Comparison
Walk-In Shower vs Bathtub
How the two compare on space, safety, upkeep and resale, and how to decide which one belongs in each bathroom of your house.
The quick verdict
A walk-in shower is the better choice for most adults who shower daily, for anyone with mobility concerns, and for bathrooms where a tub is rarely used. A bathtub is the better choice if you bathe young children, like to soak, or if it is the only tub in the house. Many homes do best with both: a walk-in shower in the primary bathroom and a tub kept in a hall or secondary bath.
The rest of this post compares them point by point and covers what a conversion involves if you decide to swap one for the other.
Side-by-side comparison
| Factor | Walk-in shower | Bathtub (with or without shower) |
|---|---|---|
| Getting in and out | Step in over a low curb, or no curb at all | Step over a tub wall, often while standing on a wet surface |
| Daily showering | More room to move; no curtain clinging | Narrower standing area in a tub-shower combo |
| Bathing children | Workable with a handheld, but not ideal | Much easier |
| Soaking | Not possible | The main reason to keep one |
| Floor space | Can open up a small room, especially with clear glass | Fixed footprint; a freestanding tub needs clearance around it |
| Cleaning | Glass and grout to keep up with | Tub surface plus surround; corner garden tubs collect dust |
| Water use | Depends on shower length and head | Filling a large tub uses a lot of hot water |
| Aging in place | Easier to use with grab bars, a bench and a handheld | Harder with limited mobility |
| Resale | Buyers like a large shower in the primary bath | Many buyers expect at least one tub in the house |
When a walk-in shower makes more sense
- The tub is used for storage or not at all.
- Someone in the house has trouble stepping over a tub wall, or you plan to stay in the home as you get older.
- The bathroom is small and the tub-shower combo makes it feel cramped.
- You have a corner garden tub in a primary bath with a separate, undersized shower beside it. This is common in Dallas-area homes built in the 1980s through the 2000s, and combining the two spaces into one large shower is a popular fix.
Our walk-in shower installation page explains curbless versus low-curb builds, which matters if accessibility is the reason for the change.
When to keep a bathtub
- You have young children, or expect to.
- Someone in the house uses a bath for sore muscles or relaxation.
- It is the only tub in the home. Removing the last one can narrow your pool of buyers later.
- The bathroom is a hall bath shared by kids or guests, where a tub-shower combo does double duty.
If you keep a tub, you can still update it. A new alcove tub with a tiled surround, or a freestanding tub in a larger room, are both covered on our bathtub remodeling page.
What a tub-to-shower conversion involves
Swapping a standard alcove tub for a shower of the same footprint is one of the more contained bathroom projects. The drain is already roughly in the right place, although it usually needs to move to suit a shower pan. Larger conversions, such as removing a garden tub, take more work.
Remove the tub and surround
Down to the studs, so the walls can be inspected and properly waterproofed.
Adjust the drain and valve
On a slab this usually means some concrete work. The shower valve is often raised to a comfortable standing height.
Build and test the pan
A sloped, waterproofed floor is flood-tested before tile, and the wall membrane is lapped over it so water always runs toward the drain.
Tile, glass and trim
Tile is set, then glass is measured from the finished walls.
For the full scope and how we plan it, see our tub to shower conversion service.
Common questions people weigh
Is a walk-in shower safer than a tub?
For most adults, yes. Stepping over a tub wall onto a wet surface is a common source of slips. A low or zero threshold, slip-resistant floor tile, a bench and properly blocked grab bars make a walk-in shower easier to use at any age.
Will a shower without a tub hurt resale?
Not if another bathroom in the house still has a tub. Buyers with young children tend to look for one. In a primary bathroom, a well-built large shower is usually what people want to see. Our post on bathroom remodeling and resale value goes deeper.
Does a walk-in shower cost more than a new tub?
It depends on the build. Replacing an alcove tub in place with a new tub and surround keeps the plumbing where it is, which keeps the scope contained. A tiled walk-in shower involves a new pan, waterproofing, tile work and glass, so there is more labor. A prefabricated shower base with a simple surround sits somewhere in between. The biggest variable in both cases is whether the drain has to move on a slab.
Can I have a tub and a walk-in shower in the same room?
In larger primary bathrooms, yes. One popular layout is a wet room: a freestanding tub placed inside a glassed-in shower area, sharing one waterproofed floor and drain system. It needs enough room for both fixtures and careful slope planning.
Planning a bathroom project? Call and tell us what you have in mind. We'll talk through scope and arrange a visit. Open daily 7 AM to 10 PM.
Planning a remodel in Dallas?
Talk to us about your bathroom
If this guide raised questions about your own project, call us and we'll talk it through. You can also read how we handle tub-to-shower conversion.
Open daily, 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM