How Much Do Walk-In Showers Cost? | Compare by Size, Material, and Labor
How much does a walk-in shower cost? In this guide, we’ll look at the average price as well as various factors that may affect the price.
Walk-in showers are a staple of a luxurious bathroom, but if you want to install one during your bathroom renovation, we need to talk price.
The average walk-in shower cost is lower than you might think. Even if you don’t have a large budget, you don’t have to give up on your shower dreams. But you do need to be smart and practical during the planning stages.
We’ve put together this guide to show you the cost of installing a walk-in shower. Make sure you keep reading below for some helpful tips!
The National Average Cost of a Walk-In Shower
The national average cost of walk-in shower installation lands somewhere between $1,245 and $9,590.
Why such a wide price range?
When you’re designing a walk-in shower, there are many factors that can make the final cost wildly different. For example, installing a small, basic shower stall will keep the price low, but if you want a luxury shower experience, you’ll have to be willing to shell out the big bucks.
Most homeowners spend about $5,000 for a master bathroom walk-in shower. However, as you start putting together your shower budget, make sure you consider the following things.
Demolition
In most cases, you’ll have to tear out your old bathtub or shower set up before you can install a new one. This will add about $500 to $1,000 to the job, a cost many homeowners overlook. You might not have to worry about this extra cost, though, if you’re building a new bathroom from scratch or fitting a bathroom for the first time.
If you have the right tools and experience, you may be able to do this part yourself. After all, the end result doesn’t have to look nice or be functional. Taking out the old shower will be hard work and take up a lot of your time, but it can help you save a few hundred dollars.
Walk-In Shower Size and Shape
The layout of your shower can be one of the biggest expenses of the entire project. The bigger the walk-in shower, the more money you should expect to pay for the installation.
It’s also important to remember that certain designs will add dollar signs to the price tag. Curved edges take longer to build and are more complicated, so they will make the price go up.
A basic square shape will cost about $400 to $1,000 (depending on the material you use). More eccentric designs will add on from there.
Surround Material of Shower
The surround is the part of the shower that contains the water. It might be easier to think of it as the shower’s walls. Many walk-in shower surrounds are made from ceramic tile because it is one of the most affordable options on the market, but you can pick from many different choices.
Some of the most common include:
- Ceramic tile – 1.25+ per square foot
- Fiberglass – $300 to $600 total
- Cultured marble – $600 to $2,000 total
- Acrylic – $300 to $1,000 total
- Stone – $5 to $100 per square foot
- Porcelain – $5 to $30 per square foot
- Glass tile – $20 to $50 per square foot
All these types of surround material allow you to get creative with your design. You can make your shower any color or texture you want.
Keep in mind, though, custom walk-in showers are much more expensive than prefab walk-in showers. Custom designs can get as high as $7,200+ while prefab ones tend to stay below $2,100. You can save a lot of money by choosing a prefab shower, but you will be limited with your choice of design.
Shower Accessories
Do you want any built-in shelves or benches in your walk-in shower? That will cost extra. Again, the exact amount will depend on the specifics of the job (such as the material you’re using, the overall design, the size, etc.), but you should expect to pay more for each accessory you add.
Shower Head
While this is one of the most important parts of your shower, it isn’t one of the most expensive. In other words, it’s a good place to splurge a little so you end up with a shower experience you enjoy.
There are several factors to think about when buying showerheads, though, so make sure you take these things into account.
Walk-in Shower Type
There are two types of showerheads: single-setting and multi-setting.
Single-setting showerheads deliver the water in a consistent stream. The water pressure will always stay the same, and you won’t be able to change the flow.
Multi-setting showerheads have several different water pressure and flow options. For example, you might be able to change the shower to a gentle mist or a pulsing stream.
Single-setting showerheads range between $27 to $520, and multi-setting showerheads generally land somewhere between $54 to $100.
Finish
The finish of your showerhead refers to the material. The most common are the following:
- Plastic – $20 to $30
- Stainless Steel – $25 to $50
- Chrome – $25 to $400
- Nickel – $50 to $500
- Bronze – $60 to $600
You can find high-quality showerheads for a relatively low price, so if you want to save, don’t simply default to plastic. You may not think much of it now, but the material of your showerhead can drastically change the overall appearance and feel of your shower.
Number of Shower Heads
You aren’t limited to one shower head. For a luxury walk-in shower experience, you might want to add multiple showerheads that have multiple different functions.
For example, you can add a waterfall showerhead on the ceiling, a few massage showerheads on the walls, and a hand shower to help wash difficult-to-reach areas.
You can find most types of showerheads for around $88 (although they can be much more expensive as well). At the very least, multiple the number of showerheads you want by $100 to get a rough estimate of the total price.
Walk-In Shower Door Style
The type of door you choose for your walk-in shower will be heavily dependent on the design of your shower. You can’t have a French door on a curved shower, so your door styles might be limited based on the overall shower layout.
The three main styles are:
- Spray panel – $100 to $300
- Sliding – $400 to $1,000
- French – $1,000 to $1,500
Sliding doors are one of the most common options. They don’t require any extra space to open, so they are a good choice for small bathrooms.
If you want to save money, you can also choose to install a walk-in shower without doors. This will take subtract several hundred dollars from your total, which can give you a bit of wiggle room in your budget or more money to spend on other features.
Type of Glass on Shower Door
If you want to elevate the appearance of your shower, you can choose to install tinted, frosted, or textured glass. This will help create a barrier between the shower and the rest of the bathroom that isn’t quite so transparent, giving you more privacy.
Keep in mind, though, these glass types are more expensive than traditional, clear glass. You can end up adding a few hundred dollars to the job by switching up the glass.
Labor Costs
It’s difficult to pin down the amount you’ll pay in labor costs for a walk-in shower installation. The hourly rates depend on who you hire and where you live. However, you should expect to spend at least $100 to $150 per hour for the entire project.
This amount can be much higher, though. It’s a good idea to get quotes from a few different installation companies in your area so you have a better idea of what you’ll be spending in total.
Safety Net
No matter how careful you are during the budgeting and shopping stages, the cost of a tiled walk-in shower will always be a bit higher than you expect. Because of this, it’s a good idea to give yourself a few hundred dollars worth of wiggle room to cover unexpected expenses. This way, you won’t be surprised by a few extra charges that come along the way.
Will a Walk-In Shower for a Small Bathroom Be Cheaper?
In most cases, yes, but that’s not always true. You can have a small shower with expensive surrounding material or multiple, high-quality showerheads. In this case, a luxury small shower might cost more than a simple large shower.
It’s impossible to narrow down the cost of a shower based solely on bathroom size. However, if you just want a basic walk-in shower, you can expect a small shower to land on the lower end of the price tag.
How Much Do Luxury Walk-In Showers Cost?
Just as small showers tend to be less expensive than the average walk-in shower cost, a luxury shower will be above the average price range. Don’t be surprised if the luxury shower of your dreams costs closer to $9,000 (or even higher).
Will Seniors Get Any Discounts for a Walk-In Shower?
Some seniors who are living with certain medical conditions can cover the cost of a walk-in shower installation with their insurance plan. However, this doesn’t happen very often. In most cases, a senior will have to pay the same amount for a walk-in shower that any other homeowner would pay.
Walk-in Shower Cost: Putting Together Your Budget
Before you start shopping for your walk-in shower, it’s a good idea to put together a budget. This will give you a better idea of what you can afford, and it will keep you from going over the walk-in shower cost that makes you comfortable.
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