Short answer
What you get for the money
A proper conversion is more than pulling a tub and setting a shower pan. It usually means a 36 or 48 inch shower with a new drain, a fully waterproofed pan and walls, recessed niches, tile to the ceiling and a glass door. The shower valve is typically replaced and the drain moved from the tub's position, which is why it is skilled plumbing and tile work rather than a weekend swap.
What moves the price
- Tile. Standard porcelain keeps the cost down; large-format porcelain, natural stone and detailed patterns add material and labor.
- Glass. A semi-frameless door costs the least. Custom frameless glass is measured after the tile is set and costs more.
- Curbless or curbed. A zero-threshold shower looks clean and is easier to step into, but the pan has to be recessed into the floor structure.
- What is behind the old tub. Leaks can leave rotted subfloor, and older homes may have dated supply lines or no real waterproofing behind the surround.
- Doing more at once. Adding a vanity, floor and fixtures turns a conversion into a full bathroom remodel. See the bathroom cost guide for those figures.
Is a conversion worth it?
An unused tub is wasted space, and a well-built walk-in shower almost always makes a hall or guest bath better to use. It also suits aging in place, since there is no tub wall to step over. The one caveat: if it is the only tub in the house, keep that in mind for resale.
For a full bathroom remodel in the Middle Atlantic region, a midrange bathroom remodel recouped 79.9% of its cost at resale, according to the Remodeling 2025 Cost vs. Value Report (www.costvsvalue.com).© 2025 Zonda Media, a Delaware Corporation. Complete data from the Remodeling 2025 Cost vs. Value Report can be downloaded free at www.costvsvalue.com.
Permits
Replacing a shower valve on its own, or swapping a fixture for a similar one without changing the piping, is ordinary maintenance in New Jersey and needs no permit (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7). A conversion is different: a shower drain rarely lands where the tub drain was, and relocating drain or supply piping needs a construction permit and inspections (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.14). The permit should be in the quote. More: when a New Jersey remodel needs a permit.
Get a conversion price
We look at the bathroom, what is behind the tub and the shower you want, then price it. Estimates are free. Request an estimate, call (856) 214-9156, or see the full bathroom remodel cost guide.
Sources
- Houzz Inc., 2026 U.S. Houzz & Home Study (renovation spend and project length in 2025). Checked September 2026.
- Zonda Media, Remodeling 2025 Cost vs. Value Report, Middle Atlantic region. Checked September 2026.
- New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7, Ordinary maintenance (work that needs no permit). Checked September 2026.
- New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.14, Construction permits: when required. Checked September 2026.
© 2025 Zonda Media, a Delaware Corporation. Complete data from the Remodeling 2025 Cost vs. Value Report can be downloaded free at www.costvsvalue.com.
