A tub to shower conversion costs between $2,000 and $12,000 in 2026, with most projects landing in the $3,000 to $7,000 range depending on whether you choose a prefab kit or custom tile. In Los Angeles, the average sits near $3,400 according to Angi's metro data. Those are the honest headline numbers, but this project has a wider spread than almost any other bathroom job, because "conversion" covers everything from a one day acrylic swap to a fully tiled curbless shower with relocated plumbing. This guide prices each version, compares franchise and local contractor bids, answers the Medicare question everyone asks, and covers the permit rules specific to California and Seattle.
In a Nutshell
- Prefab stall conversion: $2,000 to $6,000. The fastest, most budget-friendly path (This Old House, 2026).
- Walk-in shower conversion: $5,000 to $12,000, tiled versions $6,000 to $12,000 (This Old House).
- Curbless conversion: $8,000 to $15,000 nationally, and $8,000 to $18,000 in the Bay Area. The premium over a curbed shower is $2,000 to $5,000.
- The hidden-cost reality: in a January 2026 survey of 1,000 homeowners who did this project, about 70 percent hit at least one surprise cost, most often structural repair or water damage found behind the tub (This Old House).
- Resale rule: keep at least one bathtub in the house. Converting the only tub can shrink your buyer pool, especially among families with young children.
Tub to Shower Conversion Cost by Type
| Conversion type | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tub cut modification | $800 to $1,800 | Cuts a walk-through opening in the existing tub. Accessibility fix, not a remodel (HomeGuide) |
| Prefab shower stall | $2,000 to $6,000 | Acrylic or fiberglass kit in the tub footprint (This Old House). Kits alone run $350 to $4,100 (HomeGuide) |
| Walk-in shower | $5,000 to $12,000 | Low-threshold entry, glass panel or door (This Old House) |
| Custom tiled shower | $3,500 to $15,000 | Tile walls and pan, fully built on site (HomeGuide, Angi) |
| Curbless shower | $8,000 to $15,000 | Floor rebuilt with slope to a linear drain. Bay Area installs run $8,000 to $18,000+ |
Why the "Average" Depends on Who You Ask
Angi and HomeAdvisor put the average conversion near $3,000. HomeGuide says $7,000. Home Depot's installation service quotes $8,000 to $15,000. None of them are wrong, they are describing different projects. The $3,000 number is a kit swap with no plumbing changes. The $7,000 number includes tiled walk-ins. The retail installed price bundles a full wet-area rebuild with materials. When a contractor quotes you, the first thing to establish is which of these projects you are actually buying, because comparing a kit-swap bid against a tiled walk-in bid tells you nothing.
The Line Items Behind Every Quote
| Line item | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tub removal and disposal | $150 to $1,200 | Sources spread widely: Angi $150 to $300, This Old House $300 to $1,200. Cast iron tubs and tight hallways push it up |
| Plumbing adjustments | $300 to $2,400 | Rerouting supply and drain to shower configuration (Angi, HomeAdvisor) |
| Drain relocation | $500 to $3,000 | Showers need a 2 inch drain in most codes, tubs often have 1.5 inch. Concrete slabs cost more |
| Shower valve | $225 to $1,200 | HomeGuide low, This Old House high. Pressure-balanced valves are code in most areas |
| Waterproofing | $550 to $1,800 | A Schluter KERDI kit retails around $716 to $820 before labor. This is the layer where cheap bids fail |
| Shower door | $400 to $3,000 | Framed $400 to $1,200, frameless $1,200 to $3,000 (This Old House) |
| Tile | $2 to $30 per sq ft material | Ceramic and porcelain $2 to $15, natural stone $5 to $30. Tiled shower totals $900 to $10,000 |
| Permit | $100 to $1,500 | City-specific, see the California and Seattle section below |
Labor takes 40 to 60 percent of the total on a typical conversion, with plumbers billing $45 to $200 per hour (Angi, HomeGuide).
Franchise vs Local Contractor: The Comparison Nobody Publishes
The one day bath companies advertise heavily on this exact search, so here is how their pricing actually compares with independent contractors, from published third-party data rather than their own marketing.
| Who does the work | Typical conversion price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Bath Fitter | $1,200 to $9,500 | HomeGuide, 2026 |
| West Shore Home | $9,000 to $15,000 | Modernize, 2026 |
| Re-Bath | $10,000 to $18,000 | HomeGuide, 2026 |
| Generic one day acrylic specialist | $4,000 to $9,000 | TubcuT industry guide, 2026 |
| Independent licensed contractor | $3,000 to $12,000 | Angi, HomeGuide, This Old House composite |
The franchise premium buys speed and a single-brand warranty on an acrylic system. A local contractor typically delivers tile and custom options at the same or lower price, on a longer timeline. Neither is wrong. Know which trade-off you are paying for.
The Hidden 70 Percent
3 bathroom remodelers, editor-screened. 4 questions.
See my 3 matchesThis Old House surveyed 1,000 homeowners who completed a conversion in January 2026. About 70 percent hit at least one cost they did not plan for: structural repairs (38 percent), water damage discovered behind the tub (32 percent), and unplanned plumbing work (29 percent). Thirty-seven percent went over budget. The pattern is consistent with what contractors find when a tub that sat for decades comes out. The practical move is a contingency of 10 to 15 percent, and a bid that itemizes what happens if the subfloor is wet, before demolition day rather than after.
California and Seattle: Permits and Local Numbers
Los Angeles. Angi's LA metro data puts the average conversion at about $3,408, with most projects between $1,704 and $9,088. Plumbing changes require a permit, and non-structural walk-in conversions typically qualify for LADBS Express Permits without plan check. Budget a few hundred dollars for permits on a standard conversion. California also requires a CSLB-licensed contractor on any job of $1,000 or more, which every real conversion is.
Seattle. The code detail that surprises homeowners: showers require a 2 inch drain, and many older tubs drain through 1.5 inch lines. That drain change makes the project permitted plumbing work. All-in permit costs on Seattle bathroom projects commonly land between $500 and $1,500, with SDCI valuing the project at market rate. It is not a reason to skip the permit. An unpermitted wet-area rebuild is exactly the kind of thing that surfaces in a pre-sale inspection.
Who Helps Pay: The Accessibility Funding Answer
The most-asked question on this topic is whether Medicare pays for a tub to shower conversion. The straight answer: original Medicare generally does not, because it classifies bathroom conversions as home modifications rather than medical equipment. Some Medicare Advantage plans include home-safety benefits that can contribute. Beyond Medicare, real programs exist:
- VA HISA grants fund bathroom accessibility improvements for veterans, with lifetime caps in the low thousands of dollars. Verify current amounts at va.gov, and the application starts with a VA physician's recommendation.
- California: Medi-Cal's CalAIM Community Supports include Environmental Accessibility Adaptations, which can cover accessible bathroom conversions such as a tub to roll-in shower for qualifying members. L.A. Care lists this as a covered support.
- Washington: Medicaid waivers (COPES, New Freedom) can cover home modifications including accessible showers for recipients who qualify for nursing-home level of care. King County's Housing Repair Program and the Northwest Access Fund also fund accessibility modifications.
If the conversion is driven by mobility rather than style, check these programs before self-funding. A curbless conversion that qualifies can shift thousands of dollars off your budget.
Curbless: What the Premium Buys
A curbless shower costs $2,000 to $5,000 more than the same shower with a curb, because the floor itself is rebuilt: the framing is recessed or sloped, a linear drain is set, and the waterproofing extends across the bathroom floor. The floor system work alone runs $800 to $1,800. What the premium buys is a step-free entry that works for every age and stage, which is why curbless leads aging-in-place remodels, and a cleaner look that has moved from accessibility feature to design preference. In the Bay Area, expect $8,000 to $18,000 or more installed.
What It Means for Resale
The rule agents repeat: keep at least one bathtub in the house. This Old House states it directly, and industry guidance consistently warns that homes without any tub lose family buyers. A conversion returns roughly 60 percent of its cost at resale on Angi's estimate, and it can help in markets with older buyers while hurting in family neighborhoods if it removes the only tub. Notably, in the This Old House survey, homeowners ranked quality and cost far above resale as their reason for converting, and 97 percent were satisfied. Convert the secondary bathroom's tub freely. Think twice before converting the only one.
Sources & Methodology
See the Renology Methodology for how sources are reviewed, ranges are normalized, and planning-data limits are handled.
Cost ranges come from This Old House (including its January 2026 survey of 1,000 homeowners), Angi national and Los Angeles metro cost files, HomeGuide, and HomeAdvisor, all 2026 editions. Franchise pricing comes from HomeGuide and Modernize third-party data, not from the companies' own marketing. Accessibility program details reference VA, Medi-Cal CalAIM, Washington Medicaid waiver, and King County program documentation, and readers should verify current eligibility and amounts with each program directly. Where sources disagree on a line item, we show the spread and name each source rather than averaging silently.
Renology Take
This project has the widest honest price range in bathroom remodeling, and that range is the answer to why quotes feel inconsistent. Decide the project type first: kit swap, tiled walk-in, or curbless. Get the drain question answered before you sign anything, because that single line item swings the price by thousands. And if there is any mobility motivation behind the conversion, spend one afternoon on the funding programs above before spending your own money. The homeowners who regret this project are almost never unhappy with the shower. They are unhappy with the surprise costs a better bid would have priced upfront.
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