Shower Remodel Cost Calculator

A shower remodel typically costs $3,000 to $15,000, depending on the scope and materials. A cosmetic refresh (new fixtures, door, and reglazing) can run $1,500 to $4,000, replacing the surround and re-tiling about $4,000 to $8,000, a tub-to-shower conversion about $5,000 to $12,000, and a full gut-and-rebuild with premium tile or stone $10,000 to $15,000+. The biggest drivers are how much you tear out (the scope), the surround material (prefab acrylic ~$35/sq ft is cheapest, tile ~$70/sq ft is mid, natural stone ~$120/sq ft is priciest), the fixture level, and the shower door. A frameless glass enclosure, heated floors, and custom tile add up quickly. A ~$800 job minimum applies. Enter your shower size, scope, and surround above for a localized estimate.

They sit along a scope spectrum, from light and cheap to full and expensive. A refresh (~$1,200 base) is a cosmetic update that keeps the existing footprint and base — new showerhead and valve trim, a new door, fresh caulk, and maybe reglazing the surround or pan — for a fresh look with minimal demolition. Replacing the surround (~$2,500 base) tears off the old walls and installs new tile or a new surround on the same footprint. A tub-to-shower conversion (~$4,000 base) removes a bathtub and builds a walk-in shower in its place, which adds plumbing work since the drain usually has to move. A full gut-and-rebuild (~$5,000 base) tears out everything — walls, pan, sometimes plumbing — and rebuilds from the studs, allowing layout changes and the highest-end finishes. This calculator's scope selection sets a base cost that reflects how much demolition and plumbing the project actually involves.

Converting a bathtub into a walk-in shower typically costs about $5,000 to $12,000, depending on the surround material, fixtures, and door. The work involves removing the old tub, adjusting the plumbing — the drain usually has to move, since a shower drain sits in a different spot than a tub drain — building and waterproofing a new shower pan (or setting a prefab base), installing the surround (tile or acrylic), and adding the valve, head, and door. Tub-to-shower conversions are popular both for modernizing a dated bathroom and for accessibility, since a low-threshold or curbless entry is far easier to step into than climbing over a tub wall. They're a strong selling point too — as long as the home keeps at least one bathtub elsewhere for resale to families. This calculator's tub-to-shower scope captures the extra demolition and drain-relocation work.

Each has clear trade-offs. Acrylic or fiberglass prefab surrounds (~$35/sq ft here) are the most affordable and the easiest to clean, with no grout lines to maintain, but offer a more basic look and limited customization. Tile (~$70/sq ft) is the most popular choice for its huge range of styles, colors, and custom designs and its classic, high-quality appearance — but it costs more, needs skilled labor, and the grout requires periodic sealing and cleaning. Natural stone (~$120/sq ft) — marble, travertine, slate, or slab — gives the most luxurious, high-end look and the strongest resale appeal, but it's the most expensive, heavy, and needs sealing and careful maintenance. For budget and low upkeep, acrylic wins; for a custom designer look, tile; for luxury, stone. The calculator prices the surround per square foot of footprint as a proxy for the wall area tiled, so a bigger shower costs proportionally more.

Yes — proper waterproofing is the single most important and non-negotiable part of a shower remodel, especially a tile shower. Behind the tile you can see, a shower needs a continuous waterproof barrier: a membrane system (sheet or liquid), a properly built and sloped pan, and sealed seams and corners, all keeping water from reaching the framing and subfloor where it causes rot and mold. Skipping or skimping on waterproofing is the leading cause of shower failures and expensive hidden water damage that surfaces years later. It's a critical distinction that tile itself and grout are not waterproof — water passes through grout, and the membrane behind it is what actually keeps the structure dry. Modern systems make for reliable, decades-long showers when installed correctly. This calculator includes a premium waterproofing-membrane add-on; whatever you do, make sure your contractor uses a proper, code-compliant method — it's never the place to cut corners.

For many homeowners, yes, though it's the priciest door option. Frameless glass enclosures use thick tempered glass with minimal hardware and no bulky metal frame, giving a clean, open, high-end look that shows off the tile or stone and makes the bathroom feel larger and brighter. They're also easier to keep clean, since there's no frame to trap water, grime, and mold. The trade-offs are cost (often $1,400+ here, versus $600–$800 for framed or sliding glass and free for a curtain) and that they're custom-measured and installed. Framed and sliding glass doors are more budget-friendly and still a major upgrade over a curtain. If you're investing in nice tile or stone and want the most polished result, a frameless enclosure is a popular splurge; if you're on a budget, a framed or sliding door delivers most of the visual upgrade for far less. This calculator lets you compare curtain, framed, sliding, and frameless.

A shower remodel typically takes about 1 to 3 weeks, depending on the scope. A simple refresh (fixtures, door, re-caulk, reglaze) might be done in a few days, while replacing a tiled surround or doing a tub-to-shower conversion usually runs 1 to 2 weeks, and a full gut-and-rebuild with custom tile or stone can take 2 to 3 weeks or more. The timeline includes demolition, any plumbing changes, building and waterproofing the pan and walls (with required dry and cure time), tile setting and grouting, and installing fixtures and the glass door — and custom glass is often measured only after tiling and takes a week or two to fabricate. Custom tile patterns and natural stone add time. Because your shower is out of commission during the project, plan for an alternate bathroom if it's your only shower. A contractor can give a firm timeline once the scope, surround, and door are set.

Yes — bathroom and shower updates are consistently among the better home improvements for resale appeal, and a fresh, modern, well-built shower is a feature buyers notice. Updating a dated, worn, or leaky shower removes a red flag and makes the bathroom feel clean and current, which helps both the sale price and how quickly a home sells. Tub-to-shower conversions and walk-in showers are especially appealing to many buyers, including those wanting aging-in-place accessibility — as long as the home keeps at least one bathtub somewhere for resale to families. As with any remodel, the best returns come from quality, well-waterproofed work that fits the home; over-the-top luxury in a modest home returns less. A mid-range, attractive shower remodel generally offers a solid balance of enjoyment now and value at resale, and the waterproofing quality matters as much to longevity (and to a home inspector) as the finish you can see.