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AfterHow Much Does Shower Replacement Cost in Fort Lauderdale?
Shower replacement in Fort Lauderdale typically costs between $3,000 and $8,500 for a complete tear-out and rebuild, with most homeowners landing around $5,500 for a standard alcove shower with mid-range tile and fixtures. On the lower end, a straightforward fiberglass or acrylic unit swap can run $2,800 to $4,000; on the upper end, a custom walk-in shower with bench seating, niche shelving, and floor-to-ceiling tile pushes toward $8,500 or slightly beyond.
These numbers reflect the Fort Lauderdale market as of 2026, where coastal moisture, older housing stock, and permit requirements all shape what you’ll actually pay. If you’re comparing quotes, the key is making sure every bid includes the same scope: waterproofing method, tile choice, glass enclosure, and the condition of what’s behind the walls.
At Penhallow Remodeling Fort Lauderdale, we put the full price in writing before any demo starts. You’ll know the number on day one, and it’s the number on the invoice. Call (754) 551-2922 for a free, no-pressure estimate.
Shower Replacement Cost Breakdown (2026)
Here’s how the cost of a shower replacement breaks down in Fort Lauderdale. The table below reflects typical ranges for a standard 3-foot by 5-foot alcove shower with an existing drain location. Expanding the footprint, moving plumbing, or adding custom features shifts these numbers accordingly.
| Line Item | Typical Cost Range |
|---|---|
| Demolition and debris hauling | $350 – $750 |
| Plumbing adjustments (valve, drain, supply lines) | $400 – $1,200 |
| Waterproofing system (cement board, membrane, or foam board) | $400 – $1,000 |
| Shower pan or tiled mortar base | $600 – $1,500 |
| Wall tile and installation | $1,200 – $3,500 |
| Shower door and glass panel | $600 – $2,200 |
| Fixtures (showerhead, valve trim, drain cover) | $300 – $1,200 |
| Finish plumbing and caulking | $200 – $500 |
| Permit and inspection fees | $150 – $400 |
What moves the total up or down? Tile is the biggest variable. A basic 4-by-4 ceramic wall tile costs a fraction of what a 24-by-48 porcelain slab or hand-glazed zellige tile runs, and the installation labor increases with larger format and more intricate patterns. A frameless glass panel with clean lines costs more than a curtain rod, and a custom recessed niche adds a few hundred dollars more than a corner shelf. The condition of your subfloor matters too. In coastal Fort Lauderdale, homes built before the mid-1980s often have moisture problems hiding behind the old shower walls. If the studs are rotten or the subfloor has water damage, the repair work adds to the final number before the rebuild even starts.
We install Kohler and Moen fixtures on most of our shower replacements. Both brands back their products with solid warranties, which layers on top of our own 365-Day Done Right Promise. If something fails inside that first year, we come back and fix it at no charge. That’s in writing on every project.
What Affects Shower Replacement Pricing in Fort Lauderdale
Every home is different, and six factors drive most of the variation in shower replacement quotes across Fort Lauderdale:
- Age and condition of the surrounding structure. Homes in neighborhoods like Sailboat Bend, Rio Vista, and Victoria Park often date to the 1930s through 1960s. Old cast-iron plumbing, settled slab foundations, and decades of humidity take a toll. When we demo a shower in these homes, we regularly find water-damaged framing that requires repair before waterproofing. The older the home, the more reserve you should build into the budget.
- Shower size and layout. A standard 60-inch alcove shower costs less than a 72-inch design or a curbless walk-in. Expanding the footprint usually means moving the drain, which requires cutting into the concrete slab, a common condition in Fort Lauderdale’s slab-on-grade construction. Slab work is precise and adds real cost.
- Material selection. Ceramic tile, porcelain tile, natural stone, acrylic panels, and fiberglass units all sit at different price points. Porcelain is the most common choice in Fort Lauderdale because it holds up to humidity and cleans easily. Natural stone looks warm and organic but needs sealing every 18 to 24 months to resist staining.
- Plumbing scope. Replacing an existing shower in the same footprint with the valve in the same position is the least expensive path. Moving the showerhead to a different wall, adding a second showerhead, or installing a separate handheld sprayer each require new pipe runs and additional valve ports.
- Glass enclosure type. A basic sliding door costs less than a frameless hinged panel. Frameless glass looks cleaner but requires thicker tempered glass and more precise installation. Expect the difference to run $800 to $1,500 between the two options.
- Permitting and inspection. Fort Lauderdale requires a plumbing permit when the valve or drain is altered. The permit itself is modest, but it means the job gets inspected by the city, which protects you as the homeowner. Any contractor who suggests skipping the permit is asking you to absorb the risk.
If you want a useful point of comparison, a walk-in shower installation in Fort Lauderdale typically runs $4,500 to $12,000, while a tub-to-shower conversion lands between $3,500 and $10,000. A shower replacement sits in the middle because you’re removing an existing shower and rebuilding in place, without the tub removal or the custom accessibility requirements of a fully open walk-in.
Shower Replacement vs. Refinishing: Which Is the Better Value?
Refinishing, sometimes called reglazing, costs $600 to $1,500 on a standard shower in Fort Lauderdale. It can buy you a few more years, but it’s a surface fix. It will not address water intrusion, rotten framing, aging valves, or failing waterproofing. If your shower leaks, has cracked grout that keeps coming back, or sits over a slab that’s showing moisture staining at the baseboard, refinishing is money toward a problem that will return.
Replacement costs more up front, but it resets the waterproofing and the structure behind the tile. In a climate like Fort Lauderdale’s, where summer humidity regularly sits above 70 percent, waterproofing is not cosmetic. It’s the difference between a shower that lasts 20 years and one that rots from the inside out.
The honest advice we give homeowners: if the shower is under 8 years old and the surfaces are solid, refinish. If you’re past that age or seeing any sign of moisture beyond the shower itself, replace it. You’ll spend more once, rather than paying for a surface fix now and a full replacement in two years anyway.
How to Save on Shower Replacement
The lowest price is rarely the best value, but there are real ways to move the number down without cutting corners that matter:
- Keep the footprint the same. Moving the drain or removing walls adds slab work and plumbing reruns, which are the two most expensive labor items in a shower replacement.
- Use porcelain tile instead of natural stone. Porcelain delivers nearly the same look at 30 to 50 percent less material cost, and it does not require periodic sealing.
- Choose a sliding glass door over frameless. You’ll save $800 to $1,500 and lose no real function.
- Skip the extras. Bench seating, steam units, body jets, and multiple showerheads each add $500 to $2,500. A well-executed simple shower beats a loaded one that stretches the budget thin.
- Get the full scope in writing before you compare. A written line-item bid from one contractor and a verbal range from another are not the same thing. If the lower number doesn’t include waterproofing, hauling, or the permit, it’s not actually lower.
We offer free estimates with a written price every time, so you’ll know exactly where your money goes before you sign anything. Call (754) 551-2922 and we’ll walk the project with you, measure precisely, and hand you a number you can hold.
What the Process Looks Like When You Work With Penhallow Remodeling
Every shower replacement we do in Fort Lauderdale follows the same sequence, and we follow The Kingswell Way on every job: say the price before the work, show up in the window we gave, and leave the place cleaner than we found it. That standard has guided the Kingswell family of companies since 2004, and it’s the reason homeowners who’ve been burned once by a contractor tend to call us back for the next project.
Here’s what happens after you schedule your free estimate:
- Day 1, the visit: We inspect the shower, check the surrounding framing, review the plumbing access, and take measurements. You get a written quote with the full scope of work, materials, and the total price. No range. No “we’ll see once we open it up.” The number on the quote is the number on the invoice.
- Before work starts: We pull the permit through the City of Fort Lauderdale, confirm materials are in stock, and give you a defined arrival window. Your technician is background-checked, uniformed, and the same person you met at the quote visit.
- Demo and framing day: The old shower comes out down to the studs, and we inspect the substrate, the moisture-resistant layer behind your tile. Any rotted or compromised framing gets replaced before waterproofing begins.
- Waterproofing and tile: We install the waterproofing system, set the pan or base, and tile the walls. This phase takes the most time. Proper drying times between coats of waterproofing membrane matter, and we do not rush them.
- Glass, fixtures, and finish: The enclosure goes in, fixtures are installed, and the shower is caulked and sealed. We haul off all debris and clean the surrounding areas.
- After completion: You receive the written warranty with the 365-Day Done Right Promise. If anything fails inside that year, we come back and repair it at no charge. No service call fee, no re-inspection fee, no negotiation.
Our shower replacements draw from a range of trusted materials, including Kohler and Moen fixtures and porcelain and ceramic tile lines that carry their own manufacturer warranties alongside ours. That’s two layers of protection on a job you only want to pay for once.
Why Fort Lauderdale Homes Need Different Shower Decisions Than Homes Up North
Humidity is the quiet enemy in South Florida showers. Without proper ventilation and waterproofing, a shower in Fort Lauderdale can feed mold and mildew within months. We see it in older homes throughout Wilton Manors, Coral Ridge, and Poinsettia Heights, where original 1950s and 60s bathrooms were built with green board, a material that absorbs water and disintegrates over time.
Modern waterproofing systems, from cement board substrate with a surface membrane to fully integrated foam boards, are designed to keep water inside the shower envelope. They cost more than the old methods, but they are the reason a properly built shower in this climate lasts decades instead of years. When you’re comparing quotes, ask exactly what waterproofing material the contractor will use and whether the waterproofing will be covered under the written guarantee. If the answer is vague, walk away.
Also worth noting: many Fort Lauderdale homes sit on concrete slabs. That means the shower drain is embedded in the slab, and any movement of the drain requires cutting concrete, repositioning the trap, and installing a new waterproofing collar at the slab penetration. It’s one of the technical reasons a shower replacement here runs higher than in homes with wood floor joists and a crawl space.
FAQs – Shower Replacement Cost
How much does it cost to replace a walk-in shower in Fort Lauderdale?
A walk-in shower replacement in Fort Lauderdale typically runs $4,500 to $12,000, depending on the size of the enclosure, the tile selection, and whether you want a curbless design. Removing a tub and building a walk-in in its place, known as a tub-to-shower conversion, runs $3,500 to $10,000. If you’re replacing an existing walk-in without moving the drain, expect to land closer to the $5,000 to $8,000 range. Call (754) 551-2922 for an exact quote, the estimate is free.
Is it cheaper to repair or replace a shower?
For a leaking shower, a targeted repair of the pan or a section of tile costs $400 to $1,800, while a full replacement runs $3,000 to $8,500. If the leak has been present for more than a few months, the framing behind the tile is likely compromised, and repair alone will not fix the underlying problem. In Fort Lauderdale humidity, moisture damage hides quickly. We’ll inspect it and tell you honestly which path makes sense. Call us for a free assessment.
How long does a shower replacement take in Fort Lauderdale?
Most shower replacements in Fort Lauderdale take 5 to 10 business days from demo to final caulking, depending on the waterproofing system and tile complexity. The city inspection adds roughly 1 to 3 days at the end. We give you a defined window before we start and hold to it. That’s part of The Kingswell Way: show up in the window we gave.
Does a shower replacement require a permit in Fort Lauderdale?
Yes. Fort Lauderdale requires a plumbing permit any time the shower valve, drain, or supply lines are altered. The permit cost is typically $150 to $400 and includes a city inspection, which protects you from improperly sealed plumbing and waterproofing failures. We handle the permit as part of our written price. If a contractor offers to skip it, the lower quote is not a bargain, it’s a liability.
What is the average cost per square foot for a shower replacement?
Shower replacement in Fort Lauderdale runs roughly $90 to $160 per square foot of finished shower space when measured wall to wall and floor to ceiling. A standard 60-inch by 36-inch shower with 7-foot walls is about 72 square feet of finished surface, landing between $6,500 and $11,500 if you price it that way, though smaller showers typically sit at the lower end. Fixture choice and glass type swing the final number more than square footage alone. Call (754) 551-2922 for a precise quote based on your actual space.
Get Your Written Shower Replacement Price
If you’re ready to replace a shower in Fort Lauderdale and want a written price before any work begins, call Penhallow Remodeling Fort Lauderdale at (754) 551-2922. Trevor Nash and our team will schedule a free visit, inspect the shower, and hand you a full written estimate with the complete scope of work included.
You’ll get a number you can hold us to, a defined arrival window, and the 365-Day Done Right Promise in writing. No pressure, no verbal ranges that change at the door. Just the price and the guarantee, before the first tile comes off the wall.
We serve homeowners across Fort Lauderdale, including Victoria Park, Rio Vista, Sailboat Bend, Coral Ridge, Poinsettia Heights, and the surrounding neighborhoods. Ready to get started? Call (754) 551-2922 today.
Pricing reflects the Fort Lauderdale market as of 2026. Penhallow Remodeling Fort Lauderdale offers free estimates, call (754) 551-2922. This guide was written by Trevor Nash, owner at Penhallow Remodeling Fort Lauderdale, serving Fort Lauderdale homeowners with written pricing and the 365-Day Done Right Promise. Visit our home page or learn more about shower replacement in Fort Lauderdale.
What Our Customers Say
"Did our whole kitchen. The written estimate held, which after reading remodel nightmares online I did not take for granted. Showed up every morning on time and the crew was clean and polite."
- Warren Updike"We'd been burned by a contractor before who disappeared halfway. Penhallow finished on time and stood behind everything. The written price gave me peace of mind the whole way."
- Simone Clarke"Redid two bathrooms at once. The crew protected the floors and cleaned up every single day before leaving. Quote was detailed and there were no mystery charges at the end."
- Tricia Dawson
