Tub to Shower Conversion Cost: What It Involves in Somerville and Boston
Tub to shower conversion cost in Somerville and Greater Boston: drain, valve, waterproofing, glass, resale, aging in place and which price level it hits.
Mateus MagnoLicensed Construction Supervisor · November 2, 2026 · 4 min read
With Magno & Co, a tub to shower conversion in a typical Greater Boston bathroom usually lands in my mid-level range of $12,000 to $18,000 when the drain stays close and the floor is sound. If we gut the room or the floor and drain need major work, it moves into my $19,000 to $30,000 full renovation level, and curbless builds go past $30,000. Your exact price comes from a free walkthrough and a written line-item budget.
The tub to shower conversion cost my clients in Somerville, Cambridge and Medford typically pay comes down to what is under the old tub: where the drain sits, what shape the subfloor is in, and how much floor tile we have to patch. Most land in my mid-level range. Some turn into a full renovation once we open things up.
Here is what the job really involves, how I price it, and a few things to think about before you remove the only tub in the house.
Tub to shower conversion cost: which of my levels it lands in
These are what my clients typically pay with Magno & Co for a standard 5x8 to 8x10 bathroom in Greater Boston. It is my own pricing, not a statewide average.
| Level | Typical price | When a conversion lands here |
|---|---|---|
| 2. Mid-level renovation | $12,000 – $18,000 | Tub out, shower in the same alcove, drain shifted a short way, new valve, tile walls, new floor tile, glass. |
| 3. Full renovation (gut to the studs) | $19,000 – $30,000 | The whole room is gutted to studs and subfloor, with new supply and drain lines, full waterproofing, tiled shower with glass, permits and inspections. |
| Beyond a full renovation | $30,000+ | Curbless entry, moving walls or plumbing to a new spot, enlarging the room, heated floors, high-end stone. |
A conversion rarely fits the $5,000 to $12,000 refresh level, because the tub, the drain and the wet walls all change. Larger rooms, rot, structural repairs, lead-safe work in pre-1978 homes and high-end finishes cost more. For an outside reference, the 2025 Cost vs. Value report for Boston lists a midrange bathroom remodel at $27,681. All four of my levels are explained in my bathroom renovation cost levels guide.
What a tub to shower conversion actually involves
- Demolition: the tub comes out, along with the wall tile or surround around it. Old cast-iron tubs are heavy and often have to be broken up on site.
- Drain relocation: a tub drain sits at one end. A shower drain usually needs to move toward the center or to a linear drain at the back wall, which means opening the floor.
- Subfloor and joists: decades of small leaks often leave rot under the tub. I replace bad subfloor and sister weak joists before anything new goes in.
- New valve: the shower head goes higher than a tub spout, so the valve and pipes get rebuilt with a new anti-scald valve.
- Waterproofing: a full membrane system on the walls and shower floor, flood-tested before tile.
- Glass: a fixed panel or door, which must be safety glazing under section R308.4.5 of the 2021 International Residential Code.
- Floor tile patching: the shower usually takes a different footprint than the tub. If the old floor tile cannot be matched, it often makes more sense to retile the whole floor.
Should you replace your only tub with a walk-in shower?
If you plan to replace the tub with a walk-in shower and stay for years, do what works for your life. If you might sell soon, think about who buys in your neighborhood.
- Many families with small children want at least one tub in the house.
- Buyers of a one-bath condo in a triple-decker near Porter Square or Teele Square may care less.
- If you have two bathrooms, converting one and keeping a tub in the other is often the safe middle path.
Every market is different, so ask a local real estate agent before you decide. I can show you both layouts in the same room.
Accessibility and aging in place
A lot of owners who convert a tub are planning to stay in their home as they get older. Stepping over a tub wall gets harder every year.
- Low curb or curbless entry: a low curb is affordable. Curbless is the easiest to use but pushes the job into my $30,000+ level because of floor work.
- Blocking for grab bars: I add solid wood blocking in the walls now, even if you do not want bars yet. It costs little while the walls are open.
- Handheld shower and a bench: easy to plan in, hard to add later.
- Wider opening: a fixed glass panel with no door leaves the most room to walk in.
Permits, plumbing code and lead paint
Moving a drain and replacing a valve is plumbing work, and Massachusetts governs it through its own 248 CMR plumbing code, done by a licensed plumber with a permit. For the full picture, read do I need a permit for a bathroom remodel in Massachusetts.
Most homes in Somerville and Medford were built well before 1978. The EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting rule requires lead-safe work practices when renovating pre-1978 homes, and I am a certified Lead-Safe Renovator Supervisor. More in my lead paint renovation guide.
Need a hand?
Every house is different, and nobody knows what is under a tub until it comes out. Book a free walkthrough and I will check the drain, floor and layout, then send a written line-item budget, usually within 48 hours.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a tub to shower conversion cost?
With Magno & Co, most conversions in a typical Greater Boston bathroom land in my mid-level range of $12,000 to $18,000. If the room is gutted or the floor needs major repair, it moves to $19,000 to $30,000, and curbless builds go past $30,000.
Does removing the only bathtub hurt resale value?
It can matter to buyers with young children, so if you plan to sell soon, ask a local real estate agent. If the house has a second bathroom, keeping a tub there is a common compromise.
Do you need a permit to convert a tub to a shower in Massachusetts?
Usually yes. Moving a drain or replacing a shower valve is plumbing work under the state plumbing code, 248 CMR, and needs a licensed plumber and a plumbing permit.
How long does a tub to shower conversion take?
It depends on what is found under the tub and how much tile changes. Drain moves, subfloor repairs and inspections add time, so I give a schedule with the written budget after a walkthrough.
Planning a bathroom? See how I remodel bathrooms in Somerville and my published prices.
Mateus Magno founded Magno & Co in 2020. He is a licensed Massachusetts Construction Supervisor (CS-123658), registered Home Improvement Contractor (HIC #220484) and certified Lead-Safe Renovator Supervisor who has renovated and managed over $5 million in projects across Greater Boston.
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