A tiled shower rebuilt from the studs, and the rest of the bathroom left alone
This shower remodel in Ypsilanti came with a short brief from the homeowner: just the shower. We took the old one out to the studs, waterproofed the new walls all the way to the ceiling, built a curbed tile pan and set white vertical tile over a black hex floor. The vanity, toilet and floor stayed put, and the final bill came in near $11,400.
A shower remodel in Ypsilanti, scoped to the one thing that needed it
Our shop on Platt Road is a short drive from this house, and the request was about as clear as they come. The shower needed to be redone. The rest of the room didn’t. It’s a more common call than most people expect from Ypsilanti homeowners, and it’s one we like, because a tight scope puts every dollar where you’ll see it every morning.
Full bathroom remodeling moves walls, swaps vanities and retiles floors. This job didn’t. We priced the shower line by line, showed the homeowner what each piece cost and kept the vanity, toilet and floor out of it. If you’re weighing a full redo against a targeted one, our page on small bathroom remodels walks through the tradeoffs.
What we built
White vertical tile, a black hex floor and a sealed shell behind both
Tile set tall, in a straight stack
The walls are white rectangular tile set vertically in a straight stack, with dark grout that draws clean lines from the curb to the ceiling. Running tile vertically makes a modest room feel taller, and the stacked layout keeps it calm. We tiled about eight feet up, framed in one recessed niche and wrapped the curb in the same tile so the edge reads as one piece. It’s a layout our tile installation crews can run cleanly in a small footprint.
A tiled pan with a black hexagon mosaic
Underneath, the shower runs on a GoBoard system: waterproof board on the walls, a tile-ready pan on the floor and a curb, with every seam and corner sealed before any tile went up. The waterproofing runs to the ceiling, not just to the showerhead.
The floor is a small black hexagon mosaic. Small tile on a shower floor means more grout lines under your feet, which adds grip, and it bends easily to the slope the pan needs to carry water to the drain.
The details
Black fixtures, a working fan and a freshly painted ceiling
We installed a new shower valve and connected the drain to the tiled pan. The trim is matte black, and the showerhead lifts off its dock to work as a handheld, which makes rinsing the tile and the niche a lot easier. The old vent fan had quit, which is a real problem in a room that makes this much steam, so we put in a new one on the existing wiring and duct. That’s the kind of bathroom ventilation fix that protects new grout for years. Then we cleaned, primed and repainted the whole ceiling.
What demolition turned up
Old showers keep secrets behind the tile. Once the walls were open, the framing and insulation around the shower needed repair before the new system could go in. We stopped, showed the homeowner what we found, wrote it up as a signed change order for a little under $600 and fixed it. That’s the only change on the job, and it’s why the final number landed near $11,400 instead of the roughly $10,800 on the original proposal.
Catching that now is the whole point. Tile over bad framing looks fine for a year or two, then grout cracks and water finds the gap. If that’s what you’re seeing at home, our tile shower rebuild service handles the same fix on a smaller scale.
The result
A shower that pops against deep green walls
The new white tile does the heavy lifting in this room. Against dark green walls and a dark ceiling, the vertical stack reads bright and clean from the doorway, which is what you want when the shower is the only new thing in the space. The black valve trim and the black hex floor tie it to the black hardware on the walls.
The best sign a small job went well is who calls next. Two more Ypsilanti homeowners reached out to us on this homeowner’s referral, one of them a few doors down the same street.
Is the shower the only thing that needs work?
Tell us what’s failing and what you’d like to keep. We’ll price the shower on its own, line by line, and show you what a bigger job would add before you decide.
What this project included
Every line below comes from the signed proposal and the one change order. Prices are rounded. You can see how we build a proposal like this on our process page.
Planning, demolition and disposal
Planning and selections, then demolition of the old shower down to the studs and hauling all of it away.
Repairs found after demolition
Framing and insulation repairs around the shower, approved on a signed change order before work went on.
GoBoard walls, tile-ready pan and curb
Waterproof board up to the ceiling, a tile-ready pan and a curb, with every seam and corner sealed before tile.
New valve and drain
A new shower valve with matte black trim, plus the drain connection for the tiled pan.
Walls, niche and floor
White vertical tile about eight feet up the walls, one recessed niche and a black hexagon mosaic floor, all grouted.
New exhaust fan
A new vent fan in place of the one that had stopped working, tied into the existing wiring and duct.
Cleaned, primed and painted
The full bathroom ceiling, cleaned, primed and finished with fresh paint.
About $11,400
An original proposal of about $10,800 plus a change order of a little under $600. The vanity, toilet, walls and floor stayed as they were.
Good to know
Shower remodel questions we hear in Ypsilanti
How much does it cost to redo just a shower?
This one came to about $11,400, including tile, waterproofing, a new valve, a new fan and a repainted ceiling. Your number depends on the size of the shower, the tile you pick and what’s behind the walls. Our bathroom cost calculator gives you a starting range before we ever visit.
Do I have to remodel the whole bathroom to get a new shower?
No. A shower-only job makes sense when the vanity, toilet and floor still work for you. We’ll tell you up front if something else in the room looks close to failing, so you can decide whether to fold it in now or leave it for later.
What happens if you find damage behind the tile?
We stop and show you. On this job, the framing and insulation needed repair once the old shower came out. We wrote it up as a change order, the homeowner signed it, and we fixed it before a single tile went up. Nothing gets added to your bill without your signature.
More finished work
Related projects to walk through
A tub traded for a walk-in shower, finished in walnut, quartz and blue tile in Ann Arbor.
View project BathroomsA spa-like bathroom retreatA dated bath reborn with a marble-look walk-in shower and a backlit vanity in Livonia.
View project BathroomsGreen tile and warm brass in DexterA dated bath rebuilt around green tile, brass fixtures and a walk-in shower.
View projectStart your own
Where an Ypsilanti shower like this begins
Curbed or curbless, tiled from the pan up and waterproofed before the first tile goes on.
See the service ServiceTub to shower conversionsTrade a tub you never use for a shower you’ll use every day.
See the service ServiceBathroom designTile, fixtures and layout chosen together, priced before anything comes out.
See the serviceReady for a shower that works again?
Tell us what’s going on with yours. We’ll scope it, price it up front and handle the build from demolition to cleanup. Your first conversation and quote are always free.
(734) 540-0347
