How much does it cost to remodel a bathroom with a tile shower in Kitchener? The honest answer is that the shower is only part of the price. The size of the room, what else you replace and how much plumbing moves decide the total. At Kitchen and Bath Reno Guys Kitchener Waterloo, we build tile showers in everything from small main-floor bathrooms in Kitchener to full master ensuites in Waterloo.
This guide breaks down what a bathroom remodel with a tile shower costs by bathroom size, what the shower itself costs, how tile pricing per square foot works, what drives the price of a custom shower, and how to set a realistic budget. For how we handle a full bathroom job from demolition to the last tile, see our Bathroom Renovations Kitchener-Waterloo page.
Quick answer: A small bathroom renovation with a tile shower in Kitchener runs $12,000 to $22,000. A standard bathroom remodel runs $18,000 to $35,000, and a master ensuite runs $28,000 to $55,000+. The tile shower itself is usually $2,500 to $7,000 of that for a standard 3×5 foot shower, more for a custom walk-in with a bench, niches and glass.
Cost to Remodel a Bathroom with a Tile Shower in Kitchener
Bathroom size is the first thing that moves the price, because it sets how much tile, waterproofing and labour the job needs. Most bathrooms in Kitchener homes fall between 40 and 100 square feet. These are the ranges we work to in Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge:
| Type of bathroom | Typical cost with a tile shower | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Small bathroom (40 to 60 sq. ft.) | $12,000 to $22,000 | Full renovation of a small main or second-floor bathroom |
| Standard bathroom (60 to 100 sq. ft.) | $18,000 to $35,000 | Most 3-piece family bathrooms |
| Master ensuite (100+ sq. ft.) | $28,000 to $55,000+ | Larger showers, double vanities, heated floors, custom glass |
Two smaller jobs sit below those ranges. A tub-to-shower conversion, where the tub comes out and a tiled shower goes in but the rest of the room stays, runs $4,500 to $12,000. A cosmetic refresh with new fixtures, paint and a vanity but no new shower runs $5,000 to $12,000.
What moves you up or down the range. Tile choice, the size and complexity of the shower, whether the toilet, vanity or drain move, and what you find once the old walls come out. Moving a toilet or a shower drain means cutting into the floor and rerouting pipes, which is one of the fastest ways to add cost. Keeping fixtures where they are is the easiest way to stay near the bottom of the range.
How Much Would It Cost to Redo a Shower with Tile?
If you are only redoing the shower, a standard 3×5 foot tile shower typically costs $2,500 to $7,000, including materials and labour. That range covers tearing out the old surround, installing a waterproofing system, setting a new shower base or mortar bed, tiling the walls and floor, and installing new valve trim and a showerhead.
What pushes a shower toward the top of that range, or past it:
- Larger size. A walk-in shower that replaces a tub, or a double-wide shower in an ensuite, uses much more tile and labour.
- Natural stone or large-format tile. Stone costs more per square foot, and large tiles take more care to set flat.
- Niches and benches. Each one has to be framed, waterproofed and tiled around.
- Glass. A frameless glass enclosure adds real cost compared with a curtain or a framed door.
- Linear drains and curbless entries. These look clean and are easier to step into, but they need more floor work to get the slope right.
Features like glass doors, benches and upgraded waterproofing add roughly $1,000 to $5,000 on top of a standard shower. If your current bathroom has a tub you rarely use, see how much it costs to convert a tub to a shower in Kitchener-Waterloo and how much to replace a bath with a shower.
Tile Shower Installation Cost per Square Foot
Tile showers are priced by the square foot of wall and floor that gets tiled. Tile and labour are two separate numbers, so it helps to see them side by side:
| Item | Cost per square foot |
|---|---|
| Ceramic or porcelain tile | $10 to $30 |
| Natural stone (marble, granite) | $30 to $60 |
| Tile installation labour | $5 to $15 |
| Bathroom floor tile | $5 to $20 |
Add tile and labour together and a ceramic or porcelain shower comes to roughly $15 to $45 per square foot installed, and natural stone to roughly $35 to $75 per square foot. Those numbers cover the tile and setting it. Demolition, waterproofing, the shower base, the valve and the glass are priced on top.
How to estimate your own shower. Measure each wall that gets tile, multiply width by height, and add the floor. A 3×5 foot shower tiled to 8 feet has two 3-foot walls and one 5-foot wall, which is about 88 square feet of wall plus 15 square feet of floor. That is why a small change in shower size or tile height moves the price more than people expect.
Where not to save. Waterproofing is invisible once the tile is up, and it is the part that decides whether the shower lasts. A failed membrane behind new tile means tearing the whole shower out, so this is the last place to save.
How a tile shower is built. The order matters, because every layer protects the one behind it. The old surround and any damaged drywall come out, then the plumber sets the new valve and drain. The shower floor is pre-sloped to the drain and the walls are sheathed with a board made for wet areas. The waterproofing membrane then goes over the walls and floor, lapped into the drain so water has nowhere to go but down. Then the tile is set and grouted, and finally the valve trim, showerhead and glass go in. If any plumbing or electrical work needs a permit, the inspection happens before the walls are closed up.
Choosing the tile. The tile you choose affects the price, the look and how much cleaning the shower needs for years afterwards.
- Porcelain is dense, absorbs very little water and comes in almost any look, including stone and wood. It is the default choice for most showers.
- Ceramic costs less and works well on shower walls. It is softer than porcelain, so it is less suited to floors that see heavy wear.
- Natural stone such as marble looks beautiful but needs sealing and gentler cleaners, and it costs more to buy and to install.
- Large-format tile means fewer grout lines and less scrubbing, but the wall and floor have to be very flat, which adds prep time.
- Mosaic on the shower floor gives more grout lines, which means better grip underfoot and makes it easier to slope the floor to the drain.
Grout matters too. Standard cement grout is the lowest-cost option but needs sealing. Epoxy and other stain-resistant grouts cost more and are harder to install, but they resist mould and staining much better in a shower. For making a budget tile look better than its price, see how to make cheap tile look expensive.
For choosing floor tile, see the best tile for a bathroom floor in Kitchener-Waterloo.
Custom Shower Installation in Kitchener-Waterloo
A custom tile shower is built for the room instead of around a stock base or acrylic surround. That means you choose the size, the entry, the tile, the niches, the bench and the glass. It is also where the budget can climb fastest, so it helps to know what each feature adds.
- Walk-in or curbless entry. A curbless shower needs the floor recessed or built up so water runs to the drain, which adds floor work.
- Built-in niches. A recessed niche keeps bottles off the floor and looks much cleaner than a hanging caddy. Plan where it goes before framing so it sits between studs.
- A bench. Useful for shaving legs, for older family members and for steam showers. It has to be framed and fully waterproofed.
- Frameless glass. Makes a small bathroom feel bigger because you can see through the shower.
- Rain head, handheld and body sprays. More water outlets mean a bigger valve and more plumbing, so decide on these early.
- Heated floors. Plan it with the electrician before the floor tile goes down.
If you want the look of a custom shower on a tighter budget, a larger-format porcelain tile with fewer grout lines, one well-placed niche and a standard framed glass door give you most of the effect for less. See how to make a small bathroom feel like luxury for more ideas.
How Much to Remodel a Small Bathroom with a Shower
A small bathroom with a shower, typically 40 to 60 square feet, runs $12,000 to $22,000 for a full renovation. Smaller rooms have less tile and less floor, but they still need every trade: demolition, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing, tile, drywall and paint. That is why a small bathroom costs less than a big one, but not proportionally less.
Here is how the money usually splits in a small or standard bathroom:
- Demolition and prep: about $1,000 to $2,500.
- Tile shower, materials and labour: about $2,500 to $7,000.
- Flooring: about $1,000 to $3,000.
- Fixtures (vanity, toilet, sink and faucet): about $1,500 to $5,000.
- Plumbing, electrical and tiling labour: about $5,000 to $10,000.
- Permits, disposal and miscellaneous: about $500 to $1,500.
Fixture prices. A vanity runs about $500 to $3,000, a toilet $200 to $800, a sink and faucet $300 to $1,500, and lighting $200 to $1,000. Mid-range versus luxury fixtures is one of the easiest places to control the budget without changing the layout.
Labour in Kitchener. Skilled trades such as plumbers, electricians and tilers typically charge $50 to $100 per hour. A full bathroom remodel can take 100 to 200 hours of work, which is $5,000 to $20,000 in labour depending on complexity.
Permits. Permits for plumbing or electrical work in Kitchener may cost $100 to $500, depending on the scope. Moving drains or adding circuits usually needs one. See whether you need a permit to renovate your bathroom in Kitchener-Waterloo. If you want a designer for a custom layout or 3D renderings, expect $500 to $2,000.
5×10 and 10×10 Bathroom Remodel Cost
Room size is the easiest way to see where your bathroom will land. Using the ranges above:
- 5×8 bathroom (40 sq. ft.): with a tub or a tiled shower, a full renovation sits in the small bathroom range, $12,000 to $22,000.
- 5×10 bathroom (50 sq. ft.): still a small bathroom, $12,000 to $22,000, with a little more room for a larger vanity or a 3×5 shower beside it.
- 10×10 bathroom (100 sq. ft.): the top of the standard range and the start of ensuite territory. Expect $18,000 to $35,000, or $28,000 to $55,000+ if it is built as a master ensuite with a large custom shower, double vanity and heated floor.
Size is only part of it. A 5×8 with a custom tile shower and a moved toilet can cost more than a 10×10 where every fixture stays put. For more on a small room, see how much it costs to renovate a very small bathroom, and for a larger one, what an ensuite bathroom renovation costs.
What Is the Most Expensive Part of a Bathroom Remodel?
In most bathrooms with a tile shower, labour is the largest cost, and the shower is the most labour-heavy part of the room. A tile shower involves demolition, framing, waterproofing, setting the base, tiling and grouting, and every step has to be done right for the shower to stay watertight. After labour, the biggest lines are usually the shower materials, the vanity and the flooring.
Moving plumbing is the other big cost driver. Relocating a toilet, a drain or a shower valve means opening floors and walls and rerouting pipes, and that work adds up quickly. For more, see the most expensive part of a bathroom remodel in Kitchener-Waterloo.
3 Piece Bathroom Renovation Cost
A 3-piece bathroom has a toilet, a sink and a tub or shower. Most full 3-piece renovations land in the standard range of $18,000 to $35,000, or $12,000 to $22,000 when the room is small. If nobody in the house uses the tub, swapping it for a tiled walk-in shower is worth pricing as part of a 3-piece remodel.
Tips to manage the cost.
- Set the budget before you pick tile. Decide the total first, then choose a tile that fits it.
- Choose porcelain over natural stone. Porcelain is durable and comes in stone looks without the stone price or maintenance.
- Keep the plumbing where it is. Leaving the toilet, vanity and shower drain in place keeps you out of the top of the range.
- Put the money into the shower. If the budget is tight, spend on the tile shower and waterproofing, and keep a good existing vanity or floor.
- Get more than one quote. Comparing quotes from at least three contractors shows you what a fair price looks like for your scope.
- Plan a contingency. Older bathrooms often hide water damage under the tub or behind the old surround. A buffer keeps a surprise from stopping the job.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a $10,000 bathroom remodel look like?
$10,000 usually covers a tub-to-shower conversion with a tiled shower, or a cosmetic refresh with a new vanity, toilet, fixtures and paint. It is below the range for a full small bathroom renovation. See whether you can remodel a bathroom for $10,000.
Can you redo a bathroom for $5000?
$5,000 is the low end of a cosmetic refresh: new fixtures, a vanity, lighting and paint, with the existing tub or shower kept in place. It won’t cover a new tile shower. See whether you can redo a bathroom for $5,000.
What is the average cost of renovating a bathroom in Ontario?
In Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge, a standard bathroom remodel runs $18,000 to $35,000, a small bathroom $12,000 to $22,000 and a master ensuite $28,000 to $55,000+. See the average cost to renovate a bathroom in Ontario.
What is a realistic budget for a bathroom renovation?
Start from the size of the room and whether the plumbing moves. For most 3-piece bathrooms, $18,000 to $35,000 is realistic. See what a realistic bathroom renovation budget is in Kitchener-Waterloo.
Bathroom Renovations Kitchener-Waterloo: Price Your Tile Shower
So, how much does it cost to remodel a bathroom with a tile shower in Kitchener? For a small bathroom, $12,000 to $22,000; for a standard bathroom, $18,000 to $35,000; and for a master ensuite, $28,000 to $55,000+. The shower itself is often the part of the room you will notice every day, so it is worth building properly. We work across Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge; Cambridge homeowners can start with our Bathroom Renovations Cambridge page.
Want a real number for your bathroom? Call Kitchen and Bath Reno Guys Kitchener Waterloo at (226) 894-0234 for a free estimate.
Kitchen and Bath Reno Guys Kitchener Waterloo
Serving Kitchener, Waterloo & Cambridge, ON
Phone: (226) 894-0234
kitchenandbathrenoguys.ca |
View us on Google
Also proudly serving Guelph, Brantford, Stratford, Woodstock, and surrounding areas throughout Southwestern Ontario.
Related reading: How Much to Replace a Bath with a Shower in Kitchener Waterloo?