What the work is
A walk-in tub has a door in the side, so you sit down and then fill. That is genuinely easier than climbing over a tub wall, and for someone who wants a bath rather than a shower it is the answer.
The trade-offs are real and they are rarely mentioned by whoever is selling one. You sit in it while it fills and while it drains, which means sitting in cooling water. Fill and drain times depend on your supply and your drain, not on the brochure. And the door has a seal that is a maintenance item.
None of that means do not buy one. It means buy one knowing. The guide below sets the two options side by side without a preference.
What is included
- The unit, supplied and installed
- Supply and drain modifications the unit requires
- Blocking and grab bars where you want them
- Sealing and making good around the unit
- Removing and disposing of the old tub
- Filling and draining it with you before we leave, timed
What is not
- Electrical for a heated or jetted unit, which is our licensed electrical partner's work and quoted in
- Structural alterations
- Water heater upgrades if your existing heater cannot fill it hot. We will tell you at the survey
- Any claim about a medical benefit
Two things to check at your house first
- Whether your water heater can deliver enough hot water to fill it. This is the most common disappointment, and it is checkable before you buy.
- How long it takes to drain on your drain, not on a test rig. We time it in front of you.
Walk-in tub or walk-in shower
They suit different people and different bathrooms, and the honest comparison is in the guide below. We install both and we have no reason to steer you.
What to ask anyone quoting this, us included
- Can my water heater fill this hot?
- How long does it take to drain, at my house?
- What maintains the door seal, and how often?