Do you need a permit before you swap a shower for a tub?

You do not want to start a bathroom project and then learn it needed a permit. You also do not want it to cause trouble the day you sell your Altamonte Springs home. The fix is to ask early, before any work is on the calendar.

Altamonte Springs is in Seminole County, and the answer for your home comes from the local office that handles your address. Whether a job needs a permit can depend on how much of the bathroom changes. Only that office can tell you for sure, so a blog post or a friend in another town is not the final word.

Here is what the work covers, so you can describe it clearly when you ask. The shower comes out, and a tub goes into the same space with a new wall surround. Floors, vanities and the rest of the room are not part of it. Installs can be done in as little as one day, though some take a second day, rarely. With that in mind, your question is short: does a tub and wall surround swap in this space need a permit?

This week, call the building office for your address and ask that exact question. Write down who you spoke with and what they said. Then raise it at your design visit with Love Your Bath, where a designer hears what you have in mind and builds a custom plan with options and a free quote. Do not let anyone start work while the permit question is still open.

With the answer written down, you can go ahead without that nagging doubt. When you sell, you will know exactly what was done. Elliott B. wrote, "Arrived on time. Finished early both days. Great clean- up when finished. All in all, an outstanding job." That is the kind of project you want to look back on.

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