By Bruno Venichand, J. Perry & Sons — Florida CGC1540699
Do you have a big jetted tub in the corner of your primary bathroom that nobody has used in years? You are not alone. Whirlpool and garden tubs went into a lot of South Florida houses and condos built in the 1990s and 2000s, and today they mostly collect dust while everyone squeezes into a small shower stall next to them. A jacuzzi bath remodel takes that tub out and puts the space to work as a walk-in shower, often curbless or with a low curb. This article walks you through what the tub to shower conversion involves, what it costs, and what changes when you live in a condo.
J. Perry & Sons is a licensed Florida general contractor (CGC1540699). We handle the demo, the shower build and the tile, and we bring in licensed plumbers and electricians for their part of the work. For the full scope of a bathroom project, see our bathroom renovation page.
Why the old whirlpool tub is worth removing
A jetted tub takes up more floor than most people realize. Many sit on a raised platform, often tiled, with a step in front and a wide deck around the rim. Take all of that out and you usually free up enough room for a generous walk-in shower, sometimes with a bench, while the vanity and toilet stay where they are.
There are practical reasons too. Jet lines hold stagnant water between uses, the pump needs its own circuit and access panel, and stepping over a high tub wall gets harder over the years. A walk-in shower with no curb, or a low one, is easier to live with later.
Thinking about losing the tub? Call (561) 556-7509 and tell us how you use the bathroom now. We'll tell you whether a shower in that spot makes sense.
What a bathtub to shower conversion involves, step by step
Every bathtub to shower conversion follows the same basic order on our jobs. A whirlpool tub adds a few steps at the start.
- Make it safe. A licensed electrician disconnects the pump circuit and terminates it properly. That circuit is either removed or kept for a future use, such as a heated floor or a fan.
- Demo. Dust walls go up, then the tub, pump, platform and wall tile come out down to the studs or block.
- Plumbing rough-in. A licensed plumber moves or adapts the drain for a shower and sets the new valve. A tub often drains through a 1-1/2 inch line near one end, and a shower needs a 2-inch drain, usually in a different spot. On a slab-on-grade house, that means cutting and patching concrete.
- Pan and slope. The shower floor is built to slope at least 1/4 inch per foot toward the drain, in the pan or mortar bed, never made up in the thinset.
- Waterproofing. A membrane covers the pan, the walls (we run it to the ceiling in most showers) and every pipe penetration.
- Flood test. We plug the drain, fill the pan and leave it for 24 hours before any tile goes on. Where your city requires a pan inspection, it happens at this stage.
- Tile, glass and fixtures. Wall tile, floor tile, sealant at the corners, then the glass company measures and installs.
We pull the permits for the work and follow your city or county's inspection requirements from demo to final, so you are not the one scheduling inspectors.
Call (561) 556-7509 or send us your project with photos, the city, approximate dimensions, and material selections.
Curbless or low curb: what your floor allows
Want no step at all? A curbless shower is the cleanest look and the easiest to walk into. On a slab-on-grade house, we cut and recess the slab under the shower so the pan sits low enough for the finished floor to stay level from the bathroom into the shower. A linear drain (a long, narrow drain along one edge) then slopes the whole floor one way, which lets large tile run across it without lots of cuts.
Sometimes the slab can't be cut. Condo buildings and many newer homes have post-tensioned slabs, which carry steel cables under tension. Those are not cut without a scan and an engineer's direction. We don't do engineering ourselves; we build to the engineer's drawings and coordinate a licensed engineer when the work calls for one. When cutting is off the table, a low curb is the usual answer. It still reads as a walk-in shower and keeps the water where it belongs.
A good rule: if a recessed slab is possible, curbless is worth pricing. If it isn't, a low curb with the same tile and glass gets you most of the look.
Not sure what's under your bathroom floor? Send us your project with a photo of the tub and the floor around it, and tell us if it's a house or a condo.
Tub to shower conversion cost
What will this cost you? The ranges below come straight from our residential tile pricing. They cover labor and setting materials, with tile supplied by you unless we quote it supplied and installed.
| Shower scope | What goes into it | Installed range |
|---|---|---|
| Tub alcove converted to a walk-in shower | Tub out, pan and drain, waterproofing, tile to ceiling | $15,000–$22,000 |
| Curbless shower on a slab | Slab recess, linear drain, extra membrane | $12,000–$18,000 before tile |
| Curbless instead of a curbed shower | Concrete cutting, drain, extra membrane | add $3,000–$4,500 |
| Shower walls | Wall tile over waterproofing | $22–$30 per sq ft |
| Mosaic shower floor | Small pieces following the slope | $32–$46 per sq ft |
| Tiled niche during a shower rebuild | Framed or prefab, waterproofed | $350–$525 |
About these prices. These ranges are starting points based on typical South Florida projects. Your final price depends on the condition of the property, access, the materials or system specified and the full scope of work. We confirm every number after we review your project in person or from the drawings, and the price in your signed proposal is the one that applies.
A whirlpool tub is not a standard alcove tub, so a few items are priced from your scope rather than a published range: removing the platform and step, the electrician's work on the pump circuit, the plumber's drain relocation, patching the floor where the platform stood, and the glass. Those lines show up separately on your proposal, so nothing is buried. You can see more of the tile side on our residential tile installation page.
Walk-in shower ideas for small bathrooms
Not every jetted tub sits in a large primary bath. Plenty of condos have a whirlpool tub squeezed into a smaller room. These are the walk-in shower ideas for small bathrooms that make the most difference:
- Linear drain and large tile. One slope and fewer grout lines make the floor look bigger. A mosaic floor is also a good choice on a center drain for grip.
- One fixed glass panel. A single panel with no door keeps the room open and saves the swing space a hinged door needs.
- A niche instead of a shelf. Recessed storage keeps bottles off the floor. We place it on an interior wall, never on an exterior block wall or the plumbing wall, and size it to the tile courses so there are no slivers.
- A handheld on a slide bar. Easy for cleaning and for sitting.
- Tile to the ceiling. A low ceiling feels taller and steam stays off the drywall.
Want help picking a layout for a tight room? Call (561) 556-7509 and we'll sketch two options from your measurements.
Condo rules that shape the job
Live in a condo? The association has a say before any demo starts. Most buildings require an application, an insurance certificate, set work hours and a freight elevator reservation for hauling out the tub in pieces.
Two rules matter most here. First, the slab: most condo slabs can't be cut, so the shower floor is built up with a low curb. Second, the unit below: many buildings want a membrane under the whole bathroom floor and a sound underlayment under hard flooring. We read your building's renovation rules before we price and submit the product data with your application.
Have your building's renovation rules handy? Send us your project with a copy, and we'll build the proposal around them.
How long the bathroom is out of service
A typical shower rebuild runs about three weeks on our jobs, from demo and plumbing rough to glass and fixtures. A whirlpool removal adds a little demo time at the start. If this is the only shower in the house, we tell you the day it goes out of service before demo starts.
For homes in Broward and Palm Beach, see our Fort Lauderdale bathroom renovation and tub-to-shower conversion cost guide pages for local details.
Prefer to send photos or plans? Send us your project
Frequently asked questions
How much does a jacuzzi bath remodel cost in South Florida? Converting a tub space to a walk-in shower runs $15,000–$22,000, and choosing curbless instead of a curbed shower adds $3,000–$4,500. Removing a whirlpool platform, the pump circuit work and the glass are priced from your scope. Final pricing is confirmed after we review your project.
Can a jetted tub be removed without damaging the rest of the bathroom? Usually, yes. We seal the room, protect the vanity and cut the tub out in sections. Floor tile next to the tub often has to be redone so the shower ties in cleanly, and we tell you before demo.
Do I need a permit for a tub to shower conversion? Yes, once the drain is moved and the valve is replaced, plumbing permits apply, and electrical work on the pump circuit may need one too. We pull the permits and follow your city or county's requirements.
Can every walk-in shower be curbless? Not every one. On most slab-on-grade houses we can recess the slab. In condos and on post-tensioned slabs, it depends on a scan and the engineer, and we build a low curb when cutting is not allowed.
Will removing the only tub in my house hurt resale? It depends on who is likely to buy your home. If another bathroom still has a tub, most buyers won't miss a whirlpool in the primary bath. If it's the only tub, talk it through with us and your realtor before deciding.
Free estimate: call (561) 556-7509 or send us your project. Licensed Florida general contractor CGC1540699. Serving Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties.
Call (561) 556-7509 or send us your project with photos, the city, approximate dimensions, and material selections.