Questions · Fixtures
What a tub to shower swap involves
The plumbing part is a drain change and a valve change. A tub drain sits in a different place and at a different height from a shower drain, so the line underneath usually has to be altered, and the tub filler and valve are replaced with a shower valve in an open wall.
What actually happens
- 01
The tub comes out and the wall behind it is opened
- 02
The drain is relocated and reset for a shower base or a tiled pan
- 03
A new shower valve goes in, set to the right depth for the finished wall
- 04
The pan or base is set and tested for fall and for leaks before anything is closed
- 05
The wall is closed, the surround goes on, and the trim is installed last
What decides how big the job gets
- Where the existing drain sits, and what is under the floor
- Whether it is a slab or a raised floor, which changes how the drain can be moved
- Whether you want a prefabricated base or a tiled pan
- Whether the wall is shared with another room, which affects access
- Whether anything else in that wall has to move at the same time
Worth deciding early
- The valve, because the trim has to match it and it is set before the wall closes
- The door or glass enclosure, since a frameless panel changes the curb and the pan
- Whether you want a bench, a niche or a grab bar, because blocking goes in while the wall is open
- Who is doing the tile and the glass, so the sequence works
From the job log
Work we’ve done
Answers
Do you do the tile as well?
The plumbing side is the drain, the valve and the pan set properly. Where tile and glass are involved we will tell you plainly what we do and where another trade picks it up.
Does losing a tub hurt resale?
That is a house by house judgment, and the usual advice is to keep a tub somewhere in the home if you can. It is worth thinking about before the wall is open.
Can the shower go where the tub was, exactly?
Usually the footprint works, but the drain rarely lines up, and that is the part that has to be right before anything is finished over it.
If you need this done
- Tubs and showersOld tub out, new tub or shower in, with the valves and drains done right.
- Pipe and leak repairDamaged, corroded or leaking pipe repaired or replaced, including hidden leaks behind walls, with as little disruption as possible.
- Faucet installKitchen and bathroom faucets and fixtures, with clean, leak-free connections, tested before we leave.
- Where we workEvery town and ZIP across the Valley we cover.
In-home estimate
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We come out, look at the problem and explain what it needs before any work starts. For something urgent, calling is fastest.
Rather talk? Call or text (602) 833-4133.