Walk-In Shower vs Tub Comparison

The walk-in shower versus tub decision is one of the most common points of genuine uncertainty in bathroom remodeling conversations — and one of the most consequential, because it determines the entire layout direction of the renovation. For Pekin area homeowners planning a primary bathroom remodel, the choice between keeping or adding a tub and converting to a walk-in shower is not a purely aesthetic one. It involves practical considerations about how the household actually uses the bathroom today, what the bathroom’s square footage makes realistic, how the decision will affect resale value in the central Illinois market, and what the relative cost difference between the two options looks like in real project numbers. This guide breaks down the shower versus tub decision honestly, with a detailed comparison of every factor that matters to homeowners making this choice in a real bathroom remodel.

Why the Shower vs Tub Decision Is More Complicated Than It Appears

Most homeowners approaching the shower versus tub decision have a preference — either they want to eliminate the tub they never use and gain a better shower, or they want to keep the tub for functional reasons they have thought through clearly. But the decision is rarely as simple as personal preference alone because it intersects with resale considerations, building code requirements, and the square footage realities of the specific bathroom being remodeled.

The resale question is the one that most frequently complicates what seems like a clear preference-based decision. The conventional wisdom in real estate has long been that a home without a bathtub in at least one bathroom is at a disadvantage in the market. That conventional wisdom is worth examining carefully before it drives a decision in either direction — because the accuracy of that concern depends significantly on the specific home, the specific market, and the number of bathrooms in the home where the decision is being made.

The building code question matters in bathrooms being built or significantly modified — there is no universal code requirement that a home have a bathtub, though lender requirements and local market expectations interact with this in ways that are worth understanding. And the square footage reality is straightforward: a walk-in shower done well requires adequate space to function correctly, and a shower that is too small for comfortable daily use is not an improvement over a tub-shower combination, regardless of how much more stylish it appears.

Knowing all of these dimensions of the decision — not just the aesthetic preference — is what produces a bathroom remodel choice that a household is satisfied with for the full life of the renovation.

The Case for a Walk-In Shower

For the majority of primary bathroom remodels in Pekin area homes, the walk-in shower conversion is the direction that delivers the most meaningful improvement in daily use. Here is the case for it in detail.

Daily Functionality

Most American adults shower rather than bathe as their primary daily hygiene routine, and the tub-shower combination that serves as the primary shower in most older Pekin area homes is a compromise that serves neither function particularly well. The shower experience through a curtain and rod over a tub involves awkward entry over the tub wall, limited space, poor pressure distribution relative to what a purpose-built shower can deliver, and the constant maintenance of a shower curtain and liner that accumulates mildew in a way that a glass-enclosed shower does not.

A walk-in shower designed for its function — with a properly sized footprint, a quality showerhead and valve system, a built-in niche for storage, a bench seat where appropriate, and a frameless glass enclosure — delivers a genuinely better daily shower experience than a tub-shower combination. For households whose primary bathroom use is showering rather than bathing, this improvement is felt every single morning and showcases the most direct quality-of-life return of any element in the bathroom remodel.

Space & Visual Impact

A walk-in shower consistently makes a bathroom feel larger than the same square footage with a tub-shower combination. The shower curtain that encloses a tub-shower is one of the most visually closing elements in any bathroom — it divides the room, blocks light from the shower area, and creates a visual barrier that makes the space feel smaller and more cluttered. A frameless glass enclosure removes that barrier entirely, allows light to travel through the shower space into the rest of the bathroom, and creates a continuous sightline that is one of the most effective ways to make a small or mid-sized bathroom feel significantly more expansive.

In the older housing stock that characterizes much of Pekin and Tazewell County, where bathroom square footage is often limited, this visual expansion effect of a well-designed walk-in shower is not a minor detail — it is the change that makes a compact bathroom feel genuinely transformed rather than simply updated.

Accessibility & Long-Term Usability

A curbless or low-threshold walk-in shower is significantly more accessible than a tub-shower combination for household members with limited mobility, and it is the bathroom configuration most recommended for homeowners planning for aging in place. Stepping over a tub wall to access a shower is an injury risk that increases with age — a curbless shower eliminates that barrier entirely.

For Pekin area homeowners who plan to stay in their home long term, a curbless walk-in shower is an investment in the long-term usability of the home rather than simply a style preference. Grab bar blocking installed in the shower walls during the rough-in phase — solid backing in the wall cavity behind the drywall that allows grab bars to be added later without opening the walls — is an inexpensive addition during a remodel that provides significant future value.

The Case for Keeping or Adding a Tub

The case for keeping a bathtub in a primary bathroom remodel is grounded in several genuine practical considerations that deserve honest evaluation before the tub-removal decision is made.

Households With Young Children

For families with young children, a bathtub is a functional necessity rather than a luxury or a style choice. Bathing young children in a walk-in shower is impractical in most configurations — it requires kneeling on a shower floor, managing a handheld showerhead in an enclosed glass space, and does not provide the contained water environment that bathing a child requires. For households with children under 6 to 8 years old in a home with only one bathtub, removing that tub eliminates a fixture the household needs daily.

The practical resolution for these households is often to keep the tub in a secondary or guest bathroom where it is accessible for child bathing, while converting the primary bath to a walk-in shower that better serves adult daily use. This approach preserves tub functionality where it is needed while providing the primary bath experience that the adults in the household are looking for.

Soaking Tub as a Design Feature

The case for a tub in a primary bathroom remodel is strongest when the tub is a genuine design and use element rather than a retained fixture by default. A freestanding soaking tub — a Japanese-style deep soaker, an oval freestanding tub positioned as a focal point under a window or in the center of the room — is a genuinely different proposition from the standard alcove tub in a tub-shower combination.

Homeowners who regularly take baths and value the soaking experience, or who want the freestanding tub as a design centerpiece of a premium primary bathroom renovation, have a genuine functional and aesthetic case for including one. In a bathroom with adequate square footage to accommodate both a freestanding tub and a separate walk-in shower — which typically requires a bathroom of at least 80 to 100 square feet for both to be done well — the combination of the two is the premium primary bath configuration that delivers the highest quality experience and the strongest resale positioning.

Resale Considerations in the Pekin Market

The resale implication of removing the only tub from a home is the most commonly cited reason for keeping a tub in a bathroom remodel, and it is worth evaluating honestly for the Pekin area market specifically.

The general real estate guidance that a home without at least one bathtub is at a market disadvantage has meaningful nuance in the central Illinois market. Homes with multiple bathrooms — a primary bath and at least one secondary bath — can generally remove the tub from the primary bath without significant resale impact, provided a tub remains accessible in the secondary bath. The buyer pool for central Illinois homes is not uniformly tub-dependent, and for buyers who are the primary target for most Pekin area homes — families with children — access to a tub somewhere in the home is the relevant consideration rather than the specific location.

Homes with a single bathroom are a different situation. A one-bathroom home that removes its only tub eliminates access to a tub entirely, which does affect the buyer pool in a meaningful way. For single-bathroom homes, keeping the tub or combining a tub with a shower in a well-designed configuration is the more conservative resale choice.

Walk-In Shower vs Tub — Full Comparison Table

What the Right Choice Actually Looks Like for Common Household Types

Rather than applying a universal recommendation, the right shower versus tub decision depends on the specific household and the specific bathroom. Here is how the decision typically resolves for the most common household types in the Pekin area.

For households without young children or with children old enough to shower independently, the walk-in shower conversion in the primary bath is almost always the stronger choice — better daily shower experience, more visual space, better accessibility long term, and neutral to positive resale impact in a home with a tub in a secondary bathroom.

For households with young children in a home with a single bathroom, keeping a tub in some form — either a tub-shower combination or a walk-in shower with a separate soaking tub if square footage allows — preserves essential functionality that the household needs daily.

For homeowners doing a premium primary bath renovation in a home with adequate square footage, the combination of a walk-in shower and a freestanding soaking tub as separate fixtures is the highest-quality configuration and the one that delivers both the daily shower experience and the soaking option without either compromising the other.

For homeowners in older Pekin area homes with a single full bathroom and plans to sell within the next five years, keeping a tub in the bathroom remodel is the more conservative choice for market positioning, even if the household preference would otherwise be a walk-in shower.

Cost Comparison — Walk-In Shower vs Tub in the Pekin Market

Knowing the real cost difference between these options in the central Illinois market is an essential part of the decision.

A standard alcove tub replacement in kind — removing an existing tub and installing a new one with a tile surround — typically runs between $2,500 and $6,000 in the Pekin area depending on the tile selection and the extent of the surround work. A tub-shower combination upgrade with a full tile surround and new shower valve and head runs $3,500 to $8,000.

A walk-in shower conversion — converting an existing tub alcove to a walk-in shower with full tile, a shower valve and head, a built-in niche, and a frameless glass enclosure — typically runs between $6,000 and $14,000 in the Pekin market depending on the tile selection, the glass enclosure configuration, and the extent of plumbing rough-in work required. The shower pan waterproofing, which is essential in any tub-to-shower conversion, adds cost compared to a tub installation where the tub itself serves as the waterproof basin.

A freestanding soaking tub installation — requiring new freestanding supply and drain connections, a deck or floor-mounted faucet, and any associated tile or floor work around the tub location — typically runs between $3,000 and $8,000 for the tub installation alone, separate from the shower scope in a combination primary bath renovation.

Frequently Asked Questions About Walk-In Shower vs Tub Remodeling

Does removing a bathtub hurt home resale value in Pekin, IL?

It depends on whether the home has a tub remaining elsewhere. In a multi-bathroom home where a tub is accessible in a secondary bathroom, removing the tub from the primary bath and converting to a walk-in shower has a neutral to slightly positive resale impact in the central Illinois market — walk-in showers in primary baths are a buyer preference in the current market. In a single-bathroom home where the tub is the only one in the house, removal can narrow the buyer pool and is the more conservative resale choice to keep a tub in some form.

What is the minimum size for a functional walk-in shower?

A 36 by 36-inch shower is technically the minimum functional size, but it is cramped for daily use for most adults. A 36 by 48-inch shower is a significantly more comfortable size and is the minimum we typically recommend for a primary bath conversion in a Pekin area home. A 36 by 60-inch or larger shower — where the existing tub alcove is being converted — provides ample space and allows for a built-in bench, a dual showerhead configuration, or simply comfortable daily use without feeling confined.

What is a curbless shower & is it worth it?

A curbless shower has no raised threshold at the entry — the shower floor is flush with or transitions smoothly to the bathroom floor rather than having a step or curb. Curbless showers are significantly easier to enter and exit, eliminate a tripping hazard, and are the accessible configuration recommended for aging-in-place planning. They require a properly sloped shower floor and a linear or point drain positioned to direct water away from the entry without a curb to contain it. The installation is more involved than a standard curbed shower, but the functional improvement is significant for any household planning long-term use of the home.

How do I keep my bathroom functional during a shower or tub remodel?

Most bathroom remodels make the primary bath non-functional during the active construction phase — typically two to four weeks for a full renovation. For households with a secondary bathroom, this is a manageable inconvenience. For single-bathroom homes, we discuss the construction sequence during planning to minimize the number of days the bathroom is fully non-functional, though there will be a period where the shower and plumbing fixtures are out of commission regardless. Planning for this in advance makes it manageable.

What is the most durable tile for a walk-in shower in central Illinois?

Porcelain tile is the most durable and practical choice for shower walls and floors in central Illinois. It is fully vitrified — essentially non-porous — which means it does not absorb water, resist staining without sealing, and holds up to daily wet use without the maintenance that natural stone requires. Large format porcelain with a slip-resistant finish on the shower floor combines the visual benefit of large format tile with the safety requirement of a shower floor surface. Ceramic tile is a more affordable alternative to porcelain that performs well in shower applications, though its lower density makes it more susceptible to chipping over time compared to porcelain.

Can a walk-in shower & a freestanding tub both fit in a primary bathroom?

It depends on the square footage of the specific bathroom. A primary bath with 80 or more square feet of usable floor space can typically accommodate both a walk-in shower and a freestanding soaking tub as separate fixtures with appropriate clearances around each. Bathrooms below 70 square feet generally cannot accommodate both comfortably without one compromising the other. We assess the specific dimensions of the bathroom during the initial consultation and provide honest guidance on what the square footage realistically supports.

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Continue planning your bathroom remodel:

• Bathroom Remodeling Services — What Grace Built includes in every project
• Bathroom Remodel Cost in Pekin, IL — Full budget breakdown including shower and tub options
• Small Bathroom Remodel Ideas — Layout ideas for compact bathroom footprints
• Bathroom Remodel Planning Checklist — Download the free step-by-step planning guide
• Free Remodeling Estimate — Schedule your in-home consultation

Ready to Make the Right Shower or Tub Decision for Your Bathroom?

The walk-in shower versus tub decision does not have to be made based on assumptions about resale or generic design preferences. Grace Built Construction walks Pekin area homeowners through this decision with honest guidance based on the specific bathroom, the specific household, and the specific market conditions in central Illinois — so the choice you make is one you are confident in for the full life of the renovation.

Call (309) 241-9593, email gracebuilt329@gmail.com, or fill out the online estimate request form to schedule your free in-home consultation. We will assess your bathroom, discuss the specific options that work in your space, and give you a detailed estimate for a bathroom remodel that fits your household’s needs.

We serve Pekin, East Peoria, Morton, Washington, Creve Coeur, Tremont, and homeowners throughout Tazewell County.

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Grace Built Construction LLC | Pekin, IL | (309) 241-9593 | gracebuilt329@gmail.com | Monday–Friday 8:00 AM–6:00 PM | Saturday by Appointment