Shower Remodel Cost: Walk-In, Curbless and Tub-to-Shower

The shower is usually where the money in a bathroom goes, because it has the most layers: framing, a sloped floor, waterproofing, tile or panels, a valve inside the wall, and glass. This page explains which of those choices move the price, and gives JDI Construction's published planning ranges for the shower upgrades in its bathroom cost calculator. As with every figure in this guide, they are ranges, not quotes.

JDI planning ranges for showers

JDI's calculator prices a bathroom by room type and tier, then lists shower upgrades as add-ons. It does not publish a separate range for a shower-only job. Start with the bathroom range that fits your room, then add the shower features you want.

JDI Construction planning ranges, before sales tax. Not a quote.

For reference, JDI's full or hall bath range (toilet, vanity, tub or shower) is $20,000-$32,000 at Essential, $32,000-$58,000 at Signature and $58,000-$95,000 at Luxury. A primary suite with a walk-in shower is $38,000-$58,000, $58,000-$98,000 and $98,000-$185,000 across the same tiers. The full tables, with tax and permit fees, are on bathroom remodel cost in Vancouver, WA.

Size and shape

A larger shower takes more tile, more membrane, more glass and more labor. Shape matters as much as area: every corner, niche and bench adds cuts and waterproofing details. Washington sets a floor on size. Its amendment to the plumbing code (WAC 51-56-0400, UPC 408.6) requires a shower to have at least 900 square inches of finished interior and to fit a 30-inch circle, with an exception for a receptor at least 30 by 60 inches. That rules out squeezing a very small shower into a tight closet and is worth checking before you fall for a layout.

How the floor and walls are built

Prefabricated base or site-built floor

A one-piece shower base arrives sloped and finished. A tiled floor built in place has to be sloped to the drain by hand, which is more labor and more skill. The model Uniform Plumbing Code sets that slope at no less than 1/8 inch and no more than 1/2 inch per foot (UPC 408.5). See shower pans and bases for the trade-offs.

Waterproofing

Tile and grout are not waterproof on their own. The waterproof layer is underneath: a traditional liner under a mortar bed, or a sheet or liquid-applied membrane bonded to solid backing. The Tile Council of North America notes that under its bonded-membrane methods the membrane must cover the backing under the entire area to be tiled. This is a line to keep, not cut. Waterproofing explained covers the systems.

Tile or panels

Tile costs more to install than panels because of the number of pieces, cuts and joints, and small tile costs more to set than large tile on a flat wall. Large-format tile saves joints but needs flatter walls. A patterned or inlaid wall is priced as its own add-on. Tile vs panel shower walls compares the options.

Curbless and wet-room showers

A curbless shower lets you walk in without a step, which suits aging in place. The cost is under the tile: the shower floor must slope to the drain while the entry stays flush, so the floor framing is usually recessed or rebuilt. The UPC (408.5) says that where a shower has no threshold, the floor space within the same room is a wet location under the building, residential and electrical codes. A wet room takes that further by waterproofing the whole floor, often with the tub inside the wet zone. Read curbless showers and wet room bathrooms before choosing.

The valve and trim

Code sets a baseline here, so you are not choosing whether to have scald protection. The UPC (408.3) requires a pressure-balance, thermostatic or combination valve, and limits water from a showerhead to 120°F. Cost rises with the number of outlets: a handheld, body sprays or a second head need more valve capacity and more piping in the wall. In Washington, multiple outlets on one valve may not exceed a combined 1.8 gallons per minute at 80 psi unless only one runs at a time (WAC 51-56-0400, UPC 408.2.1). Shower valves and controls explains the types.

Glass

Shower doors and enclosures must meet the federal safety glazing standard, 16 CFR 1201. Tempered glass cannot be cut or drilled after it is tempered, which is why shower glass is measured after the tile is finished and made to fit. Price depends on the panel count, whether the door is framed or frameless, the hardware and any coating. A walk-in with one fixed panel uses less glass than a three-sided enclosure with a door. See shower glass and doors.

Niches, benches and steam

A recessed niche is a framed box that has to be waterproofed and tiled on five faces. A built-in bench is lined like the floor; the UPC (408.7) requires a site-built pan's liner to run at least 3 inches above a permanent seat's horizontal surfaces. A steam shower is a different assembly again. TCNA calls for a waterproof membrane meeting ANSI A118.10 and rated by its maker for steam use, cautions against gypsum wallboard in steam rooms, and notes that glazed tile is vapor-impermeable but grout is not. The enclosure has to be fully closed, and the generator needs its own power supply and a location nearby. That is why the steam add-on carries the widest range on the list. See shower niches and benches and steam showers.

Tub-to-shower conversions

Turning a tub alcove into a walk-in shower changes more than it looks. The cost includes removing the tub, a new shower floor and drain position, waterproofing, a nonabsorbent wall surface at least 6 feet above the floor (Washington's residential code, R307.2), a new or relocated valve, and glass. The UPC's 408.6 exception for a 30 by 60 inch receptor matters here, because a standard tub alcove is close to that size. Tub-to-shower conversion covers the decision, including whether to keep a tub somewhere in the house.

Permits for shower work

Where to save, and where not to

• Save: keep the drain and valve where they are, choose a standard size, use larger tile on walls, and pick one fixed glass panel over a full enclosure.
• Do not save: on the waterproofing system, the valve body inside the wall, or the exhaust fan. They are the parts that are expensive to redo once tile is up.

Getting a shower price for your house

JDI Construction builds walk-in, curbless and tub-to-shower conversions as part of its design-build bathroom work. A free in-home visit, an itemized plan and a 3D design layout come first, then a firm written quote. See shower remodeling in Vancouver, check the current walk-in shower and tub offer (offers change), or run your numbers in the bathroom cost calculator.