"The tile is good, needs cleaning regrout recaulk is all." Does this mean there are cracks or gaps in the grout and/or caulk? This could mean more than just a facelift. If any water has gotten behind the tiles, there could be mold and a compromised wall. Knock on the tiles around where any grout is cracked or caulking missing. If any sound hollow, there could be hidden problems.

Well..... the riser has no threads! The faucet part it goes into has threads, though, for some unknown reason. There just is a tiny bolt that tightens against the riser tube and supposedly holds it in place. This is why I backed off of just getting another faucet to replace it - in the reviews for just about every similar product people complained about this same problem - seemingly mismatched pieces that don't fit together very well. Rubber plumbers tape - That might just do the trick - there looks like some black residue in there like maybe it had been used in the past.

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.

Thank you all for your input! @tartanmeup Thank you!! And yes, cost would be inclusive of everything. @One Devoted Dame No windows will be removed. Lanai faces east so hot sun not too much of an issue (although it is still Florida). The shower would be going into a guest suite. No one will ever use the tub so it is definitely something I want to do. Was thinking maybe we can ask builder to just do plumping and we'll take care of the rest afterward?? But reading your comments it sounds like maybe that's not even worth it. The extended lanai would include extension of the concrete flooring as well as the extended roof. This will also enable us to connect the standard covered lanai to another covered walkway (leading to guest suite) nearby. Which would essentially allow us to go back and forth between house and guest suite without getting wet in a crazy Florida thunderstorm. So it is something we would really like to do, whether now or later. Wood-look tile: I agree, grout is THE WORST. I actually hate tile and would only put it in bathrooms and maybe laundry room normally. But this extra room is the guest suite which isn't connected to the house. So using different flooring than the rest of the house is ok and also price is a big factor since this addition is already very pricey. I think carpet is standard. Maybe keep the carpet and add wood floors later??