Tub to Shower Conversion Golden, CO
Turn a tub nobody uses into a shower you can step right into. Our tub to shower conversion work covers the demo, plumbing, permit, waterproofing, tile and glass, and most jobs wrap up in about a week.
- Free, written estimates
- We pull the permits and handle inspections
- Answering calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
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Tub to Shower Conversion
If the tub in your bathroom only gets used as a place to stand, a tub to shower conversion puts that space to much better use.
Lots of homes have one tub and shower combo in the main bath. Nobody soaks in it. The kids grew up, or the house came that way and it never fit how you live. Meanwhile, stepping over that high wall gets harder every year.
Pulling the tub gives you a shower with a low curb or no curb at all. The old tub space is often about 60 inches long, so there is room for a bench, a niche and a handheld sprayer.
Our own crew handles every step. That means demo, plumbing, framing fixes, waterproofing, tile and glass.
Our bathroom remodeler crew does these swaps from the first swing of the hammer to the last bead of caulk.
Read on for real costs, what changes behind the wall, design choices and whether you should keep a tub somewhere in the house.
What a Tub to Shower Conversion Costs
Cost guides put most tub to shower conversion jobs at about $2,000 to $12,000, and the type of shower you pick drives most of that number.
A prefab stall set into the old tub space often runs about $2,000 to $6,000 installed. A custom tiled shower often costs about $6,000 to $12,000. Curbless showers cost the most, often about $8,000 to $15,000, because the floor has to be lowered.
Plumbing adds to the total. Moving a drain often runs about $900 to $1,100, and a new shower valve about $700 to $1,200. Glass matters too. Framed doors run about $400 to $1,200, and frameless doors about $1,200 to $3,000.
Older homes can hide surprises once the tub comes out, like rot under the floor or a leaky pipe. Cost guides suggest setting aside 10 to 20 percent of the budget for things like that. We spell it all out in a written estimate before work starts.
What Changes Behind the Wall
A tub to shower conversion looks simple from the outside, but most of the real work happens where you cannot see it.
The drain is the first thing we check. Some shower pans line up with the old tub drain at one end. A center drain or a curbless floor means moving the drain under the floor.
The valve usually moves up. A tub valve sits low so it can feed the spout. A shower valve sits higher so it is easy to reach while you stand. Any new shower valve must be a pressure balance or thermostatic type. That keeps the water from turning scalding hot when someone flushes a toilet.
Once the drain or valve moves, it counts as a plumbing change, and the city requires a permit for that. We pull the permit and set up the inspections, so the work is on record when you sell.
Curb, Curbless and Glass Choices
Every tub to shower conversion starts with one big choice: keep a low curb at the front, or go curbless with a flat floor.
A low curb is the simpler build. It holds water in, works with most floors and keeps the cost down. A curbless shower takes more work, since the floor has to drop so it can slope to the drain. It is the best pick for walkers, wheelchairs or anyone who plans to age in place.
Most old tub spaces are about 60 inches long and 30 to 32 inches deep. That meets code, which calls for at least 900 square inches of floor with no side under 30 inches. A glass door or a fixed panel along the long side keeps the spray inside.
Small touches make a big difference. Think a recessed niche for bottles, a built-in or fold-down bench, a handheld sprayer and blocking in the walls for grab bars. All shower doors and panels must be safety glass.
Should You Keep a Tub?
Before you book a tub to shower conversion, take a quick count of the tubs in your house.
If this is the only one, think it through. Families with babies or young kids often want a tub for bath time. Some buyers want one too, and cost guides warn that pulling the last tub can hurt resale.
If there is another tub in a hall bath or the basement, the choice gets easy. A roomy shower in the main bath is a feature lots of buyers like.
The timeline is shorter than most people expect. Many conversions take about three to seven days. A prefab stall can go in faster, while custom tile or a curbless floor can take a week or more. One recent job, shared in the review below, wrapped up in about four days.
What Homeowners Say
"Had a great experience, needed a bath tub to walk in shower renovation for ailing mother and safety concerns getting her in and out. Job was completed before she got out of hospital roughly 4 days and she was thrilled to come home and see the new accommodations for her."Michelle, Google Review
Tub to Shower Conversion Questions
These are the questions homeowners ask most before a tub to shower conversion.
How much does it cost to convert a tub to a shower?
Most cost guides put a tub to shower conversion at about $2,000 to $12,000. A prefab stall often runs about $2,000 to $6,000. Custom tile often costs about $6,000 to $12,000, and curbless showers can reach $15,000. Moving the drain, a new valve and glass doors add to the total.
Does removing a bathtub hurt resale value?
It can if it is the only tub in the house. Many buyers still want at least one, especially families with young kids. If there is another tub somewhere else, a nice shower in the main bath often helps more than it hurts.
How long does it take to convert a tub to a shower?
Most tub to shower conversion jobs take about three to seven days. A prefab stall can go in faster. Custom tile, a curbless floor or water damage found during demo can stretch it past a week, and permit inspections can add a few days.
Do you need a permit to convert a tub to a shower?
In most cases, yes. Swapping a fixture in the same spot does not need a permit here. Moving the drain or valve is a plumbing change, though, and the city requires a permit for that. We pull it and handle the inspections.
Ready to Lose the Tub?
Send a few details about your tub space and the shower you have in mind. We will call to set up a free walkthrough and give you a written estimate before any work begins.
(720) 909-3011Serving Golden, Lakewood, Arvada, Wheat Ridge, Edgewater, Morrison, Applewood, West Pleasant View and Fairmount.
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