Planning a bathroom remodel often starts with colors, tile, vanities, and fixtures. But one decision can have a much bigger impact on how the room functions every day: Should you install a walk-in shower, keep a bathtub, or find room for both?

For Los Angeles homeowners, there isn’t one answer that works for every property.

A walk-in shower can create a cleaner, more open bathroom and may make everyday access easier. A bathtub can still be valuable for families with young children, homeowners who enjoy soaking, and households that want to preserve flexibility for future buyers.

The right choice depends on the size of the bathroom, who uses it, how long you expect to stay in the home, and what you want the space to accomplish.

Before beginning a bathroom remodeling Los Angeles project, it is worth thinking beyond what looks good in photographs and considering what will actually work for your household.

Why Are So Many Homeowners Choosing Walk-In Showers?

Bathrooms have changed considerably over the years.

Large soaking tubs were once a major feature of upscale primary bathrooms. Today, many homeowners would rather dedicate that space to a larger shower with comfortable access, attractive tile, quality fixtures, storage niches, and glass that makes the room feel more open.

A well-designed walk-in shower can also make a smaller bathroom feel less confined.

Replacing a bulky tub and shower curtain with a glass-enclosed shower can open sightlines across the room. Instead of visually dividing the bathroom, the shower becomes part of the overall design.

For homeowners who rarely use their bathtub, that can be a compelling reason to reconsider the space during a remodel.

What Exactly Is a Walk-In Shower?

The term “walk-in shower” can describe several configurations, but generally it refers to a shower designed for easy entry without climbing over the high side of a traditional bathtub.

Depending on the bathroom and design, it might include:

• A low threshold
• A nearly level entry
• Frameless or minimal glass
• Built-in shower niches
• A bench or seating area
• Handheld and fixed shower fixtures
• Large-format tile
• Improved lighting
• Grab bars incorporated into the design where desired

A walk-in shower doesn’t have to look institutional or purely functional.

With thoughtful planning, accessibility, comfort, and contemporary design can work together.

When Does a Walk-In Shower Make the Most Sense?

A walk-in shower can be particularly appealing when the existing bathtub rarely gets used.

Ask yourself a simple question:

When was the last time someone actually took a bath in this bathroom?

If the answer is months or even years ago, the tub may be consuming valuable square footage without providing much benefit.

Replacing it with a shower can potentially provide more room for movement and create opportunities for better storage and fixtures.

It can also make sense for homeowners who are thinking about remaining in their home long term.

Reducing the need to step over a high tub wall can make everyday use more comfortable as mobility needs change.

The Case for Keeping a Bathtub

Despite the popularity of walk-in showers, removing every bathtub from a home isn’t automatically the right decision.

Families with babies or young children may find a tub much more practical.

Some homeowners simply enjoy baths and consider a soaking tub an important part of their primary suite.

There is also the question of future flexibility.

If you’re remodeling before eventually selling the property, think about who might purchase the home. A family-oriented house with several bedrooms may benefit from retaining at least one bathtub somewhere in the residence.

That doesn’t necessarily mean the primary bathroom needs one.

A common compromise is to create a larger walk-in shower in the primary suite while retaining a tub in a secondary or children’s bathroom.

Do You Need Both a Shower and a Tub?

If the bathroom is large enough, you don’t necessarily have to choose.

A separate walk-in shower and freestanding or built-in bathtub can create a comfortable primary bathroom with options for different routines.

But fitting both into the room shouldn’t be the goal at any cost.

Trying to squeeze a tub, shower, large vanity, toilet, and storage into insufficient square footage can make a bathroom feel more crowded rather than more luxurious.

Good bathroom design isn’t about checking the most boxes.

It’s about determining which features deserve the available space.

If fitting both means compromising circulation, shower dimensions, vanity storage, or everyday comfort, choosing one well-designed bathing area may produce a better bathroom.

Small Bathrooms Require Different Thinking

Space becomes even more important in smaller Los Angeles bathrooms.

An existing tub can occupy a significant portion of the room. Replacing it with a glass shower may make the bathroom appear larger because the eye can see through the enclosure.

That doesn’t mean every small bathroom should lose its tub.

The household’s needs still matter.

But when space is limited, each feature needs to justify the square footage it occupies.

A remodel may also reveal opportunities to improve storage with recessed medicine cabinets, shower niches, vanity drawers, wall-mounted storage, or more efficient cabinetry rather than simply adding more furniture to the room.

Think About Who Will Use the Bathroom

The best bathroom isn’t necessarily the one following the newest design trend.

It’s the one designed for the people using it.

A primary bathroom used by two adults has different priorities than a bathroom shared by three children.

A guest bathroom has different requirements than a bathroom intended for an older homeowner planning to remain in the house for decades.

Before deciding between a bathtub and walk-in shower, consider:

• Who uses the bathroom now?
• Who might use it in the future?
• Does anyone actually take baths?
• Are young children regularly using the room?
• Would easier shower access be valuable?
• Is this the only bathtub in the home?
• How long do you plan to remain in the property?

Those questions are more useful than simply asking which option is more popular.

Aging in Place Can Change the Decision

Long-term accessibility is another important consideration.

Stepping into a bathtub requires lifting a leg over the tub wall while maintaining balance. That may be easy today but become less comfortable later.

A properly designed walk-in shower can reduce that barrier.

Depending on the homeowner’s needs, a shower can also incorporate features such as a bench, handheld shower fixture, strategically positioned controls, comfortable entry, and appropriately placed grab bars.

These features don’t have to make the bathroom look clinical.

Planning for accessibility during the original remodel can allow functional elements to become part of the overall design.

For homeowners expecting to stay in their Los Angeles home for many years, this is worth considering before construction begins.

Shower Design Is About More Than Tile

Tile receives a lot of attention because it is highly visible, but successful shower design involves much more.

Drainage, waterproofing, ventilation, plumbing placement, shower dimensions, niches, lighting, glass placement, and transitions all affect how the finished shower performs.

Even the location of the shower controls matters.

Ideally, homeowners shouldn’t have to stand directly beneath cold water just to turn the shower on.

Small decisions made during planning can have a significant effect on everyday convenience.

This is why a bathroom remodel should be considered as a complete construction project rather than simply a collection of attractive finishes.

Don’t Ignore Storage

One common remodeling mistake is creating a beautiful bathroom that doesn’t have anywhere to put everyday items.

Where will towels go?

What about shampoo, soap, hair products, cleaning supplies, toiletries, and extra toilet paper?

A larger shower can incorporate recessed niches or shelving, but the rest of the bathroom still needs adequate storage.

Vanity drawers can often make frequently used items easier to access than deep cabinets. Medicine cabinets can provide concealed storage without taking up floor space. Linen storage may also be incorporated depending on the room.

Good storage makes the bathroom easier to keep clean and visually calm.

What About a Freestanding Bathtub?

Freestanding tubs can create a strong visual focal point, particularly in larger primary bathrooms.

But homeowners should evaluate them based on more than appearance.

Consider how often the tub will actually be used, how easily the surrounding floor can be cleaned, how someone enters and exits it, where the plumbing will be positioned, and whether the room has enough space around the tub to prevent it from feeling cramped.

If you genuinely enjoy taking baths and have sufficient space, a freestanding tub may be worth including.

If it will primarily serve as decoration, that square footage may be more valuable elsewhere.

Can Removing a Bathtub Hurt Resale Value?

This is one of the most common concerns homeowners have.

There isn’t a simple rule that removing a bathtub automatically reduces a home’s value.

Context matters.

Removing an unused tub from a primary bathroom to create a larger, attractive walk-in shower may make that particular bathroom more appealing to some buyers.

Removing the only bathtub in a family-sized home deserves more consideration because future owners with young children may prefer having one.

If resale is an important part of your remodeling strategy, think about the entire home rather than evaluating one bathroom in isolation.

RD Mac Construction has also discussed how different projects can influence a property’s appeal in its guide to remodeling before selling a Los Angeles home.

Your Bathroom Should Work With the Rest of Your Home

A bathroom doesn’t exist in isolation.

Its finishes and design should feel appropriate for the architecture and character of the surrounding home.

A highly contemporary bathroom can work beautifully in many Los Angeles residences, but it should still feel intentionally connected to the rest of the property.

Materials, cabinetry, hardware, lighting, flooring, and architectural details can create that relationship.

The goal isn’t to make every room identical.

It’s to make the remodel feel like it belongs in the house.

Consider the Bathroom as Part of a Larger Remodel

Sometimes homeowners begin by focusing on a shower or bathtub and discover that the larger floor plan is actually the issue.

Perhaps the primary bathroom is too small because the entire suite is poorly configured.

Maybe an adjacent closet could be redesigned. Perhaps the bedroom and bathroom need to be considered together. In some cases, additional square footage may even be part of a larger renovation.

If your remodeling plans extend beyond the bathroom, RD Mac Construction’s Home Additions Los Angeles page explains how new square footage can be integrated into an existing residence.

The key is to avoid solving one room’s problem by creating another problem somewhere else.

Invest in the Parts You Can’t Easily Change Later

Decorative items can be replaced relatively easily.

Structural and behind-the-wall work cannot.

Waterproofing, plumbing, electrical work, ventilation, shower construction, drainage, and layout deserve careful attention because correcting those elements later can be disruptive and expensive.

Tile colors may eventually change.

A poorly positioned shower or inconvenient floor plan is much harder to fix.

When establishing a remodeling budget, prioritize the fundamentals before spending heavily on decorative upgrades.

Walk-In Shower or Bathtub: Which One Wins?

Neither.

The better choice is the one that matches the household, the property, and the way the bathroom will actually be used.

Choose a walk-in shower when easy access, additional shower space, an open appearance, and everyday shower use are the priorities.

Keep or install a bathtub when bathing is genuinely part of your household’s routine, young children regularly use the bathroom, or maintaining a tub elsewhere in the home is important to you.

Choose both when the bathroom has sufficient space and both features will provide real value.

The mistake isn’t choosing a shower instead of a bathtub.

The mistake is designing the bathroom around a trend rather than the people who will live with it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a walk-in shower better than a bathtub?

Not universally. A walk-in shower may provide easier access and more usable shower space, while a bathtub may be more practical for families with young children or homeowners who regularly take baths.

Should I remove the only bathtub in my house?

Consider carefully before doing so, particularly in a multi-bedroom home that could appeal to families. You may prefer to install a walk-in shower in the primary bathroom while retaining a tub in another bathroom.

Can a bathtub be converted into a walk-in shower?

In many bathrooms, the existing tub area may potentially be redesigned as a shower, although plumbing, waterproofing, dimensions, drainage, and existing conditions need to be evaluated.

Are walk-in showers good for aging in place?

They can be. A lower or appropriately designed entry can reduce the need to step over a high tub wall. Other features such as seating, handheld shower fixtures and strategically positioned supports can also be considered.

Does a walk-in shower make a small bathroom look bigger?

Glass enclosures and more open sightlines can make some bathrooms feel larger, although the overall layout and design have a significant effect.

Should I remodel the entire bathroom when replacing the tub?

Not necessarily, but replacing a tub with a substantially different shower configuration may affect tile, waterproofing, plumbing, flooring and surrounding finishes. Evaluating the complete bathroom before construction can help avoid mismatched or short-term solutions.

Build a Bathroom Around the Way You Actually Live

The best bathroom remodel isn’t determined by what’s trending on social media or what looks impressive in a showroom.

It’s determined by how comfortably the room works every morning and every night.

For some Los Angeles homeowners, that means replacing an unused bathtub with a spacious walk-in shower. For others, it means preserving the tub their family uses every day. And for homeowners with enough space, it may mean designing a bathroom that comfortably includes both.

RD Mac Construction helps homeowners approach bathroom remodeling as more than a cosmetic upgrade, considering layout, functionality, construction, finishes, and how the space fits into the home as a whole.

If you’re planning a bathroom renovation, start with how you want the room to work. The design decisions become much easier from there.