Walk-In Shower or Tub? How Rochester Homeowners Are Deciding in Their Bathroom Remodels

It's one of the first questions in almost every bathroom remodel we design in Rochester: "Should we keep the tub or go with a walk-in shower?" And it usually comes with a follow-up whispered like a confession — "Honestly, nobody's taken a bath in that thing in five years."

You're not alone. Across Monroe County, homeowners are converting underused tubs into spacious walk-in showers — and at the same time, plenty of families are deliberately keeping (or upgrading) a tub. Both can be the right call. The trick is knowing which one is right for your household, your home's other bathrooms, and your next ten years.

Here's how we walk Rochester homeowners through the decision, including the resale considerations specific to our market.

Why Walk-In Showers Are Winning So Many Remodels

There's a reason the tub-to-shower conversion is one of the most requested bathroom projects right now:

• Daily reality: most adults shower; many haven't drawn a bath in years
• Space efficiency: removing a tub can turn a cramped 5x8 Rochester bathroom into something that feels twice the size
• Accessibility: a low- or zero-threshold shower is dramatically safer than stepping over a tub wall — important if you plan to age in place
• Easier cleaning: glass panels and large-format tile beat scrubbing around a tub surround
• Design impact: a tiled walk-in shower is often the centerpiece that makes the whole remodel feel custom
• Comfort upgrades: rainfall heads, handhelds, benches, and niches all fit naturally

In Rochester's older homes — where bathrooms were often built small and singular — reclaiming the tub's footprint is frequently the single biggest move available in the room.

The Case for Keeping a Tub

Before you wave goodbye to the bathtub, consider who might miss it:

• Young kids: bathing toddlers in a shower is nobody's idea of fun
• Soakers: if a hot bath after shoveling the driveway in January is your therapy, that matters
• Pet owners: a tub makes dog-washing season much easier
• Future buyers with kids: families shopping in family neighborhoods often expect at least one tub
• Resale flexibility: a home with a tub somewhere serves every buyer; a home with none excludes some

The Rule of Thumb That Settles Most Debates

Here's the guidance that resolves this question for most of our clients: keep at least one tub in the house. If you have two or more full bathrooms, converting the primary bath to a walk-in shower while keeping a tub in the hall bath gives you the best of both worlds — and protects resale value.

If you have only one full bathroom — very common in Rochester's bungalows, Cape Cods, and older city homes — think harder. For a one-bath house in a family-oriented neighborhood, removing the only tub can narrow your future buyer pool. That doesn't mean you can't do it; it means the decision should be made deliberately, with your timeline in mind. Planning to stay 15 years and never bathe? Build the bathroom for you. Planning to sell in 3? Maybe a stylish tub-shower combo is the smarter play.

What These Projects Typically Cost in Rochester

As always, every bathroom is different — especially when older plumbing and plaster walls are involved. But as typical planning ranges for the Rochester market:

• Tub-to-shower conversion (same footprint, tile or quality surround, new glass): roughly $12,000–$25,000
• Custom tiled walk-in shower as part of a full bath remodel: commonly adds $8,000–$18,000 of the project total
• New soaking or freestanding tub installed: roughly $4,000–$10,000+ depending on the tub and plumbing changes
• Full bathroom remodels in our area commonly run $25,000–$60,000+ depending on size and finishes

These are typical ranges, not quotes — older Rochester homes love to hide galvanized pipe, questionable subfloors, and creative past repairs behind the tile, which is why a thorough design phase matters so much.

Think Ten Years Ahead, Not Ten Months

A bathroom remodel should last decades, so design it for the life you're heading into, not just the one you have today:

• Planning to age in place? Prioritize a low-threshold shower, blocking in the walls for future grab bars, and slip-resistant tile
• Expecting kids or grandkids around? Keep a tub in the mix somewhere
• Knees and hips not what they used to be? A built-in shower bench goes from luxury to necessity
• Tall household? Set the shower head height for real people, not the builder default
• Cold-natured? Rochester winters make heated floors and a warm shower zone feel less like splurges every year

This is one of the places where working with a true design-build firm pays off: our in-house designers plan these details on paper, and our build team — with 60+ years of combined hands-on experience — makes sure the waterproofing, framing, and blocking behind the walls support them for the long haul.

Don't Skip the Unglamorous Stuff

Whichever direction you choose, the success of the project lives behind the tile:

• Proper shower pan and waterproofing systems — the #1 thing separating a 30-year shower from a 7-year one
• Adequate ventilation sized for the room, vented outside (not into the attic — we see this constantly in older homes)
• Plumbing updates while the walls are open, especially in homes with original galvanized supply lines
• Solid subfloor and proper tile substrate so grout lines don't crack

If you're weighing a conversion and wondering what's lurking behind your existing tub surround, reach out to Ember Works for a consultation — we'll assess what you've got and lay out your options with realistic numbers attached.

So... Shower or Tub?

For most Rochester households the answer ends up being: walk-in shower where you live daily, tub somewhere in the house. But your bathroom should fit your life — and that's a conversation, not a formula.

Ready to stop debating and start designing? We'd love to help you build a bathroom that works beautifully now and holds its value later.

Ignite Your Home's Potential with Ember Works!

Call us today: 585-465-1674
Contact Us: www.emberworksroc.com/contact-us