Tub-to-Shower Conversion: What It Involves and What to Decide First

Converting a tub into a walk-in shower is the most requested bathroom project we quote, and for good reason: most people have not used the tub in years, a walk-in is easier to get into, and the space reads bigger. It is also more than pulling a tub and tiling the walls. The floor, the drain, and the waterproofing under the new shower are where the work is, and they are where a cheap conversion fails.

First decision: keep a tub somewhere?

If the house has another tub, this is easy. If this is the only tub, think about who lives here and who buys the house next. Young children and dogs get bathed in a tub; many buyers expect at least one. It is not a reason to keep a tub you hate, but it is worth deciding on purpose. If you are converting a hall bath and keeping a tub in the primary, or vice versa, you are fine.

Curb, low curb or curbless

• Standard curb. A raised threshold, typically a few inches, that contains the water. Simplest, cheapest, works with a prefabricated pan or a tiled one.
• Low curb. A shorter threshold that is easier to step over, still contains water with the right slope and glass.
• Curbless. The floor slopes to the drain with no threshold at all. The best result for accessibility and for a modern look, and the most work: the subfloor is recessed or built up so the shower floor sits below the bathroom floor. On a slab this means cutting concrete. On a joist floor it means modifying the framing.

Curbless is the right answer if anyone in the house has mobility limits or is planning to age in the home. Our aging in place post covers the rest of that thinking.

What happens under the floor

A tub drain is at one end of the tub. A shower drain is usually centred, or set to one side for a linear drain. Either way, the drain moves, and that means opening the floor.

• Over a crawlspace, the trap and drain line are reworked from below. Straightforward.
• On a slab, the concrete is cut and the trap is relocated. More labour, more dust, and the reason slab conversions cost more.
• The shower valve is usually replaced at the same time, and often moved to a more comfortable height. Our shower valve post explains what is behind the wall.

Pan, walls, glass

• Pan. A tiled pan with a proper membrane and pre-slope gives you any size and any drain position. A solid-surface or acrylic pan is faster and has no grout on the floor, in fixed sizes.
• Walls. Tile over a waterproofed backer, or a solid-surface panel system. Panels have no grout and install quickly; tile gives more design freedom.
• Niche and bench. Plan these before the walls are closed. A niche between studs is easy; a bench needs support and its own slope and waterproofing.
• Glass. A fixed panel, a panel plus a door, or nothing at all on a large curbless shower. Frameless glass is measured after tile is done and takes a couple of weeks to arrive.
• Fixtures. A rain head plus a handheld on a slide bar is the practical combination, and a handheld is what you want for cleaning and for anyone who needs to sit.

What to expect on the calendar

Demo and rough plumbing, then waterproofing and pan, then tile, then grout and fixtures, then glass. Most conversions are a couple of weeks of on-site work with the bathroom out of service, plus the wait for glass. Our post on what a bathroom remodel looks like day by day lays out the sequence.

Questions we get

Can the shower be bigger than the tub was?

Often, by taking the width of the tub alcove and extending into what was floor. It depends on the toilet and vanity clearances.

Do I need a permit?

Moving a drain is plumbing work that typically requires one. Our Coweta County permit post has the details.

What about a one-day acrylic conversion?

A prefabricated liner system over the existing tub alcove is fast and has its place, but it is not a walk-in shower with a relocated drain and it does not address anything under the old tub.

Plan the conversion with us

Wright Way Services converts tubs to showers across Newnan, Coweta County and Fayette County, handling the plumbing, waterproofing, tile and glass. Call (770) 301-4638 or see our remodeling services.