A tub-to-shower conversion is one of the most popular bathroom projects, and one of the most practical. Stepping over a tub wall gets harder over time, and a walk-in shower makes a small bathroom feel larger. Done right, it's not a quick swap: the drain, valve and waterproofing all change, and that's where the work goes.
Is a conversion right for your bathroom?
A walk-in shower is usually a good fit when:
- Nobody in the house takes baths, or there's another tub elsewhere.
- Stepping over the tub wall is getting harder, or you're planning ahead.
- The tub surround is cracked, stained or leaking.
- You want the bathroom to feel bigger and brighter.
If this is your home's only tub and you have young children or plan to sell soon, a tub-and-shower combination behind glass may be the better choice. We'll give you an honest recommendation based on your home and your plans, not on what's easiest to sell.
What the conversion involves
- Remove the tub and surround, down to the studs, and check the framing and subfloor for old water damage.
- Rework the drain for a shower, which needs a different drain location and size than a tub.
- Replace the valve with a modern pressure-balancing or thermostatic valve, and add a handheld sprayer if you'd like.
- Build a sloped shower floor so water drains from every corner.
- Waterproof and test: a continuous membrane on the walls and floor, flood-tested before tile.
- Tile, niche and bench, then custom glass once the tile is finished.
Options to consider
Entry: low curb or curbless
A low curb is the simplest way to keep water in. A curbless entry is easier to walk into and looks cleaner, but needs more floor work.
Glass
A frameless hinged door, a sliding door, or a single fixed panel with an open entry. Frameless glass shows off the tile and makes the room feel larger.
Safety without looking clinical
We add solid blocking in the walls during the remodel so grab bars can be installed now or later. A fold-down or built-in bench and a handheld sprayer on a slide bar make the shower comfortable for everyone. See accessible bathrooms.
Tile
Large-format wall panels are easy to clean. A smaller mosaic on the floor grips better underfoot. See bathroom tile.
What stays and what changes
A conversion can be limited to the tub area, or it can be the start of a fuller bathroom update. Here's what's typical:
- Always changes: the tub, surround, drain, valve, waterproofing, wall and floor tile inside the shower, and the glass.
- Often changes: the floor tile in the rest of the room (the old tub footprint rarely matches), the exhaust fan, and the lighting over the shower.
- Can usually stay: the vanity, toilet and mirror, if they're in good shape and match the new look.
We'll show you where the new tile meets the old floor before work starts, so there are no surprises. Many homeowners find that replacing the floor and vanity at the same time is a modest step up that makes the whole room feel new.
Cost and timeline
Most conversions take 1 to 3 weeks of construction, plus time for custom glass, and typically cost $XX,000 to $XX,000. For a full bathroom update at the same time, see guest and hall bathrooms or the bathroom remodel cost guide.