Should You Keep a Bathtub? Tub vs Shower for Your Home

Whether to keep a bathtub is one of the first decisions in a bathroom remodel, because it changes the plumbing, the waterproofing, the glass and the layout. There is no right answer for every house. It depends on who uses the bathroom now, who might use it next, how many other tubs the house has and how the room is shaped. This page walks through the decision.

Start with how the bathroom is used

Ask who takes baths in this room, and how often. The answer usually settles the question.

• Young children. Bathing small children is far easier in a tub than a shower. If the house has young children or grandchildren who visit often, keep at least one tub.
• Pets. A tub with a handheld shower is the practical place to wash a dog.
• Soaking. If someone takes regular baths for comfort or sore muscles, a good soaking tub is worth the space. Our page on soaking, whirlpool and air tubs covers the options.
• Mobility. Stepping over a tub wall is the hardest part of bathing for many older adults and anyone recovering from surgery. A walk-in or curbless shower with a seat and grab bars removes that step. See aging-in-place bathrooms.
• Nobody bathes. If the tub is used only as a shower and the curtain is the main annoyance, a walk-in shower will likely serve you better.

Your options compared

Resale when the house has one tub

We do not have Vancouver-area data on how removing a tub affects sale price, and we are not aware of any published study that measures it. The practical reasoning is this:

• A house with no tub at all may not suit buyers with young children. That can mean fewer interested buyers, not necessarily a lower price.
• Removing a tub in a second or primary bathroom, while a tub remains elsewhere, carries much less of that risk.
• If you are staying many years, your own use matters more than a buyer you have not met.

If the tub in question is the last one in the house and a sale is likely within a few years, talk to a local real estate agent who knows your neighborhood before you decide. Our page on whether a bathroom remodel adds value covers the published resale figures for bathroom projects in the Pacific region.

The tub-shower combo, done well

For a shared hall bath, a tub-shower combo is often the right choice, and a few details make it work much better than the one you may be replacing.

• A pressure-balancing or thermostatic valve that keeps the temperature steady.
• A handheld shower on a slide bar, for rinsing children, pets and the tub itself.
• A fixed glass panel or a hinged screen instead of a curtain, if the household is careful about splashes; a curtain is still the most forgiving with small children. Glass at a tub must be marked safety glazing.
• A niche in an interior wall for bottles, and a grab bar with blocking behind it.
• A lower tub wall, if the model range offers one, to make stepping in easier.

Our page on hall and kids' bathrooms covers the rest of that room.

Converting a tub to a shower

A conversion is more than removing the tub. The drain usually changes size and position, the valve and showerhead move up, the floor needs a waterproofed shower pan sloped to the drain, and glass is templated after tile. The space a standard alcove tub leaves is often enough for a comfortable walk-in shower, and a curbless version needs the floor recessed. The full picture is on our tub-to-shower conversion page, and our blog post on bathtub to shower conversions shows the steps.

A tub inside a wet room

When a primary bath has room for both a tub and a shower but not for a separate enclosure around each, a wet room puts a freestanding tub inside the waterproofed shower zone behind one glass panel. You can step from shower to bath without worrying about splashing, and the tub can be rinsed with the handheld. The room needs full waterproofing, a properly sloped floor and strong ventilation. See wet rooms.

Cost in relative terms

• Replacing a tub with a tub in the same spot is usually the simplest, since the drain and valve stay roughly where they are.
• Converting to a walk-in shower moves the drain and valve and adds a pan and glass. It typically costs more than a like-for-like tub replacement, not less.
• Adding a freestanding tub to a primary bath is an add-on in JDI's published calculator with a planning range of $2,500-$6,500, on top of the base bathroom range. See bathroom remodel cost in Vancouver, WA.
• Curbless showers and wet rooms sit at the higher end, because of the floor and waterproofing work.

Who should choose which

• Families with young children: keep a tub, usually as a tub-shower combo in the hall bath.
• Couples or adults who only shower: a walk-in shower in the primary bath, with a tub kept elsewhere if the house has one.
• Planning to age in place: a curbless or low-threshold shower with a seat, and grab bars in both shower and any remaining tub.
• Soakers with space: a separate tub and shower, or a tub inside a wet room.
• Selling soon, with one tub in the house: keep it, or ask a local agent first.

JDI Construction does whole bathroom remodels and also shower remodels and tub-to-shower conversions. At a free in-home consultation we can sketch both options for your room so you can compare. See shower remodeling in Vancouver, WA, and check the current walk-in shower and tub offer.