Tub-to-Shower Conversion in Hobe Sound: Timeline, Scope, and Cost
A tub-to-shower conversion replaces your existing bathtub with a purpose-built shower enclosure, typically completed in 5 to 7 working days for a straightforward job in Hobe Sound. Most homeowners in ZIP codes 33455 and 33475 invest between $3,500 and $10,000 depending on whether plumbing stays put, walls need structural repair, and the finish grade they select. Call (844) 665-0162 and we’ll walk your exact layout and give you a written estimate with line-item pricing, no deposit required to schedule.
This job sits within our broader Bathroom Remodeling in Hobe Sound work, though many homeowners book it as a standalone project to reclaim floor space, eliminate a dated tub, or prepare a home for aging-in-place. Our crew handles the full scope, demolition through final fixture set, so you’re not coordinating a plumber, a tile setter, and a glass installer separately.
How We Handle Tub-to-Shower Conversion Start to Finish
We’ve refined this into five distinct stages. Each has a clear duration, a clear handoff, and a decision point where your choices lock in.
Stage 1: Site measure and scope lock (Day 1, 2-3 hours on site)
We photograph and measure everything: tub footprint, drain location, valve height, surrounding wall structure, and floor slope. Here’s where you decide shower footprint (same as tub, or expand into adjacent space?), curb vs. curbless, and whether to relocate the drain or keep it where it sits. Relocating drain adds roughly $800-$2,400 but opens layout options. We note any Martin County permit triggers at this stage, particularly if we’re touching load-bearing walls or electrical.
Stage 2: Permitting and material order (2-5 business days, concurrent)
We submit to Martin County Building Division if the job involves plumbing modification, electrical relocation, or structural wall changes. Straight swaps with like-in-kind plumbing sometimes qualify for same-day mechanical permits, but we never assume. Meanwhile you finalize your selections: pan material (acrylic, fiberglass, or tiled mud-set), wall surround system or tile, valve and trim finish, and glass enclosure style. We order long-lead items now so they’re on-site before demo starts.
Stage 3: Demolition and rough-prep (Days 2-3)
Tub comes out, surrounding walls come down to stud where needed, and we expose the drain/vent stack. This is where we discover what we couldn’t see: rot in subfloor from decades of splash-over, galvanized drain lines that won’t accept modern compression fittings, or wall studs out of plane that need sistering before tile goes up. We photograph everything, explain what we found, and quote any change-order work before proceeding. No surprises on the final invoice.
Stage 4: Plumbing, pan, and wall installation (Days 3-5)
Licensed plumber sets new drain, pressure-tests, and installs valve rough. Pan goes in next, leveled and flashed to the drain. Wall substrate goes up (cement board for tile, direct-to-stud acrylic panels if that’s your system), then waterproofing: RedGard or equivalent liquid membrane, or a bonded sheet membrane in curbless applications where water management is unforgiving. Tile or surround panels follow. We protect adjacent floors and haul debris daily, critical in Hobe Sound where humidity traps dust and odors.
Stage 5: Fixture set, glass, and final inspection (Days 6-7)
Trim, showerhead, door hardware, and glass enclosure install. We run flood tests on the pan, check all grout and caulk lines, and schedule Martin County final inspection if the permit requires it. You walk the job with the lead carpenter, we note any punch-list items, and we return within 48 hours to resolve them. Most punch lists are three items or fewer.
The Options You’ll Choose Between for Your Tub-to-Shower Conversion
Every choice below affects cost, maintenance, and how the shower feels to use daily. We stock or source all of these, so you’re not locked into one manufacturer’s system.
- Shower pan: Acrylic or fiberglass insert vs. tiled mud-set. Acrylic/fiberglass runs $400-$900 installed, one-piece or multi-panel, low maintenance, but limited to standard sizes and colors. Tiled mud-set starts around $1,800, fully custom to any dimension and drain location, with Silestone or Caesarstone threshold options if you want a solid-surface curb cap. Mud-set demands more precise waterproofing and adds a day to the schedule.
- Walls: Direct-to-stud acrylic surround vs. cement board + tile. Surrounds (Kohler Choreograph or similar systems) install in hours, cost $600-$1,400, and never need grout sealing. Tile walls run $1,200-$4,000 depending on tile grade and pattern complexity, but give you texture, color range, and resale appeal that surrounds can’t match. In Hobe Sound’s salt-air environment, we specify epoxy grout on waterfront homes to prevent efflorescence and premature degradation.
- Valve and trim: Pressure-balance vs. thermostatic. Pressure-balance (Moen Posi-Temp and similar) holds temperature within a few degrees when someone flushes a toilet, costs $180-$400. Thermostatic maintains exact setpoint, runs $450-$900, and suits households with young children or temperature-sensitive users. Both come in brushed nickel, chrome, matte black, and oil-rubbed bronze.
- Glass enclosure: Framed slider, semi-frameless, or frameless. Framed sliders start around $700, functional but dated. Semi-frameless ($1,100-$1,800) gives cleaner sightlines with a top track. Frameless ($1,800-$3,200) uses 3/8″ tempered glass with minimal hardware, opens the room visually, and is what we specify on nearly every Hobe Sound job where the bathroom footprint is modest and the homeowner wants visual expansion.
- Curb height: Standard 4-6″ threshold vs. curbless. Standard curbs contain water reliably and cost nothing extra. Curbless requires floor slope precision, linear drain placement, and often subfloor modification to achieve the 1/4″ per foot minimum slope, adding $1,200-$2,800. The payoff is accessibility and a seamless floor plane that reads as high-end in any home.
What Tub-to-Shower Conversion Costs in Hobe Sound, FL
In Hobe Sound, tub-to-shower conversion typically runs $3,500 to $10,000. Here’s what moves you through that range:
| Cost Driver | Low-End Scenario | High-End Scenario |
|---|---|---|
| Shower footprint and layout | Same as existing tub, drain stays | Expanded footprint, drain relocated, wall removed |
| Wall and surround material | Acrylic surround, direct-to-stud | Full tile, cement board, epoxy grout |
| Plumbing condition | Modern copper or PEX, accessible | Galvanized replacement, vent stack modification |
| Structural repair needs | Sound subfloor and studs | Rot repair, sistering, or floor leveling |
| Fixture and glass grade | Pressure-balance valve, framed slider | Thermostatic valve, frameless glass |
A written estimate from Groundwork Construction Co. includes demolition, disposal, all materials specified, licensed plumbing, permit fees if triggered, and installation labor. It does not include bathroom vanity replacement, floor tile outside the wet area, or electrical work beyond a basic GFCI swap. If your job needs any of those, we quote them separately so you see exactly where the money goes.
Jobs at the $3,500 end are typically insert-style pans and surrounds in a second bathroom with modern plumbing and no surprises. Jobs at $10,000+ usually involve curbless design, imported tile, structural modifications, or full plumbing relocation in an older home where we open walls and find galvanized pipe or compromised framing.
What Hobe Sound Homes Specifically Add to This Job
Hobe Sound’s regulatory environment shapes every bathroom project we take on here, and tub-to-shower conversion is no exception. Martin County’s slow-growth policies, legally defended against Palm Beach County development pressure, mean permits face stricter scrutiny than you’d encounter 15 minutes south in Jupiter. If your home sits on the mainland side in 33455 and dates from the 1960s-1980s ranch era, we commonly find plumbing vent stacks that don’t meet current code, non-GFCI electrical, and subfloors built before modern moisture barriers. Each of those triggers a permit and inspection pathway that adds time but protects your resale and insurance position.
Waterfront homes in the barrier island corridor, or anything within a mile of the Intracoastal, face the additional layer of FEMA AE and VE flood zones. Elevated foundations and flood-vent-compliant assemblies mean we sometimes can’t route new drain lines through slab the way we would on higher ground. Salt-air corrosion also matters for metal components: we specify brass or stainless drain bodies, never zinc-coated, and we flash pan curbs with copper or lead-free alternatives that won’t degrade in five years.
The Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge boundary on the north end of town creates environmental buffer rules that rarely affect interior bathroom work directly, but we’ve seen Martin County’s Development Review Committee flag projects where bathroom exhaust venting or plumbing stack modifications could impact gopher tortoise habitat or refuge-adjacent wetlands. We map this before we quote, not after we start. Contractors from Broward or Palm Beach who don’t know the local terrain regularly get blindsided by stop-work orders on jobs they assumed were routine.
Many homeowners here pair interior updates with exterior envelope work. If you’re addressing roofing or impact-rated openings at the same time, our Metal Roofing in Hobe Sound and Tile Roofing in Hobe Sound crews coordinate scheduling so you’re not living in a construction zone for months. Our Hobe Sound service area covers both ZIP codes with crews based close enough to respond without the logistics lag you get from Fort Lauderdale contractors who treat this as a distant outpost.
Serving Hobe Sound, FL - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Hobe Sound area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
Frequently Asked - Tub-to-Shower Conversion in Hobe Sound
Most conversions finish in 5 to 7 working days, or 7 to 10 calendar days if Martin County requires a full permit with inspection lead times. Older homes with galvanized plumbing or structural surprises can stretch to 10 working days. We give you a fixed start date and daily schedule at contract signing, not a vague window. Call (844) 665-0162 for current availability.
Yes, if you’re modifying plumbing, electrical, or load-bearing walls. Martin County Building Division requires permits for drain relocation, valve replacement, or any electrical work beyond a like-for-like GFCI swap. Straight insert-style swaps with no plumbing changes sometimes qualify for a mechanical permit or may not require one, but we verify with the county before starting. Unpermitted work here risks stop-work orders and complicates future sale or insurance claims.
Often, yes. If your existing drain centerline sits within 2 inches of where the new shower pan needs it, we can use an offset drain pan or a deep receptor that accommodates the existing location. Moving the drain opens layout options but adds $800-$2,400. During our site measure, we map your exact plumbing and tell you whether keeping it in place limits your design unacceptably.
The lowest-cost path is an acrylic or fiberglass insert pan and surround, pressure-balance valve, framed glass slider, and no plumbing relocation, assuming your subfloor and walls are sound. That typically lands near $3,500-$4,500. We don’t recommend cutting below this threshold, as bargain systems fail at the pan-to-wall joint and cheap valves leak within a few years. For an exact number on your bathroom, call (844) 665-0162 - estimates are free and carry no obligation.
Our workmanship warranty covers installation labor and waterproofing for one year, with manufacturer warranties on fixtures and materials running longer, typically 5 years on valves and lifetime on acrylic pans from major brands. We return to address any installation-related issue within 48 hours of your call. Specific warranty terms vary by product line chosen, and we document all coverage in your contract before work begins.
Get Your Tub-to-Shower Conversion Estimate in Hobe Sound
We’ll come to your home in Hobe Sound, measure your existing tub and surrounding space, explain what your plumbing and structure allow, and deliver a written estimate with line-item pricing for every option discussed. No deposit to schedule. Call (844) 665-0162 or reach out through our Bathroom Remodeling contact page to set a time that works for you.
Written by Raymond Estevez, Owner at Groundwork Construction Co., serving Hobe Sound and South Florida homeowners since our founding.