Case Study: Aging in Place Small Secondary Bath Update River Oaks, Houston

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Tub to Shower Conversion and Guest En-Suite Bathroom Update

River Oaks neighborhood; Houston, Texas

Tub to shower conversion project total cost: $23,000

Key Updates:

  • Tub to shower conversion

    • Curbless shower conversion for wheelchair accessibility

  • Recess shower floor & adjust framing to create a curbless shower

  • Relocate plumbing

    • Relocate shower controls to entrance so they’re easily accessible

    • Relocate drain to make it linear

  • Tile selection & installation to match existing Carrara marble

  • Shower glass panel with pony wall

Aging in place bathroom update featuring a walk-in shower that's wheelchair accessible in River Oaks, Houston, Texas and work completed by ALE Renovations

Aging in Place en-suite bathroom update

We were tasked by the homeowner to re-work the existing en-suite bathroom for a relative who would be moving in and needed aging in place accessibility. The original bathroom was tastefully remodeled years before, so our team needed to make the tub to shower conversion look as seamless as possible. This included selecting both tile and marble slabs that matched the existing selections.

Upon initial inspection, the project manager suspected that the original framing for the bathtub would need to be adjusted to create a curbless shower.

Designer agining in place bathroom remodel with walk-in shower that's wheelchair accessible in the River Oaks neighborhood of Houston, Texas; Houston General Contractor ALE Renovations

Project Goals

The tub to shower conversion was the most important part of the project. The homeowner’s relative would be moving in immediately after the project was complete, so we needed to make sure to stay on schedule.

Challenges and Solutions

Because of the historic nature of our client’s home, originally built by architect John Staub, our team needed to closely assess the plumbing, flooring and subflooring. Located on the second floor of the home, it wasn’t immediately clear if the tub to shower conversion would be possible since the shower floor would need to be recessed to create a curbless shower.

Estimated vs. Actual Project Price

The estimated project price was $18,000. Due to a few change orders, including carpentry/framing and plumbing costs, the actual project price was $25,000 total.

Change orders

As noted in the project challenges, assessment of the shower flooring would need to take place following demo. Adjusting the framing of the floor joists did need to occur to recess the shower floor. The client also requested a pony wall be added into the scope of work, which required additional Hardie Board and tile installation.