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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 in 2026, with most homeowners paying around $6,000 to $8,000 for a standard 5-foot alcove conversion with mid-range finishes. The price includes demolition of the old tub, plumbing adjustments, waterproofing, new shower base or tile pan, wall surrounds, valve and trim, and a basic glass door or curtain rod setup. Larger custom tile showers with benches, niches, and frameless glass can push toward the upper end or slightly beyond.
That’s the number most Orlando homeowners ask us for, and it’s the honest range. But what you actually pay depends on what’s behind your current tub, how much tile you want, and whether your home has any plumbing quirks tucked behind the wall. Below, we break down every line item so you know exactly where the money goes, and why the written estimate you get from Penhallow Remodeling Orlando won’t change on day two.
If you’re weighing this project against other bathroom work, our Tub-to-Shower Conversion in Orlando page walks through the whole process start to finish.
Key Takeaways:
- Orlando tub-to-shower conversions run $3,500 – $10,000 in 2026, with $6,000 – $8,000 the typical landing zone.
- Labor (demo, plumbing, tile, waterproofing) makes up roughly 60 – 70% of the total.
- Acrylic or fiberglass surround systems land at the lower end; full tile work with a custom pan lands higher.
- Most conversions take 2 – 5 working days. Full custom tile can stretch to a week or more.
- Every Penhallow project gets a written price before work starts and a 365-Day Done Right Promise in writing.
Tub-to-Shower Conversion Cost Breakdown (2026)
Here’s where the dollars go on a typical Orlando tub-to-shower conversion. These are line-item ranges pulled from our actual project experience across Orange County, from Winter Park and College Park to Dr. Phillips, Conway, and Baldwin Park.
| Line Item | Typical Orlando Range | What It Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Demolition & debris removal | $400 – $900 | Removing the existing tub, wall surrounds down to studs, hauling debris. Hidden water damage discovered here can add to the total. |
| Plumbing rough-in & valve relocation | $500 – $1,500 | Moving the drain to center for a shower base, raising or relocating the shower valve, new supply lines. Cast iron or copper in 1970s Orlando homes costs more to modify than PVC in newer builds. |
| Shower base or tile pan | $400 – $2,000 | Acrylic or composite base sits at the low end; a waterproofed mortar bed with tile sits high. |
| Wall surround vs. tile | $800 – $4,500 | Acrylic/fiberglass surround panels run $800 – $1,800. Ceramic or porcelain tile with cement board substrate runs $2,000 – $4,500 depending on tile grade and layout. |
| Shower valve, trim & fixtures | $300 – $1,200 | Pressure-balanced valves are code minimum. Thermostatic valves with premium trim from Kohler, Moen, or Delta push higher. |
| Shower door | $300 – $2,500 | A curtain rod is $300 or less. Framed sliding glass runs $600 – $1,200. Frameless glass with a transom can hit $2,000 – $2,500. |
| Waterproofing & substrate | $500 – $1,800 | Cement board, liquid membrane or sheet membrane (Schluter Kerdi, Hydro Ban, etc.), seam tape, corners, and flood testing. |
| Finishing & accessories | $200 – $1,000 | Grab bars, niche, corner shelf, bench, grout sealing, caulk, and paint trim work. |
| Permit & inspection | $150 – $500 | Orange County and City of Orlando permit fees for plumbing and structural work. Unincorporated Orange County and Winter Park have slightly different fee schedules. |
Those are real numbers, not placeholders. The reason we put them in writing matters: the Orlando remodeling market has plenty of companies that will hand you a verbal ballpark and then “discover” extra work once the walls are open. We don’t work that way. When Trevor Nash walks your bathroom before the estimate, he looks for the things that legitimately drive cost up, so the written number includes them from day one.
What pushes a conversion toward the $3,500 – $5,000 end: a standard 5-foot alcove, an acrylic base and surround system, a pressure-balanced valve with basic chrome trim, a curtain rod instead of glass, and no surprises behind the walls.
What pushes it toward $8,000 – $10,000+: full porcelain tile walls with a custom tile pan and linear drain, a frameless glass door, a thermostatic valve with premium Kohler or Moen trim, a built-in bench and multiple niches, moving the drain or valve significantly, and repair of rotted subfloor or water-damaged studs once the old tub comes out.
What Affects Tub-to-Shower Conversion Pricing in Orlando
Orlando has its own set of cost drivers that don’t show up in a national-cost article. Here’s what we see in this market, week in and week out:
- Age of the home and plumbing type. Orlando neighborhoods built in the 1960s through early 1980s (Conway, Azalea Park, parts of Pine Hills) often have cast-iron drain lines and copper supply lines. Modifying cast iron for a shower drain relocation is slower, messier work than cutting PVC, and that shows up in the plumbing line item. Newer builds in Lake Nona or Horizon West are typically PVC and move faster.
- Water damage behind the old tub. Florida humidity plus decades of caulk failure means rotted drywall, swollen studs, and sometimes subfloor replacement once we open the wall. In our experience, roughly one in four Orlando tub-to-shower conversions uncovers some level of hidden water damage that adds $300 – $1,500 to the project.
- Second-story bathrooms. If the tub is upstairs in a two-story home (common in Baldwin Park, Winter Park, and many Dr. Phillips estates), debris hauling takes more trips, and plumbing access can be trickier, especially if the drain line runs through a finished ceiling below.
- What’s behind the wall: slab vs. crawlspace. Most Orlando homes sit on concrete slabs. Moving a tub drain to center for a shower pan means cutting into the slab in some cases, which is concrete sawing and patching work. Homes on raised foundations (rarer here but present in older neighborhoods like Delaney Park) are easier to re-plumb.
- Tile selection and layout pattern. A basic 4×4 ceramic tile with a straight lay lands low. A 12×24 porcelain with a herringbone or vertical stack pattern, plus a decorative accent band, adds both material cost and labor hours. Large-format tile takes more prep to get flat walls.
- Glass door choice. Framed sliding doors from big-box suppliers start around $600 installed. Custom frameless glass from a local Orlando glass shop, especially with a transom panel or custom hardware finishes, can triple that line item. The glass is measured after tile is done, so it’s often the last item ordered.
One more factor that’s specific to how we work: the written price is the written price. If we find rotted studs after demo, we tell you, we show you, and we give you a written change order before touching it. You approve, or you don’t. Nothing gets added to your invoice without your signature. That’s the Kingswell standard Trevor Nash runs every Orlando project on.
Is It Cheaper to Convert a Tub to a Shower or Replace the Tub?
A tub-to-shower conversion in Orlando typically runs $3,500 – $10,000, while a direct tub replacement (swap out old tub for a new tub) runs roughly $1,800 – $4,500 depending on tub type and plumbing condition. So yes, a straight tub replacement is usually cheaper if the goal is just to fix a cracked or stained tub and you still want a bathtub in the house.
But the question most Orlando homeowners are really asking is about value. If you have two bathrooms and one still has a tub, converting the primary bathroom to a shower is often the smarter long-term move. Here’s why: step-over tub walls become a real safety issue as homeowners get older, and walk-in showers are consistently cited as a feature buyers in the Orlando market respond to. It also removes the single biggest source of hidden water damage in a bathroom: the tub-to-wall caulk joint.
If you’re renting the home or planning to sell within a year, a tub replacement may be the more cost-cautious move. If you plan to age in place or just genuinely prefer a shower, the conversion pays for itself in daily comfort and resale appeal. Call us at (850) 427-6454 and we’ll walk through both numbers for your specific bathroom, free.
How to Save on Tub-to-Shower Conversion in Orlando
Here’s what actually lowers the number on a written estimate, without lowering the quality of the work or cutting corners on waterproofing. These are the conversations Trevor has with Orlando homeowners every week.
- Keep the plumbing where it is. If the existing tub drain and valve can work for the shower with minimal modification, that’s $500 – $1,500 saved on plumbing labor. Ask us specifically: “Can we keep the drain and valve location as-is?” Sometimes the answer is yes with a slightly different shower base selection.
- Choose an acrylic or composite base with tile walls. A solid-surface shower pan avoids the labor of a custom mortar-bed tile pan. The walls still get tile, the floor stays durable and easy to clean, and the total comes in around $1,000 – $1,500 less than a full tile pan.
- Skip the frameless glass for now. A framed sliding door with basic finishes saves $1,000 – $1,800 versus custom frameless. You can always upgrade the glass later without touching tile or plumbing.
- Standard size, standard tile, standard layout. A 60-inch alcove conversion with off-the-shelf 12×24 porcelain in a straight lay is the sweet spot for cost per square foot of finished shower. Custom sizes, mosaics, and accent bands add real labor hours.
- Do it during a slower permitting stretch. Orlando’s busiest remodeling months run February to June. If you have flexibility, late fall and January often mean faster permitting turnover and occasionally better tile pricing.
- Bundle the work if other bathroom items are aging. If your vanity is formica and your toilet is original to the house, doing the whole bathroom at once almost always costs less per item than doing them one at a time over two years. Our home page covers the full scope of what we do.
And one thing that costs you nothing: a real estimate. Penhallow Remodeling Orlando gives a written price before any work starts, and the estimate is free. Call (850) 427-6454 and you’ll get a live person, a scheduled visit, and a number in writing.
Orlando Permits and Code for Tub-to-Shower Conversion
Any tub-to-shower conversion in Orlando that involves moving a drain, modifying the plumbing, or changing the valve requires a plumbing permit through the City of Orlando or Orange County, depending on your address. The permit fee is generally $150 – $500 for this scope of work, and the inspection confirms the drain, vent, and valve meet current Florida Building Code.
What code requires in 2026 for a shower conversion:
- Pressure-balanced or thermostatic mixing valve to prevent sudden temperature swings (Florida Building Code P2708).
- Proper shower drain size (2 inches minimum for a shower, versus 1.5 inches for a tub).
- Waterproofing behind any tile or surround walls, per the manufacturer’s installation standard.
- GFCI protection if any electrical work is added (a light in the shower, for example).
- Access panel if the valve will be hidden behind tile on both sides.
Penhallow handles the permitting on every Orlando conversion. It’s part of the written price, and the inspection is scheduled before we call the job done. No homeowner has to chase the county.
How Long Does a Tub-to-Shower Conversion Take in Orlando?
Most standard Orlando tub-to-shower conversions take 3 to 5 working days from demo to finish. The sequence runs like this: day one is demo and plumbing rough-in; day two is waterproofing and substrate (moisture-resistant cement board behind tile); days three and four are tile work and setting the base; day five is grout, fixture trim, and glass door measurement. Frameless glass typically gets installed 7 to 14 days after the tile is done, since it’s custom-cut to the opening.
A full custom tile conversion with a mortar-bed pan, bench, niches, and extensive tile can stretch to 7 to 10 working days. An acrylic surround system over a new base can wrap in 2 to 3 days.
When Penhallow books your conversion, you get a defined arrival window and a written schedule. Our background-checked, uniformed technicians show up in that window, and the job site is cleaned at the end of every day. If something fails after we leave, the 365-Day Done Right Promise means we come back and fix it, no charge, no re-inspection fee.
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. The typical project lands around $6,000 to $8,000 for a standard 60-inch alcove with a new shower base, tile walls, plumbing valve, and basic glass door. Full custom tile with a mortar pan, bench, and frameless glass pushes toward $10,000 and above.
Is a tub-to-shower conversion worth it?
For most Orlando homeowners, a tub-to-shower conversion is worth it. It removes the tub-wall seam that causes so much hidden water damage in Florida’s humid climate. It gives you a lower, safer step-in height, which matters in older homes and for aging in place. And in the Orlando resale market, buyers consistently respond well to a primary bathroom with a walk-in shower when at least one tub remains elsewhere in the house. The cost of $3,500 – $10,000 typically recoups a meaningful portion of itself at resale.
Do I need a permit to convert my tub to a shower in Orlando?
Yes, a plumbing permit is required in Orlando when the conversion modifies the drain, water supply, or valve. Permit fees run $150 – $500 depending on your municipality. Penhallow includes permit application and inspection scheduling in the written estimate, so there’s no separate surprise fee.
Can you convert a tub to a walk-in shower in one day?
A one-day conversion is only possible with an acrylic or composite surround system that snaps over pre-fabricated panels, and even then, most two-person crews need 2 to 3 days when you account for demo, plumbing inspection, and proper waterproofing. A tile conversion cannot be done properly in one day; mortar, membrane, and grout all require cure time. In Orlando’s humidity, rushing waterproofing is the fastest way to get a failed shower. Call (850) 427-6454 for a realistic timeline based on your selections.
What’s the difference between an acrylic surround and tile for a tub-to-shower conversion?
An acrylic or fiberglass surround costs $800 – $1,800 for materials and installs quickly, but has limited color and layout options and will show wear over time. Tile walls cost $2,000 – $4,500 installed, take longer, and require a proper cement board substrate and waterproofing membrane, but offer full design freedom and last decades when done right. In the Orlando market, tile showers are the standard for primary bathrooms; acrylic surrounds are more common in rental properties and guest baths.
Does insurance cover a tub-to-shower conversion?
Homeowners insurance generally does not cover a voluntary tub-to-shower conversion unless a covered loss, such as a water leak or storm damage, necessitated the removal of the tub. If a covered claim already opened the wall and the tub had to come out, the insurance payment for the original repair can sometimes be applied toward the conversion, with the homeowner covering the difference. This is a conversation to have with your adjuster before signing any contract.
Why Orlando Homeowners Choose Penhallow for Tub-to-Shower Conversion
We know Orlando homeowners have been burned before. A contractor who showed up late, or not at all. A verbal estimate that doubled after the walls came open. A repair that cracked again six weeks later. The reason people call Penhallow Remodeling Orlando is that we run every project on the Kingswell standard: a written price before any work starts, a defined arrival window, a clean job site, and a 365-Day Done Right Promise in writing on every single project.
Say the price before the work. Show up in the window we gave. Leave the place cleaner than we found it. That’s The Kingswell Way, and it’s been the operating standard since 2004.
When you call, a live person answers, 24/7. Not a voicemail maze, not a call center. When the crew arrives, they’re background-checked and in uniform, and you know exactly who is walking into your home. The materials behind the work are from brands we stand on: Kohler and Moen fixtures and valves, Schluter waterproofing systems, Schluter and Hydro Ban membranes, and premium tile lines from local Orlando suppliers. Each layer is covered by its own manufacturer warranty, and our 365-Day Done Right Promise sits on top of all of it.
Here’s what that promise means in plain terms: if something fails within 365 days of completion, we come back and fix it. No charge for the return visit, no re-inspection fee, no argument. It’s in writing on every project, and it’s the reason Orlando homeowners who hire us once tend to call us again.
Get a Written Price for Your Orlando Tub-to-Shower Conversion
The best way to know what your conversion will cost is to have Trevor Nash walk your bathroom, see the existing plumbing, and write you a real number. The estimate is free, the price is in writing, and the number on day one is the number on the invoice.
Call (850) 427-6454 to schedule your estimate. A live person answers, 24/7. We serve Orlando and surrounding Orange County communities including Winter Park, College Park, Baldwin Park, Conway, Dr. Phillips, Lake Nona, and beyond.
Pricing reflects the Orlando market as of 2026. Penhallow Remodeling Orlando offers free estimates – call (850) 427-6454.
Written by Trevor Nash, owner of Penhallow Remodeling Orlando, serving Orlando and Orange County since 2020.
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