Keep the Tub or Convert to a Walk-In Shower? Here's How to Decide

This is one of the most common decisions in a bathroom remodel, and it's genuinely not a simple call. The trend clearly favors showers, spa-like, curbless, glass-enclosed, but the right answer for your bathroom depends on how you actually use the room and what it means for resale down the line.

Why Homeowners Are Leaning Toward Showers

Larger, spa-style showers with curbless entries, built-in benches, and multifunction showerheads have become the default choice in most current bathroom remodels. Roughly 44% of homeowners who recently renovated said it was because the space felt outdated, and a dated tub-shower combo is often the specific culprit. A well-designed walk-in shower also reads as more accessible and lower-maintenance, no caulk line around a tub to keep clean, no step to climb over.

Why Real Estate Agents Push Back

Despite the trend, the standard advice from agents is to keep at least one bathtub in the home, particularly if you have only two or three bathrooms total. Families with young children and a segment of buyers specifically look for at least one tub. Converting every bathroom to a shower-only layout can narrow your buyer pool when you eventually sell, even if it feels right for how you live today.

How to Actually Decide

• How many bathrooms does the home have? If you have two or more, converting one to a shower-only primary bath while keeping a tub in a secondary bathroom is the safest middle ground.
• Do you actually use the tub? Be honest. A tub that hasn't been used in over a year isn't preserving anything except resale optionality, which is a legitimate reason to keep it, but worth naming clearly.
• How long do you plan to stay? If you're renovating for the next 10+ years in the home, prioritize how you live now. If a sale is within a few years, weight resale more heavily.
• Accessibility, now or later. A curbless walk-in shower is significantly easier to age in place with than a tub. If that's a real consideration for your household, it can outweigh resale math.

What It Costs Either Way

Project	Typical OC Cost
Tub-to-shower conversion (existing footprint)	$4,000 – $8,000
Custom walk-in shower (tile, glass, waterproofing)	$8,000 – $16,000
New freestanding tub, replacing existing	$3,500 – $9,000

A straight swap, tub for tub or shower for shower in the same footprint, is always cheaper than converting one to the other, since a conversion usually means new waterproofing, drain relocation, and sometimes a wider door opening to keep code-compliant clearances.

The Answer That Works for Most OC Homes

If you have more than one full bathroom, put the shower upgrade in the primary bath where you actually shower daily, and leave a tub in a secondary or guest bath. That gets you the modern, spa-like primary bathroom you actually use, without closing the door on buyers who specifically want a tub somewhere in the house.