One alcove in Brookline (Pittsburgh) is about to earn its keep again. The Pittsburgh crew handles demo, plumbing, walls and glass.
Written quote at no cost, one callback, no chasing afterwards.
Are you finally tired of climbing over that high porcelain wall every single morning just to wash off the grime? Truth be told, nobody enjoys playing tightrope walker before they've even had their morning coffee, especially when safety is on the line. Fortunately, replacing that old basin with a modern walk in shower brings total peace of mind and keeps your routine smooth.
By swapping out that bulky tub for a curbless glass setup, you completely open up the entire footprint of your washroom. Naturally, this clever upgrade gives your cramped space a much bigger feel without knocking down any actual walls. Which means you get to enjoy a fancy spa atmosphere right at home.
Most older homes feature heavy cast iron basins that trap soap scum and stain over the years. However, our local team tears out those archaic units quickly to save you from endless weekend scrubbing sessions. This lets you spend your precious free time relaxing instead of breaking your back with harsh bleach.
Moreover, stepping onto a low profile shower pan eliminates major tripping hazards for everyone in the household. Because slippery bath ledges cause countless slips every year, taking this preventive step protects your family from nasty falls. Ultimately, you gain a secure space that works wonderfully for all ages.
When you ditch the high walls, entering your daily rinse becomes effortless and completely pain free. Meanwhile, adding built in seating and modern multi jet fixtures turns a basic chore into a luxurious retreat. This means your tired muscles finally get the daily therapy they deserve.
On top of that, frameless glass doors stop water from splashing all over your nice tile floor. Consequently, you spend less time mopping up puddles and more time admiring your gorgeous bathroom makeover. Truly, upgrading this room adds massive value to your property.
First off, our crew arrives right on time to protect your hallway floors with heavy duty drop cloths. Then we carefully disconnect the old plumbing lines and haul away that heavy porcelain monster without scratching your walls. This ensures your home stays clean while the messy work happens.
Next, we inspect the subfloor for any hidden water damage or mold growth leftover from decades of splashing. Fortunately, finding these issues early lets us fix them properly before installing your brand new waterproof basin. Therefore, your investment stays protected from the ground up.
Choosing durable acrylic wall panels instead of traditional tile grout lines prevents stubborn mold from ever growing back. Furthermore, these non porous surfaces wipe clean in mere seconds using just a damp cloth and mild soap. This lets you keep your washroom sparkling with almost zero effort.
Additionally, installing safety grab bars right where you need them provides unbeatable stability during your daily routine. Because we customize every single layout to fit your exact measurements, nothing ever feels out of place. Truly, this personalized touch makes all the difference.
| Feature | Old Bathtub | Modern Walk In Shower |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | High slip risk | Low profile entry |
| Cleaning Time | Hours of scrubbing | Minutes of wiping |
| Space Feel | Cramped and dark | Open and airy |
Looking at the table above makes the advantages of swapping your fixtures crystal clear. However, you might still wonder how long the whole project takes from start to finish. Generally speaking, our skilled technicians wrap up the heavy labor in just a few days.
Meanwhile, living through a minor home renovation does not have to turn your household upside down. Because we respect your daily schedule, our crew cleans up the workspace completely before leaving each afternoon. This lets you maintain your normal routine with minimal disruption.
Typically, removing the old basin and installing a fresh walk in unit takes between two and four days. However, custom stonework or complex plumbing relocations might add a little extra time to the schedule. Whichever path you choose, we keep you informed at every single stage.
In addition, our local contractors handle all the heavy lifting so you never have to lift a finger. Consequently, you avoid the massive headache of managing random subcontractors or chasing down missing supplies. Truly, working with a dedicated local pro makes everything stress free.
Water damage ruins homes faster than almost anything else, which is why we never cut corners on sealing. Specifically, we apply heavy duty waterproof membranes behind every wall panel and beneath the shower pan. This guarantees your subfloor stays completely dry for decades to come.
Furthermore, upgrading your drain lines prevents slow backups and nasty odors from creeping into your living area. Because proper drainage is vital for a lasting installation, our crew tests everything multiple times before finishing up. Thus, you enjoy total confidence in your newly remodeled room.
Transforming your tired washroom into a modern sanctuary starts with a simple conversation about your design goals. Whether you want sleek modern tile or easy clean acrylic panels, we bring all the best samples straight to your door. This lets you visualize your new space without guessing.
Instead of living with a cramped and outdated bathing area for another day, reach out to schedule your consultation. Just request a free estimate from our friendly team to get clear pricing with zero hidden fees attached. Act today and take the first step toward a safer and more beautiful home.
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 Brookline (Pittsburgh) 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.
One three-day job stands between this bathroom and its best fixture.
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