Our Gratz crew pulls the idle tub, keeps the alcove, and hands back a shower anywhere in Dauphin County within days.
Written quote at no cost, one callback, no chasing afterwards.
Maybe you are tired of climbing over that high, dangerous barrier every single day just to wash up. This smart swap turns your outdated, deep soaking tub into a spacious, walk-in washing area. It instantly makes your daily routine much safer and way more convenient.
By making this change, you will finally say goodbye to those nasty, hard-to-clean mildew spots that always hide under the rim. Our team makes sure the transition is smooth and painless. We help you wave goodbye to clunky old designs so you can enjoy a sleek, open space.
If you want to upgrade your home, we are ready to visit your house and give you a free estimate. This custom layout fits your exact space and matches your budget perfectly. Let us help you transform your daily routine right now.
Think about how much easier your mornings will be when you do not have to balance on one wet foot. This popular remodeling project replaces that bulky, high-walled basin with a flat, low-profile entry pan. You get a much wider area to move around without bumping your elbows on cold porcelain.
Actually, older homes often have outdated layouts that do not match our busy, modern lives. Removing the old basin opens up the room and lets you install beautiful wall panels and modern glass doors. This upgrade also prevents water leaks that slowly destroy your subfloor over time.
On top of that, many homeowners discover that they never actually take full baths anymore anyway. Swapping the unused basin for a spacious walk-in stall aligns your home with how you actually live. You will save precious time every single day because cleaning a flat pan is a breeze.
To give you a better idea of what to expect, we put together a quick comparison of these two setups.
| Feature | Old High-Walled Basin | Modern Walk-In Setup |
|---|---|---|
| Entry Height | Usually 15 to 18 inches high | Almost level with the floor |
| Cleaning Effort | Requires deep scrubbing on your knees | Simple wipe down of flat surfaces |
| Safety Level | High slip and trip hazard | Very safe with slip-resistant pans |
First, our crew arrives at your home to carefully protect your floors and walls before any work starts. We gently demo the existing cast iron or steel fixture without damaging the surrounding drywall. This keeps the dust to a minimum and protects your personal belongings.
Next, we inspect the exposed plumbing pipes and wood framing for any hidden rot or mold issues. Fixing these problems early saves you thousands of dollars in future repairs. After that, we install the brand-new, heavy-duty acrylic pan and hook up the drains securely.
Finally, we seal everything with top-tier, waterproof materials to guarantee a leak-free experience for years. You get to choose beautiful new fixtures, sliding glass doors, and handy corner shelves. Once we finish the cleanup, your brand-new washing oasis is ready for action.
Naturally, you want something that looks incredible but does not require hours of scrubbing every week. High-quality acrylic surrounds mimic the look of expensive stone or subway tile without any grout lines to clean. This means you will never have to scrub moldy grout with a toothbrush again.
If you prefer a more traditional look, real ceramic tile offers endless customization options for your walls. Although tile takes a little longer to install, it adds incredible value and a high-end feel to your home. We can help you weigh the pros and cons during your free home assessment.
For extra peace of mind, we can install sturdy grab bars that blend beautifully with your modern fixtures. These bars provide solid support when stepping in and out of the wet area. They do not look clinical anymore, as modern designs look very stylish.
Besides grab bars, a built-in fold-down seat or a corner bench adds a wonderful level of relaxation to your routine. This feature lets you sit back and enjoy the warm water without any strain on your joints. It is the perfect blend of safety and sheer convenience.
Living in a quiet borough like Gratz, Pennsylvania, means you appreciate solid craftsmanship and honest, local service. With a local population of around 805 residents, keeping homes safe and updated is important for our tight-knit community. We love helping our neighbors modernize their properties.
Many homes in the 17030 ZIP code area feature classic layouts that can truly benefit from this specific layout update. With a median household income of $60,547, local families want smart investments that raise home value without breaking the bank. Our affordable remodeling services fit this need perfectly.
Because we operate right here in Dauphin County, we understand the local building styles and plumbing quirks of the area. We do not believe in cookie-cutter solutions that ignore the unique character of your home. You can trust us to deliver a customized project that meets your exact needs.
How long does this transformation actually take from the moment we start tearing out the old basin? Usually, our skilled team can complete the entire project in just two to three days. This means very little disruption to your daily life and family routine.
Will this project hurt the resale value of your home if you decide to move in the future? Actually, most modern buyers prefer a spacious walk-in stall over a dusty, unused tub anyway. As long as your home has at least one other bathtub, this swap is a major selling point.
What happens if our team discovers hidden water damage behind your old walls during the demolition phase? We immediately show you the issue and explain the easiest, most affordable way to fix it properly. You will never get hit with surprise fees or hidden costs at the end.
Now is the perfect time to stop struggling with an outdated bathroom that does not serve your needs. You deserve a beautiful, open washing space that brings peace of mind and daily satisfaction. Our friendly team is ready to guide you through every single step of the journey.
Which means you do not have to guess about costs, materials, or timelines anymore. We come directly to your home, measure your space, and provide a detailed, zero-obligation estimate for free. You get all the facts so you can make the best decision for your family.
Reach out to us today to schedule your free consultation and take the first step toward a better home. We cannot wait to meet you and transform your bathroom into a space you truly love. Let us do the heavy lifting while you sit back and enjoy the results...
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 Gratz 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 Dauphin County; the statewide picture lives on Pennsylvania; the wider region is the Northeast; background reading sits on Wikipedia.
One three-day job stands between this bathroom and its best fixture.
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