Tub-to-Shower Conversion Kit vs Custom Tile: What Kits Include and What They Miss

A tub-to-shower conversion kit is a prefabricated shower base, usually acrylic or fiberglass, sized to fit a standard 60-inch bathtub alcove, sold with matching wall panels and sometimes a door. The kit replaces the visible surfaces only. The drain, valve, wall framing, waterproofing details and permit are separate work. A well-installed kit is a durable, low-maintenance shower; a custom tile shower costs more but fits any size and design.

Our pillar guide to tub-to-shower conversion covers the full process and typical $12,000 to $22,000 cost for a professionally built tile conversion in Southwest Florida. This article answers a narrower question homeowners ask us every week: should you buy a kit, or build custom?

What Comes in a Tub-to-Shower Conversion Kit

• Shower base. A molded pan, most often 60 by 30 or 60 by 32 inches to match a tub alcove, with a built-in threshold and a drain opening at the center or one end.
• Wall surround. Three or five glue-up or interlocking panels in smooth white, subway-tile pattern or faux stone. Some include molded shelves or a fold-down seat.
• Sometimes a door. Sliding bypass glass is common in kits; some include a curtain rod instead.
• Sometimes a drain body. Not always, and rarely the adapter needed to tie into an old tub drain.

Walk in shower conversion kits add a lower threshold, a molded seat and pre-marked locations for grab bars. They are a reasonable option for aging in place, as long as the wall behind the panels is reinforced where the bars will go.

What Kits Leave Out

This is where the price on the box and the price of a finished shower part ways. A kit does not include:

• Drain conversion. A tub drain is at the end of the alcove and is usually a 1-1/2 inch line. Shower bases are generally designed for a 2-inch drain at a specific location. Matching them on a concrete slab usually means saw-cutting the floor, re-piping and patching. What size is acceptable for your shower depends on the plumbing code and your local inspector.
• Valve work. The old tub-and-shower valve often needs replacing with a pressure-balancing or thermostatic valve, and its height usually changes when the tub spout goes away.
• Wall prep. Panels need flat, plumb walls. Old tub walls in Florida homes are often out of plumb or hide soft drywall and mold behind the old surround.
• Grab bar blocking. Solid backing in the wall before panels go on. Adding it later means cutting the panels.
• Sealing details. Panel-to-base joints, panel seams and fixture penetrations rely on correct sealant and overlap. Most kit failures we see start here.
• Permit and inspection. Changing a drain or valve generally requires a plumbing permit in Charlotte and Sarasota counties.
• Glass that fits. A standard kit door fits standard openings. Out-of-square walls can make it fight you.

Kit vs Custom Tile: Side by Side

• Size and shape: kits come in set sizes; custom tile can be any size, including borrowing space from a closet.
• Look: kits offer a handful of colors and patterns; custom tile is any tile, niche, bench and trim you like.
• Cleaning: kits have few or no grout lines; tile has grout, though large-format tile reduces it.
• Waterproofing: a one-piece base cannot leak through grout, but the panel seams must be sealed; tile relies on a membrane behind it.
• Entry: most kit bases have a 3 to 5 inch threshold; custom tile can do a low curb or a fully curbless shower.
• Repair: a cracked kit base usually means replacing the base; damaged tile can often be replaced piece by piece.
• Time: a kit install is faster; tile adds curing, a flood test and glass fabrication.

Cost: Kit vs Custom in 2026

Typical Southwest Florida figures, installed with permit:

• Kit materials alone: commonly from a few hundred dollars for a basic base and panels up to roughly $3,000 or more for heavier acrylic, solid-surface or stone-look systems.
• Professionally installed prefab base and panel conversion: typically about $9,000 to $14,000, because demolition, drain and valve work, wall prep and disposal cost the same regardless of what covers the walls.
• Custom tiled walk-in shower, low curb, glass: typically $12,000 to $22,000.
• Curbless tile shower with linear drain and frameless glass: typically $15,000 to $26,000.

Notice that the gap between a kit and custom tile is smaller than the price tags in a store suggest. Most of a conversion's cost is in labor and plumbing that both approaches share.

When a Kit Is the Right Call

• Rentals and guest baths where low maintenance and budget matter more than design.
• Standard alcoves with walls in good, flat condition.
• Homeowners who hate grout and want a wipe-down surface.
• A walk-in kit with seat for aging in place, installed with proper blocking for bars.

When Custom Tile Is Worth It

• You want a larger or non-standard shower, a bench, a niche or a specific tile.
• You want a low or zero threshold. Kit bases rarely go below a few inches.
• It is the primary bath in a home you plan to sell, where buyers in SWFL markets often expect tile and frameless glass.
• The walls are uneven and a custom-built, waterproofed wall is easier than forcing panels to fit.

The Florida Angle

Slab drains. Nearly every tub in a Charlotte or Sarasota County ranch home sits on concrete. Whatever goes on top, the drain under the slab has to line up with the new base, and that is often the biggest single line item.

Block walls and humidity. Exterior tub walls are frequently concrete block. Panels glued to bare block or old drywall with no moisture management can trap condensation. A proper wall assembly matters under panels as much as under tile.

DIY kits. You can buy a kit and install it yourself, but in Florida plumbing changes generally require a permit, and an owner-builder takes on the inspection responsibility. If you hire someone, verify their license on the state DBPR site.

If you are weighing a kit against a fast-install company, our guide to one-day tub-to-shower conversions covers what those systems do well and what they skip.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do tub-to-shower conversion kits leak?

A molded base itself rarely leaks. Leaks usually come from panel seams, the panel-to-base joint, the drain connection or fixture penetrations that were not sealed correctly. Installation quality decides it.

How long does a conversion kit last?

A good acrylic base and panels installed on a solid, level floor can last for decades. Bases that flex because they were not set in a mortar or foam bed are the ones that crack early.

Can I install a shower kit over my existing tub?

No. A conversion kit replaces the tub. Products that cover an existing tub are bath liners, a different approach that keeps the tub.

Will a kit fit my alcove?

Most kits fit a standard 60-inch alcove. Measure width, depth and wall plumb in several places; older homes often vary by more than the panels can hide.

Is a kit cheaper than tile overall?

Yes, usually by several thousand dollars installed, but not by as much as the box price implies, because demolition, drain, valve and permit costs are the same.

Bottom Line

A tub-to-shower conversion kit is a good product with a narrow job: it gives you the visible shower. The drain, valve, wall and waterproofing still decide whether it lasts. Choose a kit for budget, simplicity and easy cleaning; choose custom tile for size, a low entry and design. Either way, pay for the work underneath. Our bathroom remodeling team builds both.

Planning a bathroom or tile project? Call Prestigious Home Improvements at (941) 223-4875 for a free in-home estimate anywhere in Charlotte, Sarasota and Lee counties. Licensed CRC1327831.