What a Tub-to-Shower Conversion in Bonita Springs Actually Involves, How Long It Takes, and What You’ll Pay
A tub-to-shower conversion in Bonita Springs takes a standard 5-foot bathtub alcove and transforms it into a walk-in shower, typically in 3 to 5 working days once materials are on site. Most jobs in this market fall between $3,500 and $10,000, with the final number shaped by waterproofing method, shower base choice, wall finish, glass enclosure style, and whether any plumbing needs to move. Call (844) 638-7249 for a free on-site estimate with a written line-item quote - no change orders, no surprises.
How We Take a Tub Out and Put a Walk-In Shower In - The Real Sequence
Every tub-to-shower conversion follows the same structural logic, but the way a house in Bonita Springs was originally built - particularly the homes that went through Hurricane Ian - can affect what we find when we open the walls. Here is the stage-by-stage reality, not a glossy brochure timeline.
Stage 1: Demolition and discovery - Day 1, roughly 4 to 6 hours. We remove the existing bathtub, surrounding wall material, and the shower valve. In older Bonita Shores and Bonita Springs Estates homes built in the 1970s and early 80s, this is where we sometimes find water intrusion behind the tile backer or subfloor rot from years of humidity and splash-out. You make zero decisions here - this is purely the uncovering stage. If we find framing damage, we stop, show you photos, and give you a fixed price to put it right before proceeding.
Stage 2: Rough-in and waterproofing - Day 2, often bleeding into Day 3 for full-day cure times. Any plumbing modifications happen now: moving the drain from a tub-center position to a shower-center position, and upgrading the shower valve. The critical decision you will have made by this point is your waterproofing method. A fiberglass or acrylic direct-to-stud surround from Delta or Kohler installs fast and stays at the lower end of the price range. A fully waterproofed substrate with tile - using a sheet membrane or liquid-applied system over cement board - takes more labor and material cost but lets you choose any tile you want. Both methods work in Bonita Springs; the distinction is cost, look, and long-term maintenance.
Stage 3: Shower base or pan installation - Day 3, typically 3 to 5 hours plus cure. We set the base. Prefabricated acrylic or composite shower pans are the lower-cost, faster option. A site-built mortar-bed pan with a waterproofing membrane is the choice if you want a tile floor and a curbless or low-threshold entry - popular with homeowners planning to age in place in neighborhoods like Pelican Landing and Bonita Bay. The site-built pan adds roughly a day to the schedule and $800 to $1,500 to the budget, but it is the only way to get a fully tiled, custom-drain shower floor.
Stage 4: Wall finish and fixture trim-out - Day 4. Walls go up and the shower valve trim, showerhead, and any grab bars or niche trim get installed. If you opted for tile, the tile setter works through this stage and grout may need overnight cure before the last trim pieces snap on. You chose the tile, grout color, fixture finish, and niche placement back at contract - so by this day, everything is going in per the written spec.
Stage 5: Glass enclosure measure and install - Day 5 or approximately one week later, depending on fabrication. A frameless or semi-frameless glass enclosure is measured after tile and walls are complete. Local glass shops in the Bonita Springs area typically turn a custom panel and door set in 5 to 7 business days. The enclosure typically accounts for $900 to $2,200 of the total job cost, depending on glass thickness, coating, and whether you choose a sliding door or a hinged swing door. We coordinate the measure and install - you do not chase a glass subcontractor.
The Options You’ll Choose Between
Every tub-to-shower conversion comes down to about four real material and configuration decisions. Here is what actually matters and the honest trade-off of each.
- Direct-to-stud acrylic or composite surround vs. tiled walls. Acrylic or Kohler Choreograph-style composite wall systems install in one day, have no grout, and cost less - typically landing the project between $3,500 and $5,500. Tile gives you unlimited design flexibility and a higher-end finish, but it costs more and requires periodic grout sealing. Most jobs that end up in the $7,000 to $10,000 range have a fully tiled shower with a custom glass enclosure.
- Prefabricated shower base vs. site-built mortar pan. A prefab base keeps the budget in check and installs same-day. A mortar bed with a tile floor looks custom and allows a true curbless entry - something we see a fair number of requests for in the single-story ranch homes throughout Bonita Springs, where homeowners want a shower they can walk straight into without stepping over anything.
- Standard 60-inch alcove vs. expanding the footprint. If you have a standard tub alcove and we keep it exactly that size, the structural scope is straightforward. Expanding the shower into adjacent floor space - or converting a corner tub - pulls in framing, drywall, and floor-patch work, and that is what pushes a job toward the $9,000-$10,000 upper end or beyond.
- Shower door style and glass. A sliding bypass door keeps things simple. A hinged frameless glass panel with a heavy 3/8-inch or 1/2-inch door feels like a high-end hotel shower and costs roughly twice what a standard slider does. We can walk you through the real cost difference from a Bonita Springs glass fabricator during the estimate so there are no surprises.
What a Tub-to-Shower Conversion Costs in Bonita Springs, FL
A straightforward tub-to-shower conversion in Bonita Springs - keeping the existing footprint, using a quality acrylic surround and a prefab base, with a standard glass slider - falls between $3,500 and $5,500. A fully tiled shower with a site-built pan, frameless glass, and upgraded fixtures runs $7,000 to $10,000.
The four things that actually move the number: Waterproofing method - acrylic surround versus full-tile changes material and labor cost significantly. Shower base type - prefab pans cost less; a site-built mortar bed with waterproofing adds labor days and materials. Plumbing scope - if we are moving the drain and upgrading old galvanized supply lines in a 1970s Bonita Shores home, that adds plumbing hours before any finish work starts. Glass spec - frameless heavy-glass with a hinged door costs more than a standard sliding panel, and is quoted from the glass fabricator as a separate line item within our fixed bid.
Every estimate we write in Bonita Springs is a fixed-price, line-item document. You see the cost of demo, plumbing rough-in, waterproofing, wall finish, the pan or base, the fixtures, and the glass, each as its own number. There are no lump sums that hide what something actually costs. And there are zero change orders unless you choose to upgrade something mid-project. The price we agree on is the price you pay.
Call (844) 638-7249 to schedule a free on-site estimate - we’ll walk the space with you, talk through the options, and hand you a written quote. Estimates are free and there is no obligation.
What Bonita Springs Homes Specifically Do to This Job
Bonita Springs brings two realities to every tub-to-shower conversion that do not exist 20 miles inland. The first is the age and construction of the housing stock itself. In neighborhoods north of Bonita Beach Road - places like Bonita Shores and the older sections west of US-41 - we regularly open bathroom walls on concrete-block homes from the 1970s and find original galvanized plumbing and water-damaged sill plates that have been quietly deteriorating for decades. That means a tub-to-shower conversion on these properties sometimes carries a necessary plumbing-upgrade scope to bring the shower valve and drain up to current code, which adds cost compared to the same job in a 2005-built home in Palmira or Bonita Bay where copper and PVC are already in place.
The second reality is post-Ian permitting. Lee County’s substantial-damage review process means that if your home was flagged after the Imperial River flooding in 2022, even an interior bathroom renovation permit can trigger a county review of the structure’s compliance with current Base Flood Elevation. We navigate that process with every permit pull - checking FEMA status, confirming scope with the building department, and making sure a straightforward tub-to-shower conversion stays a tub-to-shower conversion without scope creep a county reviewer might impose on a property that has an open substantial-damage designation. That local knowledge is not a marketing claim; it is the difference between a job that finishes in a week and one that gets tangled in redetermination for months.
Serving Bonita Springs, FL - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Bonita Springs area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
Frequently Asked - Tub-to-Shower Conversion in Bonita Springs
Most tub-to-shower conversions take 3 to 5 working days of on-site labor, plus about one additional week for custom glass fabrication and installation if you choose a frameless enclosure. Acrylic surround systems with a prefab base and standard sliding door can be done in 3 days. A fully tiled shower with a site-built pan takes the full 5 days on the labor side, with glass measured on the last day and installed roughly a week later. We give you a day-by-day schedule in writing before we start so you know exactly when the water is off and when it is back on.
Yes. Any job that involves plumbing modification - and moving a tub drain to a shower drain is a plumbing modification - requires a permit through Lee County Building and Permitting. We pull the permit, schedule the rough-in and final inspections, and handle any questions the inspector has. The permit cost is a line item in your estimate, not a hidden fee. In post-Ian Bonita Springs, we also check the property’s FEMA substantial-damage status before filing, so there are no surprises from the county mid-project.
Sometimes, but not always to code. A bathtub drain is typically 1-1/2 inches in diameter; a shower drain requires a 2-inch line per Florida plumbing code. If the existing tub drain line is already 2-inch and the trap is in the right position, we may be able to use it with a conversion kit and save you some plumbing cost. If the line is smaller - common in pre-1990s Bonita Springs homes - we will need to upgrade it to pass inspection. We will not cut a code corner to shave a few hundred dollars off a bid.
A quality tub-to-shower conversion in Bonita Springs ranges from $3,500 to $10,000. The lower end gets you an acrylic or composite direct-to-stud surround with a prefab shower base and a standard sliding glass door, keeping the existing tub footprint. The upper end includes a fully tiled shower with a site-built mortar pan, frameless heavy-glass enclosure, upgraded fixtures, and often some plumbing relocation. The variables that push the price higher are waterproofing method, shower base type, plumbing scope, and glass spec - all described in detail above.
Every tub-to-shower conversion we do in Bonita Springs is covered by our 730-Day Done Right Promise: if something is not done right, we make it right - one of the longest workmanship guarantees you will find on residential bath work. Manufacturer warranties on the acrylic, tile, fixtures, and glass components run separately and we walk you through exactly what is covered and for how long before you sign anything.
Free Estimate for a Tub-to-Shower Conversion in Bonita Springs
If you have a tub alcove you are ready to turn into a walk-in shower, we will come out, look at the space, talk through the real options and what each one costs, and hand you a fixed-price written estimate before we leave - or within 24 hours if the glass quote needs a fabricator number. There is no pressure and no obligation. The goal is to get you real numbers so you can make a decision on your own timeline.
Call (844) 638-7249 - a live person answers, 24/7 - to schedule your free on-site estimate for a tub-to-shower conversion in Bonita Springs, FL.
Written by Derek Hollenbeck, Owner at Groundwork Construction Co., serving Bonita Springs homeowners with fixed-price bath conversions and a 730-Day Done Right Promise.