Tub-to-Walk-In Shower Conversion: What Gig Harbor Homeowners Should Know

It’s one of the most common requests we hear on bathroom remodels in Gig Harbor: “Can we get rid of the tub and put in a walk-in shower?” The short answer is almost always yes — and done well, it’s one of the best upgrades a bathroom can get. Here’s what to know before you start.

Why So Many Homeowners Are Converting

• ✦Nobody's using the tub — surveys consistently show most adults shower daily and bathe a few times a year at most
• ✦A walk-in shower makes a small bathroom feel dramatically larger, especially with frameless glass
• ✦Stepping over a 15-inch tub wall is the single most common fall hazard in the home for older adults
• ✦A tiled walk-in shower with a glass enclosure simply looks better — it's the centerpiece of every modern bathroom design

One caveat: if your home has only one bathroom, keeping at least one tub in the house helps resale value for families with young kids. If you have two or more bathrooms, convert away — buyers today prefer a walk-in shower in the primary bath.

What a Conversion Costs

In the Gig Harbor and greater Pierce County area, a quality tub-to-shower conversion typically runs $12,000 to $25,000, depending on tile selection, glass, and plumbing changes. A basic conversion with a prefab pan and standard tile sits at the lower end; a fully tiled, curbless shower with frameless glass, a niche, and a rain head plus handheld sits at the top. Beware of “one-day bath” conversions advertised at low prices — an acrylic liner glued over old construction hides problems rather than fixing them.

Timeline: About Two to Three Weeks

A typical conversion takes 2–3 weeks: demo and plumbing rough-in in the first few days, then waterproofing, tile, and grout through the second week. Frameless glass is measured after tile is complete and takes about a week to fabricate — so the glass usually arrives as the final step. If you’re remodeling the whole bathroom around it, see our full bathroom remodel timeline guide.

Waterproofing Is Where Conversions Live or Die

This is the part you can’t see in the finished photos — and the part that matters most. Tile and grout are not waterproof. Behind them there must be a continuous waterproofing system: a properly sloped pan, sealed corners and seams, and a membrane (we use Schluter-style bonded membranes or liquid-applied systems) that carries water to the drain no matter what. In our damp Pacific Northwest climate, a shortcut here means rot, mold, and a subfloor repair bill a few years down the road. Ask any contractor bidding your conversion to explain — specifically — their waterproofing system. If the answer is vague, keep looking.

Designing for Aging in Place

Many Gig Harbor homeowners plan to stay in their homes for decades — and a conversion is the perfect moment to build in quiet, good-looking safety. A curbless (zero-entry) shower eliminates the step entirely. Blocking installed in the walls during framing lets grab bars be added later without tearing out tile. A built-in bench, a handheld sprayer, and slip-resistant mosaic floor tile round it out. None of it looks “medical” — it just looks like a beautifully designed shower that happens to work for every decade of your life.

Do It Once, Do It Right

A tub-to-shower conversion touches plumbing, framing, waterproofing, tile, and glass — five trades in a 40-square-foot space. The difference between a conversion that lasts thirty years and one that leaks in three is entirely in the details you can’t see. That’s exactly the kind of work RENCO builds its 5.0★ reputation on.