How Much Does It Cost to Remove a Tub and Install a Walk-In Shower
Installing a walk-in shower has become one of the more popular home improvement projects in recent years.
With benefits like more space to bathe, luxury features, greater safety, and the ability to increase your home’s value it makes sense many homeowners are getting a walk-in shower.
This guide will answer the question, ‘How much do walk-in showers cost?’ and give you the price range so you can decide if it’s right for you.
Let’s get into it!
Factors That Affect Walk-In Shower Costs
Walk-in showers can have a wide range of prices and it really depends on several different things.
Everything from your location in the country, labor costs, material costs, pre-fabricated versus custom-built and more can all impact price.
The cost range of a walk-in shower is currently $1,300 – $11,408
Let’s discuss all the different things that go into installing a walk-in shower so you can determine what you want and what will work best for your lifestyle and needs.
Cost By The Type Of Walk-In Shower
There are two ‘major’ types and your choice will affect walk-in shower installation cost:
The first is pre-fabricated where the unit is already made ahead of time and customization is limited. This is the most economical choice for most homeowners. These showers are typically made from fiberglass or acrylic material and are fairly simple to install if the plumbing is already in place and ready to go.
The second type is completely custom and built-in and designed to match your space and needs perfectly. With this shower type, you will pay a higher price but the end result will be a shower that’s perfectly suited to your needs. You will be able to select the materials you want, add-ons for safety or luxury and customize each aspect of the shower from style to function.
To sum it up – the price of a walk-in shower depends on your choices. Pre-fabricated units tend to cost less while the average cost may be higher for custom showers but you may get more ‘bang for your buck’.
Cost By The Size Of Shower
One of the great aspects of modern walk-in showers is they can fit in many different spaces now. Even smaller bathrooms can have a walk-in style shower!
The cost for a larger shower is usually higher for the simple reasons it will require more material and labor costs will be increased – the bigger it is, the longer it takes to install.
However this isn’t always the case – for example, a pre-fabricated unit of a larger size may cost less than a custom shower that’s smaller in size. As with all home improvement projects, the price depends on a number of different things and each one is different.
Choosing Standard shower sizes may reduce the cost somewhat. Here are typical sizes for regular showers and walk-in showers:
Cost by Installation and Labor
One of the most significant costs for any home improvement project, including a walk-in shower installation, is labor. The cost of labor depends on a few different factors. The first is what part of the country you live in – Alabama will likely have lower labor costs than Los Angeles for example. Specialized tradespeople will come with a higher price tag than generalists. An example would be that a plumber will charge more per hour than a laborer.
An additional cost might come from hiring a licensed contractor rather than an unlicensed one.
Even though the cost might be higher, it’s a good idea to hire experts to complete specialized tasks. Will a laborer be able to do plumbing? Maybe, but the result might not be to the high standard you’d want in your project.
Additional Factors To Consider With Walk-In Shower Remodel Cost
There are some other costs to include in your walk-in shower budget.
Demolition of the old shower or bathtub and possibly other elements in the bathroom will be part of the job. The disposal of the waste materials will also cost money. A bin might be necessary for waste and then delivery and payment to the waste management facility will also add to your costs. Overall, this won’t be a huge part of your budget but this guide is meant to cover all the possibilities.
Plumbing and Waterproofing
Typically, if you are remodeling your bathroom it should already be ‘plumbed’ and ready for your new shower. This means the plumbing work should not add too much to your walk-in shower remodel cost. The work would be straightforward for an expert to hook up the new walk-in shower to the plumbing system.
However, costs will increase significantly if you are moving the shower from one area of the bathroom to another or if you are adding a net-new shower to the bathroom where no plumbing exists. This will require much more work on the part of the plumber to hook up new lines in your bathroom and could require the removal of a wall for example – which would then need to be rebuilt.
Additionally, waterproofing will be an additional cost when installing a new walk-in shower – whether it’s custom-built or prefabricated. There’s a possibility that waterproofing already exists in your shower area but this is definitely a cost to include in your bathroom remodel project.
Glass Shower Doors
Shower doors can be optional for walk-in showers as the design allows for water to remain inside the shower even while operational.
However, if you need a door, glass is the most readily available and aesthetically pleasing.
Shower doors can range in cost depending on several factors (size, style, functionality) but is an additional cost to consider when pricing out your walk-in shower.
You can get framed shower doors, frameless where it’s just the tempered glass or semi-framed – it comes down to which style you like and how much you want to pay – shower doors are typically under $1000 but range significantly in price.
Curbless And Low-Step Walk-In Showers
One of the great things about walk-in showers is they are very accessible. This is particularly handy for people with mobility issues and seniors.
Curbless walk-in showers are also known as ‘no-step showers’ which means there is no curb or ‘step up’ to get into the shower. This style also looks great even if mobility is not an issue.
There is also a low-step entry style which may be a functional style you are interested in and designed to keep water in the shower area.
The cost will mainly come from choosing custom or prefabricated so the ‘step style’ you choose won’t come at any additional cost – you simply have to select the style that works best for you
Walk-In Shower Luxury Features
If you want to have a spa-like bathing experience, walk-in shower luxury features can make it a reality. Some optional features to elevate your bathing experience include:
Walk-In Shower Safety Features
Walk-in showers have many safety features including non-slip flooring, grab bars, no-step and low-step entry, seating and more.
Depending on your needs the could affect the cost of walk-in showers for the elderly and people with mobility issues.
Professional vs. DIY Walk-In Shower Cost
If you are handy, DIY installation is an option that may save you some money. However, keep in mind there are components of a walk-in shower that may require specialized expertise.
For example, plumbing, waterproofing, and electrical work is typically done by licensed professionals.
You may save money but there’s a great benefit to having an expert complete your project – namely, peace of mind and potential warranties on parts and labor. You might not spend as much on a DIY installation but there are definite downsides if something goes wrong – even if it doesn’t happen immediately. You may end up paying the difference in damage and repairs.
If you are an expert then you can absolutely choose DIY, however, for the average ‘handy’ person the benefits of a professional installation outweigh those of a do-it-yourself job.
How to Hire a Professional
There are many different ways to hire a professional contractor to install your walk-in shower.
You can do it through a word-of-mouth recommendation, by searching online and doing research, or by using a contractor-matching service like HomeBuddy which does all the work of finding the right person for you – for free.
If you search for your own contractor here are a few things to look for that will give you a better chance of finding a reliable professional.
This is a good way to find out if the contractor you’re looking at is ‘legit’. The longer they’ve been in business, the better. We think a company with 3+ years in business is at a point where they’ve proven themselves in that regard.
Look at customer reviews online. See what experiences people have had with your chosen contractor in the past. Recent reviews are more helpful as they show you what’s happening ‘now’ rather than in the past. You can find reviews on Google or on other websites on the Internet.
How To Save on Walk-In Showers
The easiest way to save on a walk-in shower installation is to choose a prefabricated model. This means customization is limited and a contractor should be able to install the unit quickly and easily. This assumes of course that all the necessary ‘infrastructure’ is in place like plumbing, electrical for lighting, and the shower area is not going to be moved from one part of the bathroom to another.
Prefabricated units are ready to install for the most part and won’t require any extra design touches. You can still choose features but this is limited compared to a custom-designed walk-in shower.
Also, depending on the contractor, location, and the shower you actually want, a custom-designed walk-in shower can still be affordable and you get the exact style and function that you want for your bathroom.
Because there are a wide variety of materials to choose from you should be able to find less costly options and still have a beautiful walk-in shower.
Our Recommendation
As discussed above, there are several ways of finding a professional contractor. Our strongly held opinion is that finding a contractor with all the right qualifications is the simplest by using a matching service.
Of course, we recommend HomeBuddy, a free service for homeowners that matches you with an expert local walk-in shower contractor in 2-3 minutes. HomeBuddy does all the background research so you don’t have to – like examining reviews and customer feedback, checking how long the contractor has been in business, looking at licensing if appropriate and ensuring customers come first.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The average range of a walk-in shower is $5,704.
The reason there is a difference between low-end and high-end is because there are so many different custom options. You can get a prefabricated shower for a lower price than a custom shower with high-cost materials and all the bells and whistles.
The good news is there are so many different possibilities, you should be able to find a shower that fits your budget.
A walk-in shower can add financial value to your home and provides a really good return on your investment. Walk-in showers are considered a ‘luxury upgrade’ and home buyers are willing to pay a premium for such upgrades.
The short answer is yes, a walk-in shower can increase the resale value of your home!
A walk-in shower provides a lot of great benefits including more space to move around, safety features like grab bars and non-slip floors and many luxury features.
It’s a good choice for families with young children as there is room to help them bathe and also for people with mobility issues because there’s zero barrier to entry and it’s designed for safer use.
However, a walk-in shower is not a bath so if that is a necessity for you then a walk-in shower may not be for you.
A walk-in shower has many benefits you’ll enjoy. It has a smaller footprint than a tub so your bathroom will be more spacious than with a bathtub. It’s can be a safer option than a regular shower and easier to enter and exit than a bath. Plus, there are tons of customizations available to give you the perfect showering experience. Custom materials, handsets and rain shower, heated seats, lighting options – the choices are practically endless. If you want a stylish and modern bathroom, a walk-in shower is the perfect choice!
