Shower cost: four honest tiers, one way to build them right.
From a composite conversion at $8,000 to large-format porcelain at $15,000+. Every tier gets the same waterproofing, the same Delta fixtures, and the same crew.
Request a free in-home estimateCompare the tiers ↓
Manufacturer product example, shown for the product look.
The four tiers
Pick by look and budget. The build underneath is the same.
Prices are installed starting points for the wet area only: demo, base, waterproofing, walls, fixtures, labor. Glass, vanities, floors outside the shower, and paint are separate line items.
Composite one-piece
Acrylic base plus tile-look or solid-color wall panels with sealed seams. Fastest install, no grout to maintain. The right answer for a lot of rentals and second baths.
From $8,0001 to 2 day install
Real tile on Schluter
Porcelain or ceramic tile over Kerdi-Board and a pre-sloped Kerdi pan. Any pattern, niches, benches. The classic done correctly.
$8,000–$9,000 smallmost land $12,000–$15,000
Quartz slab walls
Full-height engineered quartz slabs, one piece per wall. No grout at all, a true luxury look, and the easiest surface in the house to wipe down.
From $12,000–$15,000color and wall count drive price
Panoramic large-format porcelain
Oversized porcelain panels with a reinforced backing, so breakage stays low and the price stays sane. Marble and stone looks at wall scale.
From $15,000–$19,000a full master with it ran about $45,000
PuroStone solid-surface walls fit between the composite and tile tiers; see the PuroStone page for colors. Wall photos above are manufacturer product examples for the look.
The part that decides everything
The shower pan: three ways to build it, one we won't.
Site-built concrete pan with liner
A rubber liner, a hand-floated mortar bed, tile on top. Every bit of its performance depends on the installer's slope and whether the liner survived the curb nails. Flat spots pool water. Pinholes leak into the subfloor. It's the number one reason we tear showers out early.
Schluter pre-sloped tile pan
A factory-sloped foam tray bonded to a Kerdi drain, wrapped in Kerdi membrane. The slope is engineered, the waterproofing is continuous from drain to ceiling, and tile sets straight on it. Schluter warrants the complete system for life.
Factory acrylic base
A molded, foam-reinforced acrylic base with the slope and drain built in. Nothing to float, nothing to tile. Comes in standard alcove sizes and in a low-barrier version.
Low-barrier showers
A ¾-inch curb instead of a 15-inch tub wall.
Our low-barrier bases have a beveled threshold with a three-quarter-inch curb: easy to step over, easy to roll a shower chair over, and still able to keep water in the shower. It's not a fully curbless floor, so we don't call it one. It's the practical version that works in almost any DFW slab home without cutting concrete.
- 60×30 and 60×32 sizes, center, left, or right drain
- Slope of at least ¼ inch per foot built in, no flat spots
- Add a fold-down seat and a Delta handheld on a slide bar and you've got a shower that works standing today and seated in ten years
- Ramp and rubber water-dam accessories available where you need a fully flat approach
Seats, bars, and the handheld
The three add-ons worth every dollar
A real seat
Built-in tiled bench, floating bench, corner seat, or a fold-down that tucks away. Whichever you choose, it gets blocking in the wall and waterproofing at every penetration, planned before the wall closes. The weight rating goes in your quote.
Grab bars that hold a person
Chrome, brushed nickel, matte black, or oil-rubbed bronze, and every one anchored to solid blocking we install, not to hollow drywall with a toggle. Locations are confirmed at measurement so they're where your hand actually goes.
Delta handheld on a slide bar
Adjusts for standing or seated use, rinses the shower itself, and has a pause button that holds your temperature. Delta covers parts and finish for as long as the original owner lives in the home. We buy from the supply house so the cartridge is a stocked part, not a wall tear-out, when it eventually needs replacing.
Alcoves and walls
What goes on the walls
Every tier can take any of our wall systems. The honest guide to each, with colors and photos, is on the Walls & Finishes page. The short version:
| Wall system | What it is | Grout? | Fits tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tile-look panels | Simulated tile pattern, sealed seams. Not real tile. | None | Composite |
| PuroStone | Solid-surface stone look, five colors, non-porous | None | Composite or tile base |
| Real porcelain or ceramic tile | Any tile, any pattern, on Schluter | Yes, sealed | Tile |
| Certistone panels | Large-format stone-look panels, glossy or matte, sealed seams | None | Tile base |
| Large-format porcelain | Oversized reinforced porcelain panels | Minimal | Porcelain |
| Quartz slab | One engineered quartz slab per wall | None | Quartz |
Questions we get every week
Shower FAQ
What does a tub-to-shower conversion cost?
In DFW, a composite one-piece conversion starts around $8,000 installed for the wet area. A real tile shower on a Schluter system starts at $8,000 to $9,000 for a small 3-by-4 and most of ours land between $12,000 and $15,000. Large-format porcelain starts at $15,000 to $19,000.
Why don't you build concrete shower pans?
Because a mud-bed pan with a liner is only as good as the slope the installer floated by hand. Get it slightly flat and water pools; nick the liner at the curb and it leaks into the subfloor, and the only fix is tearing it all out. We use a factory pre-sloped Schluter pan, so the slope is engineered, not eyeballed, and the whole system carries Schluter's lifetime warranty.
What's the difference between a low-barrier shower and a curbless one?
Our low-barrier bases have a three-quarter-inch beveled curb. That's low enough to step or roll over easily, but it's not a true curbless floor, so we don't call it one. A fully curbless shower requires recessing the slab, which we can price separately where the structure allows.
Why Delta, and why does it matter where you buy it?
Delta backs its faucets with a limited lifetime warranty on parts and finish for the original homeowner. We buy ours from the plumbing supply house, so the exact valve and cartridge stay stocked locally for years. When a cartridge needs replacing, it's a ten-minute swap instead of opening a tiled wall to change the valve.
Is the price for the whole bathroom?
No. Shower prices are for the wet area: demo, pan, waterproofing, walls, fixtures, and installation. Vanities, toilets, bathroom floor tile, paint, and glass doors are priced as separate line items so you can see exactly where the money goes.
How long does it take?
A composite one-piece conversion is usually one to two days. A tile shower is typically four to seven working days because waterproofing has to cure before tile goes on. We'll give you a schedule with the quote.
Ready for a real number on a shower?
We'll measure, check the drain and the framing, and price every line item in writing. You keep the quote.
Request a free in-home estimateOr call or text 214-974-8375 · Financing from about $200/month on approved credit