Most Tacoma bathrooms were built with a standard 5-foot alcove tub-shower combo. For the 60-year-old homes common here, these combos are showing their age: cracked fiberglass, mildewed grout, outdated tile, and valves that barely work. The #1 upgrade we do is converting that tub combo to a spacious walk-in shower. In Tacoma, where homes average $450,000, shower remodel projects range from $4,000 for a basic upgrade to $11,000 for a high-end custom shower with steam, body sprays, and premium stone.
Tacoma's renaissance as a cultural and residential destination has ignited one of the region's most exciting remodeling markets. The city's rich architectural heritage — from the ornate Victorians and Queen Annes of the Stadium District overlooking Commencement Bay to the sturdy Craftsman homes lining the tree-canopied streets of North Slope and North End — provides remodelers with extraordinary character homes that reward careful renovation. The Proctor District along N 26th Street has become a walkable neighborhood hub where homeowners in surrounding 1920s-era bungalows invest in kitchen modernizations that honor original built-in details while adding contemporary functionality. In the emerging Hilltop neighborhood, historic homes are being restored alongside new construction as the Tacoma Link light rail extension draws new investment. The South Tacoma and Eastside neighborhoods offer 1950s-era working-class homes with incredible bones but outdated kitchens and bathrooms. Along Ruston Way and in Old Town, waterfront proximity commands premium remodeling budgets. With a median home value around $450,000, Tacoma offers remarkable remodeling value compared to Seattle and the Eastside — a comprehensive kitchen remodel here delivers outsized returns on investment while restoring some of the Pacific Northwest's finest residential architecture.
Our shower remodels include complete waterproofing with the Schluter Kerdi system — this is non-negotiable in the Pacific Northwest. We see too many Tacoma homes with hidden mold damage from showers that relied on outdated waterproofing methods. Beyond waterproofing, we handle everything: framing adjustments for curbless or zero-threshold entries, plumbing rough-in for rain showerheads and body sprays, custom tile installation, frameless glass enclosure fabrication and install, and accessories like built-in benches, recessed niches, and grab bars. One contractor, one timeline, one point of contact.
Tacoma's pre-1940 homes present bathroom challenges that are rare in newer suburbs. Many Stadium District and North Slope homes have only one bathroom — a single full bath on the second floor, often with original clawfoot tub, pedestal sink, and hexagonal floor tile in a room barely five feet by eight feet. Adding a second bathroom (typically a powder room on the main floor or a full bath in the basement) is the most common request, but routing new waste lines through century-old balloon-framed walls requires careful planning to avoid cutting structural members. Lead paint is present in virtually every pre-1978 Tacoma bathroom, and EPA RRP (Renovation, Repair, and Painting) rule compliance adds cost and time but is non-negotiable. The Point Ruston waterfront development has increased North End property values significantly, motivating nearby homeowners to invest in premium bathroom upgrades with heated floors and frameless glass showers that would have seemed extravagant in Tacoma a decade ago.
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