First question: is it your only tub?
Buyers still like tubs. In NAHB's 2024 survey, “both a shower & tub” was the top-rated primary bath feature at 78%, and it has ranked in the top two in every edition of the survey (NAHB 2024). In the 2021 edition, 27% of buyers said they “do not want” only a shower stall in the primary bath (NAHB 2021).
At the same time, homeowners are doing it: Houzz's 2026 bathroom study found a tub was removed in 26% of renovations, and 79% of those homeowners used the space to enlarge the shower (Houzz 2026).
The practical rule real estate pros give: keep at least one tub in the house. One home stager told NAR that having no tub “will hinder a sale to most buyers” (NAR).
What changes when a tub becomes a shower
- The drain. Minnesota's plumbing code calls for a 2-inch trap for a single-head shower, compared to 1½ inches for a tub or tub/shower (Minn. R. 4714.0702). So a tub drain usually has to be upsized.
- The valve. The national model code requires shower valves to be pressure-balancing or thermostatic (anti-scald), with a limit set no higher than 120°F (IRC P2708.4). If the old valve doesn't meet that, it gets replaced.
- The pan and waterproofing. A new shower pan, or a waterproofed tile floor sloped to the drain. Minnesota's code requires a traditional pan liner to run at least 3 inches above the threshold (Minn. R. 4714.0408).
- The glass. Glass in a shower enclosure less than 60 inches above the floor is a hazardous location under the residential code and needs safety glazing (IRC R308.4.5). Hinged shower doors must open outward (IRC P2708.1).
- Permits and licensed work. Moving or upsizing drains and replacing valves is plumbing work. In Minnesota, plumbing work for hire is done by licensed plumbers, and the plumbing contractor pulls the permit (MN DLI, St. Paul DSI).
Curb or curbless?
A curbless (zero-threshold) shower is the cleanest look and the easiest to walk into, and AARP's HomeFit guide recommends a no-step entry for aging in place (AARP). It's also more work: the floor has to slope to the drain, which often means recessing the subfloor or building up the bathroom floor with a linear drain at the entry (Fine Homebuilding). The model code requires shower floors to slope at least 1/4 inch per foot to the drain (IRC P2709.1). Houzz found 20% of renovating homeowners chose curbless in 2025 (Houzz 2025).
A low curb is simpler and cheaper and still easy to step over.
What it costs in the Twin Cities
Angi puts the average tub-to-shower conversion in Minneapolis at $3,144, with most projects between $1,572 and $8,384, and full walk-in tile conversions at $3,000 to $16,500 (Angi Minneapolis). Typical pieces:
- Tub removal: $200–$450
- Plumbing reroutes and drain updates: $500–$2,500
- Permits: $100–$500
- Glass doors: $300–$1,000 framed, $800–$3,200 frameless
Source: Angi Minneapolis. Tile vs acrylic is the biggest swing; see tile vs acrylic showers.
If you're selling
Don't remove the only tub right before listing. For reference, the midrange bath remodel in the Twin Cities recouped 79.7% in the 2025 Cost vs. Value report (Cost vs. Value).
Where the money is best spent
- Bigger shower, not just a different one. Most people who remove a tub use the space to enlarge the shower (Houzz).
- A new valve while the wall is open, instead of opening it again later.
- Glass you can clean: fewer seams and less metal means less to scrub.
- Add blocking for grab bars in the walls now, even if you don't install bars yet.