Tub to Shower Conversion Palo Alto – Cost & Photos

2026 prices

Tub-to-Shower Conversion prices in Palo Alto

From $7,500; Base pricing. Green-building checklist and city permit fees apply; Eichler slab work is its own line item.

Acrylic Wall Shower

from$7,500

1 day

The fastest conversion: a seamless acrylic wall system in the tub alcove.

Tub removal and haul-away
Shower pan sized to the old tub footprint
Acrylic walls, no grout lines
New pressure-balance valve and showerhead
Grab-bar blocking and a shelf
Glass door or curtain rod

Not included: Moving the drain; Tile.

Tiled Walk-In Shower

from$13,000

5 days

A tile shower in the tub alcove with a low curb and frameless glass.

Tub removal, new pan, drain centered or linear
Waterproofing membrane, flood-tested before tile
Porcelain wall and floor tile, recessed niche
Valve with handheld on a slide bar
Frameless glass panel or door
Permit where the drain or valve moves

Not included: Fixtures above allowance.

Curbless Shower

from$16,000

7–10 days

No curb: for aging in place, wheelchairs or a seamless floor.

Everything in the Tiled Walk-In
Floor recessed so it runs flat into the shower
Linear drain
Large-format floor tile continuous with the bathroom
Fold-down seat and grab bars on blocking
Permit and inspections

Not included: Bathroom floor outside the shower area, unless quoted.

Every line item: tub-to-shower conversion cost in the Bay Area.

Homes we remodel in Palo Alto

Most Palo Alto tub-to-shower conversions are in the hall bath of a 1950s ranch or an Eichler, where a 60-inch tub fills the alcove and nobody has used it in years. In a ranch the tub drain is reached from the crawlspace and the new shower drain can go anywhere in the footprint. In an Eichler the drain stays where the slab put it unless we cut concrete, so a prefab pan matched to the old drain location is the fast choice and a centered or linear drain is the upgrade. Older owners in Barron Park and Greenmeadow often ask for a curbless shower with blocking for grab bars, which we frame in even if the bars come later.

Eichlers (Greenmeadow, Fairmeadow, Palo Verde, Charleston Meadows, parts of Midtown): Radiant-heat tubing in the slab, post-and-beam walls, no attic. Every drain and supply line runs through concrete, so plumbing is the whole job.
1920s plaster bungalows and Spanish revivals (Professorville, Crescent Park, Old Palo Alto, Downtown North, College Terrace): Lath-and-plaster walls, original cast-iron drains, knob-and-tube wiring we sometimes still find behind the tile.
1950s ranches (Midtown, Barron Park, Ventura, Green Acres, Southgate): Crawlspaces make plumbing moves straightforward; small hall baths and closed kitchens are the usual starting point.
Teardown new-builds (Everywhere, most often Old Palo Alto and Crescent Park): Newer homes that need a second primary suite or a kitchen redone to the buyer’s taste.

Neighborhoods we work in: Crescent Park, Old Palo Alto, Professorville, Downtown North, Community Center, Duveneck/St. Francis, Midtown, Barron Park, College Terrace, Evergreen Park, Ventura, Charleston Meadows, Greenmeadow, Fairmeadow, Palo Verde, Green Acres, Southgate, Triple El.

Permits in Palo Alto

City of Palo Alto Development Services (285 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto) issues permits in Palo Alto. Typical review time: about 2 weeks on the city’s express track or 30 days on standard review, plus any correction rounds. We prepare the drawings, pull the permit under our license and meet the inspector at every visit; the fee is a line item on your estimate.

Title 24 energy documentation is required on permitted kitchens; we prepare the forms.
Green Building requirements apply to remodels above the city’s valuation threshold; we fill the checklist.
Professorville and Ramona Street are historic districts. Exterior changes there go through historic and architectural review (HRB/ARB); interior remodels follow the standard permit path.
Stanford campus homes permit through Santa Clara County and need Stanford Faculty Staff Housing sign-off first.

City of Palo Alto Utilities supplies electricity, gas and water, so electrification rebates and service upgrades go through CPAU, not PG&E.

More remodeling in Palo Alto

Tub-to-Shower Conversion questions from Palo Alto

How long does a tub-to-shower conversion take in Palo Alto?

Two to three days for an acrylic wall system, about five working days for a tiled shower, and seven to ten for curbless. Permit timing is separate and depends on Palo Alto Development Services.

Does replacing a tub with a shower hurt resale in Palo Alto?

Not if another bathroom in the house keeps a tub. Families with small children look for one; the second or primary bath can be a shower.

Can a curbless shower go on an Eichler slab?

Yes, by cutting a shallow recess in the slab around the radiant tubing. It is the most expensive conversion we do in Palo Alto, and the one owners planning to stay the longest choose.

Do I need a permit to convert a tub to a shower?

If the valve or drain moves, yes. A like-for-like swap on the same drain sometimes does not; we confirm with the city before quoting.

Nearby cities we also serve

tub-to-shower conversion in Menlo Park · 5–12 min from our shop
tub-to-shower conversion in Atherton · 10–15 min from our shop
Tub-to-Shower Conversion across the Peninsula

Tub-to-Shower Conversion in Palo Alto