Our Little Marais crew pulls the idle tub, keeps the alcove, and hands back a shower anywhere in Lake County within days.
Written quote at no cost, one callback, no chasing afterwards.
You probably hate squeezing into that old porcelain basin every single morning. This daily struggle makes your routine feel like a chore rather than a refreshing start. Because of this, swapping that high-walled monster for a sleek, low-barrier alternative will instantly make your life much easier.
By making this smart upgrade, you gain a massive amount of open floor space where you can actually move. This means you will no longer have to balance like an acrobat just to wash your feet. Instead, you get a bright, open area that fits your body and your lifestyle perfectly.
To make things even better, we travel right to your home in this beautiful area of Lake County to help you plan the perfect layout. Our friendly crew loves helping folks upgrade their homes with practical, beautiful solutions. You can easily request a free estimate today to see how affordable this transformation can be.
Think about how much water and energy you waste filling up a giant basin that you barely even enjoy. That old setup demands constant scrubbing because soap scum loves to hide in those hard-to-reach corners. When you replace it with a modern walk-in option, cleaning becomes a simple five-minute wipe down.
If you plan to stay in your home for years to come, safety should be your top priority. Slipping on wet porcelain is a major hazard that sends thousands of people to the emergency room every year. Transitioning to a flat, textured floor gives you solid footing and absolute peace of mind.
On top of that, we use high-quality materials that resist mold and mildew, keeping your air clean and healthy. This means you spend less money on harsh chemical cleaners and less time on your knees scrubbing grout lines. Your back will definitely thank you for making this change.
When we sit down to discuss your project, you get to choose from a variety of beautiful wall panels and fixtures. This lets you customize the look to match your personal style, whether you prefer a classic stone look or a clean, modern subway tile design. We ensure every single detail aligns with your vision.
To give you a better idea of what to expect, here is a quick comparison of the two setups:
| Feature | Your Old Basin | Your New Walk-In |
|---|---|---|
| Threshold Height | 15 to 18 inches to step over | Almost flat to the ground |
| Required Maintenance | Constant scrubbing of dirty grout | Simple wipe down of smooth surfaces |
| Safety Level | High risk of slipping | Non-slip floors and grab bars |
| Visual Space | Cramped and bulky | Open, bright, and spacious |
This handy table shows how much you stand to gain by upgrading your daily routine. Furthermore, we handle all the heavy lifting, from ripping out the old cast iron to sealing the new leak-proof base. You do not have to worry about a single thing during the process.
First, our team carefully measures your existing alcove to ensure a snug, custom fit. This prevents any water leaks from ruining your subfloor or the ceiling below. We pride ourselves on precision because we know how devastating water damage can be to a home.
Next, we demo the old setup with minimal disruption to your daily life. We protect your floors and clean up every speck of dust before we leave. This ensures your home stays tidy while we perform our magic in your washroom.
After that, we install the new plumbing fixtures, making sure the hot and cold water lines are perfectly balanced. This gives you consistent water pressure and temperature every time you wash. Finally, we seal everything with commercial-grade silicone that stands the test of time.
Adding a built-in bench or a sturdy grab bar can make your morning routine feel incredibly luxurious. These features provide extra support for anyone with joint pain or balance issues. You can relax and enjoy your morning wash without any anxiety.
Additionally, we offer beautiful glass doors that glide open effortlessly, keeping the water exactly where it belongs. This eliminates the need for annoying, soggy plastic curtains that stick to your legs. Your washroom will look like a high-end spa once we finish.
We are proud to serve the wonderful residents of Little Marais, Minnesota, where neighbors truly look out for one another. Living in a small community of about 30 people means our reputation is everything to us. We treat your home with the exact same respect we would show to our own families.
Since we understand the local climate, we know how important proper insulation and plumbing protection are during our freezing winters. We make sure your pipes are shielded from the cold so you never have to deal with a frozen mess. This local expertise saves you from costly repairs down the road.
Whether you live near the scenic shores of Lake Superior or further inland, we are always just a quick drive away. We understand the unique charm of this area and work hard to preserve it. Our goal is to deliver top-notch craftsmanship that adds real value to your property.
Many homeowners worry about the cost of remodeling, but we keep our prices fair and transparent. We sit down with you to look at your budget and find the best options that fit your wallet. This ensures you get a beautiful new setup without breaking the bank.
Because this upgrade is highly sought after by home buyers, it can actually increase the resale value of your property. People love seeing a modern, accessible washroom when they tour a house. This means you will likely recoup a large portion of your investment if you ever decide to sell.
Moreover, we provide a detailed, written estimate before any work begins, so you never have to worry about hidden fees. We believe in honest communication and building long-term trust with our community. You will know exactly what to expect from start to finish.
Naturally, you might wonder how long this process takes from start to finish. In most cases, our skilled crew can complete the entire project in just one to two days. This means your home life is barely disrupted, and you can start enjoying your new space almost immediately.
Another common question is whether we can work with old, outdated plumbing. Yes, we routinely upgrade old galvanized pipes to modern, flexible PEX lines. This improves your water flow and prevents future leaks from damaging your beautiful new walls.
If you have any doubts about the design, we can show you samples of our durable materials during our first visit. You can feel the quality and choose the perfect color scheme for your home. We make the entire decision-making process fun and stress-free.
Do not spend another day climbing over a dangerous, slippery barrier just to get clean. You deserve a beautiful, open space that makes you feel safe and relaxed every single morning. Our team is ready to bring your vision to life with professional, friendly service.
Reach out to us today to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation. We will visit your home, look at your space, and give you an honest price. Take the first step toward a safer, more beautiful home right now!
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 Little Marais 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 Lake County; the statewide picture lives on Minnesota; 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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