There are many people out there that " dis" fiberglass showers/tubs. It is a personal preference. We have had fiberglass for 30 years and I love it. Last year we replaced one of our tubs. Due to the weird angle of the ceiling above we were forced to go with tile. Ugh! I hate it! The workmanship is excellent, the tile is white subway, but it is a look that I do not like at all.

If you are building this house for you go with what you like. It really does not matter. You could choose a very nice tile that is currently trendy and future buyers might hate it and have to go to the mess/expense of changing it. You just never know.

Thanks! It's our "tiny" starter home that we plan on only staying for 5-7 years max. Debating whether it would be beneficial for selling in the future or if I should spend that money elsewhere in the house. If it was our forever home, I would have gotten the tile for sure!

We have built three homes. The first two had tile shower/tub surrounds. They look great, but there's extra maintenance. Since yours is a tiny starter home, I'd spend the money elsewhere. If you're like me I prefer the shower curtain closed anyway to allow the liner to dry properly so no one would see the tile anyway. I don't think it would hurt the resale value of your home either.

what are you choosing for all of the other upgrades? standard, or upgrade?

if you are doing many standards and you dont care one way or the other about this, then sure, stick with standard on this too. but it does make a difference when its time to sell. a house with everything upgraded will trumpet that fact in its listing. and in the price tag.

It may at that ninigret, but you won't always recover the extra cost. We found that out the hard way with our second build when the few things we upgraded, we not only paid for the original in the base cost of the home, but more than twice what the cost would have been to do the changes ourselves after we moved in.
So pkim, make sure you check all the costs of post build upgrades against what your builder will charge for changes.

What is normal in the area where you are building? Stick to the 'neighborhood norm'. A future buyer will not pay extra beyond whatever your 'competition' will be. (The house might move faster, but you probably wouldn't recoup your expense.)

sewciable, i agree it will not be a $4K difference at sale, down the road, on this item. but they do all add up. and if everything else is upgraded but the shower is bad, thats a ding, too. you want choices to match, and understand that at sale 'all upgrades' and 'builder's special' sell for different amounts.

Long story short, we're "pioneers" in the area we're building. It's an up and coming area, where they're building these condos and townhomes that are almost triple the price of our tiny home. We're upgrading the kitchen to quartz and level 2 cabinets, adding a range hood and a tile backsplash. We'll have the smallest home on the block, BUT we're finishing our basement with a full bath so we have that going for us. Now the debate is tile the shower, or save the 4k and buy the stove of my DREAMS!

Personally I would add to my pleasure and get the stove of my dreams. You are living it your home now and why should you pander to what some mythical buyer in the future might want - if it's up and coming, in a few years, they might want to totally renovate anyway.

I am currently remodeling and I am installing a tile shower after many years of a fiberglass tub/shower combination. I am getting rid of the tub because I don't bathe and it's more functional for me to have a big shower. However, the ONLY reason I am opting for tile over something less expensive is for aesthetic reasons. The fiberglass tub was installed in 1965 and functionally was still going strong in terms of not leaking and wear and tear. :-)

Unless you are flipping - which you are not - people should make design choices that best suit their current needs while living in the house. For you, as I wrote, your heart yearns for an expensive range. A fancy tile shower will not get you any cleaner ha ha. If anything splurge on a really good shower head with a nice hand held as well to optimize your shower pleasure. :-)

Makes a lot of sense! I'm buying that darn stove! =)

I'm with Helen and so glad you'll be getting your stove. That makes so much more sense.

but it does make a difference when its time to sell. a house with everything upgraded will trumpet that fact in its listing. and in the price tag.

Actually it won't raise the price you can get for the house if all the other houses in the neighborhood are getting a certain price. The only difference is your house might sell faster.

I would see what is the trend for the neighborhood. If tile is what everyone is doing, then do the tile. If not, don't spend the money.

Don't ever over improve for the neighborhood. You won't get it back.

I also think that if the neighborhood doesn't warrant a 4k stove, you shouldn't do that either.

I don't think either the tile shower or the $4000 stove is a decision one would make based on economic factors but I think it's silly to remodel in the expectation of recouping or profiting unless one is a professional flipper.

The issue is whether the OP would get $4000 worth of pleasure from the stove of her dreams over the time she is living there. Also, theoretically she could take the stove with her if she swaps it out or exempts it from the sale.

Given her priorities, she is going to get more pleasure from the stove than upgrading a shower for purely aesthetic reasons.

But of course she could do neither - get a fiberglass shower - get a decent $1500 stove and save the money. Depending on her economic circumstances, saving the $3500 would of course be the most prudent economic measure - I am presuming that starter home means that her economic resources are not unlimited - but that's not what she asked.

There are two factors here in my view (both assuming you have the budget):

1. Personal preference; and

2. Local expectations (if you plan to sell in future).

We just finished a build with our builder.

The standard for the ensuite was a fiberglass surround. Nothing against surrounds, they have their pros, but this is a home we plan to be in for decades and we have never had an ensuite at all so wanted to have something nice for us, even if our ensuite is not very large or fancy. Tiled ensuite showers are also more of the “norm” in this neighbourhood.

So we spent the $3900 CAD upgrade for the tiled shower and body sprayers...but kept an acrylic rather than tiled pan. But we have a tub surround and a shower surround in the other two baths.

However, because we are not planning to sell anytime soon we would have done the upgrade even if not common in area as it is something we will enjoy and has value for us.

If we did not care to have a tiled ensuite shower for us but it was norm in area we would had some decision making to do if we planned to sell within next few years, if not we may have saved the money or spent money elsewhere now knowing it may affect us when we went to sell, or if we stayed longer than expected we may want to upgrade shower (which even with tiled we may have to eventually do.)

I got talked into a fiberglass shower surround when we were remodeling our house 33 years ago - we were running short of cash - imagine that happening when remodeling! I hated it for the next 25+ years!!! It was tacky and horrid. I could not wait to rip that sucker out and put in a tile shower.

There is no way you will ever recoup your money with a $4000 stove - most people don't cook that much and if your house isn't a super high end house, no one will expect that. But a tile shower? Most people will appreciate it and it will at the very least, sell more quickly - perhaps even for more.

Thanks for the responses. I think I can cope with my fiberglass shower, and contemplate my dream stove for a while. Thankfully it is cheaper than the shower!

I have walked through the other houses on my block and the finishes are comparable..although my neighbor does have the dreamiest tile shower, but there’s always the next house!

I had a feeling the stove wasn't 4K, but that you'd be able to afford it if you didn't spend that on the tile upgrade. I really think the reason builders over charge for changes is because they don't want to do them.
And just think how much more it will cost when you add 30 years interest! Get your stove. You can always add the tile later for most likely way less than 4K. Especially if you can do it yourself.

I don't think either the tile shower or the $4000 stove is a decision one would make based on economic factors but I think it's silly to remodel in the expectation of recouping or profiting unless one is a professional flipper.

The issue is whether the OP would get $4000 worth of pleasure from the stove of her dreams over the time she is living there. Also, theoretically she could take the stove with her if she swaps it out or exempts it from the sale.

Given her priorities, she is going to get more pleasure from the stove than upgrading a shower for purely aesthetic reasons.

The OP stated she plans to only be in the home 5-7 years. So it would be costing her $800 a year over 5 years to use that 4k stove if she doesn't take it with her. And taking it with her may or may not be easy to do depending on the size, etc.

I agree she'd get more pleasure from the stove than tile, but maybe she'd get even more pleasure putting the money into investments and saving it and putting that 4k stove into her next home where I presume she's planning on staying longer than the starter home.

However, because we are not planning to sell anytime soon we would have done the upgrade even if not common in area as it is something we will enjoy and has value for us.

In your case I feel it was a very wise decision because you'll be getting years and years of pleasure from it.

I put a fireplace in. In FL! But I love the look and feel it gives the house and since we're not planning on moving anytime soon, it works for us.

I've never been the biggest fan of fibreglass surrounds since they can feel a little cheap. The build we are doing has got tile surrounds everywhere except the basement which is a 1 unit shower.

We are reconsidering the kid's baths though. Daughter might be better served with a built in that has a ledge for shaving legs, and for my messy son, fiberglass is sure a lot easier to wipe off than deal with grout on a subway tile design....

Plus like the OP, we fell in love with a Bluestar Platinum... ug!

You're talking about a short-term house, and 4K is a great deal of money in a typical starter-house. Go with the fiberglass shower, and use a shower curtain instead of a glass door (so it'll kind of be "invisible" to guests ... and prospective buyers). Buyers might like tile showers, but they aren't going to be willing to pay 4K extra for them.

I had one-piece fiberglass tub/showers in my first house, and they were a breeze to clean. Easier than the tile I have now.

Please educate yourself as to the difference between "fiberglass" and "acrylic". No to fiberglass - yes to acrylic. Kohler units are acrylic, and I suspect many comments praising the one-piece units are (unknowingly) referring to acrylic.

Why is that tiled shower $4k over a fiberglass one? Holy cow that better be super fancy artisan tile and not the 33c/sf white builder grade standard shower tile.

CP - I would have put a fireplace in even in FL too; I love fireplaces and they do really add a focal point. We are in a colder climate as you know and have one though had a bit of a hiccup as it is the wrong one - all due to a typo on supplier end. So they need to replace it which includes redoing tiled mantel. Fun times. It is 40 C here anyway so I am not in a rush to use it fortunately.

MrsPete - I assume OP is talking about a walk in shower surround, not a tub/shower surround - a curtain can be problematic in that case.

Chiflipper - actually I have had both fiberglass and acrylic so am aware they are different. Fiberglass has an acrylic gel coat that can easily scratch - especially if you use abrasive cleaners which you should not - but they can be professionally reglazed and repaired and last decades. Acrylic is vaccum formed and often reinforced with fibreglass; it is glossier and more scratch resistant and has a deeper colour layer but can “crack” over time where the material is thinner (due to molding process), but also can be repaired. Fibreglass can get a bad rap but I never had issue with them.

Galore2112 - there is a lot of tile and labour to switch to tile versus a surround. Plus waterproofing needed. My tile surround upgrade was $2200 (body sprayers were above that) but that is 3x5x8 feet of large format tile, a waterproofing system for walls, and all the labor. The builders get a big discount on the surrounds, they don’t get that for departing from their standards to do a tiled shower and adding more materials and labour.

Because tile is a lot more labor, and requires a waterproofing layer behind the tile. More labor is always a big price upgrade.

I doubt that 4K for the stove includes the upgraded ventilation costs and Make Up Air system that will be needed to make that 4K stove functional and not a hunk of fume emitting stainless sitting there.

yeah I know about labor cost. However, let’s say the cost of the fiberglass shower plus labor to install this equals the material cost of the upgrade (tile, waterproofing material) then what exactly costs $4000?

how much do y’all spend on tile setting and framing labor? $100/hour? So it takes a full work week (40 hours) at $100/hour to install tiles and waterproofing for a small shower (that’s what I assume a fiberglass shower replacement is)? LOL!!!

Holy moly, your trades must live in million dollar mansions and drive Lamborghinis.

I am not a pro but just replaced the fiberglass or whatever tub/shower combo for fully tiled showers.

My old combination was some kind of one piece so no waterproofing would be necessary. It would just have been fitted in when my condo was originally built. My old stall shower in the guest bath was similar as it was a one piece unit with walls on three sides.

The construction of my tile shower required MANY steps. The pan had various components and had to to cure between each layer. It then had to be inspected by the City to make sure that water stayed in it for 24 hours.

Similarly the walls required waterproof backing as well as several layers of Red Guard for waterproofing. Again, the various layers had to cure individually and it had to be inspected by the City BEFORE the tile could be done.

Judging by some of the disastrous tile jobs (solely aesthetics), tile setting done properly is a pretty skillful trade which requires an aesthetic eye as well.

I would assume that the skill level for plopping in an fiberglass tub/shower or shower is not nearly as high although there have been threads on cracking acrylic pans so even those require some degree of skill. And I also assume that the actual construction materials cost some amount of money.

I don't know if the other stuff such as the rough plumbing work and drains is the same. I know with my remodel, they installed new drains and obviously all new rough and trim.

The stuff that you see - i.e. the trim/fixtures and the tile floor and walls are the proverbial tip of the iceberg in terms of cost. Because of the cost of constructing the shower to make sure it was structurally sound and waterproofed, I went with materials I found aesthetically pleasing that weren't inexpensive. But in the scheme of things, it was the labor and not the materials that drove up the cost so I would have felt ridiculous using $3.00 tiles on a $10,000 labor shower.

An actual licensed and insured skilled trade contractor is a bit different than a $1.98 mouthbreathing cornerstander picked up in Homey Despot’s parking lot. He’s got a smidge more overhead.

The one piece acrylic or fiberglass tubs and showers are “framed” in at the time the house is built. They are usually dropped off and the framers move them in to the bathrooms before framing them in. The plumbers come in for the final install.

There is generally no extra waterproofing behind them as the waterproofing is built in to the shower or tub frame itself.

For a tiled shower...you need to ensure the framing supports the much heavier tile. You need the proper waterproofing and the labour to install it. You generally have a lot of square footage of tile plus surplus (which often exceeds cost of the surrounds they buy by the hundreds as a discount).

Proper waterproofing requires several steps (and delays for setting and inspections). The tilers then have to come in for X days depending on complexity of tile layout which involves measuring and cutting (is it a straightforward stacked or herringbone, are there niches or mosaic strips, etc). If they are good at their job they make an entire plan before they even put up a single tile, then do a practice layout to ensure it all fits, is centered, and balanced, before they actually get to fixing the tile in place. Then come back another day to grout. If they are sealing as well, they are back for that.

You may be adding a specialized sized glass door or not, or frameless, or anything else that makes it run more than the “standard” that you get with the surround as well.

You can’t just assume cost of the fibreglass plus labour to install is same as cost of tiles and waterproofing and so the $4,000 must be all labour either.

Amazing how people can justify excess costs. Sophie, would you really pay that much for a simple tiling job? Seriously? And why do you compare this to $1.98/hour? You know exactly that a tile setter doesn’t make nearly as much as I wrote in my example.

I’m sorry but if you are really a pro and honest you would never justify so much money for a simple tiled shower (assuming this is a typical shower tile replacement for a fiberglass shower and not some ultra complex fancy custom mosaic design). That’s just ridiculous. What’s your cut-off in labor costs for a shower? If you are the contractor, how much do you actually pay your sub-contractor tile guy (you don’t strike me as someone who mixes mortar)? $100/hour? How much time would you allow your tile guy to finish a small shower? A whole week???

To the OP: this quote was a “I don’t want to do the tiled shower so I quote a crazy price and if you bite, well $$$”. That’s where negotiation pays off (I know, not culturally in US citizens blood when it comes to home construction). Don’t lowball but insist on a tiled shower for a reasonable price. And $4000 for basically labor is not reasonable. I’d offer $1500 over the fiberglass shower. Your builder’s sub-contractor will not charge him that much for a basic shower tile job (because your builder will negotiate hard himself with his sub-con and will not pay these insane costs that alleged pros here find normal). If your builder says no then I’d say no to the whole project, unless there’s a crazy market or you already signed a contract - then you are SOL.

Someone who thinks a tiled shower is “simple” doesn’t have enough knowledge at all to be discussing the cost of a tiled shower. And doesn’t know that they have a leaky moldy shower that will need redoing.

Anyone who thinks a standard (60x32 inch) tiled shower & pan can be done for $4k in labor alone is, unfortunately, going to get the inferior job they pay for. You have been warned.

Yes. Pay extra for the tiled shower. Go with a classic tile and use epoxy grout...