Installing a walk-in shower costs $9,000 on average, but your total could fall anywhere between $6,000 and $12,000. A pro will consider several factors like size and type to craft your specific quote.
Your walk-in shower cost will depend on type, size, material, labor rates, and more.
A prefabricated shower kit costs half as much as a custom shower, but it won’t look as luxurious or last as long.
Though add-ons like rainfall showerheads and built-in shelves increase your bill, they boost appearance and ROI.
Installing a walk-in shower is a major renovation that requires permits, which add additional fees.
Let’s be real: You don't always want to step over a bathtub to take a shower. The average cost of a walk-in shower is $9,000, but prices often range between $6,000 and $12,000. This notably large difference is due to the multitude of options available, from fully-customized luxury showers to semi-prefabricated options that won’t break the bank. Keep reading if you’re wondering how much a walk-in shower costs based on size, type, and other factors.
Like most projects, the larger your shower, the more it will cost. That said, you may be able to save money if you choose a standard-sized shower because it will typically fit into your pre-existing space without the need for extensive renovations. These are the two most common shower sizes:
Standard-sized shower: 32-by-32 inches
Accessible shower: 36-by-36 inches
The latter is the minimum size that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)—but otherwise, you can customize your shower to your liking.
Walk-in shower cost is largely dictated by type. You’ll almost always spend less on a prefabricated kit than on a custom walk-in shower. Which type works best for your home depends on your needs and budget.
Prefabricated shower kits are simple to install and made from inexpensive materials—usually fiberglass or acrylic. Most manufactured shower stalls cost anywhere from $700 to $3,000. You can find prefab models made from lightweight plastic for as little as $300.
Prefabricated walk-in showers are:
Relatively affordable
Simple to install
Expensive to repair or upgrade
In standard sizes only
Custom walk-in showers cost between $4,200 and $8,500. High-end materials and fully-customized features raise the price. Homeowners love custom showers because they have an essentially limitless number of options. You can choose your own water-tolerant tile, luxury features, and size (as long as it fits the bathroom's footprint).
Custom walk-in showers are:
Available in limitless options
Easier to repair or upgrade
Complicated to install
More expensive up-front
Higher-end materials will increase your walk-in shower installation cost. If you’re going with a custom shower, you have a larger range of options—but something like cultured marble will cost more than tile.
Here’s how your walk-in shower material will affect its price:
Walk-In Shower Material | Average Cost Range |
---|---|
Acrylic insert | $500–$2,000 |
Fiberglass insert | $400–$2,000 |
Tile | $2–$17 per sq. ft. |
Marble | $10–$35 per sq. ft. |
Cultured granite, Corian®, and other stones | $40–$65 per sq. ft. |
Shower conversions can be complex and may require a contractor to remove a wall back to the studs to ensure the entire area is waterproof. This could reveal hidden, costly plumbing challenges, so make sure you have extra space in the budget if you're planning a shower conversion.
Materials and labor make up the bulk of your shower installation cost, but there are other factors to consider as well. These include permits, demolition of the existing tub or shower, accessibility features, and customizations.
Most states require a permit for renovations, especially if they involve plumbing. Expect to spend around $250 on the cost of a permit, but prices could go as high as $500.
If you’re converting your bathtub into a walk-in shower, you’ll have to pay extra to remove your tub and prep the new surface. For most homeowners, the total cost of a tub-to-shower conversion ranges from $1,200 to $8,000—unless you choose expensive materials and custom tiling, which will raise costs.
Tub-to-shower conversions have an average ROI of 60%, but some buyers prefer to have at least one bathtub in the home. If you still have a bathtub in another bathroom, a walk-in shower could be worthwhile.
Demolition is part of the cost of a shower remodel. You’ll spend $50 to $100 to remove your old shower, $300 to $1,000 to remove a non-load-bearing wall (if you’re doing serious renovations), and $250 to remove construction debris.
If you’re building a custom shower, you may need to waterproof your shower tile. Contractors will install a waterproof membrane below your custom shower pan, usually in the form of a sheet membrane that runs from $500 to $1,000 or a liquid membrane that runs from $50 to $800. On top of that, you’ll pay for the additional labor.
Glass doors are chic, whether you choose frameless shower doors for an elevated feel or something more traditional. You’ll spend anywhere from $550 to $1,400 on the cost of installing a glass shower door.
Most prefab showers come with a 7-inch curb, but you can purchase pans with smaller curbs. If you want to go curbless, you’ll need to go custom. Curbless showers require extra labor because your contractor will need to slope the floor just right to ensure water drains where it needs to go. A custom shower pan costs around $2,500.
Walk-in showers can be a more accessible option than bathtubs. If someone in your household is in need of accessibility modifications, talk with your contractor about any of the following options:
A wider shower door or entryway. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines state an entry should be at least 36 inches wide
Grab bars to assist with entering and exiting the shower
Seating inside a shower
Controls like knobs, showerheads, and faucets moved closer to the door or where individuals can easily reach
Adding accessibility features can increase the cost of your walk-in shower by $75 to $1,900.
Luxury features—such as rainfall showerheads, frameless shower doors, dual showerheads, and steam showers— can cost up to $10,000, depending on what they are.
Here is the average cost of various walk-in shower features:
Shower Features | Average Cost Range |
---|---|
Built-in shelves | $75–$700 |
Grab bar | $100–$500 |
Rainfall showerhead | $100–$1,000 |
Dual showerheads | $100–$1,000 |
Steam shower | $1,500–$11,700 |
Once you’ve decided on a shower over a bathtub, it’s time to hire a pro for the job. This usually involves a bathroom contractor and, depending on the complexity of the walk-in shower, some additional contractors may also be necessary. Here’s what you might expect to pay.
A bathroom contractor costs about $400 to $2,000, excluding the price of materials. Labor costs will rise for complicated custom jobs.
A plumber costs about $45 to $200 per hour. Adding plumbing for your shower costs $600 to $1,600. If it’s a new build, you’ll need to install plumbing for the whole bathroom. The cost of rough-in plumbing is $7,000 on average.
Tiling contractors charge by the square foot or the hour, so ask about their pricing structure when you get a quote. Labor costs range from $30 to $120 per hour, and tile installation costs fall between $3 and $15 per square foot, plus the cost of the tiles and materials.
If you’re having an overhead light or fan installed, you’ll need to hire a qualified electrician. Electricians cost between $50 and $100 per hour, and the rate depends on the amount of experience they have.
Some DIY-savvy homeowners can install prefab shower kits. A direct-to-stud shower kit costs as little as $400 from a hardware store, but don’t attempt this DIY unless you know what you’re doing and can connect the plumbing properly
In most cases, you’ll want to hire a contractor to install a walk-in shower. If the shower needs plumbing modifications, the only person who should alter the plumbing is a licensed plumber near you—lest you make an error that results in some serious water damage. In fact, you may not be able to get a permit on your own.
Hiring a pro adds $400 to $2,000 to the total cost of the job, but it’s well worth it to avoid costly errors. Contact three shower installers near you to get the best price at the best quality and double-check their references.
Installing a walk-in shower requires a serious budget. You can’t get it done for a few hundred bucks and an afternoon of rolling up your sleeves. Nonetheless, there are still ways you can save on the job.
Use a prefabricated shower kit. They cost thousands less than their fully customized counterparts.
If you’re a handy homeowner, you can DIY part of your shower installation, especially if you’re using a prefab shower kit. Have a pro install the plumbing and other tricky bits while you handle the rest.
You can save $550 to $1,400 by having your contractor skip a pricey glass door installation. Instead, install a curtain rod and shower curtain yourself.
Creating a shower pan from scratch is tricky and takes a lot of time, measuring, and know-how. Save on labor by installing a manufactured shower pan, which costs $250 to $400. Leave the high-end tile for your walls.
Save money by skipping shower add-ons and upgrades. Choose the best basic showerhead rather than reaching for the least expensive luxury option, for example.
Avoid luxury materials like marble and stone, and opt for acrylic, fiberglass, or porcelain tile instead.
Whether a walk-in shower adds value to your home ultimately depends on your local market and buyers’ needs, but a walk-in shower can increase the selling price. This is especially true if it’s installed along with a stand-alone bathtub or if there’s a bathtub available in another bathroom, as buyers often like flexibility.
A bathroom renovation can have a cost recovery of about 50%, according to the 2025 Remodeling Impact Report from the National Association of Realtors®. If executed well, you can recoup quite a bit of your walk-in shower investment when it comes time to sell.
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The cost to replace a bathtub with a walk-in shower ranges from $1,500 to $8,000. Custom showers are towards the high end, while prefab showers are on the low end. The total cost depends on upgrades and additional features like smart technology, accessibility features, unique tiling, or luxury fixtures.
Walk-in showers aren’t necessarily better. It depends on your circumstances. On the one hand, they’re more accessible—especially for people who use a wheelchair. They also take up less space than bathtubs and are ideal for small bathrooms. On the other hand, some families may need a bathtub to bathe young children and pets.
Walk-in showers do require a little extra maintenance. The glass is prone to mildew and hard water buildup, so you’ll have to clean your glass shower door more frequently. They’re also harder to use than a tub for small children, and if you choose an open shower, you’ll get less privacy with a potential draft.
While the answer depends on the size of the walk-in shower, the amount of features and customizations, and the condition of the current tub and plumbing, it takes between one and three days to convert a tub to a walk-in shower. You can ask your contractor about the timeline when you get a quote and see how you can prepare the space beforehand to speed up the process.