What plumbing installation covers, and what it leaves out
Installation means new work, as opposed to fixing something that broke. It covers the water supply lines, the drain-waste-vent system, called DWV, and the fixtures connected to them. A new toilet, vanity, shower valve, kitchen sink or laundry box all start with the same two questions: where does the water come from, and where does it leave.
Florida follows the Florida Building Code, Plumbing (8th Edition, 2023, based on the 2021 International Plumbing Code, IPC). That code sets pipe sizes, venting and fixture clearances, and an inspector reads it the same way for every contractor.
This page is about water and drain piping. Gas piping is a separate scope and is not included unless we confirm it on the call.
Smell Gas? Leave First, Then Call
Gas piping is a separate scope, but a gas smell outranks every other call. PHMSA's guidance is to leave the area on foot at once without trying to find the source, call 911 from a safe place and then call the gas company. Do not touch light switches or start a vehicle near the smell.
Peoples Gas lists Dania Beach among the Broward communities it serves, and its customer care line is on its website. Gas piping work is not covered on this page unless we confirm it on your call, and a plumber should only reopen a gas job after the utility says the area is safe.
Moving a sink, a shower or a toilet during a remodel
The cost of a remodel lives in the walls and floors, not in the fixture. Swapping a faucet is a one-hour job, while moving a drain across a room means opening the floor, setting a new slope and venting the line. A drain needs a steady downhill slope, so distance and the height of the floor above the main line decide what is possible. Unsure what your layout allows? Call (954) 697-4920 and we will walk through it.
| Change | What moves behind the finish | Settle this first |
|---|---|---|
| Replace a fixture in the same spot | Supply lines and stops only | Fixture size and hole count |
| Move a sink a few feet | Supply lines, drain and vent | Cabinet depth and wall framing |
| Move a toilet | 3-inch or 4-inch drain, flange and vent | Distance to the stack and floor type |
| Add a shower or tub | Valve, drain, trap and supply branch | Where the drain line can reach |
| Add a bathroom | New fixture group, vent and supply | Capacity of the existing drain and shutoff |
Shower and tub plumbing: valve, drain and trap
A shower has three parts hidden in the wall and the floor. The mixing valve, either pressure-balancing or thermostatic, keeps the temperature steady when someone flushes a toilet. The drain and trap, usually 2 inches for a shower, carry the water out and hold a water seal against sewer gas. The pan or tub liner keeps what falls on the floor from reaching the framing.
Before tile goes up, the shower pan should be flood-tested and the supply lines pressure-tested with a gauge. A leak that is found at the rough-in stage costs a few hours. A leak found after the tile is set costs the tile as well.
Planning around a slab, a stud wall or a mobile home floor
If your home sits on a concrete slab, a relocated drain may mean saw-cutting the slab, trenching and patching, so we mark the cut path with you before we start. Houses with raised floors are simpler, because the lines are reachable from below. The median Dania Beach home was built in 1977, according to the American Community Survey, which makes it worth knowing what is under the old fixture before you design the new one.
Mobile homes are about 12.4 percent of Dania Beach housing units. Their water and drain lines run in the floor cavity, so a layout change depends on what the underside allows.
Any digging outside needs a Sunshine 811 locate request at least two full business days ahead, with weekends and holidays excluded. Florida's tolerance zone is 24 inches from each marked line. Neighbors in Davie weigh the same slab questions.
New construction plumbing follows the same order as a remodel, with open walls and no finished floors in the way. Ask who coordinates the rough-in inspection and who sets the fixtures, so one party owns each step.
Permits, and why the license on your contractor matters
Florida statute 489.105(3)(m) defines a plumbing contractor as one whose services are unlimited in the plumbing trade. Under 489.127, it is unlawful to act as a contractor without the required registration or certification, and unlawful to start permit-required work before the permit is in effect. A first violation is a first-degree misdemeanor, and a repeat violation, or one during a state of emergency, becomes a third-degree felony.
Section 489.128 says contracts made by an unlicensed contractor are unenforceable in law or equity. That is a consumer protection, and it also means an unlicensed worker has no lien claim. You can check any license, ours included, at the Florida DBPR licensee search on myfloridalicense.com.
Permit rules vary, so ask the City of Dania Beach Building Division what your address needs, and get the answer on who pulls the permit in writing before work begins.
What to check first before you buy fixtures
The wrong fixture on the wrong rough-in turns a one-day job into a three-day one. Check these before you order.
- Measure the rough-in distance from the wall to the center of the toilet drain.
- Count the faucet holes in the sink or counter and match the faucet.
- Check that the shower valve trim matches the valve body behind the wall.
- Find the main shutoff and the stops under each fixture, and test that they turn.
- For a condo or apartment, ask the association or manager when the building riser can be shut off.
- Decide who will apply for the permit and write it down.
How a remodel plumbing job is sequenced
The order matters, because the wall cannot be closed until the lines are tested. The sequence below holds for most bathroom and kitchen jobs.
- Shut the water and drain the lines.
- Demolish to the framing and mark the new fixture locations.
- Set the new drain, trap and vent, and run supply branches.
- Pressure-test the supply and test the DWV, then call for the rough-in inspection if a permit applies.
- Close the walls, set the shower pan or tub and finish the surfaces.
- Set the fixtures, restore water and check every joint under pressure.
While the walls are open
An open wall is the cheapest time to look at the pipes behind it. Old supply lines, a corroded valve or a poorly vented drain are easier to correct now than after tile. If the lines look tired, ask about repiping before the drywall goes back. New hot water needs are covered under water heater installation.
Remodel plumbing price ranges and what moves them
National published guides put shower rough-in at about $1,500 to $3,500, a bathtub rough-in at $500 to $2,750, and a whole-bathroom rough-in at $3,000 to $20,000, with an average near $6,500. Florida prices vary, and no Broward-specific figure was available.
Fixture swaps are far smaller jobs, and we quote those after we see the existing connections.
What moves the price
- Distance moved. Moving a fixture across the room needs more pipe, more cutting and a longer drain run.
- Slab or raised floor. A slab adds saw-cutting, trenching and patching that a raised floor avoids.
- Number of fixtures. A full bathroom group needs more branches, vents and tests than a single sink.
- Existing pipe condition. Worn supply lines or corroded valves can add parts to the job.
- Permit and inspection. Permit fees and the time to schedule an inspection change the total and the calendar.
| Work | Published range |
|---|---|
| Shower rough-in | $1,500 to $3,500 (Angi, national) |
| Bathtub rough-in | $500 to $2,750 (Angi, national) |
| Whole-bathroom rough-in | $3,000 to $20,000 (Angi, national) |
| Toilet installation | $224 to $533 (Angi, national) |
Installation is planned work, so homeowners insurance does not pay for it. If new plumbing fails later and floods the room, a policy may respond to sudden and accidental damage, but policies differ. Keep your permit paperwork and receipts, and ask your insurer what documents it wants.
A short description of the room is enough to start the conversation. Call (954) 697-4920 for a real number.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you install gas lines?
Gas piping is a separate scope and is not covered here unless we confirm it on your call. If you smell gas, leave the building on foot, call 911 from outside and then call your gas utility. Peoples Gas lists Dania Beach among the Broward communities it serves, though gas is available street by street.
Do I need a permit to add a bathroom in Dania Beach?
Permit rules vary, so ask the City of Dania Beach Building Division what a new bathroom needs at your address. Settle who pulls the permit before work begins.
Can an unlicensed handyman install my plumbing?
State law makes acting as a contractor without the required license a first-degree misdemeanor, and contracts by an unlicensed contractor are unenforceable. Look up any plumber at myfloridalicense.com before you sign.
How long does a rough-in take?
We cannot give a fixed time by phone. It depends on slab cutting, access, the number of fixtures and inspection scheduling. We will explain the sequence once we see the space. Call (954) 697-4920 to set up the walk-through.
I manage several rental units. Can you replace fixtures in each one?
Yes. Many Dania Beach homes are in multi-unit buildings, with more than 9,000 units in buildings of two or more. Tell us the unit count, the fixtures and who approves cost, and we will plan the visits around tenant access.
Do you take emergency calls on a plumbing job I started?
Dispatch runs 24/7, so a burst line or active leak gets handled even on a Sunday night. Installation scheduling is planned, but a failure is not. See toilet repair or faucet repair if a fixture is the problem.
Code reference: plumbing work in Florida falls under the Florida Building Code, Plumbing (8th Edition, 2023), which is based on the 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC). Ask the Dania Beach Building Division whether your job needs a permit.