Tub-to-Shower Conversion or Shower Expansion? Two San Jose-Area Examples

The original bathroom had a bathtub and an existing vanity. Landford converted the tub area into a curbless walk-in shower with an open entry, large-format tile, a linear drain, and a recessed storage niche.

To make the entry work without a curb, we made special cuts in the tile and sloped the floor tile toward the drain from every side. The vanity got wood-tone cabinetry, a light countertop, an undermount sink, and an illuminated round mirror.

The San Jose project page shows the original tub and vanity next to the finished shower and drain details.

Here the starting point was a shower, not a tub. Landford removed the gold-framed enclosure, the white wall tile, and the prefabricated base, and made the shower larger.

The finished shower has large-format gray wall tile, a marble-look tiled floor, a recessed niche, a wall-mounted rain shower, a handheld shower, and a linear drain. The client chose to keep a gray curb at the entry.

The Campbell project page includes photos of the demolition and the waterproofing before tile.

No. Both showers have a linear drain, but only the San Jose shower has a curbless entry; in Campbell, the client chose a curb. The drain alone doesn’t decide the entry or make a shower accessible. The floor, the drain location, the slope of the tile, and the waterproofing all have to work together. Our guide to curbless showers explains how the water stays in without a curb.

That depends on how the household uses the room. If nobody uses the tub and getting in and out of it is hard, a shower solves a daily problem. If this is the only tub in the house, think about children and anyone who still needs one. We don’t have reliable local numbers on what removing a tub does to resale value, so we won’t guess; a local real estate agent can tell you how buyers in your neighborhood see it.

Usually, yes, because new plumbing work needs a permit. If the shower stays where the tub was and no walls, windows, or framing change, it is a minor remodel, which may qualify for an online permit. If fixtures move or are added, or walls change, it is a major remodel with plans and plan review. Our San José permit guide explains the difference. The City’s key requirements for minor bathroom remodels include a shower pan of at least 1,024 square inches and a shower door with at least a 22-inch opening; our bathroom remodel checklist lists the rest. Campbell and other cities have their own building departments, and our guide to permits in South Bay cities shows where the rules differ.

Keeping fixtures in place, moving them, enlarging the shower, and replacing the vanity are different scopes. The existing floor, the drain location, the waterproofing, and your finish choices all change the work. Neither project sets a price for a different home. A useful proposal lists the work, what is included and excluded, and the selections. Our guide to what drives remodeling costs goes further.

Landford Construction does bathroom remodels in San Jose, the South Bay, and the Peninsula, including tub-to-shower conversions and walk-in showers. Send photos of your bathroom, and for suitable projects Adam gives a free preliminary price range before a site visit.