How much would it cost to remove a bathtub and replace with a shower?

[dingodudette]

Soon it will be necessary to remove the bathtub from the second floor bathroom and replace it with a shower stall due to age related issues.

Is it advisable to DYI (we know a licensed tiler and an unlicensed plumber) and if not, who should we get to do it and how much would it cost? We are a pensioner household with strict affordability issues.

Any advice would be appreciated, thanks crew.

[BIM_Engineer]

Hi Dingodudette
Thanks for the photos since the pipes are already in place you will need to
1. Assess the condition of the existing plumbing and whether they need replacing or repairing
2. Determine if  there are any leaks through the walls and floor below
3. Assess the structural adequacy of the floor below... a photo of the ceiling below would help by showing ie
a. Is the ceiling below water stains, ie leaks
b. Does the plasterboard ceiling look dis-stressed nail/fixing pop marks, cracks, sagging.. initial signs of fatigue
In light of the comments you will need to have it properly assessed what you want to avoid is a cheap initial quote that blows out exponentially once the work is started and that can occur even if the trades are licenced or not.

[Kermit]

At least you can do the demolition yourself. That's the most fun part anyway. 

[dingodudette]

Ok thanks guys. There is damage to the underneath from water going between the wall tiles and bath surround (Can't supply picture - inadequate lighting) I'll get 3 quotes locally, but I would like a "ball park" figure of what cost I'm looking at - worst case scenario, just to prepare me for the shock! Oh, and how long would it take them to complete the job? I would have to arrange for my dad to be looked after for the duration as well.

[BIM_Engineer]

@dingodudette it doesn't sound like an easy fix where you can remove bath, minor plumbing and reuse spare tiles you've stored (I always recommend everyone order 5m2+ extra  for shower fixes later on)
Renovating your whole bathroom sounds like it will cost $30K+...ouch. it will take at least a month

[dingodudette]

Oh...my...(insert deity here.) Can't afford even half of that. I'll have to have a physical inspection and quotes. May not be as bad as it seems. Thank you all for your input and I look forward to maybe helping someone else in my next post

[BIM_Engineer]

@dingodudette thanks for the reply..lets hope it's not that much.
It does need to be physically inspected make sure you get 3 reliable quotes
that are itemised and priced properly, that way you can compare apples with apples
BTW you will be assisting others if you put up the estimates costs.thanks