Most tub-to-shower conversions are residential, a homeowner upgrading their bathroom for safety, accessibility, or aesthetics. But Bruce regularly handles commercial conversions too: hotels, senior living, multi-family rentals, medical facilities. The work is similar in concept and very different in execution. Here’s what separates them and which type fits your project.

Residential Conversions: The Standard Project

Single-bathroom remodel for a homeowner. Typical scope:

• One bathroom, one tub-to-shower swap
• 5-10 working days of construction
• Standard residential code requirements (City of Rapid City + Pennington County)
• Aesthetic and accessibility decisions made jointly with the homeowner
• Permit pulled by the contractor
• Pricing typically $9,500-26,000 depending on scope

Most homeowners are converting because of safety (eliminating tub entry/exit), aesthetics (modernizing a dated bathroom), or aging-in-place planning. The project is one decision-maker, one timeline, one bathroom.

Commercial Conversions: A Different Animal

Commercial tub-to-shower work involves additional considerations residential projects don’t have:

• ADA compliance. Commercial accessible showers must meet specific dimensional, grab-bar, controls, and clearance requirements. The minimum is more stringent than the typical residential ADA-friendly upgrade.
• Multiple units in scope. Hotels and multi-family conversions often involve 12-200+ units, requiring scheduling around occupancy, batch material orders, and crew sequencing.
• Commercial code requirements. Plumbing, electrical, and structural code for commercial use is more demanding than residential. Inspection requirements differ.
• Tenant or guest impact. Hotels need to schedule conversions around bookings; multi-family work coordinates with tenant move-out or relocation.
• Insurance and liability. Commercial work requires higher insurance coverage and more rigorous documentation.

Commercial pricing per unit is often LOWER than residential because of scale (one mobilization across many units), but project total is much larger.

When You Need Commercial-Grade Work

Hotels and motels: guest bathroom upgrades, ADA compliance for required accessible rooms, multi-room renovations between seasons.

Senior living and assisted living facilities: all bathroom upgrades require ADA compliance + specific safety features (grab bars to commercial spec, higher seat heights, slip-resistant flooring rated for commercial wear).

Multi-family rentals (apartments, duplexes): bathroom updates between tenants, full-building modernization, ADA-required units.

Medical facilities (clinics, urgent care): patient bathrooms have additional infection-control material requirements (non-porous surfaces, easily-sanitized fixtures).

ADA Requirements That Apply to Both

Some elements of ADA design help residential users too, even if not legally required:

• Curb height: commercial ADA limits to 1/2″ max; residential aging-in-place benefits from same low threshold
• Shower size: commercial accessible minimum 36″x36″ (transfer-type) or 30″x60″ (roll-in); residential walk-in showers benefit from same generous space
• Grab bars: commercial requires specific bars at specific locations; residential homes for older users benefit from same placement
• Controls: commercial requires single-handle pressure-balanced valves within reach from outside the spray zone; residential safety improves with same setup
• Slip resistance: commercial requires R10 or higher slip rating on shower floor; residential safety improves with same flooring choice

How to Decide Which You Need

You’re a homeowner remodeling your bathroom: residential. Bruce handles design, materials, and code on your behalf, with safety/aesthetic discussion at every step.

You’re a property manager or building owner doing bathrooms in 2+ units: commercial. We handle scheduling, batch ordering, code documentation, and tenant coordination.

You’re upgrading a single rental unit between tenants: can go either way. If the unit is in a building with future planned conversions, commercial planning saves money long-term.

You’re upgrading for an aging family member who will live with you: residential with full ADA-style spec. Same physical work as commercial accessible, but a residential remodel project structure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Black Hills Premier Interiors handle commercial conversions?

Yes. Bruce has 50 years of experience including commercial and multi-family work. We handle hotels, senior living, multi-family rentals, and small commercial properties up to 200+ units.

How much does a commercial tub-to-shower conversion cost per unit?

Per-unit pricing scales with batch size. Single hotel bathroom: similar to residential ($11,000-22,000). Multi-room batches (12+ units): often $7,500-14,000 per unit due to mobilization efficiency.

Do you handle ADA-compliance certification?

We build to ADA spec and provide documentation of compliance. Final certification (if required by inspector or insurance) is handled by the building’s ADA compliance officer or third-party inspector.

How long does a multi-unit conversion project take?

Highly variable based on unit count, occupancy schedule, and unit complexity. A 24-room hotel: typically 6-10 weeks for a full bathroom conversion across all rooms with rolling sequencing.

What’s required for senior-living facility bathroom upgrades?

Full ADA compliance, R10+ slip-resistant flooring, grab bars to spec, accessible controls, often emergency call-button integration. Specific facility requirements vary by license category.

Can residential work meet commercial ADA standards?

Yes, Bruce builds residential bathrooms to commercial-grade ADA spec when the homeowner needs it (in-home care for aging family, planned aging-in-place). Same physical work, residential project structure.

Serving Rapid City and the Black Hills region of South Dakota. Learn more about our services, browse our project gallery, or read about Bruce and the team.