Tub-to-Shower Conversion Cost in Maryland (2026)

A tub-to-shower conversion in Maryland costs $3,500 to $14,000 in 2026, depending on what replaces the tub. In Anne Arundel and Howard Counties, swapping a tub for a prefab acrylic shower runs $3,500–$7,000, a tiled shower on a prefab pan runs $4,500–$8,500, a fully custom tile walk-in shower runs $6,500–$12,000, and a curbless, zero-entry shower with a linear drain runs $8,000–$14,000.

Replacing a tub with a walk-in shower is the single most common upgrade call I get — from builder-grade primary baths in newer Odenton and Hanover communities to 1970s hall baths in Severna Park and Ellicott City. These numbers come from jobs I'm bidding and building in 2026, not marketplace averages. Here's where the money goes and what decides which end of the range you land on.

How Much Does a Tub-to-Shower Conversion Cost in Maryland?

Conversion type	Typical cost (Anne Arundel + Howard)	What's included
Prefab acrylic shower conversion	$3,500 – $7,000	Tub out, one-piece or multi-panel acrylic shower in, new valve and trim, same drain location.
Prefab pan with tiled walls	$4,500 – $8,500	Composite or acrylic base, waterproofed and tiled walls, new valve, glass not included.
Custom tile walk-in shower conversion	$6,500 – $12,000	Full bonded waterproofing envelope, tiled pan and walls, niche, upgraded valve and trim.
Curbless / zero-entry conversion with linear drain	$8,000 – $14,000	Subfloor recess or buildup for flush entry, linear drain, full waterproofing envelope, custom tile.

These are contractor-installed, permitted prices for keeping the shower in the tub's footprint. Moving the shower to a different wall adds plumbing relocation cost on top — and is usually not worth it. If you're pricing a whole-bathroom project rather than just the wet area, start with my Maryland bathroom remodel cost guide.

What Does Each Part of a Conversion Cost?

Line item	Installed cost in MD
Tub removal and disposal	$300 – $700
Plumbing rough-in (drain conversion + new valve)	$800 – $1,800
Bonded waterproofing envelope (walls, pan, curb)	$1,500 – $3,200
Tile setting (walls + shower floor)	$2,000 – $4,500
Shower valve and trim	$400 – $900
Frameless glass door or panel	$1,000 – $2,500
Built-in niche or bench	$400 – $1,200
Linear drain (vs. center drain)	$600 – $1,500
Grab bars / aging-in-place blocking	$400 – $1,500

A tub drain and a shower drain are not the same thing — a shower needs a 2-inch drain line where most tubs run 1.5-inch, which is why the rough-in line exists even when nothing "moves." That conversion happens below the floor, and it's the part a suspiciously cheap quote is usually skipping.

The Waterproofing Is the Job

Everything visible in a shower — tile, grout, glass — is the wear surface. The actual shower is the waterproofing behind it, and a conversion is where corner-cutting does the most damage, because the tub apron that used to shield the floor framing is gone and the whole alcove becomes a wet zone.

Every conversion I build gets a bonded waterproofing system — Schluter KERDI-BOARD, Wedi, GoBoard, or Laticrete Hydro Ban Board — where the board is the membrane, every seam is banded or sealed, and the drain connects mechanically to the walls as one continuous envelope you can inspect before a single tile goes on. Not bare cement board, not a roll-on membrane applied at whatever thickness the crew had time for. On a 15-year horizon the price difference is noise; the difference in failure rate is not.

What I Find When the Tub Comes Out

The tub has been hiding that corner of the bathroom since the house was built. Here's what regularly shows up on demo day in Anne Arundel and Howard County homes, and what it adds:

Surprise	Typical added cost
Subfloor rot at the tub drain box or apron	$400 – $1,500
Galvanized supply lines behind the wet wall (pre-1965 homes)	$500 – $1,800 to re-pipe
Undersized or corroded drain line needing replacement back to the stack	$600 – $2,500
Mold in the wet wall cavity from decades-old leaks	$800 – $3,500
Out-of-plumb framing that has to be corrected before board goes up	$400 – $1,200

Budget a 10–15% contingency on top of the quote for exactly these. On a $9,000 conversion, that means having $10,000–$10,500 available. My contracts define the change-order process up front: if the subfloor comes up soft, you see the cost, you approve it, and work continues — no surprise invoice at the end.

Curbless Showers and Aging in Place

A growing share of my conversion calls — especially in 55+ communities like Kerger Pond and Maple Highlands in the Ellicott City/Fulton area — are for curbless, zero-threshold showers planned for the long term. Going curbless adds $1,500–$3,500 over a standard curb because the floor has to be recessed or built up so the shower floor sits flush with the bathroom floor, and drainage has to be engineered rather than assumed. Do it during the conversion, not as a retrofit: the same is true of grab-bar blocking, which costs almost nothing to frame in while the walls are open and real money to add after tile is up.

Do I Need a Permit for a Tub-to-Shower Conversion in Maryland?

Yes, in nearly all cases — the drain conversion and valve replacement are plumbing alterations, and both counties require a plumbing permit for them. In Anne Arundel County, plan on roughly $75–$300 depending on scope, with plumbing and electrical sub-permits at $50–$150 each — details in my Anne Arundel County permit guide. In Howard County, figure $100–$350 with sub-permits included — see my Howard County permit guide. I pull the permits on every job; a contractor who tells you a drain conversion doesn't need one is saving themselves an inspection, not saving you money.

Whoever you hire should be MHIC-licensed — required by Maryland law for residential contracting over $500. PRG Home Improvement LLC is licensed, bonded, and insured — MHIC #113057. Verify any contractor in the MHIC license database, and see how to hire a licensed contractor in Maryland for the full checklist.

Will Removing a Tub Hurt Resale Value?

Only if it's the last tub in the house. Buyers with young kids filter for at least one bathtub, so if the hall bath keeps its tub, converting the primary bath to a walk-in shower helps resale — a big tiled shower is what buyers in this market expect in a primary. If the tub you're removing is the only one, think harder: in family-oriented neighborhoods I'll tell you straight that it may cost you at sale time, and we can look at layouts that keep a tub elsewhere instead.

How Long Does a Tub-to-Shower Conversion Take?

A prefab conversion takes 2–4 working days on site. A custom tile conversion takes 5–10 working days — demo and rough-in, inspection, waterproofing, tile, then glass measured after tile and installed about a week later. Curbless work adds a day or two of floor prep. Permit review happens before any of this and runs 1–3 weeks depending on the county's queue; the glass lead time, not the tile, is usually what decides when you take the first shower.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a tub-to-shower conversion cost in Maryland?

A tub-to-shower conversion in Maryland costs $3,500 to $14,000 in 2026. Prefab acrylic conversions run $3,500–$7,000, tiled showers on a prefab pan run $4,500–$8,500, custom tile walk-in showers run $6,500–$12,000, and curbless conversions with a linear drain run $8,000–$14,000 in Anne Arundel and Howard Counties.

How much does it cost to replace a bathtub with a walk-in shower?

Replacing a bathtub with a tiled walk-in shower typically costs $6,500–$12,000 in Maryland, including demo, drain conversion, a bonded waterproofing system, and custom tile. A frameless glass door adds $1,000–$2,500. Prefab acrylic walk-in units run $3,500–$7,000 installed.

Is it cheaper to convert a tub to a shower or remodel the whole bathroom?

A conversion alone is significantly cheaper — $3,500–$14,000 versus $15,000–$30,000 for a standard full-bathroom remodel in this market. But if the vanity, flooring, and fixtures are also dated, doing it all at once costs less than two separate projects, because demo, permits, and mobilization are shared. See my Maryland bathroom remodel cost guide for full-project numbers.

Do I need a permit to convert a tub to a shower in Maryland?

Yes, in nearly all cases. Converting the 1.5-inch tub drain to a 2-inch shower drain and replacing the valve are plumbing alterations that require a permit in both Anne Arundel and Howard Counties. Your contractor should pull it and schedule the inspections.

Does converting a tub to a shower hurt home value?

Not if the house keeps at least one bathtub. Converting a primary-bath tub to a walk-in shower generally helps resale in Anne Arundel and Howard County, where buyers expect a large shower in the primary bath. Removing the only tub in the house can narrow your buyer pool in family-oriented neighborhoods.

Get a Tub-to-Shower Conversion Estimate

The honest answer on price requires seeing the bathroom — the drain location, the wet wall, what the tub is hiding. For a rough range, use my free bathroom estimate calculator. For a line-item quote, schedule a free in-home consultation or call me at 443-856-5379 — I come out personally and write the estimate myself.

PRG Home Improvement LLC is based in Gambrills and handles tub-to-shower conversions across Anne Arundel and Howard Counties as part of our bathroom remodeling service — including Gambrills, Crofton, Odenton, Severna Park, Annapolis, Millersville, Ellicott City, Columbia, Fulton, and surrounding areas.

Tub-to-Shower Conversion Cost in Maryland (2026): Real Prices from a Licensed Contractor