Alachua County · Northeast Florida
Bathroom Remodeling in Melrose
Bathroom renovations built around waterproofing that lasts — not tile laid over hope. Licensed and insured, Florida Certified Building Contractor CBC1265492.
- Shower pans flood-tested before tile
- TestedShower pans flood-tested before tile
- Typical weeks on site
- 3-5Typical weeks on site
- Waterproofing membrane, not just backer board
- BondedWaterproofing membrane, not just backer board
Bathroom Remodeling for Melrose property owners
We take on bathroom remodeling throughout Melrose, Alachua County. We cover the whole of Melrose: Lake Santa Fe, Melrose Bay, and everything in between. Around Melrose that generally means lakefront homes, historic frame houses and boathouses and docks.
What makes Melrose its own case is straightforward. Sandhill sand on the Trail Ridge, well-drained, with steep short banks down to the lake on many parcels, and on top of that, Lake Santa Fe and Little Santa Fe are large, clear sandhill lakes with meaningful fetch and multi-foot seasonal level swings.
Why Melrose lake property needs the right approach
Lake houses in Melrose put unusual demand on bathrooms — wet swimsuits, sandy feet and heavy seasonal use by more people than the house was designed for. That argues for durable, water-tolerant detailing and a genuinely effective exhaust fan rather than the builder minimum. An unusual mix of 1880s-1920s historic frame houses and substantial modern lakefront customs. That means many of these baths are original and were never waterproofed to any modern standard.
Something else that decides the scope here: lake Santa Fe and Little Santa Fe are large, clear sandhill lakes with meaningful fetch and multi-foot seasonal level swings. It changes what we expect to find once we start, and therefore what we're willing to quote before we do.
Permits are issued by Alachua, Putnam, Clay and Bradford county offices. Worth knowing before you design: Melrose sits at the corner of four counties, so establishing which jurisdiction actually issues the permit is genuinely the first step. That gets checked on the first visit, not after plans are paid for.
What that adds up to is a bathroom remodeling approach built around Melrose specifically: the site investigated before the design commits, materials chosen for the conditions they'll actually live in, and a schedule that reflects the real permitting timeline rather than an optimistic one.
What bathroom remodeling in Melrose covers
- Demolition and substrate assessment
- Framing and blocking
- Plumbing and electrical
- Waterproofing
- Tile, fixtures and vanity
- Ventilation
Signs it's time to call
These are the things owners tell us on the first call. If more than one sounds familiar, it's worth a look.
- Grout lines at the shower floor are dark, soft, or missing in the corners.
- The floor outside the shower flexes, or the tile there sounds hollow.
How we deliver bathroom remodeling in Melrose
01
Assessment
02
Design and selections
03
Permit and materials
04
Demolition and rough-in
05
Waterproofing and tile
06
Trim out and punch
What actually drives the cost
We won't quote a number sight unseen. These are the factors that move it, so you can see where your project is likely to land before we ever walk the property.
- Glass and door
- Frameless heavy glass is a significant line item and needs blocking and dead-flat walls planned for it from the framing stage.
- Accessibility work
- Curbless showers, wider doorways and grab-bar blocking are worth doing while the walls are open — retrofitting them later costs several times as much.
Working in Melrose.
We remodel bathrooms across Melrose — primary suites, guest baths that take the summer load, and pool or lake baths with direct outside access. Lakefront homes, historic frame houses and boathouses and docks are typical. Ventilation gets particular attention here because these rooms rarely get a chance to dry out in season.
Because we're based in Keystone Heights, Melrose and its neighbors get worked together: Earleton, Keystone Heights, Lake Geneva and Windsor are all on the same rounds.
- lakefront homes
- historic frame houses
- boathouses and docks
Other work we do in Melrose
Kitchen Remodeling in Melrose
Full kitchen renovations — layout, structure, systems and cabinetry — handled by the same crew start to finish.
Learn more →Whole-Home Remodeling in Melrose
Full-house renovations that fix the structure and systems, not just the surfaces.
Learn more →Home Additions in Melrose
Room additions, second stories and in-law suites that tie into the original structure like they were always there.
Learn more →Bathroom Remodeling near Melrose
All areas we serve for bathroom remodeling →Bathroom Remodeling questions in Melrose
What should a lake house bathroom in Melrose have that a normal one doesn't?
A genuinely oversized exhaust fan, a floor that tolerates standing water, and ideally an exterior door so wet swimmers don't cross the house. In Melrose the guest bath does far more work in July than a typical bathroom does all year.
What should I budget for bathroom remodeling in Melrose?
It depends on the site more than on the square footage. Sandhill sand on the Trail Ridge, well-drained, with steep short banks down to the lake on many parcels, and Lake Santa Fe and Little Santa Fe are large, clear sandhill lakes with meaningful fetch and multi-foot seasonal level swings, both of which move the number materially in Melrose. We quote after a walkthrough, free of charge.
Do I need a permit for bathroom remodeling in Melrose?
In most cases yes, and it goes through Alachua, Putnam, Clay and Bradford county offices. Melrose sits at the corner of four counties, so establishing which jurisdiction actually issues the permit is genuinely the first step. We pull the permits and handle the agency coordination as part of the job — you shouldn't be the one working out which office reviews what.
How soon can you start a project in Melrose?
We can usually get out to a Melrose property within a week for a walkthrough. Actual start dates depend on permitting through Alachua, Putnam, Clay and Bradford county offices more than on our calendar — we'll give you a realistic timeline for your jurisdiction rather than an optimistic one.
Do you actually travel to Melrose?
Yes, regularly. We're based in Keystone Heights and Alachua County is core territory for us; Earleton, Keystone Heights and Lake Geneva are all on the same routes. (352) 478-6112 gets you a site visit.
Do I need a permit for a bathroom remodel?
If plumbing or electrical is altered, yes. Replacing a vanity and a mirror generally doesn't. We'll confirm for your jurisdiction.
What waterproofing do you use?
A bonded sheet or liquid membrane system, detailed at corners, curb and drain, and flood tested before tile. Cement board alone is not waterproofing and we don't treat it as such.
Ready to talk about bathroom remodeling in Melrose?
Free consultations, straight answers, and one contractor accountable from the first walkthrough to the last punch item.