Last updated: August 8, 2026
A tub-to-shower conversion in Montgomery County typically runs $6,500 to $18,000, depending on whether you keep the existing footprint and how much tile work is involved. Most conversions take five to nine working days.
It is one of the most requested bathroom projects we handle, and for good reason. Montgomery County has a large stock of homes built between the 1950s and 1980s, most with a builder-grade tub in every bathroom. For homeowners who shower daily and never fill the tub, that alcove is wasted space. Converting it opens the room up, makes the bathroom safer to use, and costs a fraction of a full renovation.
This guide covers what the work involves, what it costs in Montgomery County specifically, when you need a permit, and the one situation where we tell homeowners not to do it.
What a Tub-to-Shower Conversion Actually Involves
The scope depends on whether you stay inside the existing tub alcove or expand beyond it.
Standard alcove conversion. The tub comes out, the surround is demolished back to studs, the drain is relocated from the tub position to a centred shower drain, the walls are waterproofed, and a new shower pan and tile go in. Plumbing stays roughly where it is. This is the most common version and the most predictable on cost.
Expanded or custom conversion. The shower footprint grows beyond the old alcove, which means moving walls, relocating supply lines, and sometimes rerouting a vent stack. Cost and timeline both rise noticeably.
Either way, the waterproofing underneath matters more than the tile on top. A shower gets far more direct water exposure on the walls than a tub surround ever did, and the failures we get called to fix are almost always waterproofing failures, not tile failures.
Tub-to-Shower Conversion Cost in Montgomery County (2026)
| Scope | Typical Cost | What It Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic alcove conversion | $6,500 – $9,500 | Tub removal, drain relocation, waterproofing, acrylic or standard tile surround, new valve and trim, glass panel |
| Mid-range tiled shower | $10,000 – $14,000 | Full tile walls, niche, upgraded fixtures, semi-frameless glass door, new lighting and exhaust fan |
| Custom or curbless | $15,000 – $18,000+ | Expanded footprint, curbless entry, linear drain, bench, frameless glass, heated floor |
Three things move these numbers in Montgomery County specifically. Older homes in Bethesda, Chevy Chase and Takoma Park often have cast iron waste lines that need attention once opened up. Homes built before 1978 require lead-safe work practices during demolition. And tile choice swings the budget more than any other single decision — the same shower can differ by several thousand dollars on tile alone.
For how this fits into a whole-room budget, see our full breakdown of bathroom remodeling costs in Montgomery County.
Do You Need a Permit in Montgomery County?
Usually, yes. Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services requires a plumbing permit when a drain is relocated, which a tub-to-shower conversion almost always involves. A straight fixture swap with no plumbing movement may not, but that is rare in practice.
If the work is limited to the bathroom and no walls move, the permit is straightforward and inspection is quick. Where homeowners get caught out is discovering mid-project that a contractor never pulled one — which surfaces later at resale, when the buyer’s inspector asks. We cover the process in detail in our guide to home remodeling permits in Montgomery County.
When You Should Not Convert Your Only Tub
This is the honest caveat, and we give it to homeowners regularly.
If the bathroom you are converting holds the only bathtub in the house, think carefully. Buyers with small children generally want at least one tub, and appraisers and agents in Montgomery County still treat a no-tub house as a narrower sale. If you have a second full bath with a tub, converting is an easy call. If you do not, and you plan to sell within a few years, the resale trade-off is real.
Where it makes clear sense: a primary ensuite alongside a hall bath that keeps its tub, a basement bathroom, or a household planning to stay put where daily use matters more than a future buyer’s preference.
Accessibility and Aging in Place
A meaningful share of these projects are about staying in the house comfortably rather than aesthetics.
Stepping over a 15-inch tub wall is one of the more common ways older adults are injured at home. A curbless or low-threshold shower removes that entirely. If accessibility is the goal, the details worth specifying up front are a zero or low threshold, blocking in the walls for grab bars even if you do not install them yet, a handheld shower on a slide bar, a bench or space for a shower chair, and slip-resistant floor tile in a smaller format so there is more grout for traction.
Adding blocking during construction costs very little. Retrofitting it later means opening finished walls.
How Long Does It Take?
A standard alcove conversion runs five to nine working days of active work: demolition and drain relocation on days one and two, waterproofing and inspection mid-week, tile and grout, then glass. Glass is the usual delay — custom panels are templated after tile goes in and typically take one to two weeks to fabricate, so the shower is often usable before the permanent door arrives.
Expanded or curbless conversions run two to three weeks. Permit review adds time before work begins, not during.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you convert a tub to a shower in one day?
Advertised one-day conversions are acrylic liner systems installed over the existing surround. They are fast and cheaper, but they cover problems rather than resolve them, and they cannot correct a failing pan or hidden water damage. We do not install liner systems.
Will removing a tub hurt my home value?
Not if the house retains another tub. If it is the only one, it can narrow your buyer pool. See the section above.
Can the shower go where the tub was without moving plumbing?
The supply lines usually stay. The drain almost always moves, because a tub drain sits at one end and a shower drain sits centred.
What about mold behind the old surround?
Common in 1960s and 1970s Montgomery County homes, particularly where the original surround was fibreglass over unsealed drywall. We photograph whatever we find at demolition and price the remediation before proceeding rather than absorbing it silently into the job.
Do I need a bigger exhaust fan?
Usually yes. A shower puts far more moisture into the room than a tub. Undersized or unvented fans are one of the most common issues we find in older bathrooms here.
Planning a Conversion in Montgomery County?
Think2Remodel is a licensed and insured remodeling contractor serving Montgomery County and Washington, DC — MHIC #159517. We handle the full scope in-house: demolition, plumbing, waterproofing, tile and glass, with permits pulled and inspections scheduled as part of the job.
Learn more about our bathroom remodeling services in Montgomery County, or see recent work in Rockville, Bethesda and Silver Spring.
Call (240) 258-8885 for a free consultation and written estimate.
Related reading: Budgeting the full room? See our guide to bathroom remodeling costs in Montgomery County.