---
title: "Tub-to-Shower Conversion Cost: What Drives the Price"
url: https://remodelbycuttingedge.com/tub-to-shower-conversion-cost/
date: 2026-10-11
modified: 2026-10-11
lang: en
author: "Blane Perun"
description: "What a tub-to-shower conversion costs in Lee and Collier County: prefab vs tile, curbless entries, glass, moving drains in a slab, permits and condos."
image: https://remodelbycuttingedge.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Cutting-Edge-The-Vineyards-Bathroom-After-c-1024x624.webp
word_count: 884
---

# Tub-to-Shower Conversion Cost: What Drives the Price

![Tub-to-Shower Conversion Cost What Drives the Price by Cutting Edge Kitchen & Bath](https://remodelbycuttingedge.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Cutting-Edge-The-Vineyards-Bathroom-After-c.webp)Tub to Shower Conversion · Bonita Springs & Naples
# Tub-to-Shower Conversion CostWhat Drives the Price
Conversions From$8.5KBased on our Tub-to-Shower Conversion packagesDesign VisitFreeLiDAR scan and photo-real 3D renderBuilt ByOur CrewsLicensed Florida GC, 500+ SWFL remodels
By **Blane Perun**, Owner · Cutting Edge Kitchen & Bath·20 years property management · 500+ SWFL remodels · Updated October 2026

The short answer
The cost of a tub-to-shower conversion depends mostly on five choices: a prefabricated pan and wall kit versus custom tile, a curb versus a curbless entry, framed versus frameless glass, whether the drain or valve has to move, and how much tile and waterproofing the walls need. Keeping the shower in the existing tub footprint is the biggest saver. Moving plumbing through a concrete slab, going curbless and adding a bench or niche raise the price. Our conversion packages start from $8,500.

[Part of our Tub-to-Shower Conversion guide →](/bath-conversion-bonita/)

![Walk-in tile shower that replaced a bathtub in a Bonita Springs home](https://remodelbycuttingedge.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Cutting-Edge-Audubon-Bathroom-3-After-c.webp)Tub-to-Shower Conversion · Cutting Edge Kitchen & Bath

## What Changes the Cost of a Tub-to-Shower Swap?
The simplest conversion removes the tub and installs an acrylic or solid-surface shower pan and wall panels in the same 60-inch alcove, with a new valve trim and a sliding or hinged glass door. It is quick and has few seams to maintain. A custom tile shower costs more because it involves a mortar bed or a foam tray, a full waterproofing membrane, tile labor on every surface and frameless glass, but it allows niches, benches, larger formats and any finish you like.

Layout changes are where budgets move. Keeping the drain where the tub drain was saves the most. Shifting it to the center or to a linear drain at the wall means cutting the slab, rerouting the pipe and patching concrete. A curbless entry also requires recessing the floor so water stays in the shower. Upgrading to a thermostatic valve, a handheld on a slide bar, a rain head or body sprays adds valves and supply lines. Grab-bar blocking, lighting, an exhaust fan and permits round out the scope.

| Cost driver | Lower-cost choice | Higher-cost choice |
| ----------- | ----------------- | ------------------ |
| Shower base | Prefab acrylic or solid-surface pan | Custom tiled pan with membrane |
| Walls | Panel kit | Floor-to-ceiling tile or large-format slab |
| Entry | Low curb | Curbless with recessed slab |
| Drain | Stays in the tub drain location | Moved, or linear drain installed |
| Valve and fixtures | Single valve and showerhead | Thermostatic valve, handheld, rain head, body sprays |
| Glass | Framed sliding door | Frameless hinged door and panel |
| Extras | None | Bench, niche, grab bars, lighting |

Price Your *Conversion.*
Compare our Good, Better and Best tub-to-shower packages, from a clean panel shower to a curbless tile build.

[See Conversion Packages →](/bath-conversion-bonita/)[Set an Appointment](/contact/)

## What Affects Price in Lee and Collier County?
Most Southwest Florida homes sit on a concrete slab, so any drain change means saw-cutting and breaking concrete, then repouring after the plumbing is set. In high-rise condos, many floors are post-tensioned slabs with steel cables inside, and they must be scanned before anyone drills or cuts. Associations typically require approval, insurance certificates and sometimes engineer sign-off before work starts, and they may limit work hours. Those steps add time and coordination rather than fixtures, but they belong in the budget.

Permits apply to most conversions that touch plumbing, through Lee County, the City of Bonita Springs, Collier County or the City of Naples depending on the address. Humidity makes waterproofing the line item not to cut: a membrane under tile protects the wall framing and drywall behind it. Many of our clients convert tubs because a walk-in shower is easier to use with age, so a low or zero curb, a bench and grab-bar blocking are worth pricing from the start. The free LiDAR scan lets us quote it all as one fixed price.

![Curbless shower conversion with frameless glass in Naples, Florida](https://remodelbycuttingedge.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Cutting-Edge-Bonita-Bay-Bathroom-3-After-c.webp)Tub-to-Shower Conversion · Cutting Edge Kitchen & Bath

## Conversion Cost Questions

### Is it cheaper to keep the shower in the tub space?
Yes. Using the existing alcove and drain location avoids cutting the slab and rerouting pipe, which are among the larger costs in a conversion. Most 60-inch tub alcoves make a comfortable shower. Enlarging the footprint is possible, but expect framing, plumbing and tile costs to rise.

### Does a tub-to-shower conversion need a permit?
Usually, yes. Replacing a tub with a shower typically involves plumbing changes such as a new valve or drain, which most local building departments treat as permitted work. Condo associations add their own approval process. We pull permits and handle association paperwork as part of the project.

### Will removing my only tub hurt resale?
It can matter to buyers with young children, so many owners keep at least one tub in the home. If a guest or secondary bath keeps its tub, converting the primary bath to a large walk-in shower is common and often appealing to buyers in Southwest Florida.

Swap the *Tub Out.*
We scan your bathroom, render the new shower and give you one fixed price, permits included.

[Get My Fixed Price →](/bath-conversion-bonita/)[Set an Appointment](/contact/)

## Bathroom Owners Choose Cutting Edge
A tub-to-shower conversion looks simple, but the slab, the waterproofing and the condo paperwork decide whether it lasts. Cutting Edge Kitchen & Bath is a licensed Florida general contractor based in Bonita Springs, with more than 500 Southwest Florida remodels and nine Best of Houzz awards. Tile, glass and fixtures are on display in our 4,000-square-foot showroom at 28280 Old 41 Road. Every conversion starts with a free LiDAR scan and photo-real 3D render, and our own crews complete it under one fixed-price contract with no surprise change orders along the way.