One alcove in Ericsson is about to earn its keep again. The Minneapolis crew handles demo, plumbing, walls and glass.
Written quote at no cost, one callback, no chasing afterwards.
Maybe you are tired of tripping over that high porcelain ledge every single morning. This common daily struggle actually makes your morning routine feel like an obstacle course. Now you can easily swap that deep, unused basin for a modern walk-in stall that fits your lifestyle perfectly.
By making this simple layout upgrade, you instantly create a safer and much more spacious room. Which means you will finally stop stressing about slips and falls on wet surfaces. Our local team specializes in these quick, beautiful transformations right here in your neighborhood.
Actually, we come directly to your home to look at your layout and give you a free estimate. This upfront price quote helps you plan your project without any financial surprises down the line. You deserve a beautiful space that matches how you actually live today.
Think about how often you actually take a full soak these days. For most busy folks, the honest answer is almost never. Therefore, keeping a massive, hard-to-clean basin is just wasting precious real estate in a small room.
This smart remodeling choice gives you back your floor space and opens up the entire area. Consequently, your whole bathroom feels instantly larger and much brighter. On top of that, cleaning a flat floor pan is infinitely easier than scrubbing deep grime out of old porcelain corners.
To help you compare your options, we put together a quick breakdown of how these setups stack up:
| Feature Comparison | Old Deep Basin Style | Modern Low-Threshold Entry |
|---|---|---|
| Physical Accessibility | High step-over hazard | Easy walk-in access |
| Floor Space Feel | Cramped and bulky | Open and airy feel |
| Weekly Cleaning Time | Heavy scrubbing required | Quick wipe down |
Naturally, your home is your castle, so your setup should reflect your personal daily habits. If you prefer quick, refreshing rinses over long soaking sessions, this upgrade is a total no-brainer. We make the whole transition completely painless for your household.
Perhaps you worry that a new setup might look plain or boring. Fortunately, the modern materials we use offer incredible variety in colors, textures, and finishes. You can select gorgeous simulated stone patterns or classic subway tile looks that never go out of style.
Besides the walls, you also get to choose your favorite hardware finishes like brushed bronze or matte black. This means your new setup will perfectly match your existing sink faucets and hardware. We can even add built-in seating and sturdy grab bars for extra support.
To make things even better, our non-porous acrylic surrounds resist mold and mildew growth naturally. Because of this, you will spend your weekends relaxing instead of breathing in harsh chemical cleaners. It is the ultimate blend of style and daily convenience.
As time goes on, high tub walls become a serious safety hazard for everyone. By lowering the entry threshold to just a couple of inches, you virtually eliminate the risk of nasty trips. This simple change allows older adults to remain independent in their own homes much longer.
In addition to low thresholds, we install slip-resistant floor pans that provide excellent traction for your feet. This textured surface keeps you stable even when the floor gets incredibly soapy and wet. Your peace of mind is worth every single penny of this investment.
Many homeowners wonder if removing a soaking basin hurts their resale value down the road. Actually, most modern buyers actively seek out spacious walk-in stalls instead of outdated deep basins. This is especially true in cozy residential pockets where square footage is at a premium.
Since we live and work near the gorgeous Lake Hiawatha area, we know exactly what local buyers look for. This neighborhood in Minneapolis features beautiful homes that benefit immensely from smart, space-saving updates. Making this change now ensures your home stays highly competitive on the local market.
You might dread the thought of messy construction crews tearing up your home for weeks on end. Luckily, our specialized installation process takes only a fraction of the time of a traditional remodel. We often finish the entire physical transformation in just a few days.
First, we carefully measure your existing alcove to ensure a snug, perfect fit for the new components. Then, we protect your flooring and carpets before we ever bring in a single tool. We treat your property with the utmost respect from start to finish.
Once the old bulky unit is out, we inspect the subfloor and plumbing for any hidden water damage. If we find any issues, we repair them immediately so your new setup stands the test of time. Finally, we install your beautiful new system and seal everything tight.
We love serving this quiet community in the MN region, especially around the scenic Minnehaha Creek area. Our local homes have unique charm, but their older plumbing systems sometimes require a gentle, experienced touch. We know how to handle these vintage pipes without causing costly headaches.
Whether your home sits near the local park or closer to the light rail line, we are just a short drive away. This close proximity means we can arrive quickly for your free consultation and get right to work. We take pride in helping our neighbors upgrade their daily lives.
Our commitment to quality means we never cut corners on waterproofing or structural support. We use heavy-duty materials that handle the temperature swings of our local seasons beautifully. You can count on a durable result that looks gorgeous for decades.
Many folks ask us if they can keep their existing plumbing valves in the same location. Absolutely, we can usually adapt your new system to your current pipe layout to save you money. This clever planning keeps your overall project costs incredibly reasonable.
Another common question involves the durability of the new wall surrounds we install. These high-tech materials will not crack, chip, or fade over time like old fiberglass units do. They retain their brilliant shine and smooth finish with just a basic soapy wipe down.
If you are ready to explore the possibilities, our friendly team is standing by to help. We will walk you through the design catalog and help you find the perfect layout for your budget. Contact us today to request your completely free, no-obligation home estimate!
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 Ericsson 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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