Our El Granada crew pulls the idle tub, keeps the alcove, and hands back a shower anywhere in San Mateo County within days.
Written quote at no cost, one callback, no chasing afterwards.
If you feel trapped by an old, high-walled basin that makes daily washing a chore, a modern bathroom update can change your life instantly. Replacing that clunky, hard-to-climb tub with a spacious walk-in stall creates a safer and far more stylish space.
By making this smart switch, you get rid of a major tripping hazard while gaining a much larger area to move around. Since daily routines should feel easy, we help homeowners swap out their old fixtures for sleek, modern options.
Getting a free quote from a friendly local installer takes just a few minutes of your time. This simple step puts you in touch with our team who understand exactly how to transform your space.
First of all, nobody actually enjoys scrubbing those deep, dusty corners of a rarely used bathing basin. Because of this, switching to a sleek glass-enclosed setup makes cleaning your bathroom incredibly fast and painless. Acrylic walls and solid composite pans do not have dirty grout lines that trap mold and mildew.
To make things even better, you will notice how much bigger your entire room looks without a giant wall of porcelain blocking the view. This visual trick turns a cramped, dark space into a bright oasis.
On top of that, your new setup saves water since quick rinses use way less energy than filling up a massive reservoir. You get lower utility bills and a beautiful, modern home all at the same time.
For many families, stepping over a high barrier every single morning is a recipe for a nasty slip. This means that installing a low-profile pan with a threshold of just a couple of inches provides unmatched peace of mind.
Indeed, anyone with limited mobility or joint pain will find this change to be an absolute lifesaver. You can even add built-in seating and sturdy grab bars that blend in beautifully with the design.
As a result, your bathroom remains fully functional for years to come as your family grows and ages. It is all about staying safe while enjoying your daily routine.
When potential buyers tour a house, they look closely at the primary suite to see if it feels updated. Actually, most modern buyers prefer a large, luxurious stall over a dusty basin they will never use.
This smart upgrade gives your home a competitive edge if you ever decide to list it on the market. It shows that you took great care of the property and invested in high-quality updates.
Moreover, this project offers one of the highest returns on investment of any home improvement job. You get to enjoy the gorgeous space now and cash in on the equity later down the road.
Before we tear anything out, we must look at where your pipes currently sit behind the drywall. Fortunately, our experienced crew knows how to adapt your existing drain lines without tearing up your entire subfloor.
This keeps the project timeline short and prevents unexpected hidden fees from popping up. We evaluate the condition of your shutoff valves and replace any worn-out copper or PEX lines on the spot.
By addressing these hidden issues early, you avoid nasty leaks that could ruin your ceiling downstairs. It is always best to do the job right the first time around.
| Feature | Old High-Walled Tub | New Walk-In Stall |
|---|---|---|
| Step-In Height | 14 to 18 inches | 1 to 3 inches |
| Cleaning Effort | High (grout and deep scrubbing) | Low (wipe-down panels) |
| Visual Space | Cramped and blocked | Open and airy |
Selecting the right walls and flooring is the most exciting part of the entire renovation process. For instance, high-end acrylic surrounds offer a seamless look that prevents water from ever escaping.
Which means you never have to worry about water damage behind the walls of your gorgeous home. Alternatively, custom tile work lets you express your personal style with endless color patterns and textures.
No matter what you choose, we source top-grade materials that withstand daily wear and tear without scratching or fading. Your investment will look brand new even after years of steamy showers.
To keep the water exactly where it belongs, you can choose between sliding glass doors or a trendy frameless panel. Frameless glass looks incredibly high-end and lets natural light bounce around the room.
Additionally, we apply special water-repellent coatings to the glass so water spots slide right off. This reduces your cleaning time to almost zero.
If you prefer a simpler look, a classic curtain rod works wonderfully too. We customize every single detail to match your budget and lifestyle.
To truly customize your daily wash, you should consider upgrading to a rain showerhead or a multi-functional handheld sprayer. Handheld units make it incredibly easy to wash pets, clean the walls, or rinse off while seated.
This simple addition adds a touch of high-end luxury to your daily routine. We also install thermostatic valves that keep the water temperature perfectly steady.
Which means no more freezing surprises when someone flushes a toilet downstairs. You deserve a relaxing, stress-free experience every single day.
We know that having contractors in your home can feel a bit disruptive and loud. That is why our polite team works fast to complete the demo and installation in just a few days.
We lay down protective drop cloths to keep your carpets clean and sweep up every speck of dust before we leave. You do not have to worry about a massive mess or lingering trash.
From removing the old heavy cast iron to sealing the final joint, we handle every single detail with care. You can sit back, relax, and watch your dream bathroom come to life.
We love serving homeowners throughout this gorgeous coastal region of Northern California. Living in a beautiful unincorporated community in San Mateo County, right near the harbor, means dealing with unique coastal humidity.
With a local population of 5,819 residents and a high median household income of $143,494, families here in ZIP code 94018 expect top-tier craftsmanship. We understand the specific building codes and permit processes required for homes in El Granada, California.
Our reputation matters to us, so we treat every home as if it were our own. You can trust us to deliver beautiful results that stand up to the damp coastal air.
Now is the perfect time to stop struggling with an outdated bathroom that does not fit your lifestyle. By taking action today, you can schedule a completely free, no-obligation estimate with our local team.
This allows us to look at your space, listen to your ideas, and give you an honest price. We provide clear, upfront numbers so you can make the best decision for your budget.
Do not wait until a slip happens or your old plumbing starts to leak. Reach out to us now and take the first step toward a safer, more beautiful home!
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 El Granada 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 San Mateo County; the statewide picture lives on California; 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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