Tub to Shower Conversion — Walk-In Tile Shower in the Tub Alcove
Nobody has taken a bath in years and stepping over the tub wall is getting harder; this is the job that turns that alcove into a walk-in tile shower without touching the rest of the bathroom.
JMB Builders does tub to shower conversion across the Twin Cities metro: the bathtub and its surround come out, the alcove is framed for a curb or a curbless entry, walls are blocked for a seat and grab bars, cement board and a waterproofing system go on, the pan is sloped and flood-tested, and the walls and floor are tiled. A licensed plumber moves the drain and sets the valve. Priced per project, quoted from your photos.
- Priced per project, quoted from photos
- Curb or curbless entry framed to suit the room
- Waterproofed and flood-tested before tile
- Licensed plumber on the drain and valve
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
The standard alcove tub is a five-foot space that most households use as a shower with a wall to climb over. A tub to shower conversion keeps that footprint and rebuilds it as a walk-in shower: a low curb or no curb at all, a seat if you want one, a niche, a glass panel or a curtain, and tile that runs floor to ceiling. The vanity, toilet and floor stay where they are, which is what keeps this job smaller than a full bathroom remodel.
The carpentry is what makes the tile last. Once the tub is out we check the subfloor and the studs, because the wall behind an old tub surround is often the first place we find rot. The alcove is framed for the entry you choose: a curb built from stacked lumber and wrapped, or a curbless entry that means dropping the subfloor between the joists so the pan can slope to the drain. Solid blocking goes into the walls for a fold-down seat, a grab bar later, and the glass panel's hinge side. Then cement board on the walls, a foam board or sheet-membrane waterproofing system with every seam and corner sealed, a bonded pan with a linear or center drain, and a flood test before any tile goes on.
The plumbing is the plumber's. A tub drain sits in the wrong spot for a shower pan and a tub spout has to go, so a licensed plumber relocates the drain, sets the new valve and any second head, and pulls the plumbing permit. We schedule them between demo and waterproofing so the job does not stall. The whole-bathroom version of this job, with a new floor, vanity and trim, is on our small bathroom remodel page.
What you supply
- Wall and floor tile, trim pieces and the niche size you want, or we help you pick and source them
- Shower valve, trim kit, head and drain, chosen with the plumber so the rough-in matches
- Glass panel or door, ordered after the tile is done and measured, or a curtain rod
- Seat, grab bar and accessory locations so the blocking goes where they will land
- Paint color for the rest of the room if we are patching and painting; painting is quoted as a separate line
What JMB supplies
- Tub, surround and old tile removed and hauled, drywall cut back to the studs
- Subfloor and stud inspection, with rot or water damage repaired and quoted before we go further
- Curb framed and wrapped, or the subfloor dropped between joists for a curbless entry
- Solid blocking for a seat, grab bars and the glass hinge side
- Cement board, waterproofing system, bonded pan sloped to the drain, and a flood test
- Wall and floor tile set, niche built and tiled, grout, and silicone at every change of plane
- Scheduling and coordination of the licensed plumber for the drain, valve and permit
- Drywall patched where the surround came out, ready for paint, with painting as its own line
- Photos of the waterproofing before tile and the finished shower in your job folder
How it is priced: per project
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- Curb entry vs. curbless, which adds the subfloor and joist work
- Tile size and pattern: large format and small mosaics both take longer than a standard wall tile
- Tile to the ceiling vs. stopping at a trim line, and the number of niches and a seat
- Rot or water damage found behind the old tub, quoted when we see it
- How much the plumber has to move: drain relocation only vs. a new valve location and a second head
- Glass panel or door vs. a curtain rod
- A linear drain vs. a center drain, and a heated floor mat under the shower floor
- Drywall patching and painting of the rest of the room, quoted as its own line
Send a photo of the tub from the doorway, one of the wall with the valve, and one of the floor at the tub apron. Say whether you want a curb or curbless and whether a seat is in the plan.
How long it takes
A standard alcove: about five to seven working days over two weeks, with the plumber's rough-in and the flood test as the two waits. Curbless adds a day. Glass is measured after tile and installed when it arrives.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized quote within one business day. We only come out to measure first when the job needs a tape measure — no pressure, no games.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Low-curb walk-in shower
The standard conversion. A curb built up from the subfloor, the pan sloped to a center or linear drain, walls tiled to the ceiling, a niche, and a fixed glass panel at the open end. Keeps the water in with a shallow step over.
Curbless (zero threshold) shower
No curb to step over. We drop the subfloor between the joists so the pan slopes to the drain from the bathroom floor level, and the floor tile runs into the shower. Takes a linear drain and a bathroom floor that can be tied in. The framing is on our curbless shower framing page.
Shower with a built-in bench
A framed and waterproofed bench across the back or one end, tiled to match, with a slight slope so it drains. Blocked for a grab bar beside it. Sized so the bench does not crowd the standing area.
Prefab shower base with tile walls
A manufactured acrylic or composite base sized for the alcove, set level in mortar, with tiled walls above it. Fewer steps than a tiled pan, lower cost, and a good fit for a rental or a basement bath.
Tub-shower combo kept, surround retiled
If you want to keep the tub and only replace the plastic surround with tile, that is a different job on our tub surround tile page. We tell you which one fits when we see the photos.
Tub to Shower Conversion — Walk-In Tile Shower in the Tub Alcove: questions, answered
How long does a tub to shower conversion take?
About five to seven working days in a standard alcove, spread over roughly two weeks. Demo and framing are the first day or two, the plumber roughs in, then cement board and waterproofing, a flood test that has to sit, then tile and grout. Curbless adds a day of floor work. The glass panel is measured after the tile is in and goes on when it arrives.
Do you need a plumber to convert a tub to a shower?
Yes. The tub drain is in the wrong place for a shower pan and the spout has to go, so a licensed plumber relocates the drain, sets the new valve, adds a second head if you want one and pulls the plumbing permit. We do the demo, framing, blocking, waterproofing and tile, and we schedule the plumber between demo and waterproofing so the job keeps moving.
Can a tub to shower conversion be curbless?
Usually, if the floor framing allows it. A curbless shower needs the pan to slope to the drain from the bathroom floor level, which means dropping the subfloor between the joists in the shower area and often tying in the bathroom floor tile. On a slab or over a finished ceiling below it takes more planning, and we tell you what we find when we open the floor.
What if there is rot or mold behind the old tub?
It is common, especially at the bottom of the wall behind a plastic surround and at the subfloor along the tub apron. We stop, show you what is there, and quote the repair before going further: sistered or replaced studs, new subfloor, and drying out the cavity. It is fixed before the cement board goes on, not covered up.
Will removing the only bathtub hurt resale?
Opinions vary and it depends on the house. A home with a second full bath loses little by converting one tub; a home with one bath and young families as the likely buyers may want the tub kept. We can build the conversion either way and tell you what we see, but the resale call is yours and your agent's.
Is a prefab shower base cheaper than a tiled pan?
Yes, and it takes fewer steps. An acrylic or composite base sized for the alcove is set level in mortar and the walls are tiled above it, so there is no pan to slope, waterproof and flood test. The trade-off is a fixed look and size, and no curbless option. It is a good fit for a rental, a basement bath or a tight budget.
Recent JMB work, from our job log
59 installs recorded across 30 Twin Cities communities since Dec 2025. Window and door installs for homeowners and for the builders and dealers we sub for. Counts come straight from our job log; no customer names.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough. You hear back within one business day. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
Related jobs we do
Shower Tile Installation — Waterproofed Walls, Pan and Niche
A tiled shower that stays dry behind the tile — membrane, pan and niche built as one system, then wall tile set plumb with the cuts where you never see them.
Read moreSmall Bathroom Remodel Contractor — Tile Floor, Vanity, Trim and Paint
The hall bathroom is fine but dated: builder vanity, vinyl floor, hollow door — a remodel that keeps the walls and plumbing where they are and replaces everything you touch and see.
Read moreTub Surround Tile Installation — Three-Wall Alcove on Cement Board
The yellowed fiberglass surround or the cracked tile above the tub comes off, the walls get cement board and a membrane, and porcelain goes up plumb with a niche where the shampoo bottles used to sit on the tub edge.
Read moreBlocking for a Shower Seat and Grab Bars Before Tile
The shower is open to the studs and someone in the house will need to sit down in it. Now is the only time to put wood behind the tile. We set the blocking, then hang the seat when the tile is done.
Read moreBathroom Floor Tile Installation — Porcelain Set Flat and Level
Old vinyl or cracked tile out, the subfloor flattened and stiffened, new porcelain set flat with straight grout lines and the toilet reset — one crew from demo to the last bead of caulk.
Read moreAdd a Niche to a Tile Shower — Cut In, Waterproofed and Tiled
The shower is fine, but the shampoo bottles live on the tub edge or a rusting caddy. You want a recessed niche without retiling the whole shower.
Read morePage reviewed September 27, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All tile pages
Where we work
Tile near you
Based in Zimmerman, scheduling across the Twin Cities metro. Closest first: