Trading a tub you never use for a shower you use every day is one of the best-value bathroom changes there is. We match you with a vetted local pro and a real quote.
The job is more contained than a full bathroom remodel, but it is real construction, not a swap. A proper conversion means removing the old tub, opening the wet wall, capping or relocating the drain, building a new shower pan or setting a prefab base, waterproofing the whole wet area, installing tile or a solid-surface surround, fitting a new valve and fixtures, and adding glass or a curtain. Done right, it is usually a matter of days rather than weeks, which is part of why it is such a popular project in older Charleston homes where the original tub gets used as a shelf more than a bath.
This is the question most contractors will not raise on their own, so here is the honest version. Keep at least one tub somewhere in the house. Buyers with young children often want a tub to bathe kids, and a home with no tub at all can quietly lose part of that buyer pool. Converting a secondary bathroom or a master bath while a tub stays in another bathroom is the safe play. The only case to genuinely pause on is converting your home's single remaining tub. If you are staying long term and resale is not on your mind, convert away and enjoy it.
You will see ads for one-day tub-to-shower conversions using an acrylic liner installed over the existing surround. Here is the fair frame so you know what you are choosing. Liners are fast and cheaper, and for some people they are fine. The tradeoff is that they go over existing surfaces, so if there is a moisture problem behind the old wall, the liner seals it in rather than fixes it, and over time they can look like what they are. A real conversion is taken down to the studs with fresh waterproofing and tile or solid surface. It costs more and takes longer and lasts. Neither is wrong. Just know which product is in the quote.
Why we vet so you do not have to: the remodelers in our network are checked for active SC licensing, insurance, and verifiable local work history before they ever receive your number. You still choose who you hire. We just clear out the field first.
The part people underestimate is the drain. A tub drain sits in a different spot than a shower drain, so the drain usually has to move, and how hard that is depends on your foundation. A crawlspace home makes it straightforward, because the plumber works from below. A home on a slab means cutting and patching the slab to relocate the drain, which adds cost. Ask any estimator which you have and how they plan to handle the drain, because a quote that ignores it is a quote that will grow.
Many conversions go all the way to a curbless, zero-threshold walk-in, which is the most accessible option and the most demanding to waterproof. The specifics of that are on our walk-in and curbless shower page.
For orientation while you compare quotes: a basic conversion with a prefab base and surround generally runs about $4,000 to $8,000, and a custom tile conversion about $7,000 to $13,000. It is usually less than a full bathroom remodel, and the drain relocation and your tile choice are the biggest swing factors. Insist on the scope in writing so the numbers compare.
Tell us about your conversion once, and a vetted local remodeler calls you back with a real quote, usually within two days. No fee to you, no obligation, and the licensing and history checks are already done before the phone rings.
Tell us about your conversion. A local pro will call you back, usually the same day.
Usually yes. Buyers with young children often want a tub, so a home with no tub at all can lose part of that buyer pool. Converting a secondary or master bath while a tub stays in another bathroom is the safe play. Converting your only tub is the one case to think twice about.
They are different products. A liner goes over existing surfaces, so it is fast and cheaper, but a moisture issue behind it is sealed in rather than fixed. A real conversion is taken to the studs with new waterproofing and tile or solid surface. It costs more, takes longer, and lasts longer.
A contained conversion is usually days rather than the weeks a full remodel takes, depending on whether the drain has to move and whether you choose a prefab base or custom tile.
For orientation, a basic conversion with a prefab base and surround commonly runs about $4,000 to $8,000, and a custom tile conversion about $7,000 to $13,000. It is generally less than a full bathroom remodel.