How Much Does It Cost To Redo Shower Tile?

Tiled shower

Tiles are extremely durable and can easily last for several years. In fact, a study conducted by the National Association of Home Builders, says that ceramic bathroom tiles can last for almost 75 – 100 years! However, if the tiles weren’t installed or maintained properly this life expectancy can be reduced significantly. Therefore, homeowners might need to replace or redo them. Additionally, soap scum, mold, and mildew can also accumulate on shower tiles making them appear unclean. This can even result in ugly brown spots, which can give a shower a very dirty look.

Moreover, if you’re planning on selling your home in the future, you should definitely think about redoing your shower tiles. The appearance of your shower can make or break the value of your home’s sale. This is because a shower retile job has a high return on investment. In simple words, this means that the cost to redo shower tile is much lower than the increase in value it brings to your home.

Continue reading below if you’re wondering how much it actually costs to redo shower tile.

Factors that Influence the Cost to Redo Shower Tile

Here is a list of all the factors that can potentially influence the cost to redo shower tile.

#1 – Size of Your Shower

This factor is very important in determining your cost to redo shower tile. Naturally, the larger your shower, the more it will cost to redo shower tile and vice versa. This is because large showers require more material and labor.

#2 – Type of Tile

The market today has a variety of different shower tiles that you can choose from. Some tiles are more expensive than others. So, if you pick an expensive tile option, your cost to redo shower tiles will increase proportionately.

Here is a list of the different types of tiles you can choose for your shower –

  • Ceramic or porcelain tile. There are multiple options within ceramic including machine-made tile, wall tile, floor tile, mosaic tile, and handmade tile.
  • Travertine tile
  • Slate tile
  • Granite tile
  • Limestone tile
  • Marble tile

#3 – Labor Costs

The labor costs heavily depend on who you hire and the size of your shower. Half of your total labor cost will go into removing the tile, whereas the other half will go towards new tile installation.

Labor often charges on a per square foot basis. So, you need to be prepared to pay high labor costs if you have a big shower.

#4 – Tile Design

Another important factor that influences the cost to redo shower tile is the complexity of the tile design you pick. Most contractors who offer bathroom tiling services charge more for diagonal patterns because these patterns are more difficult to install. For instance, a diagonal design with travertine tiles will typically cost more than a regular design with slate tiles.

A Complete Break Down of the Cost to Redo Shower Tile

In the US, the average cost to redo shower tile comes down to approximately $25 per square feet. Homeowners generally spend anywhere between $1000 and $5000 on redoing their bathroom tiles. The cost of professional installation is built into this cost. On average, homeowners spend nearly $2400 to retile a 3×4 foot shower with 8-foot walls.

There are some outliers present in the cost to redo shower tiles. For instance, a low-quality ceramic tile placed in a straight pattern with an acrylic pan can cost as low as $840. Contrarily, pebbled floors with accented floors and marble shower tiles can even cost as much as $10000.

Tile Removal Cost

The first step to redo your shower tiles is to remove the old ones already in place. Removing old tiles is not as hard as installing new ones. But it’s still a very labor-intensive task and requires plenty of materials.

The cost to remove shower tiles is approximately $3.52 per square foot. This includes the cost of labor, material, waste, and haul-away. The maximum cost that homeowners can incur for tile removal is $4.33 per square foot whereas the minimum cost is nearly $1.95 per square foot.

Removing tiles is also a very delicate job and the person doing it needs to very careful. The cost to redo shower tiles will increase if the drywall or any studs placed behind the shower get damaged.

Tile Cost

The cost to redo shower tiles depends on the type of tile you choose. Here is a list of some commonly used shower tiles along with their prices.

Ceramic Tiles– Ceramic tiles come in a variety of patterns, colors, shapes, sizes, and styles. They are made of out wet clay that is heated to a very high temperature and glazed. Ceramic tiles are excellent for use in the shower, but their glaze can get cracked with time. the average cost of ceramic tile lies between $1 – $30 per square foot.

Machine-made Tiles – Machine-made tiles are a form of ceramic tiles. Homeowners prefer these tiles because of their uniform color and appearance. Machine-made tiles come in various sizes ranging between an inch to 16 inches. Their price per square foot can be anywhere between $1.25 and $10.

Ceramic Wall Tile – They are again a form of ceramic tile which are designed to be installed on the walls only. Wall tiles usually have a shiny finish. The most common sizes for wall tiles are 3×6 inches and 4×4 inches. On average, wall tiles cost $1.25 – $50 per square foot.

Ceramic Floor Tile – Floor tiles are very durable because of their increased thickness and resistance to chipping. Floor tiles can also be installed on the walls of a shower. The price for floor tile starts at around $5 per square foot and goes up to $20 per square foot.

Slate Tile – Slate tiles are ideal for use in showers. They have a variety of finish that is either including matte, polished, or naturally cleft. The superior the slate tile’s finish, the higher it costs. The average price of a slate tile varies between $3 and $15 per square foot.

Porcelain Tile – Porcelain tiles are made of compressed clay dust. Many people prefer porcelain tiles because they are highly resistant to moisture, scratches, and stains. These tiles can either be glazed or unglazed. Porcelain tiles come in a variety of styles that resemble the appearance of wood or stone. The average cost for porcelain tiles lies between $5 and $20 on average.

Travertine – Travertine makes an excellent choice for shower tiles because of its high durability and beautiful finish. Another advantage of the travertine tile is that you don’t have to seal it. Travertine tiles cost around $3 which is much lower than marble and granite.

Terracotta Tile Shower – Terracotta tiles are difficult to install because they are thicker than other machine-made tiles. Due to their increased thickness, terracotta tiles are quite difficult to install. Moreover, terracotta tiles are porous in nature and require a good sealant to make them last longer. The per square foot cost of terracotta tile is approximately $5 – $25.

Marble Tiles – There is a lot of variation in the quality of marble tiles. While some marble tiles are suitable for use in showers, others are not. For instance, Bianco Carrara tiles contain iron which makes them vulnerable to rust. Other marble tiles contain serpentine which results in flakiness. If you opt for marble shower tiles, you need to reseal them regularly to prevent staining. Marble tiles cost between $10 and $30 per square foot.

Limestone – Homeowners don’t prefer limestone because it can easily dissolve in water. However, if you do pick limestone for your shower, you should go for Crema Luna. Crema Luna is very hard and durable, but you will have to seal it every once in a while. The cost of limestone tiles is between $5 and $30 per square foot on average.

Granite – Granite is ideal for homeowners who are looking for a polished tile that requires low maintenance. Granite usually comes in a 12×12 inch size. The average costs for granite tiles lie between $10 and $50 per square foot.

Shower, Tile, Bathroom, Interior, Luxury, Decor, Modern

Tile Design

There are numerous ways to tile a shower. You could opt for a straight pattern or a more decorative and angled style. Here is a list of ways, you could design your tiles and the costs associated with them.

Straight Set – This is the simplest tile design. Ceramic tiles installed in a straight-set pattern costs approximately $600 in a standard shower stall.

Diagonal – A diagonal tile pattern can give your shower a very unique look. However, it can increase the total installation costs by nearly 20%. Ceramic tiles installed diagonally can cost you nearly $720.

Running Bond – This is one of the most common designs for tile installation. It can increase your cost to redo shower tile by up to 15%.

Accented Wall – Accented walls can increase the installation cost by nearly 20 – 30%. The actual increase depends on the material you use and its size.

Labor Costs

Labor cost to install new tiles lies between $5 to $10 per square foot. However, if you have an oddly shaped shower, your labor costs can rise.

Contractors generally demand between $600 – $800 for the entire job. Half of this goes into removing old tiles whereas the other half goes into installing new ones.

If you want to cut down your cost to redo shower tiles, you could remove your shower’s old tiles yourself.

Grout Costs

Grouting is the last step in redoing shower tiles. It’s not really a difficult task, but it does take time and effort. The minimum cost to get showers grouted by a professional is $10 per square foot. In the case of large showers, the cost can go up to $25 per square foot as well.

If you considering doing the job yourself, you need a lot of materials including mixing buckets, grout, etc. The total cost of purchasing the material will be between $180 – $420.

Final Words

We hope that this article helped you get an estimate of how much it will cost to redo shower tile.

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