Thanks Roarah,

I agree, changing to shower-only would be a huge upgrade, and in my area would be considered a big plus to buyers. We aren't remodeling to sell, but I always keep that in mind when I change things. I can change 1 of the bathrooms to a shower-only. But in the other 2 there is not enough room for 15" center-to-glass toilet clearance and shower to be at least 30" wide. The bathrooms are actually a little bit smaller than 5 by 8, and a bit crowded. My contractor is putting in his proposal the option of changing that one bathroom to a shower-only. I think I will do that.

On the 2 bathrooms where I have to keep a tub, should I change to an alcove tub that is a bit taller? For example, the Kohler Archer and Underscore are both 19 inches. I'm just citing those as examples; haven't shopped for tubs yet.

I just measured again and it looks like in that one bathroom we could get a 32" wide shower and have proper clearance for the toilet. That's still pretty skinny IMO, but it passes the 30" minimum rule.

For a small bathroom I was able to order a 17" high tub, but had to special order. They don't make them shallow like your old one any more. I felt that 19-20" was too high for older adults to be stepping over. I use this room as a guest room because it has its own bathroom, but my parents will probably go shower in my sons bathroom with a large shower.

For a small bathroom I was able to order a 17" high tub, but had to special order. They don't make them shallow like your old one any more.

? Sorry, but I guess I don't understand this. There's

https://www.us.kohler.com/us/Villager-60-x-30-alcove-bath-with-integral-apron-and-right-hand-drain/productDetail/bathing/419721.htm

which is the most popular cast iron tub there is. Or

https://www.americanstandard-us.com/bathroom/bathtubs/princeton-60-inch-by-30-inch-integral-apron-bathtub-17694

I could go on, but you get the idea. There are far more shallow tubs than deep ones. Actually, it's quite tricky to find a deep tub that isn't also 32" wide or more, which could put you out of code for toilet front clearance if your 8x5 bath is set up with the tub on one wall and the toilet and sink across from it rather than all three in a straight line.

ETA If your tubs are in good shape I would leave at least one. Whatever they are they are probably higher-quality than anything you can buy now, and surely not more than one person is likely to need a deep soak at the same time?

writersblock, I was looking for tubs that were a bit more modern/streamlined and they all seemed to be 19'+

Try the Kohler bellwether. Can't get less fussy than that:

https://www.us.kohler.com/us/Bellwether-60-x-30-alcove-bath-with-integral-apron-and-left-hand-drain/productDetail/bathing/429144.htm

ETA That pic is the old bellwether, which had a funny slope where the overflow is. It's been redesigned to eliminate that, but otherwise it looks the same now.

2nd Edit. Oops, just noticed it was you, chispa. Yeah, if you want something that looks like Duravit, it's usually going to be deep and wide.

I looked at the Bellwether and it says it has a 14" step-over, so I think it would be about same as what I currently have, just new. The Archer and the Underscore say that the step-over is 19". Is it okay to put a taller tub in small bathrooms or would it look strange? I can't tell from the Houzz pictures I'm looking at how high the tubs are, but I think it looks good when the toilet and tub are the same height.

I have the Kohler Archer. The tub and toilet are in a 5.5'x5.5' room. I don't notice the tub being high for showering (dunno about bathing kids). I think it's comfortable for bathing, but I only take baths maybe once a month.

it says it has a 14" step-over, so I think it would be about same as what I currently have, just new.

That's not really the important part. It's the depth to overflow that tells you how deep the water is. The archer, for instance, allows a deeper-than-usual soak by use of a special slotted overflow.

So we are not considering mobility issues as a factor in this decision.

I wasn't sure from your response if that was directed to what I said about clearances, but just to be sure you understand: deeper tubs like the archer and the underscore are almost always 32 in wide, not 30.

Code dictates a minimum clearance for standing room in front of a toilet, so if your 5x8 is set up with the tub across from the sink and toilet you may not have enough room to use a 32 in wide tub. It was nothing to do with accessibility, just what code allows you to do now. You need to make sure about that before you choose a new tub. If you have all three in a line (toilet, sink, tub on the same wall) it's not so much of an issue. There are side clearance rules, too, but the toughest one to work around is the front clearance, since even with a round toilet you may not have acceptable space. It also often messes up the door opening in that layout, so you may need to move the doorway, too.

If your bath is set up like the one on the left, you need to double check all the numbers. The plan on the right is a bit easier to work around by switching to a narrower sink.

ETA One of my bathrooms, which is pretty large, is divided so that the tub/toilet are in what is essentially a 5x8 with a storage closet instead of a vanity and I could not go to a wider tub without totally redoing everything: move door, move toilet (the most expensive thing to do in a bath remodel), etc.

deleted post--incorrect information

Thanks! It's natural gray. I like it, but might would do a shade lighter if I were picking again. It looks darker when it's wet, and the dark grout also shows more imperfections up close. I have oyster gray in the kitchen which is lighter but still has a lot of contrast.

Thanks Caligirl5! When we get to that point my contractor will do a sample board for me to choose the grout. Also, on the Archer tub, do you find that the inside portion is squared-off enough that stepping in and out is easy? Meaning you are not inclinded to step on a slanted part. Hope that question makes sense. I saw one tub that had a very slanted back and felt that it sort of forced the bather to be extra careful on where to put their foot when stepping in.

I heard back from a designer on a Houzz project to my question about the tub height. Her's was 19" step-over height and looked good, in-scale with the 5 x 8 room, so I will go for that on the replacement tubs.

Oops, sorry, I was wrong about the underscore. I had confused it with the submerse, which is another new 30" wide deep soak tub. So it doesn't matter where you buy the underscore. I'll go back and edit my previous post.

I don't notice issues getting in and out of the shower or stepping on the slant at the end of the tub (though mine is a 66" tub, so there's more room than 60" tub).