Tub to Shower Conversion
The tub goes out, a waterproofed walk in shower goes in. Our most requested bathroom job, usually five to eight days.
The tub to shower conversion is the most requested job we do. Most people stand in their tub to shower anyway, stepping over a 15 inch wall twice a day. Taking the tub out and building a real walk in shower makes the room feel bigger, makes it safer, and makes it easier to clean, all in about a week of work.
Here is the part other websites skip: the drain. A tub drain sits at the end of the alcove, and a shower drain usually wants to be closer to the center, which means opening the floor and rerouting pipe between the joists. Most of the time it is routine. Once in a while a joist or a main line sits exactly where the drain wants to go, and the layout adjusts. We tell you which case you have during planning, not on day three.
Everything gets built as a tested system: sloped pan, waterproofing membrane on the walls and floor, a flood test held overnight before a single tile goes on, and solid blocking in the walls so grab bars can go up now or ten years from now. You can walk through a finished one in our [Lancaster tub to shower conversion](/projects/tub-to-shower-conversion-lancaster-pa) case study.
WHAT WE DO
Tub to Shower Conversion: the full scope
Demo and haul off
Tub, surround and old walls out, debris gone the same day. Cast iron tubs leave in pieces, loudly, but only for an hour.
Plumbing relocation
Drain moved to the shower location and the valve set at shower height, coordinated with a licensed plumber.
Waterproofing as a system
Sloped pan, membrane on walls and floor, and a flood test before tile. This is the part that decides how the shower ages.
Tile walls and floor
Porcelain, marble or subway tile with niches and benches where you want them.
Glass
Sliding doors or fixed panels measured after tile, so they fit the real opening instead of the drawing.
Grab bar blocking
Solid wood blocking in the walls as standard, so bars can be added anytime without hunting for studs.
HOW IT GOES
Our process, step by step
- 1
Estimate and materials
We measure, talk through the layout and lock in tile, base and glass before demo. Nothing starts until materials are on site.
- 2
Demo and rough in
Days one and two. Tub out, walls open, drain and valve relocated, blocking installed.
- 3
Waterproofing and tile
Pan built and flood tested, membrane up, then tile. The middle of the week belongs to the part you will never see again.
- 4
Glass and punch list
Glass installed, fixtures set, silicone cured, and a final walkthrough together before we call it done.
HONEST NUMBERS
What it costs around here
2026 ranges, written quotes are free and exact
| Tub to shower conversion, complete | $7,000 to $14,000 |
|---|---|
| Drain or valve relocation, complex cases | add $600 to $1,500 |
| Upgrade to frameless glass | add $800 to $1,500 |
| Grab bars installed on blocking | $150 to $300 each |
2026 ranges for Lancaster and Chester County. The spread covers tile selection and how far the drain has to travel. Written quotes are free and exact.
FROM OUR JOBS
Photos from real sites
EVERY PHOTO: OUR CREW, OUR CLIENTS' HOMES. NO STOCK.
GOOD QUESTIONS
Questions we hear a lot
Does removing the tub hurt resale value?
If it is the only tub in the house and you might sell within a few years, think twice. Families with small kids look for at least one tub, and appraisers notice. If another bathroom has a tub, or you plan to stay put, convert without guilt. We have talked people out of this job for exactly that reason.
How long does a tub to shower conversion take?
Five to eight working days is typical. Drain relocation and tile complexity set the pace. Glass sometimes arrives a few days after tile because it is measured against the finished opening, so plan on full use within two weeks of demo day.
Can you just put an acrylic insert over everything instead?
Insert companies exist and they are faster. What a cover up cannot do is fix what is under the old tub, and there is often something under the old tub. We open it up, repair the subfloor and framing, and build tile that outlasts any liner. Different product, different price, different decade of service.
OFTEN COMBINED WITH
WHERE WE WORK
Tub to Shower Conversion across Lancaster & Chester County
Based in Denver, PA and working about 75 miles in every direction. If your town is on this list, we have either worked there or driven past it on the way to a job. Every link below opens local notes on the housing and what it usually needs.
- Lancaster, PA
- Denver, PA
- Ephrata, PA
- Lititz, PA
- Reading, PA
- Lebanon, PA
- Elizabethtown, PA
- West Chester, PA
- Downingtown, PA
- Coatesville, PA
- York, PA
- Harrisburg, PA
- Hershey, PA
- Columbia, PA
- Mount Joy, PA
- Manheim, PA
- Millersville, PA
- Willow Street, PA
- Strasburg, PA
- New Holland, PA
- Quarryville, PA
- Adamstown, PA
- Wyomissing, PA
- Sinking Spring, PA
- Morgantown, PA
- Palmyra, PA
- Exton, PA
- Malvern, PA
- Kennett Square, PA
- Honey Brook, PA
FREE WRITTEN ESTIMATES
Planning tub to shower conversion? Send photos.
Snap the room or the problem, send the form, and we call back with a real ballpark the same business day. Or talk first: (717) 210-8194
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