One alcove in Goose Island 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.
Are you tired of stepping over high tub walls every single morning just to wash yourself? Fortunately, changing your old bathing fixture into a gorgeous walk-in glass shower gives you complete peace of mind and safety. Right here in this tiny Chicago enclave, local homeowners want better ways to upgrade their aging houses without losing their minds.
Now, tackling this kind of messy home improvement project sounds pretty scary if you lack proper construction skills. Yet, working with an experienced neighborhood contractor makes the whole messy demo process feel like a walk in the park. This lets you avoid plumbing disasters and saves you from wasting your hard-earned cash on cheap materials that leak.
First of all, ancient porcelain basins often develop stubborn stains that refuse to budge no matter how much elbow grease you use. By swapping out that chunky tub for a sleek stall, you get a stunning focal point that instantly modernizes your entire restroom. This means your daily hygiene routine turns into a luxurious spa experience right inside your own house.
Beyond looks, accessibility remains a huge problem for growing families and aging adults living in the local area. Removing that dangerous barrier gives you injury-free entry every single time you step inside to rinse off. On top of that, your overall property value gets a nice boost that buyers truly appreciate.
Low-threshold entries prevent nasty slips and catastrophic falls on wet bathroom floors. Coupled with built-in grab bars, this setup lets you bathe securely without fearing sudden accidents. Therefore, grandparents and young children navigate the space independently and safely.
Acrylic wall panels banish grout lines where nasty mold and mildew love to grow unchecked. This design choice gives you effortless cleaning sessions that take only a few minutes each week. Consequently, you spend less time scrubbing and more time relaxing.
Before any hammers start swinging, a skilled tradesperson arrives at your property to inspect the existing plumbing lines. This initial assessment ensures your current drain pipes can handle the increased water flow of a modern multi-head fixture. Which means you dodge unexpected structural surprises once the actual renovation work begins.
Next, the crew carefully tears out the heavy cast iron tub without damaging your surrounding bathroom tiles or drywall. Following that demolition phase, custom waterproof backers get installed to protect your walls from moisture damage. Ultimately, this meticulous preparation guarantees a rock-solid foundation for your brand-new washing enclosure.
| Project Phase | Estimated Time | Primary Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Demo & Removal | One Day | Clears out old outdated fixtures |
| Plumbing Prep | One Day | Ensures proper drainage and leaks prevention |
| Installation | Two Days | Delivers a gorgeous functional shower space |
Clear glass doors create an optical illusion that makes small Chicago bathrooms feel remarkably massive and open. Meanwhile, brushed nickel or matte black hardware adds a sophisticated touch that complements your existing decor. Because of these stylish choices, your newly remodeled room looks like it came straight out of a glossy design magazine.
Sometimes older houses hide rusted galvanized pipes behind their tiles that need immediate replacement during a remodel. Fortunately, experienced technicians spot these underlying issues immediately and swap them out for durable PEX tubing. This proactive fix gives you long-lasting plumbing reliability for decades to come.
Home improvements cost money, but putting funds into your daily sanctuary pays off in sheer daily satisfaction. Many local residents worry about blowing their budgets on extravagant tile work and fancy body jets. However, straightforward packages keep expenses totally transparent while still delivering high-end visual appeal.
Real estate experts constantly remind sellers that updated washrooms rank among the top selling points for prospective buyers. When people tour properties in ZIP codes like 60610 or nearby areas, they look for move-in ready perfection. Therefore, investing in this bathroom upgrade puts you in a fantastic position if you ever decide to sell.
| Improvement Type | Average Cost Range | Resale Value Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Tub Replacement | Moderate | Good return on investment |
| Custom Walk-In Enclosure | Higher | Major boost in home appeal |
| Luxury Spa Shower | Premium | Maximum property value increase |
Setting aside a small financial cushion covers unexpected drywall repairs or minor framing adjustments behind the walls. By planning ahead, you eliminate financial stress and keep the renovation moving forward smoothly. This sensible approach lets you enjoy your gorgeous new bathroom without any lingering money worries.
Flexible payment plans break down the total project cost into manageable monthly installments that fit your household budget. Because of these helpful lending programs, you do not have to drain your savings account all at once. This lets you start your home improvement project right away instead of waiting years to save up.
Hiring a trustworthy professional means checking references and reading authentic reviews from past local customers. You want a team that shows up on time, respects your living space, and cleans up the mess every single afternoon. This level of professionalism guarantees a headache-free experience from the very first consultation to the final walkthrough.
Local contractors understand the specific building codes and architectural quirks found throughout the Chicago region. This local expertise prevents costly permit delays and ensures your new construction meets every safety regulation. Which means you can sit back and relax while skilled professionals handle the heavy lifting.
Always inquire about warranties on both labor and materials before you commit to any remodeling company. Knowing you are protected against rare manufacturing defects gives you incredible peace of mind during and after construction. Therefore, never skip this crucial step when interviewing potential home improvement pros.
Clear out all personal items, towels, and decorative pieces from the bathroom before the workers arrive. Putting down protective plastic sheeting along your hallway floors keeps dust and debris from tracking into other living areas. Consequently, your home stays relatively clean throughout the entire messy construction phase.
Living with an outdated, frustrating bathing setup is something you simply do not have to endure any longer. Reimagining your daily routine starts with gathering accurate pricing details tailored specifically to your unique home layout. This empowers you to make informed decisions without feeling pressured by pushy sales tactics.
Reach out today to request your free estimate from our trusted local team serving your neighborhood. We will gladly inspect your current space, discuss your design preferences, and provide a clear pricing breakdown. Do not wait another day to claim the gorgeous, accessible washing sanctuary you truly deserve.
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 Goose Island 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.
Get my free quote