Kitchen & Bathroom Renovations for Florida Homes

The biggest decision in a Florida kitchen or bathroom remodel is whether to keep the layout. Moving a sink, toilet or shower means cutting into the concrete slab and adds plumbing permits and inspections, so it moves the budget more than any finish. On the Space Coast, check two more things early: which office permits your address, and whether a condo association or flood zone limits the work.

What matters most on the Space Coast

• The slab. Most Florida homes sit on a concrete slab with the drains underneath. Each toilet or shower drain move adds about $1,000–$5,000 in our planning ranges, and old leaks behind a tub or under a sink often show up only at demolition.
• Who issues the permit. Brevard County permits only unincorporated areas such as Viera, Suntree and Merritt Island. Melbourne, Palm Bay, West Melbourne and beach towns such as Melbourne Beach and Indian Harbour Beach issue their own, whatever your mailing address says.
• Flood zones. On the barrier island or near the Indian River Lagoon, a large remodel in a flood zone can reach the FEMA 50% rule, which counts the whole project's cost, not just one room.
• Condos. Associations usually require approval before bathroom work and often control plumbing tied to the building's risers, which can rule out moving a drain.
• Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30. Don't gut a kitchen until the cabinets are on site or have a firm delivery date.

Where to start

• If you're pricing a bathroom, start with bathroom remodel costs in Melbourne.
• If you're deciding whether to keep the tub, read walk-in shower vs. bathtub, then price it with tub-to-shower conversion costs.
• If you're planning a whole kitchen, start with kitchen remodel costs in Brevard County.
• If your kitchen layout already works, see kitchen cabinet replacement costs in Melbourne, which compares replacing, refacing and painting.
• If you're choosing counters, read quartz vs. granite countertops, especially for a sunny lanai bar or outdoor kitchen.
• If you're replacing floors, compare tile, luxury vinyl and engineered wood in the best flooring for Florida homes.
• If you want an open kitchen, first find out whether the wall is load-bearing.

What drives the cost

These are our Florida planning ranges, not quotes. Recent Melbourne and Brevard price data is scarce, so the local guides use these ranges and show the math.

• Scope. A cosmetic refresh of a standard 5 × 8 ft hall bath runs about $7,000–$15,000, a full remodel in the same layout $15,000–$30,000, and a primary or higher-end bath $35,000–$65,000 or more. A kitchen refresh runs about $10,000–$30,000, a mid-range remodel $30,000–$65,000, and a high-end kitchen or new layout $65,000–$150,000 or more.
• Cabinets. About $100–$300 per linear foot for stock, $150–$650 for semi-custom and $500–$1,200 for custom. Refacing, at $200–$750, isn't always cheaper than new stock cabinets.
• Counters, tile and glass. Quartz or granite runs about $55–$130 per sq. ft., bathroom floor tile $10–$20 per sq. ft., and frameless shower glass $1,000–$4,000.
• Hidden damage. Old leaks can rot framing behind a tub, and a damaged subfloor or old plumbing often turns up when kitchen cabinets come out. A common rule of thumb is a 10% to 20% contingency.

Don't count on resale to repay a kitchen. The Cost vs. Value report estimates a midrange major kitchen remodel recoups about 40% of its cost in Jacksonville (2024) and 49% in Miami (2025).

Rules to check before you sign

• Permits. Same-place cabinets, counters, flooring or a vanity usually don't need one in Florida, but we found no Brevard or Melbourne rule on those jobs alone, so ask. Moved or added plumbing, a tub-to-shower conversion, new circuits, gas work, a new hood or fan ducted outdoors, a new window and wall changes generally do. See kitchen remodel permits, bathroom remodel permits and the Brevard permit guide.
• The $7,500 exemption. Since July 1, 2026, owners can ask in writing to skip the permit for some single-family work under $7,500, but never for plumbing, electrical, mechanical, gas or structural work, or in a flood hazard area, so it rarely fits. See the $7,500 exemption.
• Licensed trades. Brevard County has no handyman license. Plumbing and electrical work needs licensed contractors unless you do it yourself as an owner-builder.
• Flood zone and association approval. Check your zone before designing a big project; see the FEMA 50% rule. In a condo or HOA, get approval in writing before you sign; see HOA and condo approval.
• The contractor. Check licenses at MyFloridaLicense.com and on Brevard County's Licensed Contractor Search. Our guide to hiring a contractor in Melbourne walks through it.