Our Selawik crew pulls the idle tub, keeps the alcove, and hands back a shower anywhere in Northwest Arctic Borough within days.
Written quote at no cost, one callback, no chasing afterwards.
Do you ever look at your clunky, old basin and wish you could just walk right into a refreshing spray instead? Transforming that giant, outdated porcelain monolith into a sleek, open stall gives you more room and makes your morning routine feel like a breeze.
Getting rid of that high-walled tub is a smart move for anyone living in this unique part of the Northwest Arctic Borough. You gain a lot more floor space in your bathroom while creating a much more usable area for your daily needs.
Most people around here find that their old tubs are just collecting dust or holding onto laundry piles instead of being useful. When you switch to a walk-in unit, you instantly clear out visual clutter and provide a sense of ease that makes the whole room feel larger.
This change is especially great if you are worried about slipping or tripping over those tall, slippery edges every single time you want to wash up. You end up with a low-entry basin that keeps your feet firmly on the ground while you enjoy a hot wash.
On top of that, you can customize your new space with modern fixtures, built-in shelving for your soaps, and even a fancy seat if you want to sit down while you scrub. These features turn a boring chore into a relaxing experience that fits your lifestyle perfectly.
Living in a place like the 99770 area, you already know that keeping things simple and functional is the best way to handle the long, cold winters. When you update your bathroom, you want materials that hold up well and make your life easier to manage day to day.
With a population of around 839 people, you likely value having a house that works well for your family without needing constant repairs or complicated upkeep. A well-built, open washing stall is durable and avoids the cracks and leaks that often plague older, traditional tubs.
Plus, thinking about the median household income of $35,938, you want to make sure every dollar you spend adds real value to your property. Investing in this kind of upgrade is a smart way to modernize your plumbing footprint without breaking the bank.
| Benefit of the upgrade | Why it matters for you |
| More floor space | You get a room that feels open and airy instead of cramped. |
| Easier access | You stop worrying about lifting your legs over high, slick walls. |
| Modern aesthetic | You get a clean look that feels fresh and inviting every day. |
| Less cleaning | You spend less time scrubbing grout lines and hard-to-reach corners. |
Transitioning from a heavy tub to a light, open stall involves a few steps that keep your home safe and dry. First, we need to take out that old, bulky hardware that takes up way too much room in your bathroom layout.
Once the old unit is gone, we check the floor and the wall studs to make sure everything is solid and ready for the new installation. This lets you rest easy knowing that your new setup will stay sturdy for many years without any hidden issues popping up later.
Next, we install the new base, which is usually made of materials that stand up to constant moisture while looking great. This base creates a perfect slope so that your water drains away fast instead of pooling up around your ankles while you wash.
Beyond the basic swap, you have a chance to add things that make you happy every single morning. Think about adding a handheld sprayer, which helps you rinse off quickly and keeps the walls clean without much effort.
You might also consider putting in some grab bars that match the rest of your hardware perfectly. This gives you extra stability when things get slippery, and it makes the whole area feel more secure for anyone who uses it.
Another cool addition is a corner niche for your shampoo and soap bottles. This keeps everything right where you need it, which means you avoid bending over or reaching across the room to grab your gear.
You might be wondering how we handle the logistics of getting these materials out here. Because we know the area and the specific needs of residents in this part of the state, we plan everything down to the smallest detail before we start.
We bring all the necessary tools and parts so that we do not have to make repeated trips back and forth. This saves you time and ensures that the work happens quickly so you can get back to your regular routine.
On top of that, we respect your home and keep the workspace tidy while we move through the different phases of the project. We know that your time is valuable, and we strive to finish the job without creating a giant mess in your living area.
If you are feeling ready to make this big improvement, the best step is to see exactly what is possible in your specific bathroom layout. Every home has its own quirks, like where the pipes run or how the walls are structured.
By reaching out for a free quote, you get a clear picture of the costs and the timeline without any pressure. You get to see how we tackle the challenges of your specific space, and you can ask all the questions you have about the materials and styles.
This is your home, and you deserve to have a bathroom that makes you feel good every single time you walk through the door. Stop waiting around for a better time to upgrade your space and start planning your project right now.
Maybe you are just starting to think about this, or maybe you are already set on making a change as soon as possible. Either way, having the right information is the most important part of the journey.
You deserve to have a contractor who listens to your ideas and helps you find the best way to make them happen. We care about doing a solid job because we want you to be happy with your new bathroom for a long, long time.
Look at your current setup tonight and think about how much more room you could have if that giant wall of porcelain was finally gone. Imagine how much better your morning would be if you could just step in and enjoy a warm wash immediately.
You might be worried about how long the whole thing takes or if it will be a giant disaster for your plumbing. It is completely normal to have these kinds of questions when you decide to take on a home improvement task.
Usually, the process is much faster than people expect, and we do everything in our power to keep your water running as much as possible. We focus on being efficient so that you are not left without a working space for days on end.
Regarding the materials, we help you pick out options that fit your budget while still looking great and performing well. We want you to love the final result, and we are happy to guide you through the different choices for your specific home.
Now that you know what is involved and how much you stand to gain, why wait any longer? You can turn that old, unused tub into the best part of your bathroom with just a little bit of help.
Send us a request for a free estimate and we will come out to take a look at your space. This gives you the chance to talk about your vision and see how we can make your dream bathroom a reality in your home.
Whether you want something ultra-modern or just want a clean, simple space to wash up, we have the skills to handle it. You are only a few simple steps away from a fresh, new bathroom that fits your life perfectly.
Do not let another month go by with an awkward, clunky tub that you never use. Get the ball rolling today and see how easy it is to improve your home in the 99770 region. We look forward to helping you make your space truly yours.
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 Selawik 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 Northwest Arctic Borough; the statewide picture lives on Alaska; the wider region is the West; background reading sits on Wikipedia.
One three-day job stands between this bathroom and its best fixture.
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