Bathtub Shower Installation In Columbus

A standard alcove tub replacement runs $2,000 to $6,000, with many like-for-like swaps landing near $2,000 to $3,000. Prefab shower units cost $1,000 to $8,000 installed; custom tile showers range from $3,000 to $20,000 depending on size and material. A tub-shower combo averages $2,000 to $4,500. Prices typically fall within these ranges. Removing and hauling the old tub adds $150 to $300, more for cast iron, and permits run $200 to $2,000. Surrounds are often billed separately at $500 to $2,000.

One to two days for a standard shower or tub swap using prefab components, and two to three days for a walk-in shower or tub-to-shower conversion. Custom tile work takes three to five days of labor, but the calendar runs longer; waterproofing needs cure time and a flood test before tile goes on, which pushes a tiled alcove to roughly seven to twelve working days. Add permit review time before anything starts. Most homes lose use of that bathroom for the duration.

Almost always, if the work touches plumbing, the valve, or the shower pan. Many jurisdictions require a permit even for a like-for-like fixture swap. Inspectors verify that the pan holds water before tile goes on and that valves and pipes don’t leak before walls close up the two failures that cause the most expensive damage. Permit fees range from $200 to $2,000 depending on scope. Check with the building department and confirm your contractor is pulling the permit rather than you.

It depends on how many tubs the house has. A tub-to-shower conversion returns roughly 60% to 70% of its cost at resale and appeals to most adult buyers, but removing the last tub in the home narrows your buyer pool, especially among families with young children. Keeping a tub in a secondary bathroom protects value. Conversions cost $2,000 to $12,000 and typically require moving the drain. Contractors can price the conversion against a straight tub replacement during the estimate.

Refinishing costs $330 to $600 and works only if the tub is structurally sound with surface wear, chips, dull glaze, and staining. Acrylic liners start around $1,800 and often run $2,700 to $10,200, which approaches full replacement territory once you account for the surround. Neither option addresses what’s behind the wall, so if there’s any soft flooring, staining below, or a suspected leak, replacement is the only real fix. Contractors should always inspect the subfloor before quoting either option.

Acrylic and fiberglass units cost less, install in one to two days, and have far fewer seams to fail, which makes them the lower-risk choice in a wet environment. Tile costs more and takes three to five days plus cure time, but it allows custom sizing, benches, niches, and curbless entries. Tile also depends entirely on the waterproofing underneath; a beautiful tile shower over a bad membrane fails within years. Ask installers which membrane system they use and what it’s warrantied for.

Replace it when the problem is structural rather than cosmetic. Soft or spongy flooring outside the enclosure, staining on the ceiling below, or water pooling at the base all mean the waterproofing has already failed; recaulking won’t fix that. Cracked fiberglass, crazed gelcoat, and crumbling grout in an old mud-set shower are also past repair. Re-grouting and resealing make sense for surface wear on a pan under 15 years old. Plumbers can flood-test the pan to confirm which applies.