Our The Lakes crew pulls the idle tub, keeps the alcove, and hands back a shower anywhere in Murray County within days.
Written quote at no cost, one callback, no chasing afterwards.
You might be tired of climbing over a high wall just to get clean in the morning. Transforming that clunky, outdated basin into a sleek walk-in area offers you a refreshing way to start your day.
Getting this project done right in a place like The Lakes means you can finally enjoy a space that actually fits your lifestyle. This small Murray County community has a median income of $73,594 which makes home improvements a smart way to add value to your property.
Changing your setup is more than just a cosmetic fix for your home. You gain a much safer environment that helps you move around without the risk of tripping over porcelain edges.
When you live in a town with a population of about 630 people, you likely value your time and space. Removing a bulky tub opens up the floor plan significantly, which gives you a sense of openness and relaxation that a tiny bathroom often lacks.
| Benefit | How it helps your routine | |
|---|---|---|
| Low entry barrier | Prevents trips and falls for everyone | |
| Modern aesthetic | Gives your room a high-end feel | |
| Space optimization | Makes a small bathroom seem huge | |
| Fast maintenance | Saves you hours of scrubbing tile |
Instead of spending your weekend cleaning soap scum off curved walls, you get a flat surface that stays tidy with minimal effort. This lets you focus on the things you actually enjoy doing around Minnesota.
Planning the work requires thinking about the plumbing and the waterproof layers behind the walls. You want to make sure the drain is positioned correctly so water flows away quickly without pooling near your feet.
Because you live in a climate that gets pretty cold, having a warm, sealed transition in your wet room is a huge win. Proper insulation behind the panels ensures you don't feel a draft while you are trying to enjoy a hot rinse.
Moving from a deep basin to a level floor layout is quite a big change. You should talk to someone who knows how to handle the subfloor correctly so you never have to worry about leaks.
This level of detail ensures your renovation brings true satisfaction to your daily routine. You deserve a setup that functions perfectly and looks sharp for years to come.
Starting a project like this does not have to break the bank if you plan it carefully. You can choose from many different materials, ranging from simple acrylic bases to beautiful stone slabs that look like they belong in a palace.
Getting a clear idea of your costs helps you avoid any nasty surprises midway through the process. A professional estimate allows you to see exactly where your money goes so you can decide what features matter most to you.
Since your household income reflects a stable life, investing in your bathroom is a solid move for your long-term property value. You will find that modernizing these fixtures appeals to anyone who might look at your home later.
Selecting the right layout depends on how much room you have to work with. You might want a glass enclosure that makes the entire room feel brighter and larger.
Alternatively, you could opt for a solid wall design if you prefer a bit more privacy. Whatever style you pick, ensure the materials are durable enough to handle daily moisture without showing wear.
Adding features like built-in shelves or grab bars provides a high level of ease during your daily routine. You should prioritize these small details because they turn a standard wash area into a custom retreat built just for your needs.
Once you decide to move forward, the actual demolition begins with removing the old heavy hardware. This part is messy but it is the most exciting step because you finally see the potential of the space.
Next, the team installs the new waterproof backing to protect your home from moisture damage. You want this part to be perfect because it is the foundation of your new setup.
After the structure is ready, the finishing touches like new fixtures and doors bring everything together. You will be surprised at how fast the room changes once the final pieces click into place.
Working with someone who understands the local area is a huge benefit for you. They know how to source materials that arrive on time and they understand the specific needs of homeowners in your region.
You do not want to deal with someone who does not know the nuances of local building standards. A professional who lives and works nearby respects your time and your property.
This creates a smoother experience for you from the very first meeting until the last tool is packed away. You deserve to work with someone who shows up when they say they will and finishes the job properly.
Keeping your new area looking great involves simple habits that anyone can follow. Wiping down the glass and the floor after each use prevents mineral buildup and keeps everything sparkling.
Because you have removed the tub, you no longer have to worry about the hard-to-reach corners that always get grimy. A quick spray and a soft cloth will keep your space feeling fresh every single day.
If you ever have questions about how to care for your new surfaces, just ask for a few tips after the install. You will find that these simple steps make a massive difference in how long your investment stays in top condition.
Now that you know how this upgrade can improve your life, you might wonder about the next move. You do not need to figure it all out alone.
Getting a clear picture of what is possible requires an honest look at your unique space. You can request a free estimate to see exactly what this project would look like for you.
This no-pressure approach allows you to ask questions and see if you feel comfortable with the plan. You gain all the information you need without committing to anything before you are ready.
Living in a home that feels outdated is a drag that you do not have to put up with. You can change the vibe of your entire house by upgrading one room at a time.
Imagine waking up tomorrow and stepping into a crisp, clean area that is designed specifically for how you live. You start your day with a boost instead of dealing with the frustration of a tub you never use.
This project is a way to treat yourself to a better environment while making your home more functional. You deserve that level of comfort in your own house.
Your bathroom is the one place where you go to get ready for the day or wind down at night. It should be a spot that brings you peace and makes your routine easier.
By switching to a walk-in layout, you are making a decision that pays off in both enjoyment and utility. You will look back and wonder why you did not make the switch sooner.
Do not let another month go by dealing with a setup that does not serve you well. You are only a few steps away from the room you really want.
Reach out today to discuss your ideas and get a professional look at your space. It is the best way to get the ball rolling on your project.
When you connect with a pro, you get a clear breakdown of the costs and the steps involved. You stay in control of your budget and your schedule.
This is your chance to turn your bathroom into a space you are actually proud to show off. Take the leap and transform your home for the better.
Get your free estimate now and see how simple it is to upgrade. You have nothing to lose and a whole lot of peace of mind to gain.
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 The Lakes 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 Murray 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.
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