I'm looking to swap out our old, scratched up tub/shower combo for a low-maintenance walk-in shower with a sliding glass door. We're aiming for something nice but not too fancy, around 60 inches. I've seen places that advertise one-day changeouts, but I'm curious about actual experiences. How much did it cost you, and what should I watch out for during this process? I appreciate any advice you can share!
5 Answers
I just wrapped up a similar project. We transformed an old Jacuzzi tub into a walk-in shower with new tiled walls and a one-piece shower pan. The entire job cost about $20,000, and that included a lot of new fixtures and materials. We had to do some demo and rework plumbing, which added to the cost. The whole process took around three weeks, but I left the heavy lifting to the pros.
We handled the demo ourselves, then hired plumbing pros to redo all the plumbing, followed by tiling folks for waterproofing and flooring. Picking the right plumbing contractor is key—some tried to tell us it couldn't be done or gave us outrageous quotes. We settled on a solid company that wasn’t the cheapest but great quality. If you opt for tile, ensure there's a waterproofing membrane behind it and stick to standard drains to avoid future issues.
For a project like this, you're probably looking at around $16,000, especially if you need any plumbing or electrical modifications. I did a DIY for a Castico 60" shower, and it cost me just under $4,000, but the DIY approach does take a lot of time. I found it manageable, but you need to be prepared for a bit of work.
One-day installations sound great in theory! Just keep in mind that they might not cover all the prep work—be sure to clarify what's included.
We replaced an old jacuzzi tub with a large walk-in shower, and it turned out to be the best decision we've made! If I recall correctly, we spent around $5,000 on materials, and it was definitely worth it.
Totally agree about the drains! I've seen too many people have problems with those modern long ones.