{"id":16962,"date":"2026-05-27T16:04:41","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T16:04:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/?p=16962"},"modified":"2026-05-27T16:24:38","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T16:24:38","slug":"replace-the-tub-with-a-shower-what-could-go-wrong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2026\/05\/replace-the-tub-with-a-shower-what-could-go-wrong\/","title":{"rendered":"Replace the Tub with a Shower: What Could Go Wrong?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Would you like to hear a tragedy? A simple project, replacing a tub with a shower, spiraled into an ordeal without a happy ending.<\/p>\n

How hard could it be? There was already a tub, just replace it with a shower. And replace the hard-to-clean tile around the tub with shower wall panels.<\/p>\n

\"\"
American Standard Shower<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

They ran into one problem after another. They smashed the tub and got it out. But when they put the shower base in, the drain was in the wrong place. So they had to figure out their own method to make the drain in the tub reach the pipe in the floor. Then the shower floor was smaller than the tub had been, so they had to find a way to cover up the area between where the tile ended at the edge of the old tub and the new narrower shower. They didn\u2019t want to replace the tile, because they had only installed it a few years before. They hadn\u2019t saved the leftovers and Lowes didn\u2019t have it in stock anymore. So they found a similar tile on clearance. Then the shower side walls they were going to put in didn\u2019t fit, so they had to tile the walls. There wasn\u2019t enough of the clearance tile, so they found another tile that matched to finish the job.<\/p>\n

The project cost about three times what they expected and now the new shower doesn\u2019t drain well. I did not ask to see photos.<\/p>\n

\"\"
American Standard Shower<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Measure First<\/h2>\n

Start by measuring. It is too late for them, but if it\u2019s not too late for you, MEASURE FIRST!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before you buy anything, measure and plan.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not complicated. If all you want to do is replace a tub with a shower, find a shower that matches the dimensions of the tub you are replacing. Measure the width, length and drain location.<\/p>\n

If you find that what you picked up doesn\u2019t fit. STOP WORKING!<\/strong> Return it and find one that fits. Even if you have to spend twice as much and special order and wait and make an extra trip\u2026. It is still a lot less effort than trying to make the wrong thing work.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Kohler Shower<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Shower Pan\u00a0 Sizes<\/h2>\n

Shower pans come in different materials. All of them come in different sizes. A LOT of different sizes.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Getpro Acrylic Shower Pans<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lowes website has shower pans in 30\u201d, 32\u201d 34\u201d 36\u201d 42\u201d, 48\u201d, and 60\u201d by 36\u201d, 42\u201d, 48\u201d, 60\u201d and 72\u201d. Kohler shows even more\u00a0 shower base sizes available on their website.<\/p>\n

Getpro Acrylic Shower Pans on Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"
Delta Classic 500 Curve Shower Kit<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Shower Pan Materials<\/h2>\n

Acrylic<\/h3>\n

My friends had picked up an acrylic shower kit. Acrylic isn\u2019t expensive. It\u2019s durable. If it scratches, you can buff it out. The kit came with the shower base, walls and door. They said it only came in two sizes, 30\u201d x 60\u201d or 32\u201d x 60\u201d.<\/p>\n

Lowes website says the exact same kit can be ordered in 36\u201d x 60\u201d. It may not have been in stock and it cost a little more, but worth it. So worth it. They come with right, left or center drain location. I would be surprised if the correct size shower base with the correct drain configuration didn\u2019t solve the whole problem with the drain.<\/p>\n

Acrylic Shower Kits on Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"
Kohler Shower<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Solid Surface, Engineered Stone, Stone Resin<\/h3>\n

Solid surface, like Corian) and Stone Resin Engineered Stone, like quartz are made from acrylic resins, minerals, and pigments. Engineered stone is made from\u00a0natural stone and looks like stone.\u00a0 These might be available in even more sizes than acrylic. The Onyx Collection has 89 standard sizes.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Kohler Cast Iron Shower Bases<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cast Iron<\/h3>\n

I was surprised to find that Kohler still makes Cast Iron shower bases. The rectangular enameled cast iron shower base sizes come in 30\u201d, 32\u201d, 34\u201d or 36\u201d x 60\u201d.\u00a0 Other companies make it, but I did not find any other sizes.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Trimslate Shower Bases come in a lot of sizes and can be trimmed on site to your exact size<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cut-to-Fit Shower Base<\/h3>\n

If none of these fit, or if the drain is still going to be in the wrong place, you can get a pre-sloped shower pan that can be trimmed on-site. They are available in Acrylic and Solid Surface or Stone Resin. They have a few inches of cut-able zone along the outer edge.<\/p>\n

Trimslate Shower Bases \u201ccan be trimmed in the field to provide solutions to many custom applications. Once the base has been trimmed or ready for installation without modification, the flanges can be attached using screws and either silicone or epoxy to attach to the back and sides of the base.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tile Ready Base comes in a lot of different sizes, and you can buy cut-to-fit field-modifiable shower bases. They are sloped trays that can be cut to the exact size, then tiled.<\/p>\n

\"\"
DreamLine Shower<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Before you go to buy a shower (or tub)<\/h2>\n

You know how a remodel costs twice as much and takes twice as long? It really doesn\u2019t have to.<\/p>\n

Measure width, depth at the floor, where the pan will go.
\nMeasure the drain location.
\nMeasure the finished walls, not the studs.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"
American Standard Shower with Built-in Seat<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And the walls? Tile was not the only choice. Solid surface and engineered stone panels, acrylic panels and laminated waterproof panels can all be cut to fit.<\/p>\n

Featured images; left American Standard, right Kohler<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Would you like to hear a tragedy? A simple project, replacing a tub with a shower, spiraled into an ordeal without a happy ending. How hard could it be? There was already a tub, just replace it with a shower. And replace the hard-to-clean tile …<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16953,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16962","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/featured-shower-remodel.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":10122,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2021\/12\/replacing-the-fiberglass-tub-with-an-acrylic-shower\/","url_meta":{"origin":16962,"position":0},"title":"Replacing the Fiberglass Tub with an Acrylic Shower","author":"Carla","date":"December 9, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"The log cabin had a fiberglass tub. We have been fighting a leak for years and finally decided to replace the tub with a shower. We called West Shore Home on November 23. They came out and measured the very next day. Everything we wanted was available, so the install\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Before & After"","block_context":{"text":"Before & After","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/before-after\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Replacing the Fiberglass Tub with an Acrylic Shower","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/featured-shower.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/featured-shower.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/featured-shower.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/featured-shower.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9826,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2021\/09\/updating-the-old-fiberglass-tub\/","url_meta":{"origin":16962,"position":1},"title":"Replace the Fiberglass Bath with a New Acrylic Shower Research","author":"Carla","date":"September 6, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"The log cabin has a cream colored one-piece fiberglass tub and shower combo. The plumbing behind it needs repair, so this might be an opportunity to replace it with a new white acrylic shower. We have frequent advertisements from Rebath and Bath Fitter on TV here. They are both companies\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Projects"","block_context":{"text":"Projects","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/projects\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Updating the Old Fiberglass Tub","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/featured-american_standard_shower.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/featured-american_standard_shower.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/featured-american_standard_shower.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/featured-american_standard_shower.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10124,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2021\/12\/finishing-the-acrylic-shower\/","url_meta":{"origin":16962,"position":2},"title":"Finishing the Acrylic Shower","author":"Carla","date":"December 9, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"The installation story begins with the post Replacing the Fiberglass Tub with an Acrylic Shower. Or you can start reading pricing and rationalizing West Shore Home Bath Remodel Price or Replace the Fiberglass Bath with a New Acrylic Shower Research when we first started to figure out how much materials\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Before & After"","block_context":{"text":"Before & After","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/before-after\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Finishing the Acrylic Shower","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/featured-shower-b.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/featured-shower-b.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/featured-shower-b.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/featured-shower-b.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6617,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2019\/10\/changing-the-shower-trim-tub-handle-to-control-volume-and-temperature-separately\/","url_meta":{"origin":16962,"position":3},"title":"Changing the Shower Trim Tub Handle to Control Volume and Temperature Separately","author":"Carla","date":"October 25, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"We've been really happy with nearly everything about our new house. But I hated the shower control. You couldn't control the temperature and the amount of water separately. When I am taking a hot bath, I want to be able to let just a little more hot water into the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Our New House"","block_context":{"text":"Our New House","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/new-house\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/featured-tub.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/featured-tub.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/featured-tub.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/featured-tub.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3872,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2018\/07\/installing-the-soaker-tub\/","url_meta":{"origin":16962,"position":4},"title":"Installing the Soaker Tub","author":"Carla","date":"July 23, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"The plumbers came back and installed the soaker tub. Earlier they had put in the insulation. The plumbers came back and hooked up the water and the drain. The overflow drain is really high on the tub. The carpenters will frame around it and they are going to put drywall.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Our New House"","block_context":{"text":"Our New House","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/category\/new-house\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Installing the Soaker Tub \u2013 Project Small House","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/featured_image-soaker_tub.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/featured_image-soaker_tub.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/featured_image-soaker_tub.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/featured_image-soaker_tub.jpg?fit=810%2C431&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7091,"url":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/sams-club-sells-freestanding-deep-soaking-bathtubs\/","url_meta":{"origin":16962,"position":5},"title":"Sam\u2019s Club sells Freestanding Deep Soaking Bathtubs","author":"Carla","date":"January 1, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"As I was leaving Sam\u2019s Club yesterday, I saw a huge box with a tub in it. I already picked out my tub, which I absolutely love. But now my daughter is remodeling her bath, so I did some research for her. 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