Our Franklin Grove crew pulls the idle tub, keeps the alcove, and hands back a shower anywhere in Lee County within days.
Written quote at no cost, one callback, no chasing afterwards.
Are you tired of stepping over that high porcelain wall every single morning? Fortunately, you can swap that bulky basin for a sleek walk-in enclosure right here in Lee County.
That old tub takes up way too much room in your modest bathroom. Replacing it gives you a fresh look and much better safety.
Most homes built decades ago featured deep soaking units that now feel outdated. Upgrading removes slip hazards and makes your morning routine much easier.
Drainage issues often plague older houses in ZIP codes 61031. Modern swaps fix hidden pipe leaks before they damage your subfloor.
Low-threshold entries mean you never trip while stepping inside to wash. This lets you age in place without fearing nasty falls on slick tiles.
Grab bars add extra security for every single family member using the bathroom. Which means peace of mind for you and your loved ones.
Removing a bulky tub opens up floor space for a larger vanity or storage cabinet. Consequently, your cramped chamber feels twice as big instantly.
Glass panels bounce natural light around the room instead of trapping it behind shower curtains. This lets you enjoy a brighter atmosphere every day.
Neighborhoods around our town feature houses with unique architectural traits and quirks. Median household income data sits around forty-five thousand dollars, so smart upgrades matter.
Local homeowners prefer cost-effective improvements that add real equity to their properties. Investing in bathroom remodeling brings a solid return when selling later.
Buyers today prefer modern walk-in washing stalls over dusty vintage tubs. Modernizing your property helps it sell faster in competitive markets.
A population of nine hundred fifty-five residents means local contractors know your exact home style. Working with someone nearby ensures personalized service tailored to local building codes.
Tear-down day brings some noise and dust into your living quarters. Experienced workers protect your hallway floors using heavy-duty drop cloths.
Plumbers disconnect old supply lines and inspect the wooden framing underneath. This lets you catch mold or rot early before sealing things up.
Acrylic wall surrounds resist mold growth and wipe clean with a damp cloth. This means you spend less time scrubbing grout lines on weekends.
Non-slip shower pans keep your footing secure even when soapy water flows freely. Safety features like these protect everyone in your household from accidental slips.
Bathroom renovations require a realistic budget based on your specific project goals. Getting professional estimates helps you avoid hidden fees or surprise expenses later.
Local providers offer flexible payment plans to fit your monthly finances comfortably. This lets you get the work done now instead of waiting years.
Materials usually make up half of the overall renovation budget. Labor costs cover skilled tradespeople who ensure waterproof seals and proper drainage.
| Project Phase | Estimated Impact | Primary Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Demo Work | Removes old fixtures | Clears space for new units |
| Plumbing Setup | Aligns drain pipes | Prevents future water leaks |
| Panel Installation | Seals wet areas | Reduces daily cleaning chores |
Hiring a hometown specialist guarantees your project meets regional building standards. Always ask for proof of insurance and local references before signing paperwork.
Communication keeps the remodeling timeline running smoothly from start to finish. A reliable crew answers your questions promptly without dodging phone calls.
Ask how long the total installation usually takes in typical homes. Knowing the schedule lets you plan around temporary bathroom disruptions.
Inquire about manufacturer warranties on acrylic pans and glass doors. Solid guarantees protect your investment for many years down the road.
Squeegeeing glass walls after every use prevents stubborn soap scum buildup. This lets you maintain a sparkling finish with minimal effort.
Checking silicone caulk annually stops moisture from seeping behind wall panels. Simple upkeep preserves your bathroom remodel for decades.
Upgrading your washing space improves your daily comfort and home safety. Request your complimentary price quote from our local team today to get started.
Experienced professionals visit your house to measure the space and discuss design options. Reach out right now to schedule your no-obligation consultation.
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 Franklin Grove 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 Lee County; the statewide picture lives on Illinois; 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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