Our Bolckow crew pulls the idle tub, keeps the alcove, and hands back a shower anywhere in Andrew County within days.
Written quote at no cost, one callback, no chasing afterwards.
Maybe you feel tired of stepping over that high porcelain barrier every single morning just to wash up. It is actually a daily workout that nobody really asks for, especially when you are half-awake and just want to get clean. Swapping that bulky, unused basin for a sleek, spacious walk-in stall will instantly make your daily routine safer and far more enjoyable.
This smart home upgrade does more than just free up physical space in your small washroom. By removing that outdated water basin, you open up the entire layout and give your room a fresh, airy feel. Our team loves helping homeowners make this transition because we see how much easier it makes their lives every single day.
If you want to transform your daily routine, we are ready to visit your home and give you a detailed free estimate. We take pride in serving our tiny, close-knit Andrew County community of about 159 people, where folks work hard and bring home a median household income of $37,917. Let us help you upgrade your space without any stress or hidden fees.
Think about how many times you actually fill that giant basin to take a long soak. Most busy homeowners realize they only use the nozzle anyway, which means that big dusty basin just wastes precious floor space. Getting rid of it lets you install a beautiful, low-profile pan that is much easier to step into.
Safety stands out as the absolute biggest benefit of this specific home improvement project. Slipping on wet porcelain is a real danger, so replacing that high wall with a slip-resistant floor protects your family. On top of that, we can add sturdy grab bars and built-in benches to make your daily wash completely worry-free.
Cleaning becomes a breeze when you wave goodbye to old grout lines and deep corners. Modern acrylic surrounds and solid-surface walls resist mold growth, meaning you will spend way less time scrubbing on your hands and knees. You deserve a beautiful washroom that does not require hours of harsh chemical cleaning every single week.
When we begin planning your layout, you will find an incredible variety of wall panels and base pan designs. You can select textured stone patterns, crisp white subway tile looks, or smooth modern panels that look incredibly high-end. This freedom of choice lets you match the exact aesthetic of the rest of your home seamlessly.
Choosing high-quality acrylic walls ensures your new washing area will never chip, crack, or fade over time. These non-porous materials keep water from seeping into your drywall, which prevents hidden rot and expensive structural damage. We always recommend these durable options because they keep your home safe and beautiful for decades.
| Feature | Old Style Basin | Modern Walk-In Setup |
|---|---|---|
| Step-In Height | Usually 14 to 18 inches | Low-threshold (under 3 inches) |
| Maintenance | Heavy scrubbing of grout lines | Easy wipe-down acrylic walls |
| Safety Level | High slip risk when stepping over | Very secure with slip-resistant floors |
| Space Utilization | Cramped feel in smaller rooms | Open, bright, and modern look |
To help you visualize this change, we offer zero-obligation consultations right at your property. We drive out to homes within the 64427 area code to measure your current layout and discuss your style preferences. This personalized approach ensures your new layout fits your budget and your daily needs perfectly.
First, our skilled local crew arrives to carefully protect your flooring and remove your old cast iron or fiberglass basin. We handle all the heavy lifting and dispose of the old unit, saving you a trip to the local dump. Our team works quickly to minimize any disruption to your household routine.
Next, we inspect the exposed plumbing and subflooring to make sure everything is dry and structurally sound. If we find any old water damage from ancient leaks, we repair it right away before installing the new base. This attention to detail prevents future headaches and guarantees a solid foundation for your new setup.
After preparing the area, we install the new drain plumbing, the low-threshold pan, and the waterproof wall panels. We seal every single joint with premium silicone to ensure a completely watertight finish that stands up to daily use. Once we mount your new fixtures, you are ready to enjoy a beautiful, modern washing experience.
Before pulling the trigger on this project, think about how many full wash basins you have in your house. Keeping at least one traditional basin in a secondary bathroom is usually smart for resale value because young families love them for bathing kids. However, if this is your primary washroom, prioritize your own daily physical comfort and convenience first.
Budgeting for this update is highly straightforward when you work with honest, local contractors who understand our community. We know that every dollar counts, which is why we provide clear, upfront pricing with no hidden surprises. One written quote, no pressure, and the work only starts when you say so.
Another important factor is how much easier this transition makes aging in place for older adults. Staying in your beloved home as you get older requires making smart adjustments to your living space beforehand. This simple upgrade provides incredible peace of mind for both you and your worried family members.
Since we are located right here in your local area, we treat our clients like our actual neighbors. We understand the specific home styles in this beautiful part of Andrew County and know how to update them properly. Our team brings years of hands-on experience to every single job site we visit.
You do not have to live with a cramped, outdated, and potentially dangerous washroom setup any longer. Replacing that old basin with a wide, accessible walk-in area will immediately boost your home value and improve your quality of life. We make the entire remodeling process smooth, clean, and incredibly simple for you.
Reach out to us today so we can discuss your ideas and schedule your free, on-site estimate. We will walk you through all your options, measure your space, and provide a clear plan to transform your bathroom. Let us do the hard work while you sit back and look forward to your brand-new, beautiful space.
Count the baths your household actually ran last year. In most homes we visit, the honest number is somewhere between zero and three, and yet every single morning somebody swings a leg over fifteen inches of porcelain rim to stand up and shower inside a fixture built for lying down. The tub charges rent daily and works a few evenings a year.
Nothing dramatic follows from that. Nobody is in danger because a bathtub exists, and if long soaks are part of your week, keep the tub and enjoy it with our blessing. The case for the conversion is plainer: when the tub has become a shower tray with high sides, you are paying, in caution and in cleaning, for a feature you retired years ago.
The swap itself is smaller than most people picture. The supply lines, the drain and the alcove walls are already exactly where a shower wants them, which is why this is a job measured in days. We are not building a new bathroom; we are letting the one you have stop pretending it still gives baths.
The same alcove, photographed the way the week actually unfolds. Weather never delays this one; it all happens indoors.
Floors along the hallway get covered, the water goes off for a few hours, and the bathtub is cut free and carried out, tile flange and all. With the alcove stripped, the plumber moves the drain to where the new pan wants it and sets the new valve at shower height. By supper the room is bare, clean and ready.
The base arrives first: an acrylic pan set dead level on a mortar bed, or a sloped, waterproofed floor when the plan says curbless. Then the walls close in, either grout-free panels bonded in a single afternoon or backer board ready for tile. Everything from here on is watertight before it is pretty.
The glass panel or door is drilled, hung and plumbed straight, the trim goes on, and the silicone lines are drawn last. Silicone wants a day to cure, so the first shower usually happens the following morning, which is exactly how we schedule the walkthrough.
Both are real showers in the same alcove. The difference is the entry, and what has to happen under it.
| What you weigh | Low curb | Curbless |
|---|---|---|
| What stands at the entry | A tidy threshold about 3 to 4 inches tall | Nothing. The bathroom floor rolls straight into the shower |
| Cost, installed | The friendlier bracket, most jobs land here | Roughly a third to a half more, the floor is rebuilt |
| What the crew rebuilds | The alcove only; the bathroom floor stays shut | Part of the bathroom floor, sloped and waterproofed |
| Water containment | The curb and glass do the holding | The slope and a linear drain do the holding |
| Suits best | Straight swaps on a budget and upstairs bathrooms | Wheels, walkers, and anyone planning to stay put for decades |
Undecided is a fine answer on the form. The site visit settles it with a tape measure, not a sales pitch.
Removal
Cut free, hauled out and off to recycling, with floors and doorways shielded on the way. The loudest hour of the conversion, and it wraps before most jobs have begun.
Plumbing
Tub drains sit at one end; showers drain where the pan says. We move what needs moving and swap the old valve for a pressure-balanced one.
The base
A level acrylic pan for most swaps, a mortar-built sloped floor for curbless plans. Either way it is tested with water before anything covers it.
The walls
Grout-free panels go up in an afternoon and wipe clean forever. Tile takes longer, costs more, and looks like whatever you can imagine.
The glass
A fixed panel keeps things open and easy to clean; a hinged door closes the warmth in. Both are tempered, both are set dead straight.
The finish
Shelving, the hand shower, clean caulk lines and a walkthrough. We leave the cure time in writing so the first shower is not a gamble.
| The job | Usual range | Inside the number |
|---|---|---|
| Standard tub-to-shower conversion | $3,100 - $5,600 | Tub out, low curb pan, wall panels, new valve, glass panel. |
| Curbless conversion | $4,900 - $8,800 | The floor is rebuilt flush and sloped to a linear drain. |
| Glass: fixed panel or hinged door | $450 - $1,400 | A single panel sits at the low end, a framed door at the top. |
| Walls: PVC panels or tile | $1,100 - $3,900 | Panels finish in a day; tile adds days and takes any look you want. |
| Tear-out only | $450 - $950 | The tub gone and the alcove left clean for another trade. |
| Small job minimum | around $2,400 | Even the simplest swap books a licensed plumber and a full crew. |
Wall condition, drain position and the glass you choose move every line. The visit pins the figure down, and the figure then holds.
A bathtub drains at one end through its own trap; most showers want the drain nearer the middle, or along one edge when the plan is curbless. Sometimes the existing trap is close enough to reuse and sometimes it has to travel a foot or two, which means opening a strip of floor. We can usually tell which from the basement or the crawl space during the visit, and the paperwork you sign already names which one you are getting.
Houses older than the seventies like to add a surprise: galvanized supply lines rusted nearly shut, a cast iron trap that crumbles at a touch, or framing that got damp decades ago and kept it quiet. None of it is rare and none of it is ruinous, but it is your call, not ours. When something like that turns up, work pauses, you get photographs and a price for the fix, and nothing is billed until you have said yes to it. A conversion should never be the job where the invoice writes itself.
QIs losing the only bathtub a resale mistake?
AAgents around Bolckow repeat one rule: a family house shows better with a tub somewhere in it. If this is your only tub and small children are in your plans, we put that on the table during the visit and you decide with open eyes. If another bathroom keeps its tub, or the buyers you expect are shower people, the argument evaporates.
QHow long do we go without washing?
AThe toilet and sink stay usable every evening, and the water is only off for stretches on day one. The shower itself is ready once the silicone cures, so figure on missing roughly three days of showers at home. Plenty of clients time the job before a weekend away.
QDoes all the old tile come off the walls?
AOn the alcove walls, yes, because the new waterproofing needs to start from the studs, not from forty-year-old grout. Tile outside the alcove stays put, and we cut a clean line where the two meet.
QCan the new shower use the tub drain?
AThe pipe itself is nearly always reusable; the position is the question. A low curb pan can often sit its drain within reach of the old trap. Curbless floors want a relocated or linear drain, and that difference is priced before demo, never discovered after.
QDo we need a permit for the swap?
AA like-for-like fixture swap usually rides on a simple plumbing permit, and moving the drain can add an inspection. We file whatever your jurisdiction wants and fold the cost into the written price.
QWhat if there is rot behind the tub?
AIt happens, mostly around the old tile flange. You get photographs the hour we find it, a firm price for the repair, and the choice to proceed or pause. The framing fix is usually a morning, not a remodel.
The map carries the geography; the link lists underneath spell out every town our crews can reach from this one.
For the bigger map: county seat pages start at Andrew County; the statewide picture lives on Missouri; the wider region is the Midwest; background reading sits on Wikipedia.
One three-day job stands between this bathroom and its best fixture.
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