How long does a tub-to-shower conversion take?

Most of the time goes to the waterproofing, which has to cure before tile goes on, and then the tile itself. It takes longer if the drain moves or a permit inspection has to happen first.

Can I keep the tile on the rest of the bathroom?

Sometimes. The hard part is matching the old tile where the tub was. Most conversions get new tile on all the shower walls, and the floor outside the shower can often stay.

Can you add grab bars later?

Yes, if the blocking is in the wall. While the walls are open, we add solid wood behind the tile where grab bars might go. Later, they can be screwed into wood instead of anchors.

Tub-to-Shower Conversion in Phoenix, AZ

Swapping a tub nobody uses for a walk-in shower, and what it takes on a slab.

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Most tub-to-shower conversions fit in the space the tub already takes up. The job gets bigger when the drain has to move, because in a Phoenix house that drain sits in the concrete slab.

What changes when the tub comes out

A tub drains at one end. A shower floor has to slope to its drain, and the drain is often in a different spot than the tub's was. The valve and showerhead usually move up the wall to shower height. The wall area the tub used to cover needs new backer board and waterproofing. The floor gets a new shower pan sloped to the drain.

The drain and the slab

This is the part that decides the size of the job. If the shower drain can sit close to where the tub drain was, the concrete work stays small. Sometimes a long, narrow drain along one wall makes that possible. If the drain has to move to the middle of the shower, the slab gets cut and the drain line rerouted under it.

Many Valley homes have post-tension slabs. Steel cables run through the concrete under tension, and the slab has to be scanned before anyone cuts it. Cutting a cable is dangerous and expensive to fix.

Curb or no curb

Most conversions get a low curb at the front of the shower. The curb holds the water in and lets the floor slope normally.

A curbless shower, with the shower floor flush with the bathroom floor, needs the shower floor to sit lower than the rest of the room. On a slab, that means recessing the concrete under the shower. It's more work, but it's the easiest shower to walk into now and later.

Glass and hard water

The glass gets measured after the tile is set, so it's one of the last things to go in. Shower glass has to be safety glass by code.

Phoenix water is hard, and it leaves white spots on glass. A fixed glass panel with no door has less to clean and no hinges to wear. Squeegeeing the glass after each shower keeps spots from building up.

Should you keep a tub somewhere?

If this is the only tub in the house, think about who will live in the house later. Families with young children often want one. If there's another tub in the house, most people don't miss it.

Permits

Moving the drain or the valve is new plumbing, so it needs a permit in every Valley city. Replacing a tub with a new tub in the same spot usually doesn't. When the drain moves, we pull the permit and schedule the inspections.

Problems we fix on this page

Want a tub-to-shower conversion
Want a walk-in shower
Want a curbless shower
Want a shower niche
Want a shower bench
Want a bigger shower
Want a freestanding tub
Want a steam shower
Want a second shower head

How it starts

Send a photo of the tub area and one of the whole bathroom. Levi comes out to look and checks where the drain can go. You get a written estimate before anything comes out.

Questions

How long does a tub-to-shower conversion take?: Most of the time goes to the waterproofing, which has to cure before tile goes on, and then the tile itself. It takes longer if the drain moves or a permit inspection has to happen first.
Can I keep the tile on the rest of the bathroom?: Sometimes. The hard part is matching the old tile where the tub was. Most conversions get new tile on all the shower walls, and the floor outside the shower can often stay.
Can you add grab bars later?: Yes, if the blocking is in the wall. While the walls are open, we add solid wood behind the tile where grab bars might go. Later, they can be screwed into wood instead of anchors.

Thinking about a bathroom?

Send a few photos and tell us what's bothering you. We usually reply within minutes, and always within 24 hours.