I'm looking for advice on shower replacement. We currently have an old tiled walk-in shower and have gotten quotes ranging from $11,000 to $20,000 to replace it with acrylic or PVC panels. The quotes vary based on whether they use particle board or water barrier backing. The highest quote is for a quick one-day installation, which runs about $2,000+ per hour for two workers. I'm located in Northeast Florida in a single-story house. We recently spent $8,000 replumbing the entire house with PEX, which I thought would be a more labor-intensive job than this shower replacement. My wife prefers a plastic replacement over tile, but I'm struggling to justify the high costs, especially after watching some installation videos that raised concerns about the materials being used—materials that I know are cheaper at places like Home Depot.
3 Answers
I’d recommend looking into smaller, local plumbing companies for quotes rather than those big bath fitter types that tend to get a lot of advertising. The plumbing company that did our PEX repipe is coming by soon for a quote; hopefully, they’ll give me a better deal.
Have you thought about posting your project on local platforms like Nextdoor? You might find a handyman who can do this for under $5,000, materials included!
That sounds like a solid idea. I’ll definitely give that a shot!
I just went through a shower remodel and found quotes from those panel companies to be ridiculous—$18,000 to $22,000! Instead, I opted for high-quality tile, which cost me about $6,800 and looks fantastic. Don’t let the idea of grout lines scare you; if you use good quality, sealed grout, it can last for years without hassle. Just a thought if you can convince your wife!
Thanks! I’ll work on convincing her; I think a beautiful tile design could really elevate the space.
Fingers crossed that they’ll work out! I agree that the big brand names can be overpriced.