Tub-to-Shower Conversion Cost and Permits in Richmond, VA
Updated Aug 202612 sources
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The short answer
A Richmond tub-to-shower conversion crosses the permit line even in the exemption-friendly counties: swapping a tub for a shower means new or relocated piping, which Henrico, Chesterfield, and the city all treat as permit work. City fees build from a $63 base on declared value. With the metro's price level at 97.858 (100 is the national average), labor runs just under national norms. Compare each jurisdiction's exact rules with the local cost drivers before you schedule.
Key numbers for Richmond
Converting a tub to a shower moves plumbing, which is usually what decides whether a permit is needed and what the job costs.
Whether this needs a permit here
- Permitting authority SOURCED
- City of Richmond Permits and Inspections (Dept. of Planning & Development Review), 900 E. Broad St., Room 108/110 rva.gov
- Permit required for like-for-like fixture swap SOURCED
- Henrico County: exempt. 'Replacement of plumbing fixtures and well pumps in all groups without alteration of the water supply and distribution systems, sanitary drainage systems or vent systems' does not require a permit. henrico.gov
- Permit required to relocate plumbing SOURCED
- Henrico County: relocating or otherwise altering the water supply/distribution, sanitary drainage, or vent system triggers a plumbing permit even though a straight fixture swap does not; removing or adding a wall/partition also requires a permit. henrico.gov
- How the permit fee is calculated SOURCED
- City of Richmond: percentage-of-value formula. $63 base for $0-$2,000 of declared value, plus $6.07 per additional $1,000 (or fraction) for residential 1-2 family work, plus a 2% state surcharge. 'Value of Work equals the higher value of either the Contractor or RS Means price.' rva.gov
- Adopted building code edition SOURCED
- 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (Virginia Construction Code / Virginia Residential Code base editions), effective statewide January 18, 2024 — the same edition applies identically in Richmond, Henrico, and Chesterfield because Virginia is not a home-rule state for building codes; DHCD adopts one edition for the whole Commonwealth and localities only administer/enforce it. dhcd.virginia.gov
- Who customarily pulls the permit SOURCED
- A Virginia homeowner may pull their own permit and perform the work on their own occupied primary residence without a DPOR contractor license, limited to one such primary residence per 24-month period (Va. Code §54.1-1101(A)(7)); the City of Richmond publishes a dedicated 'Homeowner's Permit Process Guide' reflecting this path alongside the licensed-contractor path. law.lis.virginia.gov
- Whether a licensed contractor is required to pull the permit SOURCED
- Not required when the owner is performing work on their own owner-occupied primary residence under the statewide DPOR exemption; a licensed Class A/B/C contractor is required for any paid bathroom remodeling work performed for someone else, per Va. Code §54.1-1101. law.lis.virginia.gov
- Whether electrical permit is separate SOURCED
- Yes, in all three jurisdictions. Chesterfield's fee schedule lists Electrical Permits as a distinct fee category from Plumbing and Building; Richmond issues separate building, plumbing, and electrical permit types; Henrico issues electrical work under its own trade-permit category in the Build Henrico portal. chesterfield.gov
- Typical plan review time in days SOURCED
- City of Richmond: online submittal review 3-5 business days; initial plan review 5-10 business days for smaller residential projects (longer for projects over $10M). rva.gov
- Whether an online permitting portal exists SOURCED
- Yes in all three jurisdictions: Richmond uses energov.richmondgov.com; Henrico uses the 'Build Henrico' online permit portal; Chesterfield accepts applications and payment (including card payment) through its Building Inspection division. henrico.gov
Local cost factors
- Basis of the regional price parity index SOURCED
- BEA Regional Price Parity (all-items cost-of-living index; 100 = national average), not a construction-specific index. Richmond, VA scored 97.858 in 2024 (goods 96.773, housing/rents 99.136, other services 98.612, the most recent expenditure-category breakdown available) - slightly below the U.S. average overall, with goods running furthest below average and housing/rents closest to par. (Note: an earlier version of this field described the City of Richmond's RSMeans-based permit-fee valuation method, which is unrelated to this index; that content is recorded correctly under metro.permit.fee_basis, not here.) fred.stlouisfed.org
- Local plumber hourly rate SOURCED
- $29.30/hour mean for plumbers and pipefitters (SOC 47-2152) in this metro (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics; annual mean $60,940). That is 16% below the national mean of $34.70/hour. Labour is the larger half of this job, so the gap moves the installed price more than material choice does. bls.gov
- Local electrician hourly rate SOURCED
- $29.98/hour mean for electricians (SOC 47-2111) in this metro (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics; annual mean $62,360). That is 13% below the national mean of $34.37/hour. Labour is the larger half of this job, so the gap moves the installed price more than material choice does. bls.gov
- Local tile installer hourly rate SOURCED
- $24.73/hour mean for tile and stone setters (SOC 47-2044) in this metro (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics; annual mean $51,430). That is 13% below the national mean of $28.49/hour. Labour is the larger half of this job, so the gap moves the installed price more than material choice does. bls.gov
Richmond answers to common questions
- What does a tub-to-shower conversion cost in Richmond?
- Expect roughly $1,960–$11,740 for a tub-to-shower conversion in the Richmond metro, depending on how much plumbing moves and whether tile work replaces a prefab surround.ESTIMATE
National tub-to-shower baseline ($2,000–$12,000) adjusted by the Richmond BEA all-items regional price parity index (97.858).
How Richmond compares
Knoxville, TN
price parity index 92.569 fred.stlouisfed.org See how the numbers differ in the Knoxville area.
Hartford, CT
price parity index 102.746 fred.stlouisfed.org See how the numbers differ in the Hartford area.
Allentown, PA
price parity index 99.968 fred.stlouisfed.org See how the numbers differ in the Allentown area.
Sources
Bathroom remodelers serving Richmond
We researched 14 bathroom remodeling contractors serving the Richmond area from public sources. Two examples with public ratings below — tell us about your project and we'll match you with local pros.
Leo Lantz Construction, Inc.5.0 (55 reviews, Houzz)
Quality Remodeling5.0 (51 reviews, Houzz)
Ratings as observed on Houzz as of 2026-08-28. Not an endorsement — always verify licensing and references yourself.