Our Rieth crew pulls the idle tub, keeps the alcove, and hands back a shower anywhere in Umatilla County within days.
Written quote at no cost, one callback, no chasing afterwards.
You probably spend way too much time staring at that clunky, oversized porcelain basin that takes up half the floor in your small room. Changing that outdated fixture into a sleek, walk-in washing station is the smartest move you can make for your home in this quiet corner of Umatilla County.
This simple swap saves you so much time and creates a much more open feel in your daily routine. Since you want to know how to get this done, we should start by looking at why this specific home improvement project is such a big deal for folks living around the 97801 area.
Getting rid of a tub gives you so much more square footage to move around in. Most houses in this part of Oregon were built years ago when everyone thought they needed a soak, but let us be real here. You likely never have the time to sit in a tub and wait for the water to fill up.
By pulling out that heavy unit, you free up space for a modern, accessible enclosure that makes your morning routine feel like a breeze. This kind of change offers total ease of use, which makes your house feel way more modern and practical for your family.
Walking straight into your cleaning area without stepping over a high wall is a total game changer for your knees. You stop worrying about slipping on wet tiles while trying to climb over a ledge that serves no purpose anymore.
This type of transition provides excellent safety features that keep you steady on your feet during every wash. Furthermore, these custom enclosures let you pick exactly the kind of tile, glass, and fixtures that match your personal style perfectly.
Living in a town with a small population like this one means you value your privacy and the peace of your own home. With around 200 neighbors, you know that keeping your property in good shape matters when it comes to maintaining value.
While the median household income varies, doing a project like this does not have to break the bank if you hire the right local help. Since you are in a rural spot, finding someone who actually shows up to do the work is a huge plus.
Starting the process might seem a little intimidating at first, but it is actually pretty straightforward once you break it down. First, we need to rip out the old, heavy cast iron or fiberglass piece that sits against your wall.
This step creates a lot of mess, but cleaning it up is part of the job that you should never have to handle yourself. Once the area is cleared, we inspect the plumbing to ensure everything is solid and ready for the new installation.
You can choose from a huge variety of materials and finishes that turn a boring corner into a true centerpiece. Think about adding built-in niches for your soaps and shampoos so you never have to deal with cluttered ledges again.
These small additions provide great utility and keep your space looking tidy every single day. Moreover, choosing high-quality glass doors prevents water from spraying all over your floor, which keeps your room feeling dry and pristine.
| Feature Type | Why You Need It | Benefit for You | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-slip flooring | Keeps you steady | Prevents nasty falls | |
| Grab bars | Extra support | Gives you total stability | |
| Rainfall head | Better coverage | More satisfying wash | |
| Built-in bench | Relaxing posture | Total convenience |
Moving the drain and adjusting the supply lines sounds like a nightmare, but it is just a routine task for us. We reroute the pipes so they fit the new layout without leaking or causing any issues behind the walls.
This technical work ensures that your new setup lasts for many years without you ever having to worry about hidden defects. You get a reliable system that works perfectly from the very first day we finish the installation.
Thinking about the cost is natural, but you should look at this as an investment in your home. Instead of spending money on repairs for a tub that leaks or looks stained, you get a clean, new space that adds value to your property.
We offer a free estimate so you know exactly what to expect before anyone picks up a hammer. This transparency lets you decide if the timing is right for your budget without any pressure or hidden surprises later on.
Working with a neighbor who knows the area is better than hiring a big firm from far away. A local contractor understands the specific challenges of homes in this region and brings the right tools for the job.
You deserve a partner who respects your time and leaves your house just as clean as they found it. We take pride in doing honest work for the people in our community because we know our reputation is everything here.
You might be wondering how much disruption this will cause to your daily schedule. Most of these jobs take only a few days, so you are back to using your bathroom almost immediately.
We protect your floors and keep the dust down while we work, which keeps your home in good condition. You will hardly notice we are there, but you will definitely notice the difference once the new stall is ready for you to use.
People always ask if they should worry about mold or water damage behind their old walls. We check every inch of the framing once the old unit is gone, and we address any rot before moving forward.
This attention to detail gives you peace of mind knowing that your new setup is built on a solid foundation. You should never settle for a quick fix that covers up problems, so we do it the right way from the start.
You do not have to settle for basic white plastic if you want something with more character. We can install beautiful stone patterns, modern subway tiles, or even custom mosaics that look like a fancy hotel washroom.
These aesthetic choices give your home a touch of luxury that makes you feel good every time you walk into the room. It transforms your daily washing habit from a chore into something you actually look forward to doing.
Now that you have all the facts, you can see how easy it is to improve your living situation. You have nothing to lose by asking for a price and seeing how it fits into your home improvement plan.
Simply reach out and let us take a look at your current setup to see what is possible. We provide a clear, no-nonsense quote that breaks down exactly what you pay for, and we are happy to answer all your questions.
You are only one step away from finishing your bathroom and getting the space you have always wanted. Stop putting up with that outdated basin and start enjoying a modern, open layout that fits your life perfectly.
This is your chance to make a change that you will appreciate every single morning for years to come. Let us help you handle the heavy lifting while you focus on picking out the perfect tiles and fixtures for your new dream area.
Contact us today to schedule your visit and get your free estimate started without any delay. We look forward to showing you exactly how much better your bathroom can be with a little bit of expert help and high-quality materials.
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 Rieth 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 Umatilla County; the statewide picture lives on Oregon; the wider region is the West; background reading sits on Wikipedia.
One three-day job stands between this bathroom and its best fixture.
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