Many Northern Virginia homes built in the 1990s and 2000s, especially in Loudoun County communities like Ashburn and Brambleton and across western Fairfax, came with a large jetted tub in the primary bathroom. Twenty years later, most of those tubs are rarely used. They take up a lot of floor space, are hard to clean, and the jets and pumps are often near the end of their life.
Converting a jacuzzi tub to a walk-in shower is now one of our most requested projects. Here is what it costs and what is involved, based on 16 conversions we have completed across Northern Virginia.
Jacuzzi tub to shower conversion cost
| Conversion | Typical range in our recent projects |
|---|---|
| Prefabricated shower base and wall panels | $9,000 – $14,000 |
| Fully tiled shower with glass door | $16,000 – $24,000 |
Across our last 10 jacuzzi tub to shower conversions in Loudoun and Fairfax counties, the average cost was $21,500.
What the conversion involves
A jetted tub is more complicated to remove than a standard one which is part of why these projects cost more than a simple tub-to-shower swap.
- Removing the tub and deck. Most jacuzzi tubs sit in a tiled platform. Both come out along with the pump and air lines.
- Disconnecting the electrical. Jetted tubs run on a dedicated circuit. We safely disconnect it or reuse it for a heated floor or a new fan.
- Moving the drain. A tub drain is rarely in the right spot for a shower. This often requires the drain to be relocated and replaced with a shower drain.
- Building the shower pan and waterproofing. This is the most important part of any shower: a sloppy shower pan will cause water to seep into subflooring.
- Tile, glass, and fixtures. New walls, niches, benchs, valves, shower head, dials, spout, and glass.
Most conversions take 1.5 to 3 weeks depending on tile and glass lead times.
What affects the price
- The size of the space. Jacuzzi tubs often take up a large corner. Filling the whole area with shower costs more than building a smaller shower and adding storage or a bench beside it.
- Tile choices. Large-format porcelain is fast to install. Small mosaics and intricate patterns take longer.
- Glass. Frameless glass costs more than a framed door, but it is the most popular choice in our conversions.
- Curbless entry. Recessing the floor for a curbless shower adds cost, but it makes the bathroom safer for the long term.
If you have not used your jetted tub in a year, you probably will not miss it. A large shower gets used every day.
Should you keep a tub somewhere in the house?
Some buyers, especially families with young children, still want a tub. If your primary bathroom is the only one with a tub, keeping one elsewhere, such as in a hall bath, protects resale value. If you already have a tub in another bathroom, converting the primary bath is rarely a concern.
Thinking about a conversion?
See our shower remodeling page for how we build showers, our tubs page if you would rather replace the jetted tub with a new soaking tub, or our accessible bathrooms page if a curbless shower is part of your plan. When you are ready, contact us for a free at-home consultation.