That guest-bath tub nobody has taken a bath in for years is prime real estate. Converting it to a walk-in shower opens up the room, makes the space easier to use, and is one of the most requested bathroom projects we do across the Savannah area. Here is what a tub-to-shower conversion actually costs, how the work goes, and how to decide whether it is the right move for your home.
What a tub-to-shower conversion costs in Savannah
Nationally, a tub-to-shower conversion usually runs $3,000 to $12,000, and Savannah pricing tends to land a little under national averages. Where you fall in that range depends almost entirely on what you replace the tub with:
- Prefab shower stall — roughly $2,000–$6,000. The budget route; fast, but limited on looks and sizing.
- Standard walk-in shower — roughly $5,000–$12,000.
- Custom tile shower — roughly $6,000–$12,000. A real tiled, waterproofed shower built to your space.
- Curbless (zero-threshold) tile shower — roughly $8,000–$15,000. The most accessible and the most involved to build.
How the conversion works
A tub and a shower are not plumbed the same way, which is the part most homeowners do not expect. We remove and haul off the old tub, then deal with the plumbing: a shower needs a 2-inch drain where a tub uses a inch-and-a-half, and the floor has to be sloped at a minimum of a quarter inch per foot toward that drain so water actually leaves. From there it is the same careful build as any custom shower: waterproof, set tile, grout, seal.
Timeline-wise, a simple prefab swap can be one to three days, while a custom tile conversion is usually three to seven days on site plus cure time for thin-set, grout, and silicone.
Why waterproofing matters even more here
A tub holds its own water. A tile shower relies on a hidden membrane to do that job, so the waterproofing has to be done right. We use systems that meet the ANSI A118.10 waterproofing standard — a bonded sheet membrane like Schluter Kerdi or a liquid-applied membrane. In Savannah's humidity that membrane is what keeps moisture out of the wall and mold out of your bathroom.
Is it worth it?
For most households, yes — especially if the tub goes unused. A walk-in shower is easier to clean, easier to step into, and makes a small bath feel bigger. One industry estimate puts the return on a shower remodel around 60% at resale, and the daily-use value is real.
One thing to keep in mind
Buyers with kids still like having at least one bathtub in the house. If this is your only tub, consider converting a secondary bath instead and leaving one tub in place. We will help you weigh it.
A safer bathroom, not just a prettier one
Stepping over a tub wall is one of the riskier things we ask our knees to do every day. The CDC reports that one in four adults 65 and older falls each year, and bathing and getting in and out of the tub are common moments for it. A low-threshold or curbless walk-in shower takes that wall out of the equation. If aging in place is on your mind, we can add a bench, grab-bar blocking, and accessible fixtures while the wall is open — read more about walk-in and curbless showers.
Older Savannah homes
In pier-and-beam homes over a crawlspace — common downtown and in the in-town neighborhoods — upsizing that drain from below is usually straightforward. In a pre-1950 house we also check for undersized or galvanized lines and bring them up to standard as part of the job.
The bottom line
A tub-to-shower conversion is a high-impact, mid-budget project when it is built correctly — properly drained, properly waterproofed, and tiled to last in our climate. If you want to see how we build the shower itself, read what to know about custom tile showers in Savannah, or look at our bathroom remodeling work.
Common questions
Nationally a tub-to-shower conversion runs about $3,000–$12,000. A prefab stall is roughly $2,000–$6,000, a standard walk-in $5,000–$12,000, a custom tile shower $6,000–$12,000, and a curbless tile shower $8,000–$15,000. Savannah pricing tends to run a little below national, and we give a free written estimate after seeing the space.
A simple prefab swap can take one to three days. A custom tile conversion is usually three to seven days of on-site work, plus cure time for the thin-set, grout, and silicone.
Usually some. A shower uses a 2-inch drain where a tub uses an inch-and-a-half, and the floor has to slope at least a quarter inch per foot to the drain. In pier-and-beam homes over a crawlspace, common in older Savannah neighborhoods, that drain work is often straightforward from below.
A walk-in shower is a strong selling point, and one industry estimate puts the return on a shower remodel around 60%. Just keep at least one bathtub somewhere in the home, since buyers with young children tend to want one.
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