Why Smart Bathroom Wall Panel Dealers Don’t Stop at Acrylic: Product Ideas to Boost Profits and Stand Out in 2025 and Beyond

Are you using a few ‘choice’ 4-letter words to describe your tub to shower conversion project profit margins and low-balling competitors?

Are bath remodeling leads drying up faster than water in the desert?

Are the ‘behemoth’ franchises and private equity funded companies gobbling up market share at an alarming rate in your one-day bathroom remodeling market?

And if I told you making money in quick-installation bathroom jobs IS NOT get simpler, are you nodding your head (and wagging your tail…. if you had one) as fast as your family pet is when you tell them it’s ‘treat time?’

And if some, or worse yet, ALL of these statements (and then some) are true about struggles in the quick installation acrylic wall panel and base business I’m sure you’re scratching your head attempting to find your way out of this mess. Or at least you’re trying to come up with a better strategy as you head into 2026.

If these are your challenges, you’ve come to the right article.

Below I’ll outline 10 reasons (in Section 1) why smart bathroom wall panel dealers ARE NOT stopping at acrylic as their one and only line anymore.

Then I’ll present 4 products (in Section 2) which can help boost your profits and stand out in an increasingly competitive marketplace in 2025 and beyond. Let’s dig in.

(Section 1) 10 Reasons Smart Bathroom Wall Panel Dealers Don’t Stop at Acrylic

Reason #1 smart bathroom wall panel dealers don’t stop at acrylic – Acrylic is a commodity. Margins are shrinking.

20 years ago, the playing field for bath in a day acrylic wall panels was wide open.

Margins were excellent. Competitors were few and far between.

However, this was before the acrylic manufacturers started setting up everybody, and their brother, and their brother’s brother (and sister) to become a dealer.

And this was before acrylic manufacturers created multiple ‘dealerships’ with razor thin differentiating points to make you ‘feel’ you had something unique, something special. You know better.

And this was before your budget-constrained prospects couldn’t find acrylic in big box stores and through on-line retailers and use these cheaper prices to try to work you down.

The good news is there is a way out of this challenge, but you’ll need to read on.

Reason #2 smart bathroom wall panel dealers don’t stop at acrylic – Buying acrylic leads is getting oh-so expensive 

If you’re bidding on PPC ads with the term ‘acrylic bathroom walls’ (or variations on this phrase) you know they’re getting very expensive.

You’re chasing the same leads with (virtually) the same products as your competitors especially if the leads are coming from Google ads, HomeAdvisor, Angie’s List or Facebook. And, as you know, the number of competitors is growing faster than weeds in your lawn during the rainy season.

Reason #3 smart bathroom wall panel dealers don’t stop at acrylic – The franchises and private equity owned bathroom dealerships (who also use acrylic wall panels) are dominating the market 

The big ARE getting bigger in the home improvement market. In fact, the top 20 largest home improvement companies have grown from $3 billion to $14.5 billion in the last 7 years! And that’s why you’re seeing companies like WestShore Home, Leaf, Re-bath, BathFitter, and Kohler capturing a larger share of your local market. They have the bucks, and they know how to use them (similar to the theme of this ZZ Top song below).

And while you may like the high prices these big companies quote, they’re also walking away with A LOT of deals you don’t even get a ‘sniff’ at with their sophisticated marketing techniques and slick in-home bathroom presentations.

And to make it worse, they’re selling even nicer acrylic wall panels than you offer because the manufacturer gives them the ‘best of the best’ in the line. In addition, they’re buying at a better price as well. Are there lines you could offer which could improve your market position and stop you from losing market share? Check out the picture below to see proof of one differentiated shower wall panel option.

Reason #4 smart bathroom wall panel dealers don’t stop at acrylic – Homeowners are realizing there are thicker, sturdier options than 1/8” thick acrylic walls

Yes – for years you ‘got away with’ closing deals using your 1/8” (thin) acrylic wall panel adhered to a sheet of moisture resistant greenboard. Owners didn’t question the thickness of your acrylic (plastic) panels. They didn’t know there were thicker options and didn’t realize with this ‘sales presentation trick’ your acrylic panels were as thin as they are.

However, increasingly homeowners are being presented with 3/8” thick solid surface panels, or ¼” thick PVC panels, or 3/8” thick laminate wall panels. Now they know there’s choices which are 2 and 3 times thicker than acrylic.

As this market has grown, the thicker shower wall panel options have grown with it. And the reality is…

The thicker ‘wall panel genie’ is out of the bottle!

When owners say they want thicker shower wall panels, do you only have one (product) ‘(’er tool’) in your sales tool belt, 1/8” thin acrylic wall panels? Has the time come to change that?

Reason #5 smart bathroom wall panel dealers don’t stop at acrylic – Not all owners want ‘fake-looking’ molded plastic wall panels. Besides, you aren’t even being offered the ‘best stuff’ your acrylic wall panel manufacturer can make.

Let’s face it, if you’ve only got glossy molded acrylic wall panels and your competitors are showing laser-etched acrylic panels or CNC manufactured panels in a wide array of realistic looking, sophisticated tile patterns like 45 degree herringbone or vertical subway tiles you may have no competitive ‘answer’ in these situations. You may be ‘up a proverbial creek without a paddle.’



And as you know if you’re not one of the ‘big boy’ P.E. (Private Equity) financed or franchise companies, you’re left with the least stylish and least realistic looking acrylic panels these manufacturers will ‘let you’ sell.

Why put up with this nonsense? Why allow yourself to be treated like the ‘red-haired stepchild’ of the wall panel business? And I mean no disrespect to actual red-haired stepchildren.

Choose wall panels with realistic looking patterns AVAILABLE FROM STOCK! Yes, you heard that right. You can get cool patterns – compete with the big companies – and offer something unique in a shorter time frame than them. Now THIS sounds like a REAL COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE!

Reason #6 smart bathroom wall panel dealers don’t stop at acrylic – They see the business benefits of a ‘good, better, best’ product lineup 

One customer thought your acrylic wall panels were too flimsy. They went with a far more expensive design/build remodeler who installed a tile shower.

Another customer wanted a ‘spa bathroom’ and chose matte finished wall panels from the Luxstone dealer, who was 50% more expensive than you.

And a third customer told your rep they wanted a solid stone shower pan; the acrylic base wasn’t substantial enough for their husband who they said had put on a few pounds (they told you sarcastically) since they’re high school football days as a defensive tackle.

These are all instances where if you had an upgraded wall panel line you might have secured the deposit and not wasted the expensive lead-gen cost.

A well-designed ‘good, better, best’ offering increases close rates, grows average ticket sizes, and helps serve a wider range of customers. And besides maybe now you WILL be able to market into ritzier neighborhoods to those who can easily scratch you a check, pay with a credit card, or qualify for financing. You’re no longer a ‘one-trick-pony’ selling basic jobs to customers who can barely scrape up enough money to do them.

Reason #7 smart bathroom wall panel dealers don’t stop at acrylic – You can upgrade accessories or bases with expanded offerings, even if you stick with acrylic walls  

Acrylic accessories shouldn’t be your ‘one and only’ option.

And let’s face it, acrylic corner caddies are more than a little ‘long in the tooth.’ And realistic looking, they’re NOT!

And acrylic shower pans ARE NOT the most exciting, or sturdiest option either.

So – why not show customers higher quality solid surface corner shelves, or a vertical stainless steel niche, or solid surface shower pan which can handle 2 tons of weight capacity? And yes, that’d be equivalent to having the capacity for 6 people staring on My 600 Pound Life in the shower at the same time. Ok, that’s not a realistic example, since they wouldn’t fit at the same time, buy you get my drift.

Reason #8 smart bathroom wall panel dealers don’t stop at acrylic – There are other products available from stock for jobs which require a quick turnaround

You got the call for an emergency job. Mom is coming home from rehab in two weeks. She needs a sturdy shower (including the base) which can accommodate a wheelchair. And her daughter, who made the call, warns you, “Mom is very picky. Whatever we buy BETTER NOT BE UGLY, plasticky, or a pain to clean!”

A sense of panic comes over you. What can you offer? They’re a buyer, but will they accept your acrylic products? Will you be able to get products delivered in time? Will the shipping costs alone blow you out of the water?

This is where it can be a godsend to offer stone shower pans with optional ramp kits you can get from stock and/or wall panels which are ready to ship TODAY without super-high shipping costs! And if you think this is the ‘impossible dream,’ it’s not. Just read Section 2.

Reason #9 smart bathroom wall panel dealers don’t stop at acrylic – You’re a startup and the acrylic suppliers aren’t willing to sell you.

You’ve been chompin’ at the bit to go off on your own. You see what your employer is charging. You know what you’re getting paid as a sub. And without having an MBA you know there’s A LOT of room for you to make money and start a quick installation bathroom wall panel contracting business. And also, you know how to do the work, and do it better than most crews your current employer is unleashing on customers.

Then you call your employer’s acrylic supplier to get pricing. They shut you down faster than the prettiest girl in high school does when the nerdiest guy asks her to HOCO! In addition, the acrylic supplier requires you have a warehouse before they’ll have a serious conversation with you. And their dealer fees are high to keep the little guys (and that’s you) out. So, where can you turn next?

In a Ripley’s Believe it Or Not moment, I’ll tell you there’s suppliers with products which are actually NICER than acrylic which don’t make it hard for you to get started. And they have the marketing programs (not just products) which help you compete with the ‘big boy’s and girls’ in your market. However, you’ll need to think beyond acrylic to find them. Learn more below.

Reason #10 smart bathroom wall panel dealers don’t stop at acrylic – They understand some companies will get ‘kicked to the curb’ when their acrylic supplier finds a ‘bigger fish’ to supply!

You thought you were a valued customer of your acrylic supplier. You order faithfully. You pay your bills on time (and as a matter of fact, they charge your credit card even before the product ships).

Then a big P.E. (private equity) company bought a good sized competitor in your market. They have big plans for their new acquisition. They demand your supplier stop selling the smaller guys (that’d be you) to get their growing business.

And based on the numbers they’re telling the supplier they’re going to do, they’re only too happy to kick you to the curb.

Now you’re an acrylic one-day-bath remodeling company without a manufacturer! You didn’t see that coming.

When you put all of your eggs in one basket you leave yourself flappin’ in the wind to the whims of your supplier and their strategies or supply decisions. Is it ‘healthy’ for you to blindly trust they’ll always have your back? Do they make you feel important to them? Or are you simply a ‘credit card’ they can charge until they find a ‘prettier girl’ or more ‘handsome guy’ in your market?

Let’s face it, big supplier prefer to deal with big dealers. And if you’re a small to medium sized contractor/installer, it won’t be hard for them to kick you to the curb when the ‘big fish’ comes ‘a-callin.’

So, given these 10 reasons smart bathtub and shower wall panel dealers don’t stop at acrylic, the question is what products should you take on, so you don’t have all of your eggs in one basket? And will your new supplier not only have quality products available with time-effective deliveries, but also the sales and marketing tools to help you get jobs closed?

Below you’ll find smart choices – which are time-tested, time-effective, unique, and supported with marketing tools you can consider adding to your product arsenal (even if you’re still going to sell acrylic).

(Section 2) Four Bathroom Wall Panel, Base, Door, and Accessory Products to Boost Your Profits and Stand Out in an Increasingly Competitive One Day (Fast Installation) Tub to Shower and Shower Replacement Markets.

Product #1 – 3/8” thick laminate wall panels, available (from stock) in 31 realistic-looking patterns 

Why not offer patterns and looks your competitors don’t have? And it’ll be nice to know you can do this WITHOUT sacrificing lifetime warranties.

With 3/8” thick laminate wall panels you’ll get a line which was developed 41 years ago in Europe with up-to-date looks, colors, textures, finishes, and styles you WILL NOT SEE in acrylic.

And what’s even nicer – besides the fact these wall panels are ALL in stock – is they have realistic faux grout joints (and is that an oxy-moron, or what?) which ARE NOT the same color as the wall panel itself. And with molded acrylic, cultured marble, or cultured granite panels this is usually not the case.

Product #2 – Low profile (and trimmable) composite and stone shower bases

As you know, shower bases are the ‘foundation’ of a shower to shower replacement, or tub to shower conversion. If the base fails, Houston (or your company in this case) you have a problem.

So, why not show customers (using a ‘good, better, best’ selling approach) thicker and sturdier shower pans?

Today you’ll find not only sturdy SMC shower pans but also solid surface shower bases like you’ll see below. And they’re also available with optional ramp kits (if you have a rush job for someone who needs an accessible shower but doesn’t want to put in an institutional-looking ramped pan).

And another good feature of these pans is they’re trimmable. This can save significant lead time (you won’t need to order a custom shower pan) and expense if you find out, after you’ve taken out the old pan, your new base needs to be 1” narrower.

Why limit yourself to acrylic shower pans, which while nicer than most fiberglass pans, aren’t the better quality bases many customers today are demanding.

Product #3 – Offer upgraded accessories. No more ‘truck stop grab bars,’ or cheap plastic shower caddies.

While acrylic shower caddies, and common (truck-stop or hospital style) grab bars are cost-effective, they detract from your finished project. And in the case of the acrylic corner caddies, they DO NOT look like a natural material, far from it.

Shower accessories can not only make the shower function better but can be fashion statement as well.

Why not offer a removable handheld shower to make it simpler to shower or shave while standing or seated?

Why not upgrade your customer with a horizontal stainless steel niche in a matte black finish.

Why not offer a teak or polyurethane fold down seat to make it simpler for them to shave their legs or safer for a family member (whose mobility WILL NOT be mistaken for a yoga instructor), to shower while seated?

Upgraded shower accessories not only make a better looking finished projects (which are also safer) but offer significant profit opportunities for you as well.

Product #4 – Better quality shower doors, available in fashion-forward finishes, which are simpler to clean

Your prospect HATES their current shower door. It’s polished gold finish is out of style. The hardware is pitted. It’s a PITA to clean. Their thin door wobbles to and fro. And their spouse constantly bangs their head on the top framing of the door because it’s so short.

Your quick installation bath remodel is the perfect time to eliminate their shower door frustrations.

Why not supply a 79” high bypass shower door for their tub to shower conversion which won’t smack their 6’2” spouse in the head when they’re half-awake while entering the shower?

Why not install a 3/8” thick glass shower door which won’t wobble like the one they have today?

Why not show them trendy finishes like matte black, brushed nickel, or matte brass which compliments the new vanity and faucets you’re installing?

Shower doors – and the right type of shower door (one which doesn’t bang into their partner when it’s opened for example), makes their shower simpler to use. You’ll be their ‘hero’ with this remodel and win referrals with your superior products.

So, are you ready to learn about options beyond acrylic wall panels, bases, and accessories?

Has this article opened your mind to the possibilities beyond acrylic wall panels and bases? I hope so – otherwise you definitely deserve your money back (even though I haven’t charged you to read this article…yet.

But seriously there’s a huge opportunity to improve the profitability of your shower wall panel and base business if you innovate beyond acrylic.

To learn more about laminate wall panels, stone shower pans, stylish and safe accessories, and better-quality glass shower doors call me (I’m Mike) at 888-467-5888 or request free product samples.

These products aren’t offered by everyone (and their brother, and their brother’s brother and sister). The opportunity is there for the taking!

Thanks for reading and putting up with my (attempted) humor along the way.

Mike

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In addition, if you’d like to connect on LinkedIn, you’ll find me https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikefoti/