How Much Does a Tub-to-Shower Conversion Cost?
Published Aug 11, 2026 · 6 min read · By Lucas Barbosa
The short answer
Taking out a tub and putting in a walk-in shower usually costs $6,000 to $12,000.
That price covers the whole job: pulling out the old tub, sealing the walls against water, tiling, a new shower valve, and the glass. A smaller shower with simpler tile lands near the bottom. A bigger one with a built-in shelf, a seat, and frameless glass lands near the top.
The quick version:
- Most conversions: $6,000 to $12,000, everything included
- Tile work by itself: $15 to $25 per square foot of labor, with the tile you pick priced separately
- Sealing the walls against water is not an optional extra — it's the step that decides whether the shower lasts 5 years or 25
- Ask for a quote that lists each part of the job separately. One lump-sum number is very hard to compare against another company's
Why the total is more than the tile
If you took our tile rate of $15 to $25 per square foot and multiplied it by the size of a shower, you'd get a much smaller number. Here's why that doesn't work.
A tub area is only about 90 to 100 square feet once you count the three walls and the floor. So the tile work itself comes to roughly $1,400 to $2,500. That's real, but it's one line on the bill.
The rest of the job is everything around the tile — and that's where the money goes:
| Part of the job | What it means |
|---|---|
| Tear-out | Removing the old tub and wall surround, plus any soggy drywall or flooring underneath, and hauling it away |
| Waterproofing | A sealed barrier that goes on the walls and floor before any tile. Water gets through grout over time, so this layer is what actually keeps it out of your walls |
| Tile work | $15 to $25 per square foot. Simple straight rows cost less; angled or small patterned tile takes longer and costs more |
| The tile itself | Priced separately, because it's your choice — tile runs anywhere from about $2 to $30+ per square foot |
| Plumbing | Swapping the tub spout for a proper shower valve, and sometimes moving the drain |
| Glass | A framed glass door is the affordable option. Frameless glass looks cleaner and costs noticeably more |
| Shelf, seat, or grab bars | Optional, but easy to add while the walls are already open |
Add those up and you're in the $6,000 to $12,000 range.
What makes your price higher or lower
How big the shower is. More wall and floor space means more tile, more sealing, and more hours.
The tile you pick. Big tiles in straight rows go in fastest. Small tiles, or patterns set on an angle, take a lot longer to cut and lay — and that time shows up in the price.
Whether the plumbing moves. Leaving the drain where it is keeps costs down. Moving it means opening the floor, which adds a plumber's time.
The glass. This is one of the bigger swings in the whole range. Framed is cheaper; frameless is a premium look at a premium price.
What we find behind the walls. If the tear-out turns up water damage or a rotted floor, that's extra work nobody could see beforehand. It's the main reason we look at the space in person before quoting rather than giving a number over the phone.
How to read a quote
A complete quote should show these as separate lines:
- Tear-out and disposal
- Waterproofing
- Tile labor
- The tile and materials
- Plumbing and the shower valve
- Glass
- Anything extra — shelf, seat, grab bars
If a quote is one number with no breakdown, ask for the detail. It's the only way to tell whether a cheaper bid is actually cheaper or just leaving something out. Nine times out of ten, a low bid is missing the waterproofing or the glass.
Get a real number for your bathroom
We come look at the space for free. We check the tub, the plumbing, and the condition of the walls, then write up a quote with the labor and the materials listed separately — before anyone starts work.