Tub-to-shower conversions and safer bathrooms

Published national ranges for turning a tub into a shower, a walk-in shower, a new bathtub, a walk-in tub and grab bars, and what to ask before you hire.

Updated October 1, 202612 official sources

On this page5 sections

1Turning a tub into a shower
2A walk-in shower
3Keeping a tub
4Grab bars
5Planning a safer bathroom

The figures here are published national ranges from cost guides. They aren't quotes, we didn't measure them, and local prices vary. Use them to plan a budget, then get quotes from remodelers near you if you'd like to compare.

Turning a tub into a shower

A tub-to-shower conversion takes out the bathtub and puts a shower in its place. The cost guides price it by the kind of shower that goes in.

Tub-to-shower conversion	Published range
Typical	$2,000 to $12,000, with averages of about $7,000 to $8,000^1-3
With a prefab shower	$1,000 to $8,000^1-2
With a custom tile shower	$3,500 to $15,000^1-2

A walk-in shower

The guides also price a walk-in shower on its own.

Walk-in shower	Published range
Prefab	$1,000 to $8,000^{2, 4}
Custom tile	$3,500 to $20,000^{2, 4}

Ask each remodeler whether the price is for a prefab unit or a tiled shower, and which brand and model or which tile, so you can compare quotes on the same shower.

Keeping a tub

If you'd rather keep a tub, the guides price a new bathtub and a walk-in tub.

Job	Published range
Replacing a bathtub	$2,000 to $8,000 installed^5-7
A walk-in tub	$4,000 to $12,000 installed^8-10

Grab bars

Grab bars cost $100 to $350 a bar installed, about $250 for a typical bar.^11-12

The range is per bar, so ask for a price that names how many bars and where each one goes. Ask how each bar will be fastened to the wall.

The kitchen and bath cost estimator shows these ranges for the job you pick.

Planning a safer bathroom

County pages on this site show the share of owner households with a householder 65 or older, from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (2020 to 2024 5-year estimates). Find your county from the home page.

Before you ask for quotes, write down what you want the bathroom to do. You might want a shower you can step into without climbing over a tub wall, a place to sit, or bars at the shower, tub or toilet. Then ask each remodeler to put the same things in writing:

What comes out and what goes in, by brand and model where there is one.
Whether removing the old tub or shower, repairing the walls and floor, and hauling away the debris are in the price.
Whether any plumbing or wiring moves, and who does that work.
Whether the job needs a permit, who applies for it, and whether the fee is in the price. The permit guide covers what some state rules say, and the lead-safe rules for homes built before 1978.
How much of a deposit they want, and when the rest is due. The contracts guide covers what some states limit.

If you're planning more than the tub or shower, the bathroom remodel cost guide has ranges for a whole bathroom. The verify guide shows where to check a remodeler's license or registration.

When you're ready, you can ask for quotes from remodelers near you.

Ranges compiled from HomeGuide, Fixr, HomeAdvisor and Modernize, checked October 2026.

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