We build bathrooms throughout Coral Gables, from the historic streets near DeSoto Boulevard to the newer homes around Hammock Oaks. One field story sticks with us: a 1920s Mediterranean-revival home near the Granada Boulevard entrance to the Gables had a failing cast-iron drain under a pink-tiled shower, and our crew had to open the subfloor, replace the rough-in, and match the home’s original plaster texture before installing a Kohler shower system. The owner also chose a KraftMaid vanity with a Cambria top, and the final punch list included re-hanging the original solid-wood door so it cleared the new tile. Inspection sign-off on the drain and framing came before we closed the walls. That’s how we work.
Call (254) 272-5876 to schedule a free estimate. You’ll get a written price, a schedule, and a named project lead like Luca Romano who answers the phone. Serving all of Coral Gables, including the 33134, 33146, and 33156 zip codes.
Written by Luca Romano, Owner at Sawyer Remodeling, serving Coral Gables since 2005.
