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AfterHow Much Does Tub-to-Shower Conversion Cost in Orlando?
A tub-to-shower conversion in Orlando typically costs between $3,500 and $10,000, with most standard conversions landing around $6,000 to $8,000. The final price depends on the size of the opening, the materials you choose, and whether any plumbing or structural work is needed behind the walls. Sawyer Remodel Orlando has been doing these conversions across the metro area for nearly two decades, and most of our projects fall right in that range with a written price you approve before we pick up a single tool.
If you’re weighing this project for the first time, the main thing to know is that you’re not just swapping a tub for a shower pan. A real conversion means waterproofing the entire wet area, swapping out the valve, redoing the drain to handle a shower’s flow rate, and tiling or paneling the walls to the ceiling. That’s why the price is what it is, and why cutting corners on waterproofing in a Florida climate with this much humidity ends up costing more later.
Tub-to-Shower Conversion Cost Breakdown (2026)
Here’s how a typical Orlando tub-to-shower conversion budget breaks down by line item. These are the numbers we use when we put a written estimate in front of a homeowner in Metrowest, College Park, or Baldwin Park.
| Line Item | Typical Cost Range |
|---|---|
| Demolition and tub removal | $400 – $900 |
| Shower pan (acrylic or tile-ready) | $500 – $1,800 |
| Valve and trim kit | $300 – $1,200 |
| Drain relocation / plumbing adjustments | $350 – $1,100 |
| Waterproofing system (membrane, backer board, sealant) | $500 – $1,500 |
| Wall tile or acrylic surround | $800 – $3,000 |
| Glass door or curtain rod | $250 – $1,500 |
| Permits and inspection | $100 – $350 |
| Labor | $1,500 – $4,000 |
The biggest swing factors in Orlando are the wall material you pick and the condition of what’s hiding behind the old tub. Acrylic surrounds run on the lower end. Porcelain tile with a Schluter edge trim (the metal strip that waterproofs where your tile meets the floor) pushes you toward the top. If the subfloor around the drain has been soaking up moisture for years because of a slow leak, the rot repair adds $500 to $1,500 on its own. We see that a lot in older homes around Colonialtown North and Delaney Park where the original cast iron tubs are now 40 or 50 years old.
One thing unique to our market: Orlando homes built before 1985 frequently have cast iron p-traps under the tub that are rusted thin. If yours needs to be cut out and swapped for PVC, that’s usually a half-day of plumbing work and a couple hundred dollars in parts. We check for it during the estimate, not after the wall is open.
What Affects Tub-to-Shower Conversion Pricing in Orlando
- Access and framing. If your bathroom sits on a slab foundation and the drain needs to move more than a few inches, the concrete work adds real cost. Homes in Conway and Belle Isle with slab-on-grade construction feel this more than pier-and-beam homes in Winter Park.
- Wall surround choice. A three-piece acrylic surround might run $800 to $1,200. Full porcelain tile with niches and a bench runs $2,500 to $4,000. You’re paying for tile labor per square foot and waterproofing at every seam.
- Shower valve upgrades. A basic pressure-balance valve is standard. If you want a thermostatic valve with separate volume and temperature controls, the parts alone can jump from $150 to $500. Moen and Kohler both make solid options we install regularly.
- Glass doors versus a curtain. Frameless glass runs $800 to $1,500 and takes a few weeks to fabricate. A curtain and rod is a $50 fix you can upgrade later. About half of our Orlando clients start with a curtain and add glass in a later phase.
- Water damage discovered during demo. Orlando’s humidity and older home stock mean we find rotted studs or failing drywall behind tubs in maybe one out of every five jobs. We show you photos before and after, and the repair cost gets added to the written change order you approve.
- Permit fees. Orlando requires a plumbing permit for tub-to-shower conversions that move a drain or alter supply lines. The permitting office is efficient, but the fee and a day of inspection time are part of the project, not an upsell.
How to Save on Tub-to-Shower Conversion
Most of the savings in a tub-to-shower conversion come from decisions you make before demo starts. Here’s what actually moves the number on a written estimate in Orlando.
- Keep the drain where it is. Moving a drain on a slab means cutting concrete. The minute you talked about moving the shower head to the opposite wall, you added $500 to $1,000. If the layout works as-is, leave it.
- Choose an acrylic surround over tile. It’s not a lesser option, it’s a different one. Acrylic surrounds from brands we install are waterproof, seamless, and clean up in minutes. You can always tile later if you want to upgrade.
- Buy the valve and trim at rough-in, not as an afterthought. Swapping a valve later means opening the wall again. Picking your fixture package before we start is cheaper than changing your mind mid-project. Kohler, Moen, and Grohe all make quality packages in the $400 to $900 range.
- Skip the bench and niche. Built-in niches and benches are nice, but they add tile cuts, waterproofing corners, and labor. A corner caddy or a hanging shelf does the job for $30.
- Ask for the line-item estimate. At Sawyer Remodel Orlando, your written price shows every line item. If you want to trim the project, you can see exactly what each choice costs instead of guessing. Estimates are free, and the number you approve is the number on the invoice.
Call (850) 809-0306 to get a line-item price for your specific bathroom. We’ll walk through what can be adjusted and what shouldn’t be touched.
Why Orlando Homeowners Choose Sawyer Remodel Orlando
Every tub-to-shower conversion we do in Orlando runs on The Relay Standard. That’s a live arrival time you get before we show up, photo updates before and after, and a written price in your hands before any work begins. It’s how our crews run jobs and it’s what homeowners tell us they were missing from their last contractor.
We’re part of the Relay Home Co. family, founded in 2005, and led by Luca Romano here in Orlando. Our technicians are background-checked and in uniform when they arrive. You know who’s walking into your home before the doorbell rings. And if something isn’t done right, our 365-Day Done Right Promise means we make it right, in writing, for a full year after the project closes. No chasing, no arguing.
What to Expect During a Tub-to-Shower Conversion
A standard conversion in an Orlando 3×5 bathroom takes 3 to 5 working days from demo to final caulk. Here’s how it goes on a typical job with us.
Day 1: Demo and inspection
We protect the path from the front door to the bathroom, pull the tub, cut back the old drywall, and inspect the framing and subfloor. This is where we find the stuff other contractors either missed or hid. If there’s water damage, you get photos and a written change order before we rebuild.
Day 2: Plumbing and waterproofing
The drain gets adjusted if needed, the new valve goes in rough, and the inspector stops by to check the plumbing. Then the wet area gets waterproofed. For tile jobs we use a membrane system behind and under everything, not just cement board. For acrylic systems we use the manufacturer’s panels and sealant exactly to spec.
Day 3-4: Wall panels or tile
Acrylic surrounds install in a few hours. Tile work takes a day or two depending on the pattern, the number of cuts, and whether you have a niche. We set the shower pan, slope it correctly, and let everything cure before grout and sealant.
Day 5: Trim, glass, and walkthrough
The valve trim, shower head, and drain cover go in. If you ordered glass, it gets templated and installed typically a week or two later. We do a walkthrough, snap the after photos, and send the final invoice through our digital payment link.
Is a Tub-to-Shower Conversion Worth It in Orlando?
For most Orlando homeowners, the answer is yes, and it comes down to three things. First, daily use: most households take showers, not baths. A shower with a low curb or zero entry is easier to get in and out of, especially for older homeowners who plan to stay in their house. Second, resale appeal: homes in Orlando neighborhoods like Thornton Park and Audubon Park get more interest from buyers when at least one bathroom has a walk-in shower. Third, water use: a standard shower uses about two-thirds the water of a full tub fill, which matters on an Orlando water bill.
The one caution is if your home only has one full bathroom and you have young children who still need baths. If that’s the case, consider keeping the tub or doing a deeper tub replacement instead of a full conversion. We’ll tell you straight whether a conversion fits your house or not. That’s part of the written estimate process, not a sales pitch.
Permits and Code Requirements in Orlando
Any tub-to-shower conversion in Orlando that touches the drain line or moves supply plumbing requires a permit through the city. The permit is pulled in your name or ours depending on the scope, and the plumbing inspection happens before we close the walls. Unpermitted work might save a few hundred dollars up front, but it will come back when you sell the house and the buyer’s home inspector flags it. Florida home inspectors are thorough about shower pan liners and drain traps because this state’s mold risk is real.
Every Sawyer Remodel Orlando conversion we do gets permitted, inspected, and documented with photos. Your homeowner’s insurance company will appreciate the paper trail if anything ever goes wrong downstream.
Common Mistakes We Fix in Orlando
We get called in to fix a lot of tub-to-shower conversions that were done wrong by other contractors. Here’s what we see most often.
- Shower pans sloped the wrong direction. Water pools in the corner and never drains. That’s a tear-out and redo.
- Waterproofing stops at shoulder height. Steam and humidity in an Orlando bathroom climbs. If the walls aren’t waterproofed to the ceiling, mold grows in the drywall above the surround.
- Drywall instead of cement board or foam backer. Drywall behind tile in a shower is a mold farm waiting to happen. This one fails within a year or two.
- Drain left at tub size. Tub drains are 1.5 inches. Shower drains under code are 2 inches. If the old drain wasn’t upsized, the shower backs up constantly.
- No change order for discovered damage. If damage is found and you don’t get a written price before the repair, you get a surprise at the end. That’s against The Relay Standard, and it’s exactly the behavior that gives remodeling a bad name.
None of these are acceptable outcomes on a project that should last 20 to 30 years. We correct them on existing homes around Orlando regularly, and the fix often costs more than doing it right the first time.
Tub-to-Shower Conversion vs. Other Bathroom Upgrades
Here’s how a tub-to-shower conversion in Orlando compares to other bathroom projects, so you can see where your money might go if you’re considering a bigger scope.
- Tub-to-shower conversion in Orlando: $3,500 – $10,000. The sweet spot for one wet area, one wall surround, one valve.
- Walk-in shower installation: $4,500 – $12,000. Similar scope but typically includes a larger footprint, more tile, and sometimes a built-in bench.
- Small bathroom remodel: $5,000 – $12,000. Adds new flooring, vanity swap, lighting, and paint on top of the shower.
- Full bathroom remodel: $9,000 – $28,000. Everything from studs out in a full space: vanities, fixtures, toilet, flooring, lighting, and glass.
- Shower replacement: $3,000 – $8,500. Swapping an existing shower, not a tub. Less demo, often faster.
If your bathroom is the only one in the house and you’re replacing the tub, the conversion is straightforward. If the room has two fixtures and you’re also looking at a vanity and flooring, calling it a “small bathroom remodel” is usually more accurate and gives you a better scope for planning. We can price either scenario with a written estimate in under an hour.
Our Remodeling Services in Orlando
Sawyer Remodel Orlando handles bathroom remodels and whole-home renovations across the metro. Here’s what we do and what the market pays for it, based on 2026 project ranges we’ve quoted.
- Bathroom remodel: $9,000 – $28,000. Full gut-and-rebuild of a bath, including a shower or tub, vanity, fixtures, flooring, and lighting.
- Small bathroom remodel: $5,000 – $12,000. A half bath or compact full bath refresh: new fixture, new floor, new paint, new light.
- Walk-in shower installation: $4,500 – $12,000. Curbless or low-curb shower with waterproofing, tile, and glass.
- Shower replacement: $3,000 – $8,500. Rip out the old shower, rebuild in the same footprint.
- Countertop installation: $2,000 – $6,500. Cambria, Caesarstone, or Silestone surfaces cut and installed in a bathroom or kitchen.
- Cabinet installation: $4,000 – $13,000. KraftMaid or Wellborn cabinetry installed in kitchens, bathrooms, or laundry rooms.
- Home addition: $45,000 – $130,000. Room additions, in-law suites, or extended living spaces permitted and built from foundation to finish.
Every one of these projects comes with a written price before work starts, a live arrival time, and photo updates before and after. Call (850) 809-0306 to talk through which scope fits your home.
FAQs – Tub-to-Shower Conversion Cost
How much does a tub-to-shower conversion cost in Orlando in 2026?
A tub-to-shower conversion in Orlando costs $3,500 to $10,000 in 2026, with most jobs landing between $6,000 and $8,000. Acrylic surrounds on standard 3×5 tub openings run toward the bottom; tile, glass doors, and plumbing relocations push toward the top. Call (850) 809-0306 for a written estimate on your exact bathroom.
Is it cheaper to repair or replace a tub in Orlando?
If the tub is structurally sound and you only need a reglaze or a new drain, repair costs $300 to $800. If the tub is cracked, rusted, or sitting on water-damaged framing, replacement or conversion is the better money. A full tub-to-shower conversion runs $3,500 to $10,000 and gives you a waterproofed shower that will last decades instead of a cosmetic fix that might fail in a few years.
How long does a tub-to-shower conversion take in Orlando?
Most conversions take 3 to 5 working days from demo to final caulk, plus up to two weeks if you order custom glass doors. We schedule the permit inspection on day 2 or 3 so the job doesn’t stall. You’ll get a live arrival time each morning and photo updates before and after.
Do I need a permit for a tub-to-shower conversion in Orlando?
Yes, if the drain or supply lines are altered, the City of Orlando requires a plumbing permit and inspection. Unpermitted shower conversions get flagged during home sales and often fail inspection retroactively. Sawyer Remodel Orlando pulls the permit, schedules the inspection, and documents the whole job with photos for your records.
Can a tub-to-shower conversion add value to an Orlando home?
Yes. In Orlando, most move-up buyers expect at least one walk-in shower in the home, and a conversion typically recovers 60% to 70% of its cost at resale. More importantly for homeowners who plan to stay, a curbless or low-curb shower is safer to enter and exit than stepping over a tub wall, and it uses less water per use than filling a tub.
Get a Written Price for Your Orlando Tub-to-Shower Conversion
The fastest way to know what your conversion will cost is to get a line-item estimate. It’s free, it takes about an hour at your home, and the number we put in writing is the number you’ll pay if you move forward. No surprises at the invoice, no pressure at the table.
Call (850) 809-0306 to schedule your free estimate. Sawyer Remodel Orlando serves homeowners across the metro, from College Park to Conway, Baldwin Park to Belle Isle, and everywhere in between. Luca Romano and our team will walk you through the options in plain language, and you’ll have a written price in your hands before any work starts. Because that’s how a remodel is supposed to go.
Written by Luca Romano, Owner of Sawyer Remodel Orlando, and our Orlando project team. Pricing reflects the Orlando market as of 2026. Sawyer Remodel Orlando offers free estimates – call (850) 809-0306.
What Our Customers Say
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