Tile Showers and Bathroom Tile in Rockford, IL
Updated
Short answer
What sits under the tile
Tile and grout are not waterproof. Water soaks through grout lines every time the shower runs. What keeps it out of the wall and the floor is the layer underneath: a sloped pan with a liner or membrane, and a waterproof backer or membrane on the walls. When a tile shower in an older house fails, it is almost always this layer, not the tile.
Illinois rule for shower pans and walls
“All sides of the shower pan shall turn up at least 2 inches above the finished shower floor level. ... Shower walls shall be constructed of durable, smooth, non-absorbent, non-corrosive and waterproof materials”
Old tile showers built straight onto drywall, or onto greenboard with no membrane, are common in houses from the 1960s through the 1980s. They look fine until you press on the tile near the floor and it moves.
What it costs
Typical price, national
- Custom tiled conversion: $3,500 to $15,000. Angi, tub-to-shower conversion cost, updated July 8, 2026.
- Shower tile (material): $2 to $17 per sq ft. Angi, walk-in shower cost, updated October 30, 2026.
- Tile floor, installed: $10 to $50 per sq ft. Angi, bathroom remodel cost, updated October 27, 2026.
No approved cost guide prices a custom tile shower as one line, so it comes as a written quote built from the size, the tile and the pan.
The tile itself is a small part of the bill. Angi lists tile materials at $2 to $17 a square foot. Labor, the pan, the membrane, the niche and the glass make up most of it, and Angi puts labor at 40% to 65% of a bathroom remodel overall. Small mosaics and large slabs both cost more to set than standard sizes. The full table is on the cost page.
Floors, surrounds and full showers
Tile work in a bathroom usually falls into three jobs. A tile floor goes down over a flat, stiff subfloor. A tub surround tiles the three walls above a tub, which is part of most bathtub replacements. A full tile shower builds the pan, curb and walls from scratch, usually as part of a walk-in shower or a conversion.
On a floor, the joists matter. Older houses in Rockford, where 46.5% of the housing was built before 1960, sometimes have floors with enough bounce to crack grout and tile. Stiffening the floor is cheaper than redoing the tile in two years.
Lead paint in older bathrooms
Tearing out old painted walls to get to the studs is demolition of painted surfaces. In a house built before 1978 the person doing it for pay has to be lead-safe certified.
EPA lead-safe rule
“In general, anyone paid to perform work that disturbs paint in housing and child-occupied facilities built before 1978 must be certified in lead-safe work practices. This includes all firms, even sole proprietorships.”
Choosing tile for a shower
- Porcelain absorbs less water than most ceramic and stone, which helps in a wet room.
- Floor tile in the shower should be small enough to follow the slope of the pan and rough enough not to be slick.
- Natural stone needs sealing and is harder on hard water than porcelain.
- Fewer grout lines means less to clean. Large wall tiles and a linear drain do that.
Prefab panels are the other route. The shower replacement page covers acrylic and solid-surface walls. We reply with a written price that lists the tile, the membrane and the pan.
Sources: Angi, tub-to-shower conversion cost; Angi, walk-in shower cost; Angi, bathroom remodel cost; Illinois State Plumbing Code, 77 Ill. Adm. Code 890.690 (showers); U.S. EPA, Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program; U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year, via Census Reporter
Where this is done
Tile Showers and Bathroom Tile across Winnebago County. Each town page has its own local rules and numbers; the rest are on the service area page.
Common questions
Tile Showers and Bathroom Tile: questions
How much does a tile shower cost?
No approved cost guide prices a custom tile shower as one line. Angi puts a custom tiled walk-in conversion at $3,500 to $15,000 and tile materials at $2 to $17 a square foot, national figures. See the cost page.
What is the best waterproofing for a tile shower?
A sloped pan with a liner or membrane turned up at the edges, and a waterproof backer or membrane on the walls. Illinois code requires the pan to turn up at least 2 inches above the finished floor and the walls to be waterproof.
How long does a tile shower take to build?
Longer than a prefab shower. The pan, membrane, tile and grout each need set or cure time, and a moved drain needs an inspection first. Expect the shower itself to take the better part of a week or more.
Is tile or acrylic better for a shower?
Acrylic has fewer seams and goes in faster. Tile fits any size and lasts as long as the waterproofing under it. The acrylic vs tile shower guide compares cost and upkeep.
How much does it cost to tile a bathroom floor?
Angi puts installed bathroom tile at $10 to $50 a square foot for midrange work, a national figure. A floor that needs stiffening or new subfloor adds to that. All prices are on the cost page.
Why is the tile in my old shower loose?
Usually water has gotten behind it. Many older showers were tiled onto drywall or greenboard with no membrane. Loose tile near the floor often means the backer and sometimes the studs are wet.
Other services
Tile Showers and Bathroom Tile in Winnebago County
Tell us which bathroom, roughly how big it is and what you want changed. We reply with a price first, and nothing starts until you agree to it.