Why So Many Westover Hills Owners Are Pulling Out Tubs
Builders here installed one-piece fiberglass tub and shower units because they were quick and cheap. After twenty-odd years, they flex underfoot, crack near the drain and hold stains that won’t scrub out. Many owners also find they shower every day and rarely use the tub at all.
A tub-to-shower conversion fits in the same footprint, usually about five feet wide. We remove the old unit, check the subfloor and slab for leaks, set a new pan or mortar bed and tile the walls to the ceiling. Keeping the drain close to the original spot means less concrete cutting and a shorter job.
- A low curb or a clean step-in entry
- Tiled niche for bottles at a reachable height
- Fixed glass panel or a sliding door in place of a curtain
- A handheld shower on a slide bar for rinsing and cleaning
Keeping One Tub in the House for Resale
Families with young kids, or owners thinking about selling in a few years, often ask whether removing every tub hurts value. Our usual advice in Westover Hills is to keep at least one tub, typically in the hall bath, and convert the primary bath to a walk-in shower. That gives you the daily comfort without limiting future buyers.
If the hall tub is still sound but looks tired, bathtub refinishing or a new acrylic tub with a tiled surround can bring it up to date for less than a full remodel. Our tub-to-shower pros and cons guide lays out the trade-offs.
A Mid-Range Kitchen Refresh That Fits the House
Westover Hills kitchens usually have oak or thermofoil cabinets, laminate or tile counters and a single overhead light. When the cabinet boxes are sound, a refresh rather than a gut gives the best return. Painting or refacing the cabinets, adding quartz or granite counters, a tile backsplash and new lighting changes the room in a couple of weeks of work.
We also look at the sink. Hard water wears out faucets and builds scale in aerators, so a new single-handle faucet with a replaceable cartridge and a deeper sink makes daily cleanup easier. If you plan a water softener, we leave space for it in the sink base.
- Confirm cabinet boxes are dry and square before painting or refacing
- Template and install new counters, then set the sink and faucet
- Tile the backsplash and add under-cabinet lighting
- Update hardware, outlets and switch plates to finish the room
Slab Leaks, Clay Soil and Other West Side Realities
The clay soil around Westover Hills swells in wet spells and shrinks in drought, and slabs move with it. That movement shows up as cracked floor tile, doors that stick and occasionally a slow drain leak under a tub. When we remove an old tub, we check the drain connection and look for damp soil or a musty smell before closing anything back up.
Floor tile in the rest of the house can tell the same story. Hairline cracks running across several tiles usually point to slab movement, not bad installation. In a remodel, we use a crack isolation membrane under new tile so minor movement doesn’t telegraph through.
Many subdivisions here have HOAs with rules about dumpsters and contractor parking, so we ask for guidelines at the start. For newer homes farther out, see our page on Alamo Ranch, where many of the same issues apply.
Remodels we do most in Westover Hills
Tub-to-Shower Conversion
Climbing over a tub wall gets old, and plenty of 60-inch alcove tubs see more showers than baths anyway. We convert that space into a step-in shower that fits the same footprint and works with the drain already in your slab.
Shower Replacement
Swap a cracked insert, a tired tile stall, or a leaky old valve for a new shower in the same footprint. We open the wall, fix what’s hiding behind it, and rebuild with materials that handle hard water.
Bathtub Refinishing
If your tub is structurally sound but dull, stained, chipped or an outdated color, refinishing can give it a new surface without demolition. It’s quicker and cheaper than replacement, as long as the tub underneath is worth saving.
Cabinet Painting
Paint is the cheapest way to change how a kitchen feels, and the easiest to get wrong. We clean, sand, prime and spray your cabinets with a hard finish, then let it cure before the doors go back up.
Granite Countertops
Granite is natural stone, which means no two slabs match and the one you choose is the one you get. We help you pick slabs in person, lay out the cuts, and install a counter that stands up to hot pans and heavy use.
Close to Westover Hills
Alamo Ranch (78253)
2000s to 2010s tract and master-planned homes. Builder-grade cabinets and fiberglass tub surrounds.
Leon Valley (78238)
1960s and 1970s ranch homes, some later builds. Original small baths and solid but dated cabinets.
Medical Center (78229)
1970s to 1980s ranches, condos and townhomes. Tubs with high walls, cramped galley kitchens.
Helotes (78023)
1990s to 2010s custom and subdivision homes. Patios without shade or utilities for cooking.
Westover Hills remodeling questions
How much is a tub-to-shower conversion in Westover Hills?
Most Westover Hills tub-to-shower conversions fall around $8,940 to $17,650. Tile choice, glass type, whether we move the drain and any repairs to the subfloor or wall framing make the biggest difference. A simple tiled shower with a curtain rod sits at the low end, while large tile and frameless glass push it higher.
How long does a Westover Hills tub-to-shower conversion take?
Many take about one to two weeks of on-site work, including demolition, plumbing, waterproofing, tile and glass. Custom glass is measured after tile is installed, so there can be a short wait before it goes in. If we find a leak or rotted framing behind the old tub, we’ll explain the fix and adjust the schedule.
Can you paint the oak cabinets in a Westover Hills kitchen?
Yes, if the boxes and doors are solid. Oak has a heavy grain that can show through paint, so we use a grain filler and primer before the finish coats. Cabinets that are peeling or swollen near the sink are better candidates for refacing or replacement, and we’ll tell you which makes more sense.