Converting a bathtub to a walk-in shower in Georgetown, Texas means removing the tub, reworking the drain and supply lines, waterproofing the wet area, and installing a code-compliant shower pan, walls, and door. Most conversions here run $6,500 to $16,000 in 2026 and take 7 to 14 working days once materials are on site.
Below is the full process we use on jobs across Georgetown, plus the local costs, permit rules, and mistakes that turn a two-week project into a two-month one.
What a tub to shower conversion actually involves
A bathtub to walk-in shower conversion is a bathroom remodel that removes the tub, relocates or extends the drain, rebuilds the wet-area waterproofing, and installs a low-threshold shower sized to the alcove or a new footprint. It is not a liner dropped over an existing tub.
On a typical Georgetown alcove - 60 inches long, 30 to 32 inches deep - the work breaks down like this:
- Demo and haul-off: cast iron tubs weigh 300 to 400 pounds and usually come out in pieces. Acrylic tubs come out whole.
- Drain and plumbing: the tub drain sits at one end; a shower drain needs to be centered or offset to match the pan. That means cutting the slab or subfloor and re-running the trap.
- Waterproofing: a bonded membrane over cement board or a foam board system, with seams taped and corners sealed. This is the step that decides whether you have a mold problem in three years.
- Pan and tile: a pre-sloped pan or a poured mud bed, then tile or a solid-surface wall panel.
- Glass and trim: a frameless or semi-frameless door, new valve trim, and usually a fresh exhaust fan because a shower pushes far more humidity into the room than a tub did.
If you want the whole room brought up at the same time - floor, vanity, lighting, paint - that is a Full Bathroom Remodeling Georgetown TX project, and it is usually cheaper per square foot than doing the shower now and the rest in two years.
How do I convert a bathtub to a walk-in shower in Georgetown TX?
You convert a bathtub to a walk-in shower in Georgetown TX by measuring the alcove, choosing a pan and wall system, pulling the right city permit, roughing in the new drain and valve, waterproofing the wet area, then tiling and hanging glass. The order matters more than the speed.
- Measure and decide the footprint. Most Georgetown alcoves are 60 by 30 inches. If you want a 36-inch-wide shower, you are stealing 6 inches from somewhere - usually a linen closet or the space beside the vanity.
- Pick the pan and wall system. Acrylic pans and panels install in days and cost less. Tile over a waterproofed foam board looks better and lasts longer, but adds a week of labor.
- Pull the permit. Georgetown requires a plumbing permit for the drain relocation and an electrical permit if you add a fan or move a light. We handle both.
- Demo and cap. Water off, tub out, old valve and drain removed, and the opening framed square.
- Rough-in plumbing. New drain and trap set to the pan's spec, new pressure-balancing or thermostatic valve at 38 inches to center, blocking added for grab bars.
- Waterproof and flood-test. Membrane installed, seams and corners sealed, then a 24-hour flood test on pan-built showers before any tile goes down.
- Tile, grout, seal. Wall tile to the ceiling in the wet zone, floor tile sloped 1/4 inch per foot to the drain.
- Glass, trim, and fan. Door measured after tile so it fits, valve trim installed, exhaust fan sized to the room's cubic footage.
If you are converting because someone in the house has trouble stepping over a 17-inch tub wall, we also build Accessible Bathroom Remodeling Georgetown TX showers with zero-threshold entry, blocking for grab bars, and a bench - the same framing, just planned for it from day one.
How much does a bathtub to walk-in shower conversion cost in Georgetown Texas?
A bathtub to walk-in shower conversion in Georgetown Texas runs $6,500 to $16,000 in 2026, with most of our jobs landing between $9,000 and $12,500. The spread comes down to pan type, tile, glass, and whether the drain has to move far.
- Acrylic pan and wall kit, standard glass: $6,500 to $9,000. Fastest option, 5 to 7 working days.
- Tile shower, pre-sloped foam pan, semi-frameless door: $9,500 to $13,000. The most common choice here.
- Custom tile, mud-set pan, frameless glass, bench, niche: $13,000 to $16,000+.
- Drain relocation across a slab: add $1,200 to $2,800 for cutting, re-plumbing, and patching.
- New exhaust fan with ductwork to the exterior: add $450 to $900.
Two things move the number more than anything else. First, whether the drain can stay close to where the tub drain already sits - a 6-inch shift is cheap, a 3-foot shift across a post-tension slab is not. Second, glass. A frameless 60-inch door with 3/8-inch glass can run $1,800 to $3,200 installed on its own.
If the shower is part of a larger update - new floor, vanity, countertop, paint - bundle it. We see homeowners save 10 to 15 percent on labor by doing the whole room at once rather than calling us back twice.
How long does a tub to shower conversion take in Georgetown TX?
A tub to shower conversion in Georgetown TX takes 7 to 14 working days from demo to final caulk, assuming materials are on site. Acrylic kits finish in 5 to 7 days. Full tile showers with a mud-set pan and custom glass run 12 to 18 days.
Here is how the time actually breaks down on a tile job:
- Demo and haul-off: 1 day
- Plumbing rough-in and inspection: 1 to 2 days
- Framing, blocking, and board: 1 to 2 days
- Waterproofing and flood test: 2 days (the test itself is 24 hours)
- Tile set: 3 to 5 days
- Grout, seal, and cure: 2 days
- Glass template, fabrication, and install: 5 to 10 business days after tile - this is the long pole, and it is why we measure glass the day tile is finished, not the day the job starts
- Trim, fan, paint, final walkthrough: 1 to 2 days
Material lead times are the real variable. Specialty tile can be 2 to 4 weeks out. Frameless glass is 1 to 3 weeks depending on the fabricator. If you are targeting a finished shower before a holiday or a family visit, start the conversation 6 to 8 weeks ahead.
Do I need a permit to convert a bathtub to a shower in Georgetown TX?
Yes - Georgetown requires a plumbing permit any time you relocate or replace a drain, trap, or shower valve, and an electrical permit if you add or move a fan or light. A cosmetic swap that reuses the exact same drain location and valve can sometimes skip the plumbing permit, but most conversions do not qualify.
What that looks like in practice:
- Permit application through the City of Georgetown building department, with a scope description and sometimes a simple floor plan.
- Rough-in inspection after the drain and valve are set but before the walls close up.
- Final inspection after tile, glass, and trim are in.
Permit fees on a residential shower conversion typically land in the $150 to $400 range depending on valuation. The inspection itself is the valuable part: it confirms the trap is vented correctly and the pan holds water before you have $4,000 of tile sitting on top of a leak.
Skipping the permit is a bad trade. It can surface at resale, and Georgetown's inspectors know the local housing stock well enough to spot unpermitted work.
Common mistakes we see on DIY tub to shower conversions
The mistakes that cost the most are almost never cosmetic. They are the ones buried behind the tile.
- Waterproofing the walls but not the pan-to-wall joint. That seam is where 90 percent of shower leaks start. It needs a bonded membrane and a flexible sealant, not just caulk.
- No pre-slope under the pan liner. A flat liner on a flat subfloor holds standing water. Code and common sense both want a slope to the drain.
- Reusing the old tub drain location without checking the trap. Tub traps are often 1.5 inch; shower drains want 2 inch. Undersized is a slow drain you cannot fix without opening the floor again.
- No blocking for grab bars. If anyone in the house is over 60 or has had a knee or hip replaced, add 2x10 blocking at 33 to 36 inches now. It costs $40 in lumber and saves a tear-out later.
- Skipping the exhaust fan upgrade. A shower dumps far more moisture into the room than a tub. An undersized fan means peeling paint and mildew on the ceiling within two years.
- Ordering glass before tile is set. Tile thickness varies by batch. Measure after, not before.
We also see homeowners try to save money by keeping the existing tub surround and just adding a shower pan. That almost never works - the surround is not waterproofed for a shower's volume of water, and the pan does not match the surround's dimensions.
When to call a professional
Call a professional the moment the drain has to move, the valve has to be replaced, or the waterproofing has to be done right the first time. Those three items are where DIY tub to shower conversions fail inspection or fail in year three.
We handle the whole sequence - permit, demo, plumbing, waterproofing, tile, glass, and final inspection - so you are not coordinating four trades and hoping they show up in the right order. If you are in one of the older neighborhoods near the Square, we do a lot of Bathroom Remodeling in Georgetown TX in Downtown Georgetown where the framing is out of square and the drain runs are tight. In Sun City, the priority is usually a low-threshold entry and blocking for grab bars, and we build Bathroom Remodeling in Georgetown TX in Sun City Georgetown showers with that in mind from the first day.
If you want a straight answer on whether your tub can become a shower without moving the drain, send us a photo of the tub and the wall behind it. We can usually tell you in a day.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I convert a bathtub to a walk-in shower in Georgetown TX?
Pull a plumbing permit, remove the tub, relocate or extend the drain to the new pan, install a code-compliant valve, waterproof the wet area, then set the pan, tile, and glass. Plan on 7 to 14 working days with materials on site.
How much does a bathtub to walk-in shower conversion cost in Georgetown Texas?
Between $6,500 and $16,000 in 2026, with most jobs landing at $9,000 to $12,500. Moving the drain across a slab adds $1,200 to $2,800. Frameless glass alone can run $1,800 to $3,200.
How long does a tub to shower conversion take in Georgetown TX?
Acrylic kits finish in 5 to 7 working days. Tile showers with a mud-set pan and custom glass take 12 to 18 days. Glass fabrication adds 5 to 10 business days after tile is set.
Do I need a permit to convert a bathtub to a shower in Georgetown TX?
Yes, if you move or replace the drain, trap, or valve. Georgetown requires a plumbing permit and a rough-in inspection before walls close. Permit fees typically run $150 to $400 on a residential conversion.
Can I keep my existing tile and just add a shower pan?
Almost never. Tub surrounds are not waterproofed for a shower's water volume, and pan dimensions rarely match. Replacing the surround is the right call, and it is usually less expensive than fixing a leak later.
Get help with Bathroom Remodeling in Georgetown TX in Georgetown
If you want a walk-in shower that passes inspection and still looks right in ten years, we handle the whole conversion - permit, plumbing, waterproofing, tile, and glass. Georgetown Bath Remodel Pros builds Bathroom Remodeling Georgetown TX projects across Georgetown, from the Square to Sun City and Wolf Ranch.
Call 512 325 0295 and we will walk your bathroom, give you a real number, and put you on the schedule.