How Much Does a Walk-In Shower Cost to Install? [2025 Data]

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. 

Average Walk-In Shower Cost by Size

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 Installation Cost by Type

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 Walk-In Shower

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 Shower 

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

Material Costs for Walk-In Showers

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:

Additional Costs to Consider 

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.

Permits

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.

Tub-to-Shower Conversion Costs

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.

Demolition Costs

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. 

Waterproofing 

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 Shower Doors

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.

Curbless Walk-In Shower 

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.

Accessibility Features

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.

Extra Walk-In Shower Features

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:

Walk-In Shower Installation Pro Costs

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. 

DIY vs. Hiring a Pro

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.

How to Save on Walk-In Shower Costs

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.

Does a Walk-In Shower Add Value to Your Home?

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.

How Angi Gets Its Cost Data

Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We extensively research project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We rely on reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects. 

Want to help us improve our cost data? Send us a recent project quote to [email protected]. Quotes and personal information will not be shared publicly.