Break it into the work you will actually buy and perform. Start with removal, disposal, plumbing, preparation, the base, walls, waterproofing, glass, and finish work. Then add your crew hours, permits, and the overhead you expect the job to carry. Apply your pricing method after the costs are in place.

A total pulled from another bathroom is a starting reference, not a scope. That other job may have had easy access, straight walls, a reusable valve, and no glass subcontractor. Yours may not.

Use this calculator to make those differences visible. Replace each example value with a supplier price, subcontract quote, or labor estimate. If a figure is still an allowance, note that in your working scope. Before presenting a firm bid, confirm what is included and what happens if concealed conditions change the work.

There is no single useful price without knowing the system and scope. A straightforward prefab conversion and a custom tiled shower with glass can share the same footprint while having very different material lists, crew hours, and return visits. Local labor and supplier prices matter too.

For estimating, start with a comparable completed job if you have one. Check the hours, materials, subcontract costs, and any work you failed to count. Adjust for the new job rather than carrying the old total across unchanged.

The values in this tool are sample inputs, not a published national price range. They are there so you can see the worksheet work. Enter the actual package and labor budget before treating the result as your price. A low total is not a bargain if it quietly leaves out demolition, glass, or the plumber.

No. It uses the costs and hours you enter. It does not look up a ZIP code, pull a supplier feed, or adjust prices based on your city. The prefab and tile examples are editable starting budgets, clearly labeled as examples.

That means you can price the materials you actually buy and the crew you actually use. Get current quotes for the base, wall system, glass, fixtures, and subcontract work. Put those figures into the matching scope lines. If the supplier total already includes tax, leave that tax out of the separate direct tax field.

For labor, use a cost rate that reflects your business. A national average cannot tell you what your installer costs this month. The calculator does the arithmetic. You supply the job knowledge. That is a more useful division of work than pretending a ZIP code can see behind the tub.

Yes, if you change the scope lines to match the replacement. The removal line can cover the old shower instead of a tub. Adjust the base, wall system, plumbing, and preparation amounts. Set any unnecessary work to zero rather than leaving the sample allowance in place.

An existing shower is not automatic proof that its drain, substrate, or waterproofing can be reused. Decide what stays and what goes after checking the condition, selected system, and requirements for the work. Price demolition around that decision.

The three wall quantity guide fits a simple open front rectangular layout. It does not calculate a full wet room, curved enclosure, ceiling, or multiple openings. Use your own takeoff for those jobs and enter the material cost manually. The pricing engine still works, but the scope needs more thought than changing the project name.

For a simple three wall alcove, add the back wall width to twice the side wall depth. Multiply that combined length by the finished wall height. Keep the units consistent. The calculator accepts inches and converts the result to square feet.

A 60 inch wide, 32 inch deep shower with 84 inch high walls has about 72.33 square feet of rectangular wall area. A 10% waste allowance brings the order guide to about 79.57 square feet. That is a geometry example, not an instruction to order exactly that amount.

Check cuts, pattern, boxes, returns, niches, benches, openings, and the supplier’s packaging before ordering. The tool does not subtract doors or add the ceiling. It also does not change your dollar estimate when dimensions change. Use the takeoff to price your order, then enter that actual cost in the table.

Use an allowance that fits the layout and the product. A simple straight pattern may need a different amount from a diagonal layout, a detailed niche, or a shower with many cuts. Box sizes and the need for spare pieces can change the final order too.

The tool starts with a sample 10% allowance. You can change it. It is applied only to the wall quantity guide, not automatically to your entered material dollars. If your supplier quote already includes the required extra tile, do not add another waste charge without a reason.

Sketch the layout before choosing the percentage. Check where the cuts fall and whether broken or unusable pieces can be replaced from the same batch. Running short halfway through a patterned wall is a poor time to learn that the next delivery is a different shade. Price a sensible order, not just the visible surface.

Count person hours for each task. Two installers working six hours use twelve person hours. The calculator multiplies the total person hours by the burdened labor cost you enter. It does not multiply again by crew size.

Break the work into enough pieces to remember it. Removal, protection, preparation, installation, plumbing coordination, sealing, cleanup, and return visits all take time. Your own completed job records can help you put realistic hours beside those tasks.

Do not confuse the schedule with the labor budget. A shower can span several days because of curing, inspections, or glass delivery without keeping two people busy there for every hour of those days. Count active labor and travel separately from waiting time. If a subcontractor’s labor is included in a fixed quote, put that quote in cost and avoid adding the same hours to your crew budget.

Enter your burdened labor cost per person hour. This calculator builds the customer price later, using your margin or markup setting. Entering a selling rate as the labor cost can layer profit into the calculation twice and make the result hard to understand.

Your cost rate should include the employment expenses you assign to labor. That may include wages, payroll costs, benefits, and an allocation for paid time that is not productive job time. Use your records rather than copying a percentage from someone else’s crew.

Keep the boundaries clear. If vehicles or insurance are already included in the labor rate, do not recover the same allocation again in the overhead box. You can use another accounting method if it suits your business, but every cost needs one home. Otherwise the worksheet becomes a shell game, and you are the one trying to find the money.

Markup is measured against a cost base. Gross margin is measured against the selling price. They answer different questions, even when the entered percentages look the same. A 30% markup does not create a 30% gross margin.

For a simple example with no overhead allowance, $6,000 multiplied by 1.30 gives a price of $7,800. The $1,800 difference is about 23.1% of the price. To reach a 30% gross margin, divide $6,000 by 0.70. The price becomes $8,571.43.

This tool labels the selected method and displays the resulting gross margin. In markup mode, it first adds your overhead allowance to the direct job budget. In margin mode, overhead is paid from gross profit. Read the summary instead of assuming the number you typed is the number you earned. The two percentages are cousins, not twins.

It depends on the pricing method. With target gross margin, the calculator prices the direct job budget at that margin. The overhead allowance is then subtracted from gross profit to show the budget remaining. It is not added to the selling price again.

With markup, the tool adds the overhead allowance to direct costs first. That combined amount becomes the pricing base. The selected markup is applied to that base, and the results show gross profit and the budget after overhead.

Use an overhead amount you can explain from your own business expenses and allocation method. This is not a separate tax calculation or a full company profit statement. If the remaining budget looks thin, review the price and costs. Do not hide the problem by renaming an expense. Trucks, insurance, office time, and tools still need to be paid.

Use it for an explicit reserve on the direct job subtotal. The calculator adds the chosen percentage to materials, subcontract costs, crew labor, permits, and direct tax costs. That reserve becomes part of the direct job budget before the price is calculated.

A $5,000 direct subtotal with 10% contingency adds $500. It is not the same as adding 10% to the customer price, and it does not decide how unused funds are handled in your agreement. Those details belong in your pricing and contract process.

Check for overlap with repair allowances already in the table. If you have priced the likely wall preparation and floor patch, a second reserve for the same work may be unnecessary. You can set contingency to zero. Unknown structural damage can also require separate scope and approval rather than a larger mystery percentage. Name the risk before you put money beside it.

Price the removal plan, access, crew time, protection, and disposal. A heavy tub in an upstairs bathroom creates different handling needs from a light unit next to an easy exit. The product material matters, but the route through the house matters too.

Look at stairs, doorways, finished floors, parking, and where the debris can be loaded. Confirm how the crew will handle the work safely and what equipment is needed. Do not choose a removal method from an estimating article when the actual site needs a different plan.

Enter your crew hours under demolition and any equipment or fixed charges in its cost box. Put disposal fees in the hauling line. If a demolition subcontractor provides an all inclusive quote, use that amount and remove the duplicated crew time and fees. A clean looking total is only useful if it counts the full trip from bathroom to disposal.

Include disposal charges, the equipment or container cost assigned to this job, and any fixed hauling fees. Put your own loading and travel time in the hours column. The right amount depends on the debris, local facility rules, access, and how you are moving it.

A shared dumpster on a larger remodel may only need a job allocation. A separate trailer trip needs a different budget. Check weight limits and the material the facility accepts before assuming one dump fee covers everything.

Do not add a dumpster rental, a full hauling subcontract, and your own dumping trip if they describe the same work. On the other hand, do not leave loading and cleanup out because a container is already on site. Someone still carries the debris, protects the path, and cleans up. Those hours belong to the job, even when they do not show in the finished shower photo.

No single answer covers every jurisdiction, adopted code, shower system, and existing installation. Confirm the required drain and pipe arrangement for the actual job before pricing the final plumbing scope. Do not assume that keeping the old line is acceptable or that every conversion automatically needs the same upgrade.

Ask the responsible plumbing professional to check the drain, trap, vent, connection, and fixture arrangement. Match that plan to the selected base or pan. The calculator does not inspect the pipe or approve a connection.

Use the plumbing line for the confirmed quote or a clearly stated allowance while the details are being checked. Explain what that allowance covers. If access or pipe condition changes the work, get a revised scope before treating the first amount as firm. It is better to resolve that question before ordering the base than after the old tub is gone.

Possibly, if the selected base or pan arrangement is designed for that location and the plumbing plan is acceptable. Check the actual product dimensions and drain position. Some conversion bases are made to suit an existing tub layout. Other designs need a different location.

Compare the complete options. A base that costs a little more but fits the plumbing may be a different job budget from a cheaper base that needs relocation. The useful comparison includes material, plumbing, access, preparation, and installation time.

Do not price relocation automatically, and do not leave it out automatically either. Get the base specifications in front of the plumber before the order is placed. Enter the approved scope in the plumbing allowance. The savings should come from a workable plan, not from hoping a drain connection will sort itself out during installation.

Get a scope that includes access and restoration, not just the new pipe. Depending on the plan, the estimate may need allowances for cutting, removing material, plumbing labor, backfill, slab repair, protection, and cleanup. The responsible trades should determine the work required.

Before accepting a simple flat allowance, ask what is included and what conditions would change the price. Existing pipe location, access, slab construction, and nearby systems can matter. A number for one house does not automatically fit the next one.

You can enter an inclusive subcontract quote in the plumbing cost box. If concrete access is priced separately, include it in the relevant scope amount without adding the same restoration twice. Keep crew hours for your own work only. Treat unresolved access as an open estimating item, not a reason to quietly select a default and move on.

Include the valve and trim that the confirmed scope requires. A customer may choose new fixtures even when some existing parts could remain. In other jobs, compatibility, condition, performance, or the requirements for the work may call for a change.

Price the actual assembly. Check whether the quote covers the rough valve, finished trim, showerhead, accessories, and installation. A trim picture is not a parts list. Make sure the selected components work together before entering one attractive retail price as the whole allowance.

Use the valve line for materials and your own crew hours, or enter the plumber’s inclusive amount as a fixed cost. Coordinate with the plumbing line so the rough in work is counted once. Any temperature control or other compliance question needs the product instructions and local requirements. The worksheet helps budget that work. It does not approve an old valve.

Use a clear allowance or a separate approval process based on what you can inspect. Describe the work included in the allowance. A small subfloor patch is different from damaged framing, structural repairs, or a problem that extends outside the shower.

Take useful photos and notes during the site review. Record stains, movement, access limits, and areas you cannot see. Do not turn a suspicion into a diagnosis, but do not pretend the hidden area is confirmed sound either.

In the calculator, put the repair budget in preparation and the expected crew time beside it. Check whether your contingency is reserving money for the same condition. Before the job starts, explain how newly discovered work will be assessed, priced, and approved. That conversation is much easier while the customer still has a bathroom than when everyone is staring at an open floor.

Because the finish depends on the surface behind it. Straightening or preparing walls can take work that a tile or panel material quote does not include. Check the selected product’s substrate requirements and the condition of the existing framing before promising the finished result.

Count removal, correction, backing, fastening, and the transitions that belong to the assembly. A plain wall can still need preparation. A detailed layout may make poor alignment more noticeable rather than less.

Use the preparation line for the materials and crew hours you expect. If your tile subcontractor already includes that scope, keep it within the subcontract quote and avoid a duplicate allowance. When the condition cannot be seen yet, state the assumption. Do not write a bid that assumes perfect framing and then act surprised when the old wall has an opinion of its own.

Include the complete specified assembly, not just a bucket or roll of membrane. Depending on the system, that can involve substrate, seams, corners, fasteners, sealants, drain connections, accessories, and the labor required to install and check it.

Use the manufacturer’s instructions to decide what belongs together. Some packages include components that other packages sell separately. Price the contents before adding another full backer and waterproofing allowance. You want a complete system, not two overlapping shopping lists.

Count active preparation, installation, testing, and return visits. Keep curing or waiting time in the calendar plan without charging it as continuous crew labor unless the crew is actually occupied. The cost line can hold the complete material amount. The hours line should reflect the work your crew performs. Waterproofing is part of the shower budget, even though the customer will not see it when the tile is done.

Do not treat the name of the board as proof that the full shower assembly is waterproof. Check the board manufacturer’s instructions, the selected waterproofing system, seams, penetrations, and the connection to the base or pan. The assembly needs to be evaluated as a whole.

A moisture tolerant substrate and a completed waterproofing system are different things. Product types vary, and some boards have integrated surface treatments or specific joint requirements. Avoid mixing instructions from unrelated systems.

For the estimate, include the materials and work required by your selected assembly. If the board package already contains the relevant components, price them once. If it needs additional treatment or accessories, count them. This FAQ is an estimating reminder, not an installation specification. Use the current product documents and job requirements to decide exactly how the shower should be built.

Include the work and visits required by the selected waterproofing system and local inspection process. That may involve installing the test setup, checking the assembly, returning to review the result, and coordinating the next task. Count the active labor and travel.

Do not assume one schedule applies to every product. Schluter’s water test guidance discusses a waiting period after setting KERDI and describes 24 hours as a typical testing period. Conditions can affect the wait. That is product guidance, not a universal rule for all assemblies.

Check the current instructions and the inspector’s requirements before planning the job. If a visit belongs in waterproofing, keep it there. If you count all trips under travel, use that line consistently. A return visit still costs time when the purpose is a five minute check. Give it a place in the budget before it becomes another free stop.

They change both the tasks and the timing. A panel installation may involve fitting, fastening or bonding, trimming, sealing, and preparation specific to the package. A tile installation can add layout, substrate work, waterproofing, setting, grouting, detailing, and more return visits.

Neither description sets the hours for your job. Check the product, layout, access, wall condition, cuts, and crew experience. A complicated panel fit is not automatically faster than every tile job. A detailed tiled niche should not inherit the hours from a plain wall.

The calculator provides two sample budgets so you can compare the categories. Replace their hours with your own estimate. Keep the supplier package and crew work consistent when comparing options. Otherwise you may be comparing a complete panel price to an incomplete tile price, which makes the cheaper total look clever until the missing work arrives.

Price the chosen item and the work it adds to the assembly. That can include backing, framing, fitting, waterproofing details, tile cuts, trim, sealing, and installation. A retail accessory price does not automatically cover all of those tasks.

Confirm size, location, finish, support, and compatibility before making the allowance firm. A bench or niche may change the material takeoff and labor plan. Grab bars need an appropriate installation plan, not just a place in a product cart.

Put the added materials in the extras cost line and your crew time in its hours box. If the work is already included in another complete subcontract quote, do not add it again. List what the allowance covers in the customer scope. That prevents a simple accessory request from quietly becoming custom fabrication after the base price has been agreed.

Use the actual selected enclosure or a clear allowance. Include the product, delivery, measurement, installation, hardware, and coordination work that belongs to your scope. A stocked door and a custom enclosure may have very different purchase and scheduling requirements.

Ask when final measurements can be taken and what happens if the finished opening differs from the assumption. Confirm who handles installation, adjustment, and any return visit. Do not commit to a completion date without checking the enclosure schedule.

If a glass company quotes the whole package, put that amount in the glass cost line. Add only your own coordination or preparation hours. If you buy and install the unit, split the material and person hours accordingly. Glass often comes late in the job. Leaving its details vague early can turn the last task into the one that delays the check.

It can organize costs, but a curbless design needs its own confirmed plan. Floor levels, drainage, access, waterproofing extent, transitions, and structural conditions can change the scope. Do not convert a regular shower estimate by deleting the curb line and calling it done.

Have the responsible professionals determine what work is needed. Do not assume joists can be cut or a slab can be recessed because an online cost guide describes it. The site and design decide the method.

Enter the approved costs and crew hours in the relevant preparation, plumbing, base, and waterproofing lines. Add any work outside the shower footprint to the full project estimate. The quantity guide covers only simple three wall geometry, so use a separate takeoff where needed. This tool helps price a known scope. It does not design or approve a floor alteration.

Enter permit and inspection fees as direct job costs. Count your own time for applications, inspections, and required visits in the appropriate hours line. Requirements and fees vary, so check the local process instead of assuming the example amount applies.

The direct tax field is for a purchase cost not already included elsewhere, such as tax on materials. If the supplier quote includes tax, do not add it again. That field is a dollar amount, not a jurisdiction specific tax calculator.

The displayed customer price excludes any sales tax that must be charged separately on the invoice. Confirm how that applies to your business and project. Do not use the contingency percentage as a tax shortcut. Keep fees, purchase costs, and invoice tax distinct so you can explain the estimate and avoid charging the same amount twice.

Yes, after you review the scope and numbers. The copy button produces a working summary with costs, hours, pricing method, and margin. That includes internal business information, so do not paste the whole thing into a customer email without checking it.

Open the free contractor quote generator separately and enter the customer facing items you want to show. The estimator does not transfer data automatically. You decide which allowances, descriptions, terms, and amounts belong in the finished document.

Before sending, confirm selections, exclusions, repair assumptions, permit handling, tax treatment, payment terms, and the process for changed work. A polished quote cannot repair an incomplete scope. Keep the original working estimate for your own review and compare the actual job against it afterward. That comparison helps the next estimate more than simply remembering whether this one felt profitable.