Our Hansell crew pulls the idle tub, keeps the alcove, and hands back a shower anywhere in Franklin County within days.
Written quote at no cost, one callback, no chasing afterwards.
Do you ever stare at that bulky tub and wish you had more room to breathe? Transforming that clunky basin into a sleek walk-in area is the perfect way to modernize your daily routine and reclaim your floor space.
If you live in that quiet little corner of Franklin County, Iowa, you know how important it is to keep your home feeling fresh and open. Even though our local population sits at around 90 people, your home deserves the same high-end treatment you see in those fancy design magazines.
Most people find that they rarely actually soak in their bathtubs, turning them into giant dust collectors instead. Removing that high-walled monstrosity allows you to create a much more accessible area that makes getting ready in the morning feel like a total breeze.
Another benefit of making this switch involves the sheer amount of visual space you gain instantly. By getting rid of the heavy porcelain or fiberglass box, you make the whole bathroom look significantly larger and way more inviting for guests.
Stepping over a tall wall every single day eventually becomes a major headache for your joints and your balance. You can avoid those nasty slips and falls by opting for a low-entry base that keeps your feet firmly on the ground at all times.
Beyond just the safety aspect, you gain a sense of true ease that makes your bathroom feel like a peaceful retreat. This modification ensures that your home stays functional for everyone who uses it, which adds a lot of value to your property.
Removing the existing structure sounds like a messy job, but a pro makes it look like a smooth walk in the park. The team starts by disconnecting your old plumbing lines to ensure no water escapes during the demolition phase.
Once the old unit vanishes, they prepare the subfloor to handle your new modern base. This ensures that you never have to worry about leaks or water damage hiding under your new tiles later on.
You have so many cool options today, ranging from minimalist glass panels to beautiful stone-look tiles that elevate the entire room. Selecting materials that match your personality means you get to create a space that feels uniquely yours without trying too hard.
On top of the aesthetics, think about adding some smart storage features like built-in niches for your soaps and shampoos. This keeps your space organized and makes sure you never have to bend down to reach for your supplies ever again.
| Feature | Direct Benefit for You |
| Low-entry base | Prevents tripping and improves overall accessibility |
| Glass doors | Makes the room feel airy and bright |
| Wall niches | Keeps items within arm reach for maximum convenience |
| Non-slip surfaces | Adds security while you scrub up |
Many folks worry about the price tag of a bathroom remodel, but you might be surprised at how affordable this specific project actually is. Because you are essentially replacing one fixture with another, you avoid a massive full-scale renovation that disrupts your entire house.
However, you should always keep in mind that quality materials usually last longer than the cheap stuff. Choosing durable options means you won't need to touch it again for many years, which saves you money in the long run.
When you look for someone to handle this upgrade, you want a crew that respects your home as if it were their own. You should ask them how they keep the dust down and how they handle the disposal of the old heavy basin.
Because you live in a place where neighbors look out for each other, word of mouth is usually the best way to find a reliable worker. You deserve to work with someone who shows up on time and explains the whole process without using confusing technical jargon.
Taking the first step is often the hardest part, but getting a professional opinion helps clear up any lingering doubts. You can request a free estimate to see exactly what the project would cost before you commit to anything at all.
Having a clear picture of the budget allows you to plan your finances without any nasty surprises popping up later. A contractor will walk through your bathroom, measure everything, and help you pick out the best layout for your specific floor plan.
Sometimes the best home improvements are the ones that make your daily life simpler rather than more complicated. Eliminating a high-maintenance tub means you spend less time cleaning and more time enjoying the nice open flow of your home.
Whether you plan to stay in your current house for decades or you think you might sell it down the road, this upgrade is a smart move. Buyers today really love seeing a modern walk-in area instead of an outdated soaking tub from the previous century.
You might worry about the mess during the construction phase, but modern methods keep the debris contained quite well. A professional uses floor protectors and plastic barriers to ensure your hallway and bedrooms stay clean throughout the entire job.
Another common fear is the plumbing aspect, especially if your pipes are older than the house itself. A skilled worker will inspect the lines during the quote process to make sure everything is up to code and ready for the new hardware.
Imagine how much better your mornings will be when you step into a bright, open area that sparkles under your lights. You can even add some custom lighting fixtures to really make the new tile work pop during those dark winter mornings.
Investing in your home is really about investing in your own daily state of mind. When your surroundings feel orderly and clean, you naturally feel more relaxed when you wake up to start your day.
Once you decide to move forward, you get to have fun picking out the faucets and the shower heads. There are so many cool finishes out there like matte black, brushed nickel, or classic chrome that really change the look of the room.
If you are still unsure about the design, look at some photos online to see what catches your eye. You can show these to your contractor during your free consultation to ensure you both have the exact same vision in mind.
You deserve a home that fits your lifestyle perfectly instead of forcing you to work around outdated features. Reaching out for a free quote is the smartest way to start this journey toward a more functional living space today.
Don't let another year pass by wishing your bathroom looked different when the solution is just a quick message away. You are the one in control of your home improvements, so go ahead and make that change that makes you happy.
Working with a professional who understands the specific needs of the residents in zip codes near you provides extra peace of mind. They know the local supply chain and can usually get materials faster than someone from several counties away.
Plus, you get the satisfaction of supporting a skilled worker right in your own community. This creates a positive cycle where everyone wins and your home gets the professional touch it needs to stand out.
Think about the physical relief you will feel every morning when you don't have to navigate that big wall. Your knees and your back will thank you for making the bathroom easier to use and much safer overall.
On top of the physical gains, you keep the value of your property high and ready for whatever the future holds. A simple change today leads to a much more practical and enjoyable home environment for as long as you live there.
You have all the information you need now to make an informed decision about your home. Reach out to a local pro and see how easy it is to get that free estimate on the books.
Your new bathroom is just a few steps away, and you will surely wonder why you waited so long to make the change. Grab your coffee, take a look at your current space, and imagine the possibilities for your new walk-in area!
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 Hansell 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 Franklin County; the statewide picture lives on Iowa; the wider region is the Midwest; background reading sits on Wikipedia.
One three-day job stands between this bathroom and its best fixture.
Get my free quote