One alcove in Central Station is about to earn its keep again. The Chicago crew handles demo, plumbing, walls and glass.
Written quote at no cost, one callback, no chasing afterwards.
Maybe you feel tired of stepping over that high porcelain ledge every single morning just to wash up.
This common frustration plagues many folks who want a quick wash instead of a long soak.
By upgrading your bathroom setup, you instantly gain a safer and much more spacious area to start your day.
Indeed, swapping that clunky, outdated tub for a sleek, glass-enclosed basin makes your entire bathroom feel twice as big.
Actually, many homeowners find themselves slipping on slick surfaces while trying to balance on one foot.
Which means that making this smart transition dramatically lowers your risk of nasty falls.
On top of that, you will spend way less time scrubbing stubborn mildew out of deep corners.
Our dedicated local crew specializes in tearing out these old cast-iron beasts and replacing them with beautiful, low-maintenance acrylic pans.
Fortunately, we can visit your home to measure your space and give you a free estimate on the spot.
This lets you visualize a gorgeous remodel without any financial commitment upfront.
We love helping neighbors upgrade their daily routines with practical, modern bathroom layouts.
First, we carefully protect your flooring with thick drop cloths before we touch a single tile.
Then, our crew removes your old basin, often cutting it into manageable pieces to avoid damaging your walls.
This careful demolition ensures your plumbing remains perfectly intact during the transition.
After that, we inspect the subfloor for hidden water damage to make sure your new setup stands on a solid foundation.
Next, we install a modern drain system designed to handle high water flow.
Which is why we use top-tier acrylic bases and durable wall surrounds that resist mold growth.
These modern materials offer incredible longevity and keep their shine for decades with minimal effort.
Moreover, you can choose from various textured finishes that mimic expensive natural stone.
Finally, we seal every joint with high-grade silicone to guarantee a completely watertight seal.
This meticulous attention to detail ensures you will never have to worry about leaks dripping into the ceiling below.
Now, you can enjoy a refreshing splash without any of the old hassle.
| Feature | Old High-Walled Basin | Modern Low-Barrier Stall |
|---|---|---|
| Step-in Height | 14 to 18 inches | 3 to 5 inches |
| Maintenance | High scrubbing required | Easy wipe-down surfaces |
| Safety Level | Moderate risk of slipping | High safety with grab bars |
| Space Feel | Cramped and bulky | Open and bright |
As you can see from the table, the modern low-barrier option wins in every single category.
This simple comparison shows how much daily comfort you gain by making the switch.
Naturally, our team can help you select the exact colors and fixtures that match your home style.
Perhaps you have elderly family members visiting who struggle with high steps.
By removing that tall obstacle, you create a welcoming environment for guests of all ages and mobility levels.
This smart design choice provides unmatched peace of mind for everyone in your household.
Furthermore, you can add comfortable built-in bench seating and sturdy grab bars for extra support.
Actually, this upgrade is one of the smartest investments you can make for your property value.
Many home buyers today actively search for properties that feature modern, accessible wash stalls.
Which means you get to enjoy the luxurious upgrade now while boosting your equity for the future.
We make sure the entire construction process is quick, clean, and completely stress-free for you.
Do not let an old, unused soaking well take up valuable real estate in your home anymore.
Instead, let us help you transform it into a functional oasis that you actually look forward to using.
We invite you to reach out today so we can discuss your ideas and draft a complimentary quote.
Living near the heart of the Windy City means dealing with unique historic building layouts.
Our team knows how to navigate the tight hallways and specific plumbing codes of this vibrant Illinois area.
Because we operate right here in Central Station, we can arrive at your doorstep quickly and fully prepared.
This historic neighborhood, nestled within Cook County, features gorgeous residential spaces that deserve top-tier craftsmanship.
Although this specific transit-centric pocket shows a official population of zero on some census sheets, the surrounding blocks bustles with high-income households.
The local median household income reflects a community that values quality home improvements and modern convenience.
Whether your home sits near the scenic lakefront or closer to the busy train lines, we know your neighborhood well.
Our professionals regularly service properties across the local ZIP codes, bringing reliable tools and friendly service directly to you.
We take pride in keeping our work areas exceptionally clean, especially when working in high-rise buildings or tight urban townhomes.
You will not have to worry about dusty footprints or messy cleanups when our polite crew is on the job.
We treat your home with the exact same respect we would show to our own families.
To start, you can select gorgeous hardware finishes like brushed nickel, matte black, or classic chrome.
These stylish fixtures let you express your personal style while upgrading your water pressure.
You can also opt for handy built-in shampoo niches to keep your soaps organized and off the floor.
This keeps your new area looking tidy and clutter-free at all times.
Additionally, we offer beautiful glass doors that slide open smoothly without squeaking.
Or, if you prefer, you can choose a modern curbless design with a simple, elegant curtain rod.
This flexibility allows you to customize the layout to fit your exact physical needs and aesthetic tastes.
Our experts will walk you through every option to ensure you get exactly what you want.
Remember, we provide completely free, no-obligation consultations to help you plan this exciting project.
We will sit down with you, look at your current bathroom, and map out a perfect plan.
Our goal is to give you a stress-free experience from the very first quick message to the final cleanup.
First of all, we bring years of hands-on experience to every single bathroom we remodel.
We do not believe in cutting corners or using cheap, flimsy materials that crack after a few years.
Which is why we back our work with solid guarantees that give you ultimate peace of mind.
You can trust us to handle your plumbing, tiling, and framing with absolute precision.
On top of that, we work fast so your daily routine is not disrupted for weeks on end.
In most cases, we can complete the entire teardown and installation process in just a couple of days.
This means you can get back to your normal schedule quickly, enjoying your brand-new wash space sooner.
We always arrive on time, keep our promises, and stay within your budget.
So, are you ready to say goodbye to that old, dusty soaking basin for good?
Contact us today to request your free, no-pressure estimate and take the first step toward a better bathroom.
We look forward to meeting you and turning your home remodeling dreams into a beautiful reality.
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 Central Station 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.
One three-day job stands between this bathroom and its best fixture.
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