Our Hovland crew pulls the idle tub, keeps the alcove, and hands back a shower anywhere in Cook County within days.
Written quote at no cost, one callback, no chasing afterwards.
Are you tired of climbing over high walls every time you want to rinse off after a long day? Transforming your outdated basin setup into a sleek walk-in area provides you with a safer and more modern way to start your mornings.
Getting rid of that bulky, hard-to-reach fixture makes your daily routine feel like a breeze. By choosing this upgrade, you gain a massive boost in accessibility and visual appeal that changes how you interact with your home.
Living in a place like the beautiful territory of Cook County often means you value function just as much as looks. When you reside in a town with a small population like eighty souls, you know how important it is to make your house truly your own.
Winters here in the northern parts of Minnesota can be quite long and harsh on your spirit. Having a setup that is easy to enter and exit keeps you steady on your feet during those chilly months.
This specific area, known by the zip code 55606, is a place where self-reliance is a way of life. You deserve a bathroom that works for you, rather than one that makes you struggle with slippery edges.
Starting this transformation means taking out the old cast iron or acrylic box that takes up way too much room. Once that heavy piece of junk is gone, you have a blank slate to install a beautiful tile base or a low-profile pan.
This change instantly makes your bathroom feel twice as big as it was before. Because you removed the barrier, you gain a sense of openness that makes the room feel much airier.
Think about how much easier cleaning becomes when you do not have to scrub around deep corners anymore. A smooth surface requires less effort to maintain, which leaves you more time to enjoy the outdoors.
Many folks worry that removing a tub will hurt their property value, but that is rarely the truth. Modern buyers love a clean look that emphasizes the ease of use over old-fashioned designs.
Having a walk-in unit adds a sense of refinement to your home that guests will notice immediately. You get to select the fixtures, the glass doors, and the tiles that match your personality perfectly.
On top of that, your new space provides you with a level of relaxation that standard fixtures simply cannot match. Imagine standing under a rainfall head while warm water hits your back without any fuss.
Before you commit to tearing everything out, you should think about your long-term goals for the property. Do you plan on staying in this house for many years? If the answer is yes, then investing in a walk-in model is a smart move for your future.
| Feature | Benefit to You |
|---|---|
| Low entry point | Prevents trips and falls |
| Glass enclosure | Makes the room look larger |
| Custom tile work | Adds personal flair |
| Modern drain system | Stops water from pooling |
Because you are working with a professional, you can ensure that the waterproofing is done right the first time. Nothing ruins a home faster than a leaky floor that rots your subfloor over time.
Choosing the right stone or ceramic tile is crucial when you live in a place where temperature shifts happen often. You want materials that hold up well and provide a sense of warmth to the touch.
High-quality materials mean you do not have to worry about cracks or mold growth ruining your new space. Which means you save money on repairs down the road while keeping everything looking fresh.
Beyond the tiles, the choice of hardware makes a huge difference in how the room feels. Polished nickel or brushed brass can turn a simple area into a place of true luxury.
Once you decide to move forward, the next step involves clear communication about your design vision. You need someone who listens to your ideas and tells you what is actually possible in your home.
This lets you avoid common pitfalls that happen when you try to guess what works behind the walls. You gain peace of mind knowing that a professional is handling the plumbing and electrical bits.
Furthermore, a local expert knows exactly what the requirements are for plumbing in this northern region. Dealing with pipes in cold climates needs extra attention to detail to prevent any freezing issues later.
Many people put off these updates because they worry about the cost without having any real numbers. Asking for a free quote lets you see exactly what the budget looks like before you start.
There is no pressure to buy, and you get the chance to ask all your questions about timeline and materials. This gives you the tools you need to make an informed choice for your household.
Because every home has different needs, a professional visit allows for a custom solution that fits your exact layout. You deserve a space that reflects your taste and supports your daily routine perfectly.
Investing in your home is always about more than just numbers on a page. It is about how you feel when you wake up and get ready for your day.
If you are frustrated with your current setup, why keep dealing with it for another season? You can easily change your situation by reaching out to a contractor who knows the area well.
This simple change brings a level of convenience into your life that you will appreciate every single morning. Do not let another year pass while you struggle with an outdated and bulky bathroom fixture.
After the dust settles and the work is complete, you will notice a huge difference in your mood. Having a clean, accessible area to wash up makes your morning routine feel like a treat rather than a chore.
You gain a sense of tranquility that comes from having a well-organized and beautiful space. Your home should be your sanctuary, and this update is a huge step toward making it exactly that.
Taking action now ensures that you get to enjoy these benefits as soon as possible. Feel free to request your free quote and find out how easy this change can actually be for you.
Living in such a unique corner of the country means you have high standards for your living space. You deserve to work with people who respect your home and treat it with the care it deserves.
Because you are the one living there, your input is the most important part of the entire project. Reach out today to start the conversation and get the ball rolling on your dream bathroom.
Everything you need to transform your space is within reach if you take that first step. Get your free estimate and see how a simple switch can change your life for the better.
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 Hovland 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 Cook County; the statewide picture lives on Minnesota; the wider region is the Midwest; background reading sits on Wikipedia.
One three-day job stands between this bathroom and its best fixture.
Get my free quote