One alcove in Devon Avenue 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.
Do you ever stare at your bulky, outdated soaking basin and dream of something sleek and practical? Swapping that high-sided tub for a beautiful walk-in wash area is the best way to upgrade your daily routine in Devon Avenue, Illinois.
Sometimes, you just need a change that makes your home feel brand new. Getting rid of that clunky basin creates more floor area and gives your bathroom a sense of refined ease that you will love every single morning.
Most people find that they never actually use their old tub anyway. It just sits there taking up massive amounts of room while collecting dust or acting as an awkward shelf for bottles. Moving toward a walk-in setup allows you to reclaim that precious square footage immediately.
Furthermore, a curbless or low-profile floor design provides immense physical ease for everyone in your household. You will no longer have to climb over a dangerous, high edge just to get clean. This simple switch removes the worry of slipping and falling during your morning scrub.
Initially, a crew will come out to carefully remove your existing heavy tub unit. They have to deal with the plumbing lines and the old wall surrounds that have likely seen better days. It is a messy job, but seeing that giant basin gone feels like a massive weight lifting off your chest.
After the old unit disappears, the team preps the subfloor and updates the water pipes to fit your new configuration. They ensure everything is waterproofed perfectly so you never have to deal with leaks. This structural integrity guarantees your new space stays dry and functional for years.
| Feature | Your Benefit |
|---|---|
| Curbless entry | Zero trip hazards |
| Glass enclosures | More natural light |
| Non-slip tiles | Enhanced safety |
| Modern fixtures | Better water flow |
Once the plumbing is ready, you get to pick out the pretty parts. You can choose beautiful tiles, high-end shower heads, and custom glass doors that match the vibe of your home perfectly. This lets you turn a utilitarian room into a place of true relaxation.
Choosing the right materials is crucial for keeping your maintenance down. Large-format tiles mean fewer grout lines for you to scrub later on. This smart design choice saves you hours of cleaning time over the course of a year.
Living in a place like the Chicago area, you know that space is often at a premium. Even if the specific population count in your immediate street block feels low, the density of the city means your home value is always a top priority. Keeping your interior updated helps maintain that value.
While the median household income in this specific region varies, investing in your bathroom is always a smart financial move. You are not just spending money on a project. You are adding real, tangible worth to your property that potential future buyers will appreciate.
Before anything starts, you should consider the location of your water supply lines. Older pipes might need a quick update to handle the pressure of modern rain heads. Getting these bits right at the start prevents expensive headaches later down the line.
Additionally, checking your ventilation setup is a smart move during this phase. You want to make sure your new area stays dry and free from mold. A good fan makes all the difference in keeping your bathroom smelling fresh and feeling airy.
You might feel overwhelmed by the thought of picking tiles and hardware. However, a local professional who handles this work on a regular basis makes it easy for you. They bring samples, offer advice, and show you exactly what works best for your layout.
Getting a free quote is the first step toward that dream bathroom you keep thinking about. This meeting costs you nothing and provides you with a clear roadmap of how the work gets done. You get to ask all your questions before anyone picks up a hammer.
Imagine waking up and walking into a space that feels bright, open, and inviting. No more reaching over a high wall to turn on the faucet. You just step right in and start your day without any fuss.
This change brings a level of refined luxury to your life that you really deserve. You deserve a home that works for you instead of you working for your home. By clearing out the clutter, you create room for peace of mind.
Many homeowners jump into this project without thinking about where they store their soap and shampoo. You should plan for built-in niches inside the wall. These keep your products organized and off the floor, which keeps your shower area looking clean.
Also, do not forget about the lighting. Installing extra recessed lights inside your new enclosure makes a world of difference. It turns a dark, enclosed corner into a bright space where you can actually see what you are doing.
When you look for a contractor in your area, prioritize someone who is communicative and honest. You want a person who treats your home with respect and cleans up after themselves. A real pro will explain the steps clearly so you never feel out of the loop.
Since you are in a major metropolitan hub, you have many options for tradespeople. Take your time to find the one who listens to your vision. The right person makes the entire experience feel like a fun project instead of a stressful chore.
While the primary goal is your own enjoyment, the resale value is a nice bonus. Buyers love seeing a modernized bathroom. It shows that you care about the upkeep of your residence and that you stay current with modern standards of comfort.
Think of it as a long-term deposit into your own wellbeing. You save on cleaning products, you save on stress, and you gain a more usable space. It is a win-win situation no matter how you look at the math.
Are you ready to say goodbye to that dusty, oversized tub? It is time to treat yourself to a bathroom that actually fits your needs. You can start this journey today by reaching out for your free estimate.
The process is simpler than you think when you have the right help on your side. You deserve to enjoy your home to the fullest extent every single day. Go ahead and start the conversation to make this upgrade a 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 Devon Avenue 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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