Cost Guides
Cost of Retiling a Shower: Walls, Floor and Prep
Cost of retiling a shower in Orlando for 2026: $4,000 to $10,000 for a standard 5 ft alcove with demo and waterproofing, plus regrout vs retile vs rebuild.
By the Prime Construction team Updated October 13, 2026 6 min read
The cost of retiling a shower in the Orlando area typically runs $4,000 to $10,000 in 2026 for the walls of a standard 5 ft tub/shower alcove, including demolition, new cement board, a waterproofing membrane and mid-range tile. Larger walk-in showers, a tiled floor, niches, a bench and premium tile push the price above that range. If the tile is sound and only the grout has failed, regrouting costs far less. Below we break down what a shower retile includes, how walls and floors differ, and when to regrout, retile or rebuild.
Shower retiling cost at a glance
Typical Orlando-area planning ranges for 2026, installed (labor plus materials). They vary with size, tile, what is behind the old tile and permit scope. A written estimate after measuring is the only real number.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Regrout and recaulk (sound tile, dry wall) | Within small repairs: a few hundred dollars to about $2,000 |
| Retile shower walls, standard 5 ft alcove (demo, cement board, waterproofing, mid-range tile) | $4,000 to $10,000 |
| Tile installation only, ceramic or porcelain | $15 to $40 per sq ft |
| New custom tile walk-in shower (full rebuild) | $10,000 to $25,000 |
| Tub-to-shower conversion | $10,000 to $20,000 |
| Water damage behind tile | Often $2,000 to $8,000+ |
Why the per-square-foot price is misleading
Searches for the cost to retile a shower often turn up a per-square-foot number. That number usually covers only setting the tile. A typical 5 ft alcove has roughly 60 to 80 square feet of wall tile depending on height, so the tile alone at $15 to $40 per sq ft works out to about $900 to $3,200.
The rest of a proper shower retile is the work you do not see:
- Demolition of the old tile and backer to the studs, with haul-away.
- Framing check and repair where the wall meets the tub or slab.
- New cement board or another tile backer rated for wet areas.
- Waterproofing, typically a liquid or sheet membrane over the backer, with seams, corners and penetrations sealed.
- Plumbing, often a new valve and shower arm while the wall is open.
- Trim, edges, niches and grout, plus caulk at the change of plane.
That is why the full job lands at $4,000 to $10,000 for a standard alcove rather than at the tile-only figure.
Shower walls vs shower floor
Retiling the walls only
If your shower is a tub with a tile surround, or a stall with a solid factory base, the walls can be retiled and the tub or base kept. This is the most common shower retile in Orlando-area homes and sits in the $4,000 to $10,000 range. The tub must be protected during demolition, and the joint between the tub and the new tile must be detailed so water runs into the tub, not behind it.
Retiling the floor too
A tiled shower floor sits on a sloped bed with a waterproof layer under or over it. In many older Central Florida showers, that is a mortar bed over a liner on the slab. If the liner has failed, or the floor was never sloped correctly, water collects under the tile and wicks into the walls. Retiling the floor means rebuilding the pan, not just replacing tile, which adds labor and moves the cost toward the top of the range or above.
Converting while you retile
If you are tearing out a tub surround anyway, many homeowners use the opportunity to convert to a walk-in shower. A tub-to-shower conversion typically costs $10,000 to $20,000, and a new custom tile walk-in $10,000 to $25,000. Our walk-in shower cost guide covers that decision.
Regrout, retile or rebuild?
| Condition | Usually the right fix |
|---|---|
| Grout cracked or stained, tile solid, wall dry | Regrout and recaulk |
| A few cracked tiles, wall sound, spares available | Replace those tiles and regrout |
| Loose or hollow-sounding tile, soft wall behind | Retile the walls to the studs |
| Water stains outside the shower, musty smell, failed pan | Retile walls and rebuild the floor, repair framing |
| Want a different layout, size or curbless entry | Rebuild as a new walk-in shower |
Regrouting is worth doing early. In Florida humidity, cracked grout is the most common path for water to get behind tile. But regrouting over a wall that is already soft only hides the problem for a while.
What drives the cost of retiling a shower
- Size and height. A standard alcove to about 7 ft costs less than a large walk-in or tile to the ceiling.
- Tile choice. Standard porcelain is the value choice. Mosaics, large-format tile and natural stone all cost more to buy and take longer to set.
- Layout details. Niches, a bench, a half wall, accent bands and patterns (herringbone, vertical stack) add cuts and time.
- The floor. Keeping a tub or factory base is less than rebuilding a tiled pan.
- The valve. Replacing an old valve while the wall is open adds a plumbing line but avoids opening new tile later.
- Hidden damage. Many 1980s and 1990s homes have tile over drywall with no waterproofing, and rotted bottom plates and studs are common at the base. Water damage repairs often run $2,000 to $8,000 or more.
- Older homes. In pre-1980s homes, have old tile, adhesive and joint compound tested for asbestos before demolition. See the EPA’s asbestos guidance.
- Glass. A new frameless door or panel is a separate line; it is measured after tile is set.
What a good shower retile includes
When you compare estimates, look for these in writing:
- Demolition to studs and disposal.
- Inspection of framing, the tub or base, and plumbing, with a process for pricing any damage before it is fixed.
- New wet-area backer board.
- A named waterproofing method for the walls (and floor, if tiled), including niches and the valve opening.
- Tile, trim and grout types, or an allowance.
- Valve and trim replacement, or a note that the existing valve stays.
- Permits if plumbing changes are included.
- Caulk at corners and the tub joint, sealing where needed, and cleanup.
Two estimates that are thousands apart often differ on items 2, 4 and 6.
DIY shower retiling
Retiling a shower is one of the harder DIY jobs. Setting tile is learnable; the waterproofing, slope and transitions are where showers fail, and those failures stay hidden for months. If you do take it on, waterproof the entire wet area, not only the seams, and do not tile over old tile. For the demolition step and its costs, see our shower demolition cost guide.
How long a shower retile takes
Most shower retiles take one to two weeks on site:
- Day 1: demolition and inspection.
- Next days: framing repairs, valve work, backer board.
- Then: waterproofing and its cure time.
- Then: tile, followed by grout and caulk.
- Last: trim, fixtures, and glass measurement if new glass is going in.
If you are retiling the floor and other walls at the same time, see our retiling bathroom cost guide, which covers whole-room tile.
Planning a shower retile in Orlando?
The price of retiling a shower comes down to what is behind the old tile and whether the floor is staying. Prime Construction measures, checks the shower, and gives you a written estimate for a retile or a new walk-in shower as part of our bathroom remodeling work, in Orlando and nearby cities such as Clermont. Call (407) 404-3944 or request an estimate.
