You know, I think there are actually more people who want just nice spacious walk-in showers but put in a tub when remodeling because they've run up against the real-estate wisdom that the house won't sell one than there are actually tub users. :-) Just my guess because it seems that whenever I pop over to the bathroom forum there is a question on page one from someone who says just what you are - we don't take baths, we'd like to retire the tub for a nicer shower, why can't I do it? - and a chorus of responses of "for resale, for resale!". I'm one of those former kinds AND I put replaced our tub with a new one, but I badly wanted to remove the tub of our main bathroom for a nice - er - make that decent - -sized walk-in shower. Eventually, didn't do it. I put in a tub but I just couldn't get enthused over what tub to get, what tub to get, what tub to get the way I did over the tile, the faucets, the countertop, and yes, even the WC. There is a tub there - it is still uninteresting - I think it is the Kohler Tea-for-two or the Kathryn or something. Whatever. This is my first house, resale was a consideration, and if when we sell the house the next set of buyers aren't bathtub people, I will hurt someone. So, basically, I don't know what to tell you. I badly wanted to pop the hatch on the tub and not put one in again. But I did. Is it the smart thing to do? At the moment, it continues to be an annoyance. At resale time, who-knows coz that hasn't happened yet. So, how do you factor in the cost of having to put in something you don't want for some future anticipated benefit at some indeterminate date for an unknown buyer who we expect will fit a certain mold in terms of their bathroom preferences??? Dunno! Take from this what you will.

seattlemamadrama ~Well my Wasauna story ended badly. The first tub was drained the wrong way for me. I shipped it back at their expense and received my replacement last week. The crate was in horrible condition, held together by plastic wrap about 2 times around it. The person who sent it to me must have received my tub and we just traded. I sent him one in perfect condition never removed from the crate. The tub he sent me was dirty, removed from the crate and damaged with scratches. I refused the delivery and call Alex for a refund. He tried to give me 300.00 off and get a new one sent to me but I just took my refund. I have not seen the credit on my card as yet, it has been 4 days. I would say stay away from them. I am in the process of looking for something else now. Good luck to you! Mariofo

For a jetted tub used as a shower, it has to have an integral tile flange. That allows the wall cladding to overhang and any water that hits the wall to not go behind your walls. There aren't that many in that size that are inexpensive. It will need a specialized drain, and, if you want to spend any time in the tub, a supplemental heater so the water doesn't cool off so fast. Since it's a tub/shower, the wall cladding will need to be redone to be waterproof into the tub. It's possible, if the build is recent, and it was done with the proper vapor barrier behind it, that only one row of the tile would need to be pulled in order to replace the tub. But, I wouldn't count on that. I'd count on having to replace all of the wall cladding in the alcove. That can be as cheap as a plastic surround for around $100 or cheap tile with the proper vapor barrier for probably $150 or so. The first is the easiest and the least chance of leaking. The second will read as more upscale, but you have to be sure your contractor understands about the vapor barrier and correct materials to use to tile this (NOT mastic.) And since you have that torn out, it would be foolish to try to keep your current control valves for the bath unless they are also very new. New safety standards are in place for anti scald mechanisms. So, you will need a new shower/bath faucet and valve. Then you will need the electrical line run from the panel to the location for the whirlpool pump and supplemental heater. That location is usually opposite the drain side of the tub. You will need to be able to site an access panel that is removable to be able to get to the electrical innards here. That can be from an adjacent room, or from a hidden panel on the tub itself. All in all, you might be able to get all of the needed materials for 2-3K if you shop the box stores carefully and find some bargains. The danger to that is that if you are inexperienced, you don't know if you're buying quality or crap. They sell both. And that's one reason that it would be simpler to let the pro pick the products after you tell him the features that you want. Then you've got to pay the contractor labor to install all of that. The electrician's price will depend on how difficult it will be to access the panel and run the wire to the location. For that, it's a really good thing you are on a crawlspace! That makes it cheaper for both the electrician and the plumber. On the whole, I'd expect your project to cost between 5-7K, depending on location, and if you have no DIY skills to bring to the table and have to hire professionals for the whole job. And be sure that you hire someone that is licensed and insured to be in your home, and will pull the proper permits to get the job inspected with your code office. Some handyman guy isn't licensed to do electrical of that nature, and while he might be able to do the demo and get the tub in place and glue on the plastic surround, it's unlikely that he'll have the right insurance to deal with a large job like that, and thus probably wont' want to pull permits and be inspected. They are usually limited to smaller jobs like simple fixture replacements like a faucet or light. Which this isn't. Just remember, you are doing a project that combines electricity and water. You really have to know what you're doing here! A small General Contractor should be able to do the complete job, and also carry the needed papers. And he should have no problem with the code guys coming in to inspect his work either. If he does, then he's not the right person for the job.

As long as at least one tub remains in the house, removing one shouldn't be a problem. Under this scenario, a tub would be in an auxiliary bath that is commonly used or available for use by children. In this case, no tub would be necessary in a separate master bath. If you had 3 or more baths in a house, at least one should have a bath. The bath versus shower controversy has been going on for about 50 years. While there are always exceptions, more and more adults have become shower only people. Adult bathers are a much smaller community and getting smaller everyday. Ideally, I would keep at least one bathtub in a home. By having a bathtub a potential buyer won't exclude your home when considering a purchase.