Tub-to-Shower Conversion in North Andrews Gardens: What It Costs and How Long It Takes
A tub-to-shower conversion in North Andrews Gardens typically runs $3,500-$10,000 and takes 5 to 10 working days from demolition to final inspection. Most homeowners in this unincorporated Broward County neighborhood are working with modest, single-story CBS homes built between the 1950s and 1970s, which means the existing plumbing stack, wall framing, and slab condition drive both timeline and price more than any design choice. Call (844) 665-0162 and we’ll walk through your specific layout on a free on-site estimate.
How We Handle a Tub-to-Shower Conversion Start to Finish
We’ve done enough of these in North Andrews Gardens to know where the surprises hide. Here’s the actual sequence, with what you’re deciding at each point and how long each stage takes.
Stage 1: On-site measurement and scope lock (Day 1, 2-3 hours)
We measure your existing tub alcove, check the slab for level, and verify whether your drain line is cast iron, PVC, or the old copper-and-lead combination still found in 1960s builds here. You’ll decide right then: keep the existing footprint or expand into an adjacent closet or linen space. We’ll also flag any Broward County permit triggers, since North Andrews Gardens is unincorporated and all permits route through the county building division, not a city office. That routing adds 3-5 business days to permitting compared to incorporated neighbors like Oakland Park.
Stage 2: Demolition and rough inspection prep (Days 2-3)
The tub, surround, and valve come out. We expose the studs, assess for moisture damage (common behind old tile in these coastal-plain homes), and determine if the drain needs relocation. If your tub was on an exterior wall, we check whether the existing window falls inside the new shower envelope, which triggers HVHZ-compliant impact-glass requirements. You’ll confirm your shower base choice here, acrylic or tiled, because that determines our subfloor prep.
Stage 3: Plumbing rough-in and framing adjustments (Days 4-5)
We set the new drain position, run supply lines for your valve and any body sprays, and reinforce framing for grab bars or a frameless glass panel even if you don’t want them now. The blocking we install behind drywall costs little on the front end and saves hundreds later. Rough plumbing gets pressure-tested before we close walls. This is when you’ll finalize your valve and fixture selection, Moen and Kohler are the brands we spec most often for durability in this hard-water county.
Stage 4: Waterproofing, tile or surround install, and glass templating (Days 6-8)
Liquid-applied membrane or cement-board with RedGard goes up to Broward County’s moisture-barrier standard, higher than inland Florida codes because of the humidity load here. Tile work or acrylic surround installation follows. If you’re going frameless glass, we template now for fabrication lead time, typically 10-14 days. Your material choice matters here: porcelain tile with Silestone or Caesarstone accents costs more upfront but outlasts acrylic in this climate, where summer heat and salt air stress lesser products.
Stage 5: Trim, glass install, final inspection, and cleanup (Days 9-10)
Fixtures go in, glass gets set, we test everything under pressure, and the county inspector signs off. In North Andrews Gardens, because you’re unincorporated, that inspector is Broward County, not municipal. We’ve learned their checklist preferences over years of pulls here, which means fewer re-inspections and faster closeout.
The Material and Configuration Choices You’ll Actually Make
Every tub-to-shower conversion forces a handful of real decisions. These are the trade-offs we walk North Andrews Gardens homeowners through:
- Shower base: acrylic pan versus tiled floor. Acrylic installs in a day, costs less ($400-$900 installed), and has a 10-year warranty, but it looks prefab and can flex underfoot. A tiled mud pan with linear drain runs $1,800-$3,500, takes two extra days, and gives you a curbless entry option that ages better in these 1950s-1970s baths where space is tight.
- Wall surround: fiberglass surround, acrylic panels, or full tile. Fiberglass is the budget path at $600-$1,200 but cracks within 5-7 years in South Florida’s thermal expansion cycles. Acrylic panels hit $1,500-$2,800 and hold up better. Full tile with cement-board backing runs $2,500-$6,000 depending on material, but it’s what we recommend for homeowners staying put, it survives humidity, and it adds resale value in this market.
- Valve and fixtures: standard pressure-balanced versus thermostatic. Pressure-balanced valves ($150-$400 fixture cost) protect against scalding when someone flushes. Thermostatic ($400-$900) holds exact temperature, worth it if you’re budgeting for aging-in-place. Both Moen and Kohler make reliable thermostatic lines we stock regularly.
- Glass enclosure: framed slider, semi-frameless, or frameless. Framed sliders start around $800. Semi-frameless hits $1,200-$2,000. True frameless with 3/8-inch low-iron glass runs $2,500-$4,500 but transforms the feel of a small 1960s bath. In North Andrews Gardens, where many homes still have original 5-foot tub alcoves, the visual openness of frameless pays off disproportionately.
- Grab bars, niches, and bench: now or later. Installing blocking during framing adds $200-$400. Retrofitting after tile is $800-$1,500. We recommend blocking for at least one grab bar and a corner bench, even if you don’t install hardware immediately.
What Tub-to-Shower Conversion Costs in North Andrews Gardens, FL
In this market, expect $3,500 on the low end for a straightforward acrylic-swap in an existing footprint, and up to $10,000 for expanded layouts with tile, frameless glass, and relocated plumbing. Here’s what pushes you toward either pole:
| Cost Factor | Low-End Impact | High-End Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Existing footprint kept vs. expanded | Keep: no structural change | Expand: $1,500-$3,500 for wall removal, header, potential permit reclassification |
| Plumbing relocation | Drain and valve stay put: $0 extra | Move drain across slab: $800-$2,200; relocate valve wall: $600-$1,400 |
| Material grade | Acrylic base + fiberglass surround: base price | Tile mud pan + porcelain walls + frameless glass: +$3,000-$5,500 |
| Subfloor and slab condition | Level, dry slab: no extra | Leveling compound, crack repair, or moisture mitigation: $500-$2,000 |
| Permit and inspection scope | Simple replacement, same layout: standard permit | Structural change or window modification: extended county review, possible engineering letter |
Our written estimates include demolition, disposal, all materials, labor, permit fees, and county inspections. What they don’t include: asbestos or lead testing if your home predates 1978, mold remediation behind old surrounds, or cosmetic repair to adjacent rooms if we need access through a closet wall. We’ll flag these possibilities during our first walkthrough so you’re not surprised mid-project.
Why North Andrews Gardens Homes Make This Job Different
North Andrews Gardens isn’t incorporated, and that fact shapes every tub-to-shower conversion we do here. Permits don’t go to a city hall; they route through the Broward County Building and Code Compliance Division in Lauderhill. County inspectors have broader jurisdictions and stricter adherence to post-Hurricane Andrew code revisions phased in since 1994. What that means for your bathroom: if your 1962 CBS home has unpermitted work from prior decades, a new permit pull can trigger county-mandated upgrades to electrical, structural, or wind-mitigation elements unrelated to your shower. We’ve seen it happen when a simple tub swap revealed a non-compliant subpanel or an unpermitted garage conversion that shared a wall with the bath.
The housing stock itself is remarkably consistent, modest single-story concrete block and stucco homes, many with original bathrooms barely larger than the tub they contain. The water table sits just a few feet below grade on this coastal plain, so any sign of slab moisture gets taken seriously; we won’t install a new shower over a compromised pan. And because so many of these homes have flat or low-slope roofs that predate current hurricane standards, homeowners often bundle bathroom work with exterior upgrades. If you’re already planning a full Bathroom Remodeling in North Andrews Gardens, folding in a tub-to-shower conversion saves on mobilization costs. Some also pair interior work with Metal Roofing in North Andrews Gardens or Tile Roofing in North Andrews Gardens to consolidate permits and inspections under one contractor relationship.
Our Bathroom Remodeling crew knows the county inspectors by name, knows which plans examiners want shower pan flood-test documentation, and knows how to sequence the work so you’re not waiting two weeks between rough and final. That local fluency is what keeps our North Andrews Gardens projects on track.
We cover North Andrews Gardens from our Fort Lauderdale base, with crews running daily to 33334 and surrounding ZIPs.
Serving North Andrews Gardens, FL - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the North Andrews Gardens area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
Frequently Asked - Tub-to-Shower Conversion in North Andrews Gardens
Most conversions finish in 5 to 10 working days, with county permitting adding 3-5 business days before work starts. Delays usually come from slab moisture issues or permit complications with older unpermitted work, not the shower build itself. Call (844) 665-0162 and we’ll assess your specific timeline on a free estimate.
Yes. Because North Andrews Gardens is unincorporated Broward County, all permits route through the county building division, not a municipal office. Even a same-footprint conversion requires plumbing and building permits; expanding the footprint or moving walls triggers additional review. We handle the application, plans, and inspector scheduling as part of our standard process.
Often yes, if your existing drain center and valve wall work for a standard shower base. In the 5-foot tub alcoves common in 1960s North Andrews Gardens homes, the drain usually lands close enough to a 48-inch or 60-inch shower base. If you want a curbless entry, a larger shower, or to relocate the entrance, moving the drain becomes necessary, adding $800-$2,200.
An acrylic shower base and fiberglass wall surround in the existing footprint, keeping the drain and valve where they are, lands near $3,500. We don’t recommend going cheaper; cut-rate installs in this humid climate fail within years, and you’ll pay twice. The honest minimum for something that lasts is acrylic base with cement-board and tile walls, typically $5,500-$7,000.
Our workmanship warranty covers installation and waterproofing. Manufacturer warranties apply to fixtures, glass, and acrylic products, Moen and Kohler valves carry lifetime limited warranties, frameless glass typically warrants against defects for 10 years. We document all warranty terms in your final packet, and we’re local for follow-up if anything needs attention.
Ready to Convert Your Tub to a Shower in North Andrews Gardens?
Call (844) 665-0162 for a free on-site estimate. We’ll measure your space, check your slab and plumbing, explain what Broward County permitting means for your specific home, and give you a written quote with real numbers, not a range that balloons later. Most North Andrews Gardens homeowners get their estimate within 48 hours of calling.
Written by Raymond Estevez, Owner at Groundwork Construction Co., serving North Andrews Gardens and Broward County since our founding.