- Tub surround tile work: $2,000 flat.
- Kitchen backsplash tile work: $1,000 flat, labor.
- Tile floors: $3 per square foot labor, or $2 per square foot labor on jobs of 2,000 square feet or more.
What Happens to the Plumbing When You Remove the Tub
The first thing that gets taken out is the tub itself. Once it is gone, the old drain and supply lines are exposed. The drain for a tub sits at one end of the alcove. For a shower the drain needs to be centered in the new pan. That means the plumber has to reroute the drain line and move it. The hot and cold supply lines also have to be moved. The tub faucet is usually on the wall, but a shower valve sits higher. That pipe gets extended up. The plumber caps the old tub spout line and runs new pipe to the shower valve height.
All of this work happens before we start setting tile. We coordinate with the plumber to make sure the walls are ready for waterproofing and the drain is set at the right height for the pan. The floor underneath the tub is usually a plywood subfloor. Sometimes it needs to be patched or reinforced. The plumber handles the rough-in. After that the space is ready for us to build the shower pan and tile the walls.
The Shower Pan and the Drain Location
The pan is the floor of the shower. It has to slope toward the drain so water runs off. Most pans are built with a mortar bed that is shaped on site. The drain is set in the middle of that bed. The slope is usually 1/4 inch per foot. A curb is a raised lip at the entrance that keeps water inside the shower. A curbless shower has no lip. The floor outside the shower has to slope into the shower as well, and a linear drain is often used. That takes more work and more planning.
- The pan is sloped at least 1/4 inch per foot toward the drain.
- A curb is typically 4 to 6 inches tall and made of mortar or a preformed piece.
- Curbless showers require the bathroom floor to slope and a linear drain set at the opening.
- The drain location is set when the mortar bed is poured and cannot be moved later.
- We use a bonded waterproofing membrane over the mortar bed and up the walls.
Wall Height, Glass, and Waterproofing
The walls in a shower need to be waterproof from the pan up to at least the height of the shower head. Most showers go 7 feet up or all the way to the ceiling. The tile is set over a cement board that has a surface-applied waterproofing membrane. We bond that membrane to the board and the pan. The glass enclosure is installed after the tile is finished. Frameless glass uses heavy tempered panels held by clamps. Framed glass has metal channels around each panel. Sliding doors are common for alcove showers. Swing doors need room to open.
The glass itself is not part of our tile work. The glass company measures and installs it after we finish. We leave the tile edges clean and straight so the glass channels fit tight. The wall height determines how tall the glass panels can be. If the shower goes to the ceiling, the glass stops below the ceiling. If the walls stop at 7 feet, the glass goes to the same height. Waterproofing is critical. Without it water can seep through the grout and damage the wall behind the tile.
Should You Keep a Tub for Resale?
This is the honest question. If your house has only one tub and you take it out, a future buyer might want a tub. Families with small children often prefer a tub. If you have a second bathroom that already has a tub, converting the first one is less of a risk. Some people convert a shower back into a tub later, but that is more work and costs more. It is easier to keep one tub in the house if you can.
If you decide to keep the tub and just retile the surround, that work is $2,000 flat. We remove the old tile, prep the walls, and set new tile up to the tub rim. The tub stays in place. The reverse question is whether to convert a shower to a tub. That is not common. It involves removing the pan and drain, installing a tub, and retiling. It is a bigger job. Call us for a straight quote on that kind of work. We do not have a set price for it.
How We Handle a Tub to Shower Conversion
We start by looking at the room and measuring the actual space. We talk through the options: curb or curbless, wall height, tile type, edge profiles. You pick the tile. You can bring your own or come with us to the supply house in Temple. What you pick is what gets set. We do not substitute materials. The same people who quote the job are the people who do the job. We set the tile, grout it, seal it, and clean up behind us. Every installation carries a written one-year limited labor warranty from the date of completion. It covers issues that come from the original installation. It does not cover the tile itself or any damage done after the work is done.
There is no set price for a tub to shower conversion because every job is different. The plumbing move, the pan size, the tile choice, and the glass all change the cost. Call us at (512) 297-7493 or email info@merlanstile.com for a straight quote. We work in Killeen and the surrounding area: Harker Heights, Copperas Cove, Nolanville, Belton, Temple, Salado, Georgetown, Round Rock, Waco and Austin.