A tub-to-shower conversion replaces the bathtub with a shower in the same alcove, or a slightly larger one if you steal a few inches from the room. It is not a full bathroom remodel. If you also want a new vanity, floor, and lighting, price those on Small Bathroom Remodel Cost or the national Bathroom Remodel Cost guide and treat the shower as one line, not the whole job. The bathroom remodel cost calculator can add this acrylic, same-drain conversion on top of a cosmetic or mid-range full bath.
Assumptions: 2026 US dollars, a standard 60×30 inch alcove unless the row says otherwise, one existing drain, and a house with a working shower valve or a valve you are willing to replace. Coastal California and the Northeast often land 20–40% above the national pro totals below. Rural Midwest bids can sit at the bottom of each band.
Angi’s 2026 cost guide puts the national average near $3,000, with most homeowners between $1,500 and $8,000, and custom tiled walk-ins cited from about $3,500 to $15,000. Those bands mix a one-piece insert with a mud-bed shower. The tables below split them so a quote has something to match.
Cost by Scope: DIY Materials vs. Pro Installed
| Scope | DIY materials | Pro installed, national |
|---|---|---|
| Acrylic or fiberglass alcove kit, same drain | $700 – $2,200 | $2,200 – $5,500 |
| Prefab pan, wall panels, new pressure-balance valve | $1,200 – $3,000 | $3,500 – $7,500 |
| Tile walls on a prefab pan, curtain or framed door | Not a first DIY | $5,500 – $10,500 |
| Custom tile, new pan, niche, frameless glass | No | $8,000 – $15,000 |
| Curbless, linear drain, or a larger footprint | No | $12,000 – $22,000+ |
The $2,500–$10,000 quick-answer band is the pro work most households actually buy: a solid acrylic install through a straightforward tile alcove. Curbless and “move the drain three feet” are a different project, even though contractors still call them conversions.
HomeAdvisor’s tub-to-shower write-up uses the same $1,500–$8,000 typical range and calls out bathtub removal around $150–$300 and permits from about $200–$2,000 when the city wants one. Removal of a steel tub is the cheap end. A cast-iron tub in a second-floor bath, carried out in pieces, is the expensive end of demo and can push labor by $200–$600 before any new pan goes in.
What the Money Is Actually Buying
A conversion feels small because the room stays. The wet wall does not care.
| Piece | Why it is on the invoice | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Tub demo and haul-off | Steel is light; cast iron is not. Apron tile usually breaks. | $200 – $900 |
| Shower base | Prefab acrylic, or a mortar bed with a slope | $250 – $2,400 |
| Waterproofing | The layer under tile. Kits hide this in the panel. | $0 in a kit – $900 for a membrane system |
| Valve | Old two-handle valves fail code and scald tests in many cities once you open the wall | $150 cartridge – $900 new valve |
| Walls | Panels in a day, or backer, membrane, and tile | $400 – $6,000 |
| Glass or a rod | A rod is $40. Frameless glass is a separate trade. | $40 – $2,200 |
| Floor patch outside the alcove | The tub apron covered flooring that now needs a strip | $150 – $800 |
| Drywall and paint outside the alcove | Plumbing access from the back, or a torn surround | $200 – $700 |
If the quote is a single number, ask which of those rows are in it. The bids that look “too cheap” usually omit glass, a new valve, or the floor patch, then add them after the tub is gone.
Materials, in the Order They Change the Price
Acrylic and fiberglass kits are the budget path because the waterproofing is the panel itself, glued and caulked to a flange. A 60×30 alcove kit at a home center is often $600–$1,400 before adhesive and trim. Cultured marble panels cost more and still install as a system. They look smoother than a cheap surround and they still have caulk joints you will maintain.
Tile costs more because of labor, not because of the tile box. Ceramic field tile can be $2–$8 per sq ft at retail. Porcelain and larger formats run $6–$18. A standard alcove — three walls about 60 inches wide by 32 inches deep, tiled to about 80 inches — is roughly (5 + 2.5 + 2.5) × 6.7 ≈ 67 sq ft of wall, plus a curb, plus cuts. Order 15% extra for a straight lay and 20% for a niche or a diagonal. That is a tile calculator problem, not a guess at the store. Installed pricing for the same work, when it is part of a larger bath, is broken out in Tile Installation Cost.
Glass is the line people add at the end. A curtain and a straight rod keep a $4,000 acrylic job at $4,000. A semi-frameless door on a 60-inch alcove is often $700–$1,400 installed. Frameless, heavy glass is $1,200–$2,200 and needs a solid curb or a clamp detail the installer will specify. Measure after the pan is set, not from the old tub drawing.
A niche in a tile wall is $250–$700 if it is framed before the membrane. Cutting one into a finished acrylic panel is a warranty problem. Decide before the kit is ordered.
The Drain and the Valve
Most alcove conversions keep the drain where the tub drain was. The new pan is drilled or molded for that spot. That is the cheap path.
Moving the drain — to center it in a larger shower, or to make a curbless entry — means opening the floor or the ceiling below. On a raised foundation with friendly joists, budget $800–$2,000. On a slab, budget $1,500–$3,500, and more if the pipe runs under a finished room you did not plan to open.
The valve is the other fork:
| Situation | What to do | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Modern single-handle valve, cartridge still made | Replace the cartridge, keep the valve | $150 – $350 |
| Two-handle or discontinued valve | Replace with a pressure-balance valve | $400 – $900 installed |
| You want a hand shower and a rain head | Diverter and a second outlet | $250 – $800 on top of the valve |
Many cities require a pressure-balance or thermostatic valve once the wall is open, even if the old valve “worked.” A bid that reuses a 1980s two-handle valve is not a bargain if the inspector fails it.
Permits
Like-for-like panel swaps over an existing drain are exempt in some cities and a plumbing permit in others. Assume you need a permit if any of these are true: the drain moves, the valve moves, you add a light or a fan circuit inside the shower zone, or you change the alcove size. Planning fees are often $150–$600. Large cities and coastal California can reach $800–$2,000 when plan check is involved. HomeAdvisor’s published permit band of $200–$2,000 matches that spread.
Pulling the permit is not optional window dressing. An unpermitted shower is the wet-area issue buyers and insurers ask about, because the leak is hidden. If you are in California, the labor rate and the license rules are covered in Bathroom Remodel Cost in California. Add about 20–40% to the national pro column there, and do not hire an unlicensed installer for a multi-thousand-dollar wet job.
Waterproofing Is the Line You Do Not Cut
Acrylic kits fail at the seams and the pan joint if the alcove is out of square or the flange is buried wrong. Tile showers fail behind the tile, where you cannot see them, when the membrane is skipped or the pan does not slope to the drain (a quarter inch per foot is the usual target).
Ask every tile bidder to name the system: a sheet membrane, a liquid membrane, or a specific foam-pan kit. “Cement board and redgard, trust me” is not a spec. Remediation after a failed shower — tile off, wood replaced, redo — runs $3,000–$8,000 in a normal alcove and more if the subfloor went soft. That number is the same one we use in the tile guide, because it is the same failure.
A prefab pan with tile walls is the compromise that still needs a real membrane on the walls. The pan does not waterproof the studs above it.
DIY: Where It Works
DIY is realistic for a kit in a square alcove with the same drain, a valve you are not moving, and walls that are flat. It is a bad first tile project.
| You save | You still buy or risk |
|---|---|
| Pro labor of about $1,500–$4,000 on a kit | A full weekend, a helper for the tub, and a dump run |
| Markup on a home-center kit | The kit’s warranty if you miss a step in the instructions |
| Nothing on a custom pan | The whole wet wall if the slope is wrong |
Tools: a reciprocating saw for a stubborn tub flange, a level, a drill, and the adhesive the kit names. If you tile, a wet tile saw matters more than the brand of trowel. Renting a saw for a day is about $50–$90, which is cheaper than one ruined slab of porcelain.
Do not DIY the valve if you have never sweated or crimped supply lines. A shutoff that will not shut off turns a Saturday into a ceiling repair downstairs.
Accessibility and the Only Tub in the House
A low-curb or curbless shower is the conversion people want for aging in place. The curb on a standard prefab pan is often 3–5 inches. A true curbless entry needs a linear drain, a recessed floor, and usually tile. That is why the table jumps to $12,000–$22,000.
Grab bars need solid blocking. Adding blocking during the remodel is $80–$200 a bar location. Retrofitting them into hollow tile later means opening the wall. Put the blocking in even if you do not install the bars yet.
Resale is the other constraint. If this is the only bathtub and buyers in your area have small children, some of them will want the tub back. A second bath that keeps a tub, plus a shower conversion in the primary, is the usual compromise. If you are staying ten years and the tub is a hazard, the resale question is secondary. Price it that way on purpose.
Sample Budgets
Totals are the sum of the lines.
DIY acrylic kit — $1,300 materials
| Line | Cost |
|---|---|
| 60×30 alcove kit | $890 |
| Valve cartridge and install supplies | $160 |
| Vinyl floor patch | $90 |
| Dump fee | $75 |
| Caulk, shims, misc. | $85 |
| Materials total | $1,300 |
Your labor is the rest. This assumes the alcove is square and the drain lines up with the pan.
Pro acrylic, new valve — $4,200
| Line | Cost |
|---|---|
| Kit and pan | $1,150 |
| Pressure-balance valve | $420 |
| Drywall patch and paint outside the alcove | $380 |
| Floor transition | $160 |
| Labor | $1,850 |
| Haul-off | $240 |
| Total | $4,200 |
No permit line, because this stack keeps the drain and some cities exempt it. If yours does not, add the fee before you start.
Pro tile on a prefab pan, with glass — $9,400
| Line | Cost |
|---|---|
| Demo and haul-off | $450 |
| Prefab pan | $380 |
| Waterproofing system | $520 |
| Tile material, about 70 sq ft at $8 | $560 |
| Tile and plumbing labor | $5,400 |
| Semi-frameless glass door | $1,150 |
| New valve | $480 |
| Floor repair outside the alcove | $280 |
| Permit | $180 |
| Total | $9,400 |
Curbless tile, coastal labor — $17,100
| Line | Cost |
|---|---|
| Demo | $800 |
| Linear drain and mud bed | $2,400 |
| Waterproofing | $900 |
| Porcelain | $1,200 |
| Labor | $7,800 |
| Frameless glass | $2,200 |
| Valve, diverter removed | $650 |
| Floor tile patch outside the alcove | $700 |
| Permit | $450 |
| Total | $17,100 |
This is the number to use in a Bay Area or coastal Southern California primary bath when someone says “while we’re at it, make it curbless.” It is not a kit price with a nicer door.
Timeline
| Path | Construction time | What actually takes longer |
|---|---|---|
| Acrylic kit, materials in hand | 1–2 days | Ordering the right pan size |
| Tile alcove, same drain | 4–8 working days | Dry time on the membrane and grout |
| Curbless or moved drain | 1–3 weeks | Floor structure and inspection |
| Whole small-bath remodel around the conversion | 2–4 weeks | Vanity lead time, not the shower |
If the rest of the 5×8 is also tired, doing the shower alone and the vanity the next year is coherent. Doing the shower, then tearing out the new floor strip to tile the whole room six months later is not. Decide the floor once.
FAQ
How much does it cost to convert a tub to a shower in 2026?
Most pro conversions cost $2,500–$10,000. Acrylic kits installed in the same alcove often land at $2,200–$5,500. Custom tile with glass is commonly $8,000–$15,000. Curbless showers that move the drain start around $12,000 and run past $20,000 in high-cost metros.
Is it cheaper to refinish a tub or convert it?
Refinishing or a reglaze is often $400–$800. A new acrylic surround over a tub you are keeping is often $800–$2,500. A conversion replaces the tub, so it costs more than a refinish by a wide margin — typically several thousand dollars, not a few hundred. Convert because you want a shower entry, not because the glaze looks dull.
Can I do a tub-to-shower conversion myself?
Yes for a manufactured alcove kit when the drain stays and the walls are flat. Budget about $700–$2,200 in materials. Leave tile waterproofing, drain moves, and valve replacement to a plumber and a tile setter unless you have done those trades before.
Do I need a permit?
Often yes if the valve or drain changes, or if you add wiring. A same-drain panel swap is exempt in some cities and not in others. Call the building department with the scope in one sentence and write down the answer. Fees are commonly $150–$600, higher in large coastal cities.
Will a tub-to-shower conversion hurt resale?
It helps when the tub is awkward and the house still has another tub, or when buyers in your area are mostly without young children. It can hurt when you remove the only tub. The conversion itself does not have a published national recoup rate the way a full midrange bath remodel does (about 80% in the 2025 Cost vs. Value report). Treat it as a use decision first.
How much tile do I need for a standard alcove?
A 60-inch by 32-inch alcove tiled to about 80 inches is on the order of 65–75 sq ft of wall tile before waste, plus curb and a niche. Add 15% for a grid layout. Run the tile calculator with your measured width, not the tub catalog size, after the tub is out if the opening is not square.
Related Guides
- Bathroom Remodel Cost Calculator — add a same-drain conversion to a full-bath budget
- Small Bathroom Remodel Cost — the 5×8 around the alcove, if the shower is only one part of the job
- Bathroom Remodel Cost — national full-bath ranges
- Bathroom Remodel Cost in California — labor, permits, and the coastal premium
- Powder Room Remodel Cost — a half-bath has no tub to convert; do not use this page for it
- Tile Installation Cost — per-square-foot pricing for the tile path
- Tile Calculator — wall area plus waste
- Best Wet Tile Saw for DIY — if you are cutting the porcelain yourself
Sources
- Angi, “How Much Does Tub-to-Shower Conversion Cost? (2026)”: national average about $3,000, typical range $1,500–$8,000, custom tiled walk-in $3,500–$15,000. angi.com tub-to-shower cost.
- HomeAdvisor, tub-to-shower conversion cost: typical $1,500–$8,000, tub removal about $150–$300, permits about $200–$2,000. homeadvisor.com convert tub to shower.
- Remodeling magazine Cost vs. Value Report 2025, national midrange bathroom remodel job cost $26,138, about 80% recouped — context for a full bath, not for a conversion alone. Cost vs. Value 2025.
Ranges are national planning figures for 2026. Match a local bid to a row in the scope table before you compare it to the average.