Shower remodel costs
Updated October 2026
A shower remodel costs $200–$15,000 installed, with most projects around $8,000 (BobVila's national average). This Old House's 2026 survey of 1,000 owners puts a custom shower at $8,500–$10,000. Where you land is set almost entirely by shower type — prefab runs cheapest, walk-in and custom tile reach the top. Every figure below is a cited installed band; per-source ranges are kept separate and never averaged.
Shower remodel cost by type
Type, not size, moves the number. A prefab swap sits roughly half the custom walk-in figure at the typical point. All rows are installed — equipment plus labor, standard reconnects and haul-away.
| Shower type | Installed cost (low–typical–high) | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Prefab / alcove | $3,000–$4,500–$8,000 | Acrylic/fiberglass kit, plumbing reuse |
| Tub-and-shower combo | $3,000–$5,000–$7,000 | Combo unit; plumbing changes push the top |
| Walk-in | $4,200–$7,000–$10,000 | Glass enclosure, tile, curb vs curbless |
| Whole shower (any type) | $200–$8,000–$15,000 | Full-project envelope across all types |
Source detail: prefab = TOH $3,000–$6,000 installed with BobVila $200–$8,000 kit (+$400–$1,000 install); combo = TOH $3,500–$7,000 with BobVila 3,000 avg; walk-in = BobVila $4,200–$8,500 (custom $6,000–$10,000) with TOH custom $8,500–$10,000; whole shower = BobVila avg 8,000 (range $200–$15,000) with TOH 2026 survey $8,500–$10,000. Per-source bands kept separate — never averaged.
Shower remodel cost by size
This Old House's 2026 survey (n = 1,000) bands the shower by footprint — a more granular view than the type table, and a single publisher's figures:
- Small (36×36 in) — $8,500–$9,000
- Medium (48×36 in) — $9,000–$9,500
- Large (60×36 in) — $9,500–$10,000
Size adds only a few hundred dollars across these tiers — the gulf between a prefab swap and a custom walk-in is far larger than the gap between a small and a large custom shower.
Line-item costs (what the installed band bundles)
A shower remodel is a stack of parts plus labor. Seeing them separately explains the spread — and lets you price a partial job (retile only, or a new door). Bands are per the item's own unit:
| Line item | Band (low–typical–high) | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Shower pan / base | $200–$1,500–$3,500 | per pan |
| Shower door / enclosure | $350–$900–$2,000 | per door |
| Shower drain | $400–$450–$500 | per drain |
| Shower head / fixtures | $20–$110–$500 | per fixture |
| Waterproofing liner / membrane | $1–$2–$4 | per sq ft |
| Shower tile / retiling | $6–$19–$32 | per sq ft |
| Old shower removal / disposal | $70–$400–$800 | per shower |
Flags (stated, not hidden): the drain, waterproofing-membrane, retiling and removal rows are single-publisher — treat them as directional, not settled national bands. The pan and door rows draw on two publishers. Standardized door kits (BobVila $1,000–$3,000) sit above the per-door band and are noted separately. Unit caution: tile and membrane are priced per sq ft, not per project — a 30 sq ft wall at $19/sq ft is about $570 in tile work alone; membrane at $2/sq ft adds roughly $60.
Scope: alcove vs walk-in vs luxury
- Prefab / alcove ($3,000–$8,000). Cheapest path: an acrylic or fiberglass kit dropped into an existing alcove, reusing plumbing. Best when the footprint and drain location stay put.
- Tub-and-shower combo ($3,000–$7,000). A combined unit — good if you want to keep a tub. Plumbing changes push you toward the top.
- Walk-in ($4,200–$10,000). Curbless or low-curb entry, tile and glass. Custom pan, enclosure and waterproofing drive the high end.
- Tub-to-shower conversion. Priced like a walk-in less the combo's tub — budget from the walk-in band plus removal ($70–$800).
What drives the cost
- Shower type. Prefab → walk-in → luxury is the dominant lever. A prefab swap typically runs about half a custom walk-in.
- Size. Within one type, footprint moves the number only a few hundred dollars (TOH small → large: $8,500 → $10,000).
- Materials and tile. Tile ($6–$32/sq ft) and glass enclosure ($350–$2,000) are the big finish variables.
- Waterproofing and substrate. Membrane runs $1–$4/sq ft; hidden damage to the substrate/pan is quoted after tear-out.
- Layout changes. Moving the drain, valve or walls converts a like-for-like swap into a re-plumb — priced off the line items.
What is not included
- Local labor rates. These are national bands; your market can sit above or below them.
- Permits. Commonly required when plumbing or waterproofing changes; jurisdiction-dependent and not in the bands.
- Hidden rot or mold. Discovered after tear-out; quoted separately.
- Design fees for custom/luxury builds.
Repair or remodel?
- Retile only — if the pan, valve and drain are sound, retiling runs off the per-sq-ft band ($6–$32/sq ft). Usually the cheapest real upgrade.
- New door or head only — a door ($350–$2,000) or head ($20–$500) swap is a same-day upgrade that skips demolition entirely.
- Full remodel — when the pan, drain or waterproofing has failed, a tear-out is unavoidable; budget from the type band plus removal ($70–$800).
Frequently asked questions
How much does a shower remodel cost?
$200–$15,000 installed depending on type, with most projects around $8,000. TOH's 2026 survey puts a custom shower at $8,500–$10,000.
Is a walk-in shower cheaper than a tub-shower combo?
No — at the typical point a walk-in ($7,000) runs above a combo ($5,000); a prefab/alcove unit ($4,500) is the cheapest full replacement.
How much does it cost to retile a shower?
About $6–$32 per sq ft (BobVila, single publisher); typical is ~$19/sq ft.
Do I need a permit to remodel a shower?
Often yes when plumbing or waterproofing changes. Permit fees are jurisdiction-dependent and not included in these bands.
Sources
- This Old House — Shower Remodel Cost (2026 survey) — scrape, reliability: high
- BobVila — Shower Remodel Cost — scrape, reliability: high
Shower remodel cost calculator
Pick what you're installing. The result is your dataset's installed range — equipment plus labor — with confidence flags shown, and optional pan, door and removal add-ons.
Estimated installed cost
$4,200–$7,000–$10,000
low · typical · high, installed. installed, walk-in shower. Base project only — no add-ons.
BobVila walk-in $4,200-$8,500 (custom $6,000-$10,000); TOH custom walk-in $8,500-$10,000. Recorded $4,200-$10,000.
No quality flags on this row.
Estimate only — get local written quotes. Figures are national installed bands from public cost guides (This Old House, BobVila) as of October 2026, not verified contractor pricing. Unit: installed, whole-shower project. The drain, waterproofing-membrane, retiling and removal rows are single-publisher and flagged; per-source bands are kept separate, never averaged. Related: the bathroom remodel hub and the full bathroom remodel cost guide — or run your numbers in the shower remodel cost calculator.