Tub to Shower Conversion · Paradise Valley
Tub to Shower Conversion in Paradise Valley, AZ
A tub to shower conversion in Paradise Valley works differently from the city pattern. Houses often sit on 1 to 5 acre parcels, the town incorporated in 1961, and a bath here often has space to spare. This page covers the drain, the permit desk and the sewer question.
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01Conversions
What makes a conversion different here?
A house on a 1 to 5 acre parcel often has more bathroom floor to work with than a lot in a tighter subdivision, and that changes the job. The work is less about squeezing a shower into a tub slot and more about deciding where the new shower should sit. The drain can sometimes move to a better wall, a bench can go in without crowding the entry, and the glass can stop short of the ceiling instead of running to it. Most of the town is zoned for lots of at least 1 acre (Town of Paradise Valley, Residents Guide (opens in a new tab)), so the lots are large and the rooms often follow. A standard curb costs far less than a curbless pan, and in a room this size it is rarely in the way.
02Planning
What does the town require before work starts?
Plan review, permitting and inspections all run through the Town of Paradise Valley Building Division (Town of Paradise Valley, building (opens in a new tab)). 2 timing details shape the schedule. Submittals and payments have to be in before 3:30pm, so a late afternoon drop becomes a next day drop. Inspectors work from 7am to 2pm, which makes an inspection a morning appointment. Put the submittal date and the inspection window into the plan before demolition, not after. Ask what the town wants to see for a shower pan, a drain change and the waterproofing detail, and bring that sheet to the counter. Keep the approved copy on site, because the inspector will ask for it at the rough-in.
03Good to know
Is the house on sewer or septic?
Paradise Valley has 2 sewer providers and many properties on septic systems (Town of Paradise Valley, utility services (opens in a new tab)), so find out which one serves the address before anyone cuts the floor. That answer changes what a drain move can do. On sewer, a new drain line ties into the existing stack and the work stays inside the house. On septic, the line still runs to the tank, and fixture count and venting matter more. A permit application that lists the wrong system slows the review and can send the plan back for a correction. Pull the as-built drawings if the house has them. Either way, write the answer on the plan. If the answer is septic, ask what the town wants shown on the plan, since that review path differs.
04Costs
What does a conversion cost here?
One national cost guide puts most conversions between $1,200 and $15,000, with a typical job near $3,000. The address does not set the price. Scope does. In a larger bath, the top of that band arrives through size and finish: a longer tiled wall, a bench, a linear drain, and a frameless panel wide enough to need 2 people to set. A simple swap with the drain in place and a surround on the walls sits at the bottom. 2 houses on the same street can land at different points on that band on finish alone. Published market ranges, not a quote: the final price is set after an on-site assessment.
05Good to know
What can a larger bath gain from the change?
Space buys 3 things in a shower: a bench, a second showerhead and a place to put a towel without leaving the room. A bench should sit opposite the valve wall so nobody has to reach past it. A second head on the far wall needs its own valve and a line run before the wall closes. Storage can take the footprint of the old tub: a low cabinet, a linen tower, or a seat with a lift-off top. Glass is the last decision. A fixed panel costs less than a door and shows less hardware, but it lets water splash out at the open end. Measure the room before you choose, since a bench that fits on paper can close off the door swing.
Bath Studio
Build a bathroom. Change it in one tap.
A design preview, not a price. Pick a wall color, tile, floor, bath or shower, vanity and light, start from a look or shuffle, then send your picks with your project.
Start from a look
Wall color: Ivory mineral · Shower wall tile: Large slab · Floor: Honed stone · Bath or shower: Glass shower · Vanity: Vanity and tower · Light: Morning sun
01Wall colorIvory mineral
02Shower wall tileLarge slab
03FloorHoned stone
04Bath or showerGlass shower
05VanityVanity and tower
06LightMorning sun
064 questions
Questions people ask
Still have a question? Call (747) 243-2089 and describe the bathroom.
01Is a town permit required for the conversion?
A town permit is required for a conversion that changes the drain, the valve or the pan. The same office reviews the plans, issues the permit and inspects the finished work. Bring a sheet with the alcove dimensions, drain and valve wall.
02Can the drain move in a Paradise Valley house?
Often, yes. Moving a drain means cutting the slab, rerouting the trap and patching. A larger bath gives the new shower room to sit where the plumbing wants to go instead of where the old tub sat. The camera check decides it.
03Does a septic system block the work?
It can change the paperwork and the venting. Many parcels use septic, and 2 providers handle sewer. Know which system serves the address before the application goes in.
04What should I bring to the Building Division?
A plan set with the alcove dimensions, drain location, valve wall and glass layout, plus the application and payment. Submittals and payments are taken before 3:30pm. Ask at the counter whether the address needs more than standard review.
