Shower pan cost in Wilmington, NC
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (1 pan)
- $810 – $2,550
- Per pan
- $777 – $2,056
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −10%
- US $1,850
- Rank of 300 metros
- #229
- 1 = most expensive
A shower pan in Wilmington, NC usually costs $810 to $2,550 for 1 pan. That works out to about $777 to $2,056 per pan before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $190 less. Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters earn a median of $27.11 an hour in the Wilmington area, 12% below the US median of $30.67.
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Estimated cost for 1 pan in Wilmington, NC, standard level
$1,350 to $2,000
About $1,161 to $1,672 per pan before permits. Labor is about 53% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $380 | $690 |
| Labor | $780 | $990 |
| Permits and fees | $160 | $350 |
| Total | $1,350 | $2,000 |
Cost breakdown for 1 pan in Wilmington, NC
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $140 | $530 | $920 | 32% |
| Labor | $630 | $890 | $1,150 | 53% |
| Permits and fees | $30 | $260 | $480 | 15% |
| Total | $810 | $1,650 | $2,550 | 100% |
What is behind the Wilmington number
The wage side of the estimate leans on plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters, who do 50% of the hours on a typical job. Their local median is $27.11 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Wilmington is 0.84 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 53% of the total.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Wilmington is at 96.6 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $550 nationally becomes $530 here (midpoint, 1 pan). Permits follow the all-items index of 96.4: $30 to $480.
Data note: 50% of the labor weighting for this project uses a statewide median because BLS has no published metro figure for that trade in Wilmington. The wage table below marks each row.
Why two Wilmington quotes can differ
Tile
Tile for the shower costs $10-$50 per square foot installed, and that comes on top of the pan.
Permit
Plumbing permits are $30-$500, and many cities require one to replace a shower pan.
Pre-made versus custom
Pre-made trays are $500-$1,550 installed; a custom tile pan is $900-$3,500; a custom stone pan is $1,200-$2,000 or more (HomeGuide).
How Wilmington compares
Contractors rarely work more than an hour or two from home, so the neighboring metros set a rough ceiling and floor for your quotes. Midpoints for 1 pan range from $1,600 to $1,700 across Wilmington and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmington, NCthis page | $810 – $2,550 | $1,650 | |
| Myrtle Beach, SC60 miles | $750 – $2,400 | $1,600 | −5% |
| Fayetteville, NC75 miles | $780 – $2,450 | $1,600 | −3% |
| Greenville, NC100 miles | $810 – $2,500 | $1,650 | −1% |
| Florence, SC100 miles | $790 – $2,450 | $1,650 | −2% |
| Raleigh, NC105 miles | $830 – $2,600 | $1,700 | +2% |
| North Carolina (statewide) | $810 – $2,550 | $1,650 | level |
| United States | $930 – $2,800 | $1,850 | +12% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Wilmington ranks #229 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Wilmington is 0% below the North Carolina figure.
Elsewhere in North Carolina
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte, NC | 1,358,370 jobs | $820 – $2,550 | $1,700 | +1% |
| Raleigh, NC | 743,120 jobs | $830 – $2,600 | $1,700 | +2% |
| Greensboro, NC | 365,410 jobs | $840 – $2,600 | $1,700 | +3% |
| Durham, NC | 344,020 jobs | $830 – $2,600 | $1,700 | +2% |
| Winston, NC | 271,980 jobs | $770 – $2,450 | $1,600 | −4% |
| Asheville, NC | 180,620 jobs | $850 – $2,600 | $1,750 | +4% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Wilmington against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder, CO | 192,390 jobs | $950 – $2,800 | $1,900 | +13% |
| Pensacola, FL | 190,480 jobs | $770 – $2,450 | $1,600 | −3% |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 192,580 jobs | $830 – $2,550 | $1,700 | +1% |
| Salem, OR | 188,620 jobs | $1,050 – $3,100 | $2,050 | +24% |
What local crews earn in Wilmington
The labor line is built from BLS wage data, one trade at a time. This job draws on 2 trades. We compare each trade's local median with the US median, weight the ratios by how much of the job each trade does, and apply the blend to the national labor cost. For Wilmington the blend is 0.84.
Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters (47-2152), 50% of the weighting: a median of $27.11 an hour, 12% below the US median of $30.67. The middle half of them earn between $22.29 and $30.10 an hour. About 690 work in the metro. That is 36.1 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.0 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
Tile and stone setters (47-2044) carry 50% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the Wilmington metro, so we used the North Carolina statewide median: $21.47 an hour against $26.77 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $19.02 and $24.36 an hour.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $50 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $85. That is a swing of roughly 4.9% to 3.1% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Wilmington has 191,280 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 120th by size among the 300 metros on this site.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters (47-2152) | 50% | $22.29 | $27.11 | $30.10 | $30.67 | 0.88 | metro |
| Tile and stone setters (47-2044) | 50% | $19.02 | $21.47 | $24.36 | $26.77 | 0.80 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 0.84 | |||||
What nearby projects cost in Wilmington
Jobs that often go together with shower pan are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Wilmington wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, kitchen remodel comes out highest (−6%) and kitchen backsplash lowest (−10%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bathroom remodel | 45 sq ft | $4,300 – $21,200 | −9% |
| Kitchen cabinets | 25 linear ft | $3,950 – $12,600 | −9% |
| Window replacement | 10 windows | $4,150 – $14,000 | −7% |
| Kitchen remodel | 120 sq ft | $17,500 – $29,800 | −6% |
| Kitchen backsplash | 30 sq ft | $270 – $1,350 | −10% |
Cost by quality level and size in Wilmington
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Wilmington. Bands overlap, because plenty of standard jobs cost as much as a light premium one. Sizes run from one shower pan to one shower pan.
Basic
$810 to $1,500
Pre-made acrylic or fiberglass pan
Standard
$1,350 to $2,000
Tile-ready pan with tile finish
Premium
$1,850 to $2,550
Custom mud or stone pan
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| one shower pan | $810 – $1,500 | $1,350 – $2,000 | $1,850 – $2,550 |
Get 3 local quotes
Tell us about the job and we will try to connect you with up to three local contractors for written quotes. It is free and you are under no obligation to hire. Your estimate of $1,350 to $2,000 for Wilmington, NC is attached.
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Shower pan in Wilmington: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a shower pan in Wilmington?
For 1 pan, expect $810 to $2,550 in the Wilmington area. A standard-spec job lands at $1,350 to $2,000. Small jobs usually cost more per pan and large ones less.
+What is the price per pan for shower pan in Wilmington?
About $777 to $2,056 per pan for materials and labor, plus $30 to $480 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $900 to $2,300.
+Is shower pan cheaper in Wilmington or Myrtle Beach?
Myrtle Beach is 60 miles away. The midpoint for 1 pan there is $1,600, which is 5% less than Wilmington ($1,650). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Wilmington?
About 53% at the midpoint, or $890 out of $1,650. Materials are 32% and permits 15%. Nationally, labor is 56%.
+What would one shower pan cost in Wilmington?
$810 to $2,550. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does shower pan need a permit in Wilmington?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $30 to $480 for fees in the Wilmington area (our national range of $30 to $500 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Wilmington expensive for shower pan compared with the rest of North Carolina?
Wilmington is 0% below the North Carolina statewide estimate ($1,650 at the midpoint). We cover 11 metros in North Carolina; see the state page to compare them.
+What do plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters earn in Wilmington?
The BLS median is $27.11 an hour in the Wilmington area, compared with $30.67 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $22.29 to $30.10.
+What do basic and premium shower pan work cost in Wilmington?
For 1 pan, basic work runs $810 to $1,500 and premium work $1,850 to $2,550. Basic means: pre-made acrylic or fiberglass pan. Premium means: custom mud or stone pan.
Shower pan near Wilmington
Where these numbers come from
Base prices are national ranges from the sources below. We scale labor by local BLS wages, materials by BEA goods prices and permits by the BEA all-items price level. Full method on the methodology page.