Ready to trade the tub for a shower? This is our tub to shower service. We take the old bathtub out and build a walk-in shower in the same alcove, around Beaverton, Bethany, Cedar Mill and Portland's west side. Our crew does the demo and framing, the waterproofing, the tile or wall panels, and the glass. A plumber sets the valve and drain . Portland-area market numbers for this job fall between $1,600 and $8,400 with materials, $3,200 being common (November 2026) . Send a photo by text to to start.
Slava has done this kind of hands-on work for seven years.
How much should a tub-to-shower job cost around Portland?
These are open-market figures for the Portland area, and materials sit inside them. They're a yardstick, not a quote .
| Job | Low | High | Often | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tub out, walk-in shower in, one bathroom | $1,600 | $8,400 | $3,200 | materials included (near 40 % of what you pay) |
A few decisions move a job up or down that spread. Acrylic or solid-surface panels come in under tile. A flush or very low entry runs higher than an ordinary curb. If the drain can't stay near the old tub drain, moving it is plumber's work and the plumber prices it. A new valve, framed glass in place of a curtain, and rot or old leak damage found once the tub is gone all add to the bill. Our guide to bathroom remodel costs breaks down a whole-room budget.
Since most conversions cost more than $2,000, Oregon law wants a written contract on them, with state required notices attached. Read what an Oregon contract must contain .
Will a shower fit where my bathtub is now?
Usually, if the tub sits in a normal 5-foot alcove. The new base takes the tub's footprint, so walls and layout stay. The hard parts are the drain location, the floor structure, and how sound the wall behind the old surround turns out to be. Lots of bases are made with the drain at one end, so the new one can land near the old .
On the west side many houses are built over a crawl space, which lets the plumber get at the drain from underneath. On slab, or upstairs, reaching it means cutting more floor or opening the ceiling under it.
Check first whether this is your last tub. Toddlers are harder to bathe without one, and some buyers want one in the house, so keep a tub in a second bathroom if you can. Changing the whole room? That's our bathroom remodel service. If you're keeping the tub and only the caulk, surround or door is tired, a bathroom refresh fits better.
Who handles the plumbing, and is a permit required?
Under Oregon statute, putting in or changing fixtures, their traps and the drain lines is plumbing. Oregon's Building Codes Division asks for a plumbing permit whenever pipe hidden inside walls or under floors is changed, and whenever a remodel shifts existing plumbing to a new spot. A new shower head, or fresh grout on old tile, needs none. This is how we read it, and it isn't legal advice; the statute and the BCD have the full wording.
That's why the work is divided. Everything from studs to glass is ours. The valve and drain belong to a plumbing contractor working under its own permit, and we plan our days around its visits . Which office issues it varies by address.
Panels or tile? A curb or a flush entry?
Acrylic and solid-surface panels go in quickly with few seams, but offer fewer looks. Tile can look like anything and takes longer. How long a tiled shower holds up depends on the membrane behind it far more than on the grout lines in front.
An ordinary curb is the straightforward build. Going flush with the bathroom floor generally means dropping the floor framing, so expect extra carpentry and a higher price. Bathrooms here stay damp through the long wet season, and a fan that actually vents outside fights mould better than any coating sold as mould-resistant .
Does a walk-in shower help with safety and grab bars?
A low threshold is easier on knees than swinging a leg over a tub rim. With the studs exposed, solid blocking for future grab bars or a fold-down seat costs very little, far less than cutting into finished tile years later. A hand shower on a sliding rail goes in at that point too . For insurance coverage, ask your plan; we can't speak to it.
My house is older than 1978. What's different?
Oregon assumes lead paint in every home built before 1978 unless a test rules it out. Tearing out a surround tends to expose painted drywall or plaster nearby, so how much painted wall gets touched decides where the job falls. Lead-paint disturbance is on our list of work we don't take, so give us your home's build year first .
Old thinset, mortar beds and joint compound may hold asbestos, which we also don't remove. In an older bathroom a test goes ahead of any demo. Plenty of 1950s and '60s homes in Cedar Hills still have their first bathrooms, so we expect the question there.
How many days does the conversion take?
The market data behind the range above assumes around 30 labour hours; our own calendar may differ. Panels go up fast; tile needs time to set and cure, and the plumber's rough-in plus its inspection land mid-job, so their schedule shapes ours . We agree with you in advance on what becomes of the old tub once it's out .