Our Sheldon crew pulls the idle tub, keeps the alcove, and hands back a shower anywhere in Iroquois County within days.
Written quote at no cost, one callback, no chasing afterwards.
Maybe you feel tired of stepping over that high ledge every single morning just to wash up. Because of that heavy cast iron basin blocking your way, your daily routine feels more like an obstacle course than a quick wake-up call. This change instantly transforms your daily grind into a breeze.
Actually, trading that deep, outdated water basin for a modern walk-in stall is one of the smartest upgrades you can make today. Since most of us rarely have time for a long soak anyway, that old basin just sits there collecting dust and soap scum. By making this switch, you reclaim your floor space and get a setup that fits your actual lifestyle.
Naturally, you might worry about the mess and the cost of such a project. Do not let those fears hold you back because a professional team handles the heavy lifting quickly. Right now, you can get a free estimate to see exactly how simple this transformation can be for your home.
First of all, safety becomes a major upgrade the moment you remove that slippery barrier. When you install a low-threshold basin, you drastically lower the risk of slips and falls in the wettest room of the house. This lets you shower with peace of mind every single day.
In addition to safety, cleaning becomes incredibly easy without those hard-to-reach corners. Think about how much time you waste scrubbing grout lines and curved surfaces. Now, with modern solid surface walls, a quick wipe down keeps everything looking brand new.
To help you compare the two setups, here is a quick breakdown of what you gain:
| Feature | Old Cast Iron Basin | Modern Low-Step Entry |
|---|---|---|
| Step-in Height | 15 to 20 inches | 3 to 5 inches |
| Required Space | Cramped and bulky | Open and spacious |
| Maintenance | High scrubbing effort | Quick wipe down |
Consequently, your room feels twice as large without that massive block of porcelain taking up half the floor. Which means you can add storage or just enjoy the extra breathing room. It is all about making the space work for you.
Before any work begins, our local team visits your house to measure your current layout. During this visit, we check the plumbing behind the walls to ensure everything is solid. This keeps surprises to a minimum once the demolition starts.
Next, we carefully remove the old fixture without damaging your surrounding walls or flooring. Indeed, this part requires some muscle, especially with heavy steel or iron units. We haul away the old debris so you do not have to worry about clean-up.
After that, we install the new subfloor, update the drain location, and set up your chosen wall panels. Then, we add your choice of fixtures, grab bars, or built-in shelving. Finally, you get to step into a bright, open space that feels like a personal spa.
Perhaps you want a sleek, modern look with dark hardware and glass doors. On the other hand, maybe you prefer a classic white surround with built-in seating for extra relaxation. The beauty of this project lies in your ability to customize every single detail.
While choosing your materials, we help you pick options that offer both durability and aesthetic appeal. For instance, acrylic surrounds mimic the look of expensive stone without the high price tag or the maintenance hassle. This gives you high-end style on a budget you can afford.
Furthermore, we can add helpful features like handheld sprayers and recessed niches for your shampoo bottles. These small details make your daily routine feel far more luxurious. You get a space that is both practical and beautiful.
Understandably, you might wonder about the financial aspect of upgrading your home. Because we live in a cozy community in Iroquois County with a median household income of $40,379, we know that budget matters. We work hard to provide options that fit your wallet without cutting corners on quality.
Serving the local population of 1,305 residents in this quiet corner of Illinois means we treat every client like a neighbor. Whether you live near the main highway or closer to the edges of ZIP code 60966, our team arrives on time and ready to work. We take pride in helping our community improve their homes one room at a time.
That gives you a firm number to plan around, with nothing owed until you approve. This means you will not face hidden fees or unexpected charges when the job is done. We believe in honest work and transparent communication from start to finish.
Usually, the physical work takes just two to three days to complete. Our team works efficiently to minimize any disruption to your daily life. You will not have to live in a construction zone for weeks.
Yes, because most modern buyers prefer a spacious walk-in setup over a dusty old tub. This upgrade makes your property far more attractive to future buyers. It is an investment that pays off in both daily enjoyment and resale potential.
Generally, we only need to modify the existing drain lines to match the new floor layout. We inspect your pipes while the walls are open to fix any hidden leaks. This prevents future water damage down the road.
Now, you can stop dreaming about a better bathroom and actually make it happen. Our friendly team is ready to guide you through every choice, from colors to fixtures. We handle everything so you can just sit back and watch the magic happen.
To start, simply reach out to us to schedule your free, no-obligation estimate. We will come to your home, look at your space, and give you a detailed plan. Let us help you create a safer, more open home today.
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 Sheldon 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 Iroquois County; the statewide picture lives on Illinois; 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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