How Much Does It Cost to Convert a Bathtub to a Walk-In Shower?
A typical tub-to-shower conversion costs $6,000 to $9,000. Angi prices conversions at $1,200 to $8,000 and Fixr at $1,200 to $10,000. A prefab kit in the tub footprint costs far less than a custom tiled walk-in; moving plumbing adds $600 to $1,600 or more.
Planning figures, not contractor quotes. How we calculate
Short answer
Budget $6,000 to $9,000 for a typical tub-to-shower conversion. Angi prices conversions at $1,200 to $8,000 for most homeowners, while Fixr lands at $1,200 to $10,000 total. The wide range comes down to one choice: a prefab kit dropped into the tub footprint costs far less than a custom tiled walk-in shower, and moving plumbing adds $600 to $1,600 or more. For a custom tile shower with a glass door, a permit, and the drain staying where the tub drain was, use the national band of $6,000 to $12,000 with $9,000 as your planning middle.
Cost summary
Estimates per project. See the cited sources and methodology before using these figures for a decision.
| Cost level | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Low | $1,200.00 |
| Typical | $9,000.00 |
| High | $12,000.00 |
Calculate your planning range
Enter rates from your own quotes or research. We do not supply unverified local prices.
What a tub-to-shower conversion actually costs
Start with this: converting a tub into a walk-in shower is the most common version of a shower remodel, and Angi puts it at $1,200 to $8,000 for most homeowners. Fixr reports a similar total of $1,200 to $10,000, built from $200 to $1,000 for tub removal plus $1,000 to $9,000 for the shower conversion itself. That bottom end is a simple kit swap; the top end is custom tile with all the trimmings. Our walk-in shower remodel cost guide prices the standalone version of this project.
For a concrete middle, take a 60-inch alcove tub converted to a 32 by 48 inch custom tile walk-in shower with a glass door, the existing drain location, and a permit. Low: $6,000. Typical: $9,000. High: $12,000, which is Angi's national band for a walk-in shower remodel. Demolition line items stack up before the new shower starts: old tub removal and disposal $150 to $750, non-load-bearing wall removal $300 to $1,000 if the plan needs it, and construction debris removal around $250.
Sources: Angi: How Much Does a Walk-In Shower Cost? (2026 Data) | Angi, Fixr: How Much Does a Bathroom Remodel Cost? [2026 Data] | Fixr.com, HomeGuide: How Much Does Bathtub Replacement Cost? (2026) | HomeGuide
Prefab kit vs custom tile: the choice that halves or doubles your cost
This is the single biggest decision. A prefabricated shower kit drops into the footprint the tub leaves behind, and Angi prices kits at $700 to $3,000, with basic plastic models starting around $300. Acrylic inserts run $500 to $2,000 and fiberglass inserts $400 to $2,000. If your budget is tight and the tub's footprint works for a shower, a kit is the cheapest honest path.
Custom tile is the other end. Angi prices custom walk-in showers at $4,200 to $8,500 for the shower build alone, before you add the door, plumbing, and permit. Tile itself runs $2 to $17 per square foot, marble $10 to $35, and cultured granite or solid-surface stone $40 to $65. A manufactured shower pan costs $250 to $400, while a custom pan runs about $2,500, which is what curbless designs need since most prefab pans carry a 7-inch curb. Go custom when you want a curbless entry, a specific tile look, or a size no kit matches. HomeBuddy's type ranges frame the same split from the kit side: curbless showers $6,000 to $10,000 and tile showers $3,500 to $15,000. Going custom? Our shower tiling cost guide prices the tile work on its own.
Sources: Angi: How Much Does a Walk-In Shower Cost? (2026 Data) | Angi, HomeBuddy: How Much Does a Tub-to-Shower Conversion Cost in 2026? | HomeBuddy
Plumbing: the line item that surprises everyone
Here is where conversions quietly get expensive. Plumbers run $45 to $200 per hour, and Angi prices adding shower plumbing at $600 to $1,600. A full new-build rough-in averages about $7,000, which tells you exactly why keeping the shower drain where the tub drain was saves real money. If your conversion plan keeps the drain in place, plumbing is a manageable line item. If it moves the drain or reroutes supply lines, that is your biggest swing cost.
The tub guide's component breakdown backs this up: plumbing modifications run $200 to $700 and up on top of everything else, and HomeAdvisor prices plumbers at $45 to $200 per hour specifically for layout changes. Keep your fixtures where they are and you avoid opening walls and rerouting supply and drain lines. That one choice can save you thousands, and in a conversion it is usually the difference between the low and high end of the range.
Sources: Angi: How Much Does a Walk-In Shower Cost? (2026 Data) | Angi, HomeGuide: How Much Does Bathtub Replacement Cost? (2026) | HomeGuide, HomeAdvisor: Bathroom Remodel Cost [2025 Data]
Resale: should you remove the only tub?
The honest answer is it depends on who might buy your house. Angi reports an average 60 percent ROI for tub-to-shower conversions, and the National Association of Realtors 2025 Remodeling Impact Report lands at about 50 percent cost recovery for a bathroom renovation. So the project returns roughly half its cost at resale, which is solid for a bathroom upgrade but not a moneymaker.
The real question is the tub itself. Buyers who bathe young children may still want at least one bathtub in the home. If this is a second bathroom and another tub stays, convert with confidence. If it is the only tub in the house and you plan to sell to young families, think twice or keep a tub somewhere. Walk-in showers are popular with aging-in-place buyers, so the conversion can help or hurt depending on your buyer pool.
Sources: Angi: How Much Does a Walk-In Shower Cost? (2026 Data) | Angi
How long does a conversion take?
No national source we found publishes verified day-counts for tub-to-shower conversions, so treat any exact timeline you see elsewhere with suspicion. What the data does tell you: a like-for-like alcove tub swap is a one-day job, but a conversion is not a swap. You are adding demolition, plumbing changes, waterproofing, tile or a kit install, and often a glass door, which means multiple trades in sequence rather than a single installer.
Scope sets the pace. A prefab kit conversion involves fewer trades and moves faster than custom tile, which needs waterproofing to cure and tile work done in stages. Waterproofing alone runs $500 to $1,000 for a sheet membrane or $50 to $800 for a liquid membrane plus labor, and that step cannot be rushed. Permits run about $250 and up to $500 in most states, and the permit process adds scheduling time before work starts. Plan around your scope, not a fixed number of days, and ask your contractor for a trade-by-trade schedule.
Sources: Angi: How Much Does a Walk-In Shower Cost? (2026 Data) | Angi, Angi: How Much Does Bathtub Replacement Cost? [2026 Data] | Angi
What these numbers can and can't tell you
Confidence here is MEDIUM. The conversion figures rest on Angi's July 2026 data, with Fixr's national bathroom remodeling guide supplying the conversion breakdown and HomeBuddy's tub-to-shower guide as an editorial secondary source. The sources disagree in scope, not just price: HomeBuddy's walk-in shower range of $750 to $7,000 describes shower units and kits, while Angi's $6,000 to $12,000 describes the installed remodel, so this guide follows Angi for installed planning.
The range carries no regional price multipliers, and it excludes new-build rough-in plumbing at about $7,000, structural changes, and luxury features that can reach $10,000 in total. No source publishes a verified combined labor and material split for conversions specifically, so budget the published line items individually rather than assuming a percentage split. Re-verify before signing a contract; these figures are due for re-verification by April 2027.
Sources: Angi: How Much Does a Walk-In Shower Cost? (2026 Data) | Angi, Fixr: How Much Does a Bathroom Remodel Cost? [2026 Data] | Fixr.com, HomeBuddy: How Much Does a Tub-to-Shower Conversion Cost in 2026? | HomeBuddy
Sources
- Angi: How Much Does Bathtub Replacement Cost? [2026 Data] | Angi (accessed 2026-10-04)
- HomeAdvisor: Bathroom Remodel Cost [2025 Data] (accessed 2026-09-29)
- HomeBuddy: How Much Does a Tub-to-Shower Conversion Cost in 2026? | HomeBuddy (accessed 2026-10-04)
- Angi: How Much Does a Walk-In Shower Cost? (2026 Data) | Angi (accessed 2026-10-04)
- HomeGuide: How Much Does Bathtub Replacement Cost? (2026) | HomeGuide (accessed 2026-10-04)
- Fixr: How Much Does a Bathroom Remodel Cost? [2026 Data] | Fixr.com (accessed 2026-10-04)
Frequently asked questions
How much does a bathroom remodel cost?
Budget $6,000 to $9,000 for a typical tub-to-shower conversion. Angi prices conversions at $1,200 to $8,000 for most homeowners, while Fixr lands at $1,200 to $10,000 total. The wide range comes down to one choice: a prefab kit dropped into the tub footprint costs far less than a custom tiled walk-in shower, and moving plumbing adds $600 to $1,600 or more. For a custom tile shower with a glass door, a permit, and the drain staying where the tub drain was, use the national band of $6,000 to $12,000 with $9,000 as your planning middle.
Why is there a cost range instead of a single price?
Project costs move with scope, finish level, and local labor rates. This guide splits the national planning range into low, typical, and high levels, and the scope sections explain what pushes a project toward each end. Use the range to budget, then collect itemized contractor quotes for your exact project.
Are these figures contractor quotes?
No. They are national planning ranges compiled from published, cited sources, shown with their assumptions and limitations. Treat them as a budgeting starting point, not a bid. Our methodology page explains how every figure is sourced and reviewed.
