Walk-In Shower Conversion in San Antonio: Steps, Choices and Planning

A walk-in shower conversion turns a tub alcove nobody has used in years, or a cramped old stall, into a shower you can step or roll into, and in San Antonio homes it is one of the most practical bathroom changes you can make. It is also a project where a few early decisions determine whether the result is easy to live with or a source of leaks: how you enter the shower, where the water drains, what keeps the spray in and how you control the water.

If you haven't decided whether to give up the tub at all, weigh the permit, hiring and resale questions in our tub to shower conversion guide first.

What a walk-in shower conversion changes

A walk-in shower has a low curb or no curb at all, with a glass panel, a door or an open entry in place of a tub wall. Most conversions replace a standard tub, but the same work applies when you swap an old curbed stall for a lower, wider entry. Three things change: the floor, which has to slope to a new drain and be waterproofed; the plumbing, because the drain moves and the valve rises; and the entry, which drops from a tub wall to a low curb or a flush threshold.

Private homes don't have to meet the ADA, but its numbers make useful benchmarks. The U.S. Access Board's guide to the ADA Standards limits thresholds in transfer and roll-in showers to 1/2 inch, allows a threshold up to 2 inches in alterations to transfer showers where a 1/2-inch one would disturb the slab's structural reinforcement, and notes that a shower floor slope of no more than 1:48 helps control water without hurting accessibility.

How a walk-in shower is built, step by step

1. Demolition. The tub, surround and usually some drywall or backer board come out. This is when hidden water damage shows up, so expect the scope to be confirmed after demolition.

2. Drain relocation. A tub drain sits at one end of the tub; a shower drain usually sits near the center of the floor or along one wall. On a concrete slab, the plumber typically cuts the slab to move or replace the drain.

3. Valve and supply changes. The shower valve moves higher on the wall, and a handheld shower or second head needs its own supply. The City of San Antonio Development Services Department (DSD) Home Remodeling FAQ (a 2019 document, so confirm current rules with DSD) says installing faucets and similar fixtures requires a plumbing permit, and DSD's residential permits page says a homeowner can apply for one only on their own homestead when doing the work personally. In most cases a state-licensed plumber pulls it.

4. Framing and blocking. Walls are squared, and solid blocking goes in for a bench, glass hardware and grab bars.

5. Shower floor and waterproofing. The floor is sloped to the drain and covered by a waterproof membrane that runs continuously up the walls. This is the step that decides whether the shower lasts, and it should be inspected or flood-tested before tile goes on.

6. Tile or panels. Tile gives the widest range of looks. Solid-surface wall panels mean fewer grout lines and less maintenance.

7. Glass and fixtures. Custom glass is normally measured after the tile is finished, then fabricated and installed, so plan for a gap between tile and glass.

Curbless or low curb: choosing your entry

The entry shapes the rest of the job, so decide it first.

• Low curb. A short curb holds water inside the shower and lets the floor stay at its normal height. It is the simpler build and works well for anyone who can step over a few inches.
• Curbless. The shower floor has to sit lower than the bathroom floor so it can slope to the drain without a lip. On a concrete slab, that usually means cutting and recessing the slab around the shower; in a pier-and-beam house, the floor framing under the shower is reworked from below. Waterproofing should extend past the wet area.
• Low-threshold base. Some prefabricated shower bases have a short, beveled lip. They can be a middle ground when recessing the floor isn't practical.

If anyone in the home uses a walker or wheelchair, or may in the future, price a curbless entry now. Once tile is down, going from a curb to curbless means starting the floor over. Our aging-in-place bathroom checklist goes through clearances, seats and controls in detail.

Drain options for a walk-in shower

• Center drain. The floor slopes from every side to one point. It works with most layouts and with smaller floor tile that can follow the slope.
• Linear drain. A long channel along the back wall or across the entry lets the floor slope in one direction, which suits curbless entries and large-format tile.
• Location. Keeping the new drain near the old tub drain limits slab cutting, but the drain has to land where the floor can slope properly.

Glass choices: doors, fixed panels and open entries

• Hinged door. Swings out of the shower, so check that it clears the toilet, vanity and towel bars.
• Sliding door. Needs no swing room, which helps in a narrow bathroom, but the track is one more thing to clean.
• Fixed panel with an open entry. Works when the shower is deep enough and the showerhead points away from the opening, so the spray stays inside.

Whatever you pick, shower doors and enclosures are Category II products under the federal safety standard for architectural glazing, 16 CFR Part 1201, and are tested to ANSI Z97.1. Ask the glass company to confirm your panels are certified safety glazing.

Your walk-in shower decisions at a glance

Controls, showerheads and water temperature

A pressure-balancing valve uses one handle and drops hot water pressure when cold pressure drops, such as when a toilet flushes. A thermostatic valve has separate temperature and volume controls, so you can preset the temperature and leave it. Either way, put the controls where you can reach them from outside the spray. The Access Board's ADA guide calls for a hand-held shower hose at least 59 inches long and limits accessible shower water to 120°F, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission urges setting water heaters to 120°F because most scald injuries happen to older adults and young children.

For the showerhead, WaterSense labeled models use no more than 2.0 gallons per minute, compared with 2.5 for standard heads. The EPA estimates the average family could save 2,700 gallons a year, and labeled heads are tested for spray force and coverage.

Floor tile that grips when wet

Ask for the shower floor tile's wet dynamic coefficient of friction (DCOF), measured under ANSI A326.3, the test method developed by the Tile Council of North America. Tile maker Crossville explains that a wet DCOF of 0.42 is the benchmark for level interior floors walked on when wet, but it is the standard's Interior Wet Plus category that lists shower floors. Get the product's rating in writing. Smaller tiles with more grout lines also give your feet more grip.

Plan for grab bars even if you don't want them yet

Blocking costs little while the walls are open and a lot once tile is on. A CDC report on nonfatal bathroom injuries found that injury rates were highest in or around the tub or shower, and its authors suggested grab bars inside and outside the tub or shower and non-slip strips as ways to reduce falls. Even if you never install a bar, blocking leaves the option open. The ADA reference height for a shower grab bar is 33 to 36 inches to the top of the gripping surface, a handy guide when you mark blocking.

Keep moisture out of the walls

A new shower adds a lot of steam to a room that may have had a weak fan. The EPA's guide to mold and moisture recommends ventilating bathrooms with a fan or window, fixing plumbing leaks as soon as possible and keeping indoor humidity below 60 percent, ideally between 30 and 50 percent. Ask whether the existing fan is ducted to the outside and sized for the room; DSD's FAQ says installing an exhaust fan needs a mechanical permit.

Permits for a walk-in shower in San Antonio

Inside City of San Antonio limits, the drain and valve work needs a plumbing permit, an exhaust fan needs a mechanical permit, and new receptacles or light fixtures need an electrical permit. Tiling and sheetrock repair are on DSD's No Permit Required list, but plumbing changes are not, and homes in Historic, Neighborhood Conservation or Corridor Districts can face design and material restrictions. Our San Antonio building permit guide covers who applies and when.

What drives walk-in shower conversion cost in San Antonio

Every walk-in shower is priced from its own scope, and the same handful of items move the number:

• Entry: a curbless recess and the extra waterproofing it needs, versus a low curb.
• Drain: how far it moves, whether the slab is cut and whether you choose a linear drain.
• Glass: door or fixed panel, height and hardware.
• Controls: valve type, number of heads and a hand-held shower.
• Walls and floor: tile area and pattern versus solid-surface panels.
• Ventilation: a new or better exhaust fan.
• Hidden damage: rot or old leaks found after demolition.

The same factors show up across a whole bathroom: fixture moves, shower type, tile area, vanity, ventilation and hidden water damage all shape a San Antonio bathroom remodel estimate, as our breakdown of what drives bathroom remodel cost in San Antonio explains. Veterans with a medically necessary need may get help: VA's HISA grant lists roll-in showers among the bathroom improvements it can cover. See how the program works in our VA bathroom remodel guide and how we handle veteran home modifications in San Antonio.

Practical tips before you start

• Keep one tub somewhere in the house if you expect buyers with young children to care about it.

• Choose a floor tile with a slip-resistant surface for wet use, and ask for the product's rating in writing.

• Decide on niches and a bench before framing, not after the waterproofing is done.

• Pick fixtures early, because the valve body has to be in the wall before tile.

• Ask for a written schedule showing when the bathroom will be out of service and which inspections happen when.

Where this fits in a bigger remodel

A conversion can be the whole project or one piece of a full bathroom remodel. If you're weighing a wider update, our guide to what drives bathroom remodel cost explains how layout, tile and fixtures change an estimate. Either way, writing your choices down on our site-visit scope worksheet helps every bidder price the same shower.

214 Veteran Solutions is a veteran-owned general contractor in San Antonio that plans and manages bathroom projects and coordinates licensed trade contractors for plumbing and electrical work through our plumbing remodel coordination. See our bathroom remodeling page for how we run these projects in San Antonio and nearby cities such as Helotes and Universal City.

Thinking about a walk-in shower? Call (210) 796-3695, request an estimate or book an estimate consultation, and bring your list of decisions to veteran-owned 214 Veteran Solutions.