Walk-In Showers vs. Bathtubs: Which Should You Choose?
Tub or shower? It sounds like a simple question, but the answer depends on how you use your bathroom, who lives in your home, and what you want the space to feel like. Most homeowners we talk to in the NW Suburbs of Chicago have already been going back and forth on this for months. Here's a straight look at both options so you can stop second-guessing and start planning.
What You're Actually Deciding
This isn't really about aesthetics. It's about how your bathroom works day-to-day. A walk-in shower is faster, easier to clean, and takes up less floor space. A bathtub gives you a place to soak, works better for young kids, and checks a box that some home buyers expect to see.
Neither one is the wrong answer. But one of them is probably a better fit for your household right now.
The Case for a Walk-In Shower
Walk-in showers have become the go-to choice in most bathroom remodels we do. There are a few good reasons for that.
First, they free up space. A standard tub takes up about 14 square feet. A walk-in shower can fit in less than that, and the open design makes the whole room feel bigger. In a smaller bathroom, that difference is real.
Second, they're easier to maintain. No grout lines climbing up tub walls, no slippery tub floor to scrub. A well-tiled shower with a simple drain is quick to clean.
Third, they're safer for a wide range of people. A barrier-free or low-threshold shower is much easier to step into than swinging a leg over a tub ledge. If you're thinking ahead to staying in your home as you get older, this matters. We do a lot of accessible bathroom remodeling work for homeowners who want to stay put for another 20 years.
The one real drawback: if you have young kids who need baths, you'll miss the tub. A handheld showerhead helps, but it's not the same.
The Case for Keeping a Bathtub
Bathtubs still make sense in plenty of situations. If you have kids under eight or so, bath time is just easier with a tub. Same goes if you actually use the tub yourself for soaking after a long day.
There's also a resale angle worth knowing. Real estate agents in the NW Suburbs of Chicago will often tell you that having at least one bathtub in the home is something buyers expect, especially families. If your home only has one bathroom, keeping a tub there is probably the safer call from a resale standpoint.
Modern freestanding tubs have gotten popular for a reason. They look sharp, they're available in a range of sizes, and paired with a separate walk-in shower, they can anchor a master bathroom remodel really well. That combo, tub plus shower, is one of the most common requests we get on larger bathroom projects.
When a Tub-to-Shower Conversion Makes Sense
A tub-to-shower conversion is exactly what it sounds like. You remove the existing tub, reconfigure the plumbing as needed, and tile out a proper walk-in shower in that footprint.
This works well in a few specific situations. If you have a second bathroom in the house that still has a tub, you're not giving anything up. If the existing tub is old, stained, or just uncomfortable to use, there's no reason to keep it. And if your household is two adults with no kids, a walk-in shower almost always fits your life better.
The plumbing work involved is real but manageable. Moving a drain, adding a shower valve, waterproofing the walls and floor properly. This is work you want done right the first time, because water damage behind tile is expensive to fix.
What to Think About Before You Decide
Run through these questions before you commit to either direction.
- Do you or anyone in your household actually use the tub regularly right now?
- Are there young children in the home, or do grandchildren visit often?
- Is this your only bathroom, or do you have a second one with a tub?
- Are you planning to sell in the next few years, or are you staying long-term?
- Does anyone in the home have mobility concerns now or down the road?
Your answers will point you pretty clearly in one direction. Most homeowners who think they're torn usually find they already know the answer once they work through this list.
Getting the Details Right
Whichever way you go, the finish work matters. The tile installation on a walk-in shower sets the tone for the whole room. Grout joints, the type of tile, the slope of the floor toward the drain. These details affect both how the shower looks and how long it holds up.
For a tub, the surround tile and the fixtures do the same work. A poorly finished tub surround will start showing problems within a few years, usually at the caulk lines or where the tile meets the tub edge.
Good bathroom design means thinking through the full picture before any tile gets set or any plumbing gets moved. Changes mid-project cost more and take longer. Starting with a clear plan saves real money.
If you're still weighing your options, talking through the layout with someone who's done this work before makes a difference. B&C Remodeling has been remodeling bathrooms across the NW Suburbs of Chicago for over 20 years. Request a free estimate and we'll walk through the space with you and give you a straight answer on what makes sense.