Alternatives to a Shower Renovation: Safer Bathing Without Tearing Out Your Bathroom

A full shower renovation is not the only way to make bathing safer. It is a good answer for many homes, but it costs thousands of dollars, takes days, and takes the bathroom out of use. If you need help now, are renting, are waiting on funding, or simply want to keep your tub, there are other options.

This guide covers four of them: a tub cut, a custom kit that levels a raised shower edge, the Molly Bather bath lift, and a Shower Bay portable roll-in shower. It also explains when a renovation is still the better choice. This is not medical advice. Your doctor or occupational therapist knows how you move best, so talk with them about what you need. We look at the bathroom side.

Why look at alternatives to a shower renovation?

• Cost. A tub-to-shower conversion starts from $8,500, and a barrier-free shower starts from $12,000.
• Time. A renovation takes several days, and the bathroom is out of use while it is done.
• Timing. You may need a solution this week, for a short recovery, or while a funding decision is pending.
• Preference. Some people love their bath and do not want to lose it.

Prices are indicative and accurate at the time of publishing; contact us for a current quote.

Option 1: A tub cut

A tub cut puts a low opening in the side of your existing tub, fitted with a watertight insert. You step through the opening instead of lifting your leg over the tub wall. The tub stays where it is, so you can still take a bath. Our four models run from $890 to $1,450, and the work usually takes about half a day.

It suits you if you can stand and step safely, but the tub wall has become hard or risky. It may not suit you if you use a wheelchair or cannot step at all. See our tub cuts page, or read tub cut-outs explained.

Option 2: A custom kit to level a shower lip

If your shower has a raised edge that is hard to get over, you may not need to rebuild it. A custom-cut tile kit raises the floor of the shower or levels the edge, so a shower chair or a wheelchair can pass over it more easily. Nothing is torn out. Every job is custom, so we measure at your free in-home assessment and then give you a quote.

This option is for a shower that you already have and like, where the lip is the problem. See Shower Lip & Threshold Ramps.

Option 3: The Molly Bather bath lift

The Molly Bather is a battery-powered belt bath lift, built in England from aluminium and stainless steel. You sit on a padded transfer stool at the side of the tub, slide across, and lower into the water with a light-touch handset. You can then use the full length, width and depth of your existing tub. When you are done, the lift raises you back up to the seat.

Home2stay is an authorized Molly Bather dealer. It is a lower-cost alternative to a walk-in tub: you get into a bath that is already warm, so you do not wait for the tub to fill or sit waiting for it to drain. The belt detaches, so the rest of the household can use the bath as normal.

• Price: $3,500.00 CAD, plus installation. Installation is normally $500.00 CAD but can vary with your bathroom.
• Warranty: one year on parts and labour.
• Fits: baths 46 to 58 cm (18 to 23 in) high and up to 85 cm (33 in) wide, with an XL size and custom parts for other baths. Maximum user weight is 140 kg (about 308 lb).
• Battery: about 20 baths per charge.

It suits you if you love your bath, you can sit and transfer, and getting over the tub wall is the problem. It may not suit you if you need to roll in with a wheelchair. Ask your healthcare team whether a bath lift is right for you.

Option 4: Shower Bay portable roll-in shower

A Shower Bay is a portable, wheelchair-accessible shower stall that we set up in any room with a level floor, a faucet nearby and an electrical outlet. It connects to a standard faucet with a quick-connect hose, and its pump drains the water away. No plumbing changes are needed, and it can be removed again when you are done.

• Cost: rental from $450 a month, plus set-up and removal costs billed on the first invoice.
• Good for: a recovery after surgery, a stay while a bathroom is being renovated, or someone who needs a roll-in shower right away.

How do the four options compare?

• You want to keep a bath and can step: a tub cut.
• You want to keep a bath and need help getting in: the Molly Bather.
• You have a shower, and the edge is the problem: a shower lip kit.
• You need to roll in, for a short time or right now: Shower Bay.

When is a renovation still the better choice?

A renovation makes sense when:

• mobility is likely to keep changing and you want a permanent, step-free space;
• a wheelchair user needs a shower for the long term;
• the bathroom is already worn out and needs work.

In that case, look at a barrier-free shower or a tub-to-shower conversion. You can also start with one of the options above and renovate later. Depending on your situation, you may be able to claim the Home Accessibility Tax Credit or get help from BC RAHA. Some programs need approval before work begins, so check before you start.

Not sure which one fits your home? Let's look together

We serve homes across the Lower Mainland. Book a free in-home assessment and we will listen first, look at your bathroom, and give you honest advice, even if that is not the biggest job. You can also call us at 604-259-1211.