How Much Does it Cost to Replace a Shower?

The cost of remodeling or replacing your shower can range between $3,118 for uncomplicated replacements and up to $10,126 for major overhauls. The average cost of remodeling your shower is $6,576.¹

A shower remodel could be as affordable as low four figures, but choosing more expensive materials, fixtures or tile can quickly double or even triple that number. The variability in the number comes down to a number of different factors.

The size and type of shower is the most significant factor in determining the cost of your remodel. A small walk-in prefabricated shower will be far less expensive to replace than a large walk-in or bathtub/shower combo that includes tile and trendy black shower doors. A simple replacement will require less demolition, little movement of essential plumbing and no tile work.

On the other hand, a full-scale shower remodel will be labor intensive during both the demolition and construction phase and is more likely to uncover problems like mold or rot.

Remodeling your shower can mean many things. Are you planning to reglaze your tub, regrout your tile, replace your shower head and call it a day? Or are you going to demolish not only your shower, but also change its footprint or location? These two scenarios represent a few hundred dollars in costs or multiple thousands. It's essential to clearly define the scope of the project before taking a hammer to those tiles or calling a contractor.

Your home's age will play an important role in the cost of your project. If it's older, chances are good that you'll need to update the home's plumbing, insulation or even structural integrity. It's common to uncover unsafe or outdated plumbing and electrical, sagging joists or inadequate insulation in older homes.

The brand and quality of the faucet, shower head and drain you choose can vary significantly. You could opt for a basic set from your local big box store for a few hundred bucks or go for an expensive spa-like set of fixtures from a well-known brand name.

Shower doors have come in and out of fashion over the years, and black framed shower doors are enjoying 15 minutes of trendiness. While these doors are sleek and stylish, they're also in demand and expensive. Expect to pay between $1,000 and $2,000, depending on the size.³

Shower curtains, in contrast, remain inexpensive and timeless. They're washable and replaceable, ensuring they always look clean and fresh. That said, shower curtains have some downsides. For example, they are prone to mold and mildew, and aren't solid, which means they don't always protect the rest of the bathroom from shower water.

Adding tile to your shower remodel will greatly impact its cost. Tile is a labor-intensive finish to install, requiring many hours of careful placement and precision cuts by a professional. Larger tiles take less time to install but are less forgiving for anyone looking to do it themselves.

You can expect to pay $2.00 per square foot for the materials, $1.35 per square foot for the setting materials, and another $8.00 per square foot to have a professional do the installation.²

Anytime you replace any device in your home that uses water, be prepared to repair water damage. Leaking shower pans, cracked grout and faulty shower heads are all culprits of water damage that can result in damaged subfloors, moldy drywall or even rotted joists and studs.

Once you remove the existing shower, you'll need to inspect the remaining components and repair them if they are damaged. This aspect of planning for a shower remodel is difficult because you can't know until your project is started. To prepare for the unexpected, add 10% to 15% of your project budget for unplanned repair costs.⁴

Each shower project is so unique that it's difficult to categorize them, here's a breakdown of shower replacement costs into four broad categories.

Source: bobvila.com¹

Installing a shower is a project for an experienced do-it-yourselfer or a professional. That said, even if you've never tackled a plumbing project before, there are aspects of a shower remodel that you could complete yourself. For example, demolishing your shower tile and pan is an excellent project for a homeowner—just make sure to turn off the water.

Taking on this portion of the project can significantly reduce the overall project costs. Another example of a DIY-able portion of the project is tiling. Depending on the type of tile you choose (smaller is generally easier for tile newbies), you should be able to tackle this portion of the project under a contractor's guidance.

While hiring a professional to complete your project will increase its cost, keep in mind that a bathroom performs several essential functions in a home, and being without one can be a significant inconvenience. Hiring a contractor can be the right move if you're looking to complete your shower remodel in a short time frame.

If you have another bathroom that can fill this essential role for your household and don't mind the idea of taking several weeks (or months) to remodel your shower, doing it yourself is an option.

The cost of replacing your shower is very difficult to quantify because there are many variables to consider. Here are some general suggestions to help you calculate your shower replacement costs. You can also obtain three quotes from reputable contractors, including a tailored cost estimate.

• Will you demolish the shower yourself or hire a professional? If you plan to do it yourself, you won't pay any labor costs, but you will create a huge amount of construction debris. Plan to rent a roll-away dumpster from a service like 1-800-GOT-JUNK or a haul-away construction debris bag like a Bagster.

• Consider whether you plan to replace a prefabricated shower, remodel a walk-in shower or remodel a tub-shower combination. Replacing a prefabricated shower is the least expensive option, and the other two are more expensive.

• Does your shower remodel require tile? If so, plan to pay between $2.00 per square foot for just the materials and $8.00 per square foot for a professional, including materials.²

You'll likely need to do some repairs during your remodel. You want to be prepared for that. Once you have an estimated shower remodel cost, make sure to add 10% to 15% of your project cost to the total for unexpected repairs.⁴

Consider whether you need to replace or remodel your shower. In fact, what's the difference between these two terms?

Put simply, if your shower is made of a fiberglass base, glass walls and sold together as a kit, you may be able to replace it with a completely new kit. You may not need to make changes to the plumbing or the flooring or patch the drywall.

If you have a shower finished with tile, you won't be able to remove the old assembly and start fresh. Instead, you'll need to remodel it, which is the messy process of removing the old tile and drywall board underneath and replacing it with new tile and perhaps a new shower pan and fixtures.

Replacing your shower is more cost-effective, but you can only go this route if you have a prefabricated shower setup like this one. If you have tile in your shower, you'll have no choice but to remodel.

If you're unsure whether your shower needs to be replaced, look for these telltale signs:

• Leaks: A leaking shower will damage flooring and adjacent baseboards, along with anything underneath it. Leaks are a reason to replace your shower immediately.

• Cracking or chips: If your shower pan or base is cracked or has chips, this can cause rust or leaks, if you can't seal the cracks right away, consider a replacement.

• Mold or mildew: Black mold is a sign that water is getting past your shower enclosure into the drywall or flooring behind it. While you can abate mold temporarily, eventually, you'll need to replace anything contaminated by the substance.

• Water incursion: Leaks don't always show up around the shower stall, sometimes they appear on the ceiling or walls on the floor below, make sure to check around light fixtures for bubbling or discolored drywall.

• A soft shower pan: If you step on the floor of your shower and it moves or flexes, you may have a leak near your drain which is causing rot.

• Broken or rusty fixtures or doors: Jagged edges and rust are a danger to shower users, and represent an urgent replacement need.