Three ways to do it
| Package | Price | Days | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good | $7,900 | 3 | Tub removed and hauled away, new pan and waterproofing, premium acrylic walls, framed glass door, new valve and fixtures, blocking for grab bars |
| Better | $11,500 | 4 | Porcelain tile walls, fixed frameless panel, niche, low-curb entry, rain head and handheld |
| Best | $15,900 | 5 | Large-format porcelain, full frameless enclosure, bench, curbless entry with linear drain, thermostatic valve, matching floor tile outside the shower |
Every package is a fixed price in writing after an in-home measure.
Why a conversion costs less than a new walk-in shower
A standard tub sits in a 60-inch alcove with three walls already framed and a drain already in the floor. A conversion reuses that footprint. The plumber adapts the tub drain to a shower drain and swaps the valve, and the tile or acrylic goes on the same three walls. No walls move and no new concrete is cut unless you want the drain relocated or a curbless entry.
What adds cost
- Tile instead of acrylic. Tile takes more labor days and more material. See the table above for the step between Good and Better.
- Frameless glass. A full frameless enclosure costs more than a framed door or a single fixed panel.
- Curbless entry. The shower floor has to slope to the drain without a curb, which means recessing the slab or building up the bathroom floor. On a post-tension slab this needs planning before any cutting.
- Hidden damage. Older tubs sometimes hide a slow leak. Rotted framing or old galvanized pipe gets fixed before the new shower goes in, and a good contract says how that is priced.
Permit and timing
If the drain and valve stay in place, a conversion usually does not need a permit. If plumbing moves or electrical is added, it does, and we pull it with the fee included in the price.
You are without that shower for the 3–5 days of work. Frameless glass is measured after tile and installed about a week later. If this is your only bathroom, tell us at the visit so the schedule is built around it.
Key facts
- Typical cost
- $7,900–$16,500
- Time on site
- 3–5 working days
- Lowest-cost option
- Premium acrylic walls with a framed door
- Permit
- Needed only when plumbing moves or electrical is added
Related questions
Where we do this work
Services: Tub-to-Shower Conversion
Bathroom remodeling in Mesa, Glendale, Sun City, and across the Valley.