The shower is usually the first part of a bathroom to give out. Fiberglass units yellow and crack. Tile showers from the 1980s and 90s were often built with little or no waterproofing and start to leak into the wall. If the rest of the bathroom is fine, remodeling just the shower gets you the biggest improvement for the money.
We remodel showers throughout Arlington and Northern Virginia, from standard alcoves to larger custom enclosures.
What a Shower Remodel Includes
Every project is scoped to your bathroom, but most include the following.
- Demolition of the old shower to the studs, with dust control and floor protection
- Framing repairs and new backer board
- A new pressure-balanced or thermostatic valve and trim
- A sloped shower pan and full waterproofing, flood tested
- Wall and floor tile, with a niche or bench if you want one
- Silicone at all corners and coordination of glass measurement and install
Options Worth Considering
While the walls are open, upgrades cost much less than they will later. Popular ones include moving the valve so you can turn the water on without getting wet, adding a handheld sprayer on a slide bar, widening the entry, lowering or removing the curb for a curbless shower, and adding blocking for future grab bars.
What Drives the Price
The main factors are the size of the shower, the tile you pick, whether plumbing moves and the condition of what is behind the old walls. Glass is typically a separate line. A like-for-like remodel in a standard alcove sits at the lower end, and a larger shower with a bench, multiple niches and a linear drain at the upper end. You will get an itemized number after we see it.
Need something else? See all of our bathroom remodeling services, or learn more about your local tile contractor in Arlington, VA.
