How much does a tub to shower conversion cost?
A tub to shower conversion costs $2,000 to $12,000 on average, per HomeGuide — $1,000 to $8,000 for a prefab stall.
There are two versions of this job and the price gap between them is the whole decision. HomeGuide publishes $1,000 to $8,000 to swap the tub for a prefabricated shower stall kit, installed, and $3,500 to $15,000 to remove the tub and build a tiled walk-in shower. Its national average across 81 project costs reported by its members is $7,000, with a minimum of $1,000 and a maximum of $20,000.
Source: HomeGuide
This page is general information, not professional advice. Remodeling prices move with your local labor market, the condition of what is already there, the finishes you pick and what your building department requires, and the only number that counts is a written quote from a contractor who has walked the job.
Prefab stall or tiled walk-in
| Route | Installed cost | The trade-off HomeGuide names |
|---|---|---|
| Prefab shower stall | $1,000 – $8,000 | Cheaper and easier to install, available curbless; limited sizes, fewer designs |
| Custom tiled walk-in | $3,500 – $15,000 | Highly customisable at every price level, also available curbless; a longer, harder install |
Source: HomeGuide
The stall kit alone is $350 to $4,100 depending on shape and material on HomeGuide's table — a square or corner stall at $350 to $1,400, an alcove stall at $500 to $2,300, a neo-angle at $450 to $1,200 and a barrier-free curbless stall at $2,000 to $4,100. Most stalls do not include the door or the fittings: shower doors run $400 to $1,900 and new fixtures $40 to $500. On the tiled side, tiling a shower is $800 to $3,000 and a custom tile shower pan is $900 to $3,500 including the base, tile and labor.
Source: HomeGuide
What is in the number
| Item | Average cost |
|---|---|
| Remove the bathtub and debris | $70 – $800 |
| Cleanup and repairs | $100 – $1,000 |
| Prefabricated shower stall | $500 – $1,500 |
| Custom shower tiling | $800 – $3,000 |
| Shower pan (tiled showers only) | $500 – $3,500 |
| Glass shower door | $400 – $1,900 |
| Shower valve replacement | $225 – $575 |
| Plumbing | $500 – $1,100 |
| Permits | $30 – $400 |
Source: HomeGuide
HomeGuide puts removing the old tub and repairing the walls and subfloor behind it at $170 to $1,800 depending on the difficulty, and plumbers at $45 to $150 per hour for rerouting pipes or relocating the drain. Removing a garden tub alone is $400 to $800 because of its size. That repair line is the one a fixed-price advert cannot know in advance, because nobody sees the wall behind a tub until the tub is out.
Source: HomeGuide
A tub cut is the cheap third option: HomeGuide prices it at $800 to $1,800 to cut out part of the tub wall and leave a low threshold, rather than replacing anything.
What the one-day remodel companies charge
| Company | Average total cost | What HomeGuide lists them doing |
|---|---|---|
| Bath Fitter | $3,000 – $7,500 | Bath liners, wall panels, conversions |
| Bath Planet | $6,000 – $17,000 | Conversions or replacements |
| Jacuzzi Bath Remodel | $11,000 – $20,000 | Conversions, replacements and jetted tubs |
| Re-Bath | $5,000 – $30,000 | Conversions, replacements, liners, full remodels |
HomeGuide puts a Bath Fitter tub-to-shower conversion at $1,200 to $9,500 and describes the method: the installers remove the old fixtures and tub, add backerboard and a proprietary wall adhesive, and fit a prefabricated pan and stall, typically in one day. That is the same prefab route priced at the top of the prefab band, and it is worth comparing against a local quote for the identical scope.
Source: HomeGuide
If the shower rather than the tub is the part you are pricing: what a walk-in shower costs.
Get the prefab quote and the tiled quote from the same contractor, on the same bathroom, before deciding. These are the general contractors AI assistants actually name when homeowners ask. Nobody can pay to be on these lists.
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Questions people ask next
- Is it cheaper to convert a tub to a shower or replace the tub?
- HomeGuide publishes $800 to $4,600 for a bathtub replacement and $1,000 to $15,000 for a tub-to-shower conversion, so the cheapest end of a conversion is close to a replacement and the expensive end is far above it. HomeGuide's prefab stall route at $1,000 to $8,000 is the comparable one.
- How much does it cost to turn a tub into a tiled shower?
- HomeGuide publishes $3,500 to $15,000 to remove a tub and install a tiled walk-in shower, which includes a new custom tile shower pan at $900 to $3,500 and shower tiling at $800 to $3,000.
- What is a tub cut?
- HomeGuide describes it as removing a portion of the tub's front wall so only a low threshold is left, turning the tub into a walk-in shower for easier access, and prices it at $800 to $1,800 as a cheaper alternative to a full conversion.
- Do I need a permit to replace a tub with a shower?
- HomeGuide lists permits at $30 to $400 on its tub-to-shower line items. Whether one is required depends on your city and on how much the plumbing moves, so ask your building department before the work starts.
Written for homeowners by Most Recommended Contractors, which measures which general contractors AI assistants actually recommend in 26 U.S. metros. Nobody can pay to be on those lists. How we measure.