Custom Tile Showers in Orlando, FL

Orlando homes span a century of bathrooms

Few cities in Central Florida have as wide a range of housing as Orlando itself. Neighborhoods around Lake Eola, Thornton Park and Lake Cherokee hold some of the oldest houses in the region, many of them early twentieth-century bungalows and frame homes with small original bathrooms. College Park and Audubon Park add a large stock of homes from roughly the 1920s through the 1950s, while Colonialtown and the neighborhoods east toward Conway lean toward mid-century block ranches. Baldwin Park, built on the former Naval Training Center, is a much newer planned neighborhood with homes mostly from the 2000s.

That spread matters when you open a wall. In older homes we plan for the possibility of cast-iron or galvanized drain and supply lines, out-of-level wood-framed floors, and shower footprints that were never meant for a modern glass enclosure. In a 1950s or 1960s block ranch the slab is usually sound, but the original tub alcove is narrow and the vent fan is often undersized or missing. In newer construction the shell is in better shape and the work is mostly about replacing builder-grade fiberglass or a basic tile surround with a properly waterproofed custom shower.

Built for Orlando water and humidity

Most Orlando-area water comes from the Floridan aquifer, which runs through limestone, so it carries enough calcium and magnesium to leave visible spotting on glass and fixtures. Pair that with long, humid summers and a bathroom that stays damp for hours after a shower, and you get the two most common complaints about local bathrooms: crusty white buildup on clear glass and dark, mildewed grout lines.

We design around both. A shower built with a bonded waterproofing membrane under the tile, a correctly pitched floor and a drain sized for the room keeps water from sitting in the assembly. Larger-format porcelain means fewer grout joints to clean, and we will talk through high-performance or epoxy grout options that resist staining better than standard cement grout. For glass, low-iron panels with a factory-applied protective coating are easier to keep clear in hard water. Our waterproofing guide explains the layers in more detail.

Permits and HOAs inside the city

If your home is inside Orlando city limits, building permits generally go through the City of Orlando rather than Orange County. Many addresses with an Orlando mailing address are actually in unincorporated Orange County, so we confirm which office applies for your specific property before work starts. A remodel that moves plumbing, changes walls or touches electrical is the kind of job that typically needs a permit.

Historic districts and newer planned neighborhoods can add their own review on top of that. Interior bathroom work usually stays clear of exterior design rules, but HOAs and condo associations often set contractor access hours, parking and debris rules, so it helps to share those with us during planning.

Planning cost and next steps

Every Orlando bathroom starts from a different place, so scope drives price more than anything else. Our custom shower cost guide for Orlando breaks down what moves the number, and the pricing page shows how our systems are structured. When you are ready, book a consultation and we will look at the space in person.