Free written scope consultation - allowances, timeline, and change-order rules on paper before a single trade is scheduled
CWS Bathroom Remodeling: The West Palm Beach Owner’s Guide
We install and service CWS bathroom remodeling systems throughout West Palm Beach, with complete bathroom remodels typically running $9,000 – $28,000 depending on scope, materials, and the condition of what’s behind the walls. If you’ve got a CWS vanity, shower base, or fixture that’s failing, we can usually match the part and have it installed within a week of the written estimate. Most owners discover a problem when a drawer stops soft-closing, a shower base flexes underfoot, or a caulk line separates for the third time in a year.
CWS builds solid mid-range bathroom components, but in Florida’s humidity, a few specific parts fail earlier than the rest. We see it in Flamingo Park, El Cid, and South End homes alike: the MDF core in older CWS vanities swells at the toe kick, the shower base lip cracks at the drain collar, and the factory caulk around the tub surround lets go within two seasons. The good news is these are all fixable, and the replacement parts are either on our truck or ordered same-week.
We’re an independent contractor in West Palm Beach, not a CWS dealer, which means we stock both OEM CWS parts and quality equivalents that match the original specs. That keeps your options open on price and lead time.
Which CWS Models This Applies To
CWS bathroom lines fall into three series we see regularly across West Palm Beach homes: the CWS Contractor Series (basic fiberglass shower bases and basic vanities), the CWS Pro Series (heavier-gauge bases, soft-close hardware, better factory finish), and the CWS Signature Series (solid surface counters, dovetail drawer boxes, upgraded hardware). Each series uses slightly different part dimensions, so a Pro Series shower base will not drop into a Contractor Series rough-in without a transition kit.
The fastest way to identify your part is to open the vanity door and look for a white sticker on the inside of the face frame or under the bottom drawer. It’ll show a model number starting with CWS, a date code, and sometimes the finish code. For shower bases, the code is molded into the underside near the drain. If the sticker is gone, we measure the rough-in opening and the drain offset. A Contractor Series base is typically 32×32 or 36×36 with a center drain. The Pro Series runs 36×48 and up, and the drain sits 4 to 6 inches off center in some years, which catches a lot of DIY attempts.
OEM vs aftermarket: for anything that touches water or bears weight, we recommend OEM CWS parts because the molded dimensions match exactly. For hardware like hinges, drawer slides, and knobs, quality aftermarket equivalents from Blum, Hettich, or Liberty work perfectly and often cost less. We’ll tell you which route makes sense for the specific part before you commit.
One compatibility gotcha worth knowing: CWS changed its drawer glide mounting pattern in 2019. A pre-2019 vanity drawer cannot take the new CWS glide without drilling a new mount hole. It’s a five-minute fix for us, but it’s the kind of detail that turns a quick DIY swap into a stripped drawer face.
If you’re also considering a broader update, we install KraftMaid, Cambria, and Silestone products as part of our remodeling work, so any CWS vanity replacement can be coordinated with a countertop or cabinet upgrade in one scope and one written price.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your CWS Bathroom Remodeling Is Failing
- Soft-close drawers slam or drift open. The CWS soft-close piston loses damping fluid after roughly 8,000 cycles, and in Florida’s heat, the seals dry out a little faster. If one drawer slams and the one next to it is fine, the glide is worn, not the drawer box.
- Shower base flexes or creaks underfoot. This means the mortar bed under the CWS base has broken down or was never set right. The flex eventually cracks the drain collar or the corner flanges, and water finds its way under the base.
- Caulk line at the tub surround keeps separating. CWS factory caulk is basic acrylic. In West Palm Beach humidity, it hardens and pulls away within 18 – 24 months. Re-caulking with a quality silicone stops the cycle.
- Toe kick swells or discolors near the floor. The MDF core on older CWS Contractor Series vanities wicks moisture from floor cleaning and humidity. Once it swells, the doors above shift and no longer align.
- Faucet or shower handle sticks, then drips. CWS houses its Contractor Series cartridges in plastic bodies that warp slightly under prolonged hot water. A sticky handle that turns into a drip usually means the cartridge seat is done, and the whole body needs replacement.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
In West Palm Beach, a full CWS bathroom remodel runs $9,000 to $28,000, and a smaller bathroom with a CWS vanity and shower base replacement runs $5,000 to $12,000. If all you need is a part swap, like a shower base, vanity, or hardware set, here’s the line-item picture:
- Shower replacement: $3,000 – $8,500
- Tub-to-shower conversion: $3,500 – $10,000
- Walk-in shower installation: $4,500 – $12,000
- Bathroom vanity installation: $800 – $3,000
- Small bathroom remodel: $5,000 – $12,000
- Full bathroom remodel: $9,000 – $28,000
The range comes down to three things: whether the part is OEM CWS or a quality equivalent, whether we’re doing a straight swap or working around existing plumbing that’s out of square, and whether the surrounding tile or drywall needs repair once the old part comes out. Every written price from Elmstead Remodeling West Palm Beach lists parts and labor separately, by brand and quantity, so you know exactly what you’re paying for before any work starts. The 365-Day Done Right Promise covers the completed job: if something isn’t right, we come back and make it right.
DIY or Call Us?
What you can safely check yourself: whether the model sticker is still inside the vanity, whether the shower base flexes in one spot or all over, and whether the caulk is cracked but the wall behind it is dry. That information helps us quote accurately over the phone.
What’s not worth attempting on your own: any shower base or tub surround removal. Behind that CWS unit is framing, a drain connection, and often a water-damaged section of subfloor that has to be judged before it’s covered again. A shower base that’s flexing isn’t a cosmetic problem; it’s a water intrusion problem, and getting it wrong doubles the repair cost. Same goes for anything involving shut-off valves or cartridges inside walls. If you’re unsure, call (728) 203-3270 and describe what you’re seeing. We’ll tell you over the phone whether it’s a quick swap or something that needs a site visit.
Put it in writing, then do exactly that. That’s how we’ve run every CWS job in West Palm Beach, and it’s the reason our clients can hand us a key and not think about the bathroom again until it’s done.
FAQs
A CWS bathroom remodel installed properly in West Palm Beach lasts 20 to 30 years for the shower base and surrounding tile, with hardware like glides and cartridges needing replacement every 8 to 12 years. Florida’s humidity shortens caulk life to about two years, so expect to re-caulk seasonally regardless of product quality. Call (728) 203-3270 if you’re seeing signs of wear earlier than that, and we’ll tell you what’s normal and what’s not.
It depends on the part: drawer glides, hinges, and shower cartridges are routinely repaired with OEM or equivalent components, while a cracked shower base, swollen vanity core, or failed tub surround typically needs replacement. We’ll quote the repair only if it’s actually worth doing, never to stretch the job. Call (728) 203-3270 and describe what’s happening.
A vanity hardware or cartridge swap takes under two hours on site, a full vanity replacement takes half a day, and a shower base replacement with new tile takes two to three days depending on dry-out time. We’ll give you a firm start and end window in the written price, and we hold to it. Call (728) 203-3270 to schedule a free estimate.
We stock the most common CWS Contractor and Pro Series wear parts on our trucks: drawer glides, soft-close pistons, door hinges, shower cartridges, and drain collars. Shower bases, vanities, and surround panels are ordered per job and arrive at our West Palm Beach shop within five business days in most cases. Call (728) 203-3270 with your model number, and we’ll check stock while you’re on the phone.
Graham Stein walks every CWS job site in West Palm Beach himself before the first drop cloth goes down. He grew up in Los Angeles and learned the trade at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College before spending decades on job sites up and down the West Coast, and he still keeps a written scope of work in every homeowner’s hands before the first tool is unpacked. When you call, you’ll get a live person, a straight answer, and a written price before any work starts. Call (728) 203-3270 for a free estimate.
Written by Graham Stein, Owner, Elmstead Remodeling West Palm Beach at Elmstead Remodeling West Palm Beach, serving West Palm Beach and nearby areas.
