Sturgis Tub-to-Shower Conversions
If you have not taken a real bath in the last year, your tub is just taking up valuable real estate in your bathroom. We convert it into a walk-in shower in 7 to 14 days, with no structural surprises and no half-finished bathroom sitting open for a month.
TUB-TO-SHOWER CONVERSIONS IN STURGIS
When a Sturgis Tub-to-Shower Conversion Makes Sense
Tub-to-shower conversions are the highest-leverage bathroom upgrade we do. A 60-inch alcove tub that nobody uses gets replaced with a walk-in shower that everybody uses. The footprint stays the same, the drain stays roughly the same place, the supply lines barely move, and the bathroom becomes immediately more functional. We do these conversions across Sturgis weekly during the off-season.
The Sturgis homeowners who request tub-to-shower conversions usually fall into one of four groups. First: aging-in-place homeowners who can no longer step over a 14-inch tub wall safely. Second: vacation-rental owners who have figured out their guests overwhelmingly prefer walk-in showers in listing photos. Third: primary-bath homeowners who want to free up the tub footprint for a larger custom shower. Fourth: secondary-bath owners who use the en-suite primary tub when they want a soak and just want a usable shower in the hall bath.
The conversion itself is straightforward when handled by someone who has done it before. The complications come from older Sturgis homes where the tub deck was framed in, the supply lines are galvanized, or the drain pitch needs to be adjusted to accommodate the new shower pan. We handle all of that as part of the scope. You get a working shower at the end without surprise change orders.
CONVERSION OPTIONS
Three Sturgis Tub-to-Shower Conversion Paths
Acrylic Conversion (Fastest)
Remove the tub, install an acrylic shower pan and 3-panel acrylic wall system in the existing alcove. The 14-inch tub wall is gone, replaced with a 4-inch low-threshold. Build time 5 to 7 days. Best for budget-conscious conversions and vacation-rental upgrades where speed matters. Lasts 15 to 20 years with normal use.
Solid-Surface Conversion (Mid-Range)
Remove the tub, install a solid-surface (Onyx, cultured marble, or fiberglass-composite) pan and seamless wall panels. Looks more upscale than acrylic, no grout to seal, easy to clean. Build time 7 to 10 days. The most common Sturgis tub-to-shower conversion choice. Lasts 20 to 25 years.
Custom Tile Conversion (Premium)
Remove the tub, install a sloped mortar-bed pre-pan with Schluter Kerdi waterproofing, then tile the walls and floor with large-format porcelain, accent tile, or natural stone. Build time 12 to 14 days. The longest-lasting conversion option (25+ years) and the highest-impact on resale.
WHAT IS INCLUDED
Our Full Tub-to-Shower Conversion Scope
- In-home consultation, written line-itemed quote
- Demo of existing tub, surround, and any failing tile
- Disposal of tub and demo debris
- Plumbing adjustment: drain re-pitch, supply-line replacement if galvanized
- New shower pan installation (acrylic, solid-surface, or tile)
- Pressure-balance or thermostatic mixing valve install
- Wall panel or tile installation
- Glass door or shower curtain rod install
- Optional: built-in seat, niche, grab bars, hand-held wand
- Trim, sealant, and finish hardware
- Permit pull when required by City of Sturgis
- Full clean-up, you walk into a usable shower
DAY BY DAY, AND BETWEEN BOOKINGS
What the Conversion Actually Involves, and How It Fits a Rental Calendar
People hear “tub-to-shower conversion” and picture a crew dropping a liner over the old tub in an afternoon. That is not what we do, and it is exactly why ours hold up for decades while the one-day liner jobs start peeling at the corners inside a couple of years. Here is how the real thing runs in a Sturgis bathroom, and why the timeline matters more here than almost anywhere, because so many of these bathrooms are earning income between August weekends.
Day one is demo. The tub comes out, the surround comes off, and we get our first honest look behind the wall. On the older Sturgis homes near downtown this is where the surprises live: galvanized supply lines choked with mineral scale, a drain that was never pitched for a shower, framing that got wet years ago and quietly went soft. Whatever is back there, we deal with it now, while the wall is open, instead of tiling over it and getting a callback next season.
The middle days are the ones the fast operators skip and the ones that decide whether your shower is still dry in ten years. The drain gets reset to the right height and pitch for a shower pan, which is different geometry than a tub drain. Shot supply lines get replaced. Then the waterproofing goes in, a real membrane on the walls and a properly sloped, flood-tested pan on the floor, not a bead of caulk and optimism. If you told us on the walkthrough that you want to age in this home, this is when we set solid blocking inside the wall at grab-bar height, so a bar can later be screwed into wood exactly where it belongs instead of a hollow anchor that pulls loose. Adding it now costs almost nothing; adding it later means opening the wall again.
The rental side is where scheduling becomes everything. The 5-to-7-day acrylic conversion is built to slot between bookings, and we treat an active rental like one: clean tarps, daily clean-up, no debris left sitting, and a hard finish date so the next guest walks into a fully working walk-in shower. We coordinate with the property manager, plan the offline window around the calendar, and aim the loud work at the winter shoulder when the bookings thin out. Whether it is your own hall bath or a Rally-income property, Bruce writes one line-item price and holds the crew to the day it says on the paper.
RELATED STURGIS SERVICES
Other Sturgis Bathroom Services
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Sturgis Tub-to-Shower Conversion FAQ
How long does a Sturgis tub-to-shower conversion take?
An acrylic conversion runs 5 to 7 days. A solid-surface conversion runs 7 to 10 days. A custom tile conversion runs 12 to 14 days. We do not start a conversion until materials are on-site so the bathroom does not sit half-finished.
What does a Sturgis tub-to-shower conversion cost?
An acrylic conversion runs $5,500 to $9,500. A solid-surface conversion runs $9,000 to $14,000. A custom tile conversion runs $12,000 to $22,000. Bruce writes a line-itemed quote after the in-home consultation, no obligation.
Will I lose resale value by removing my only tub?
If your home has only one tub, we recommend keeping it. Family-oriented buyers want at least one tub. If you have multiple tubs (very common in Sturgis 1990s and 2000s builds with a primary suite tub plus hall-bath tub), converting one to a shower is universally a value-add. We will tell you straight on the consultation which path makes more sense for your specific home.
Can you do the conversion in my Sturgis vacation rental between bookings?
Yes. The 5 to 7 day acrylic conversion window fits between most Rally-week and shoulder-season bookings. We coordinate with the property manager, treat the home like an active rental (clean tarps, daily clean-up, no extra debris), and finish so the next guest walks into a fully operational walk-in shower.
Will my bathroom be unusable during the work?
The toilet and sink remain functional throughout. The tub and shower are out of commission for the duration of the conversion. If you only have one bathroom in the home, we can usually compress the timeline by 1 to 2 days and coordinate with gym memberships or family workarounds during the offline window.
Do I need a permit for a tub-to-shower conversion in Sturgis?
If the drain stays in the same location and there are no major plumbing changes, often not. If we have to re-pitch the drain, relocate the supply lines, or update electrical for an in-shower light, the conversion needs a City of Sturgis or Meade County permit. We handle permitting either way.
Ready for Your Sturgis Tub-to-Shower Conversion?
Call Bruce Miller today for a free, no-obligation in-home quote. Veteran-owned. 50 years of bathroom craftsmanship.