Tub-to-shower conversions in Gahanna
Gahanna was mostly built between the 1960s and the 1990s, which makes it the middle of the range we work in: newer than Upper Arlington, older than Dublin, and with a bathroom plan of its own. The typical Gahanna bathroom is a hall bath built around a five-foot alcove tub, and it converts more predictably than almost anything else we are asked to do.
Last updated August 2026 · No prices on this page; the Estimate Builder carries those · Part of the knowledge base
The five-foot alcove tub
A standard alcove tub is five feet long and closed on three sides, and it is the single most convertible arrangement there is. The three walls are already there, the drain is already at one end, and the space a shower needs is the space the tub already occupies.
That is why a conversion in a house of this era is often the most straightforward version of this job: nothing structural moves, the drain frequently stays where it is, and the variables are what is behind the tile and which wall system you choose rather than anything about the room's shape.
What the split-level changes
A good deal of Gahanna is split-level, and in those houses the bathroom usually sits on the upper half-level, over another room or over a garage rather than over a full basement. That matters for one thing only, and it is the same thing everywhere: how reachable the drain is from underneath.
When a conversion keeps the drain where it is, none of that comes into play. When the drain has to move, what is below the floor decides how involved that gets, and a bathroom over a finished room is a different proposition from one over an unfinished basement. It is the first thing worth establishing if a layout change is on the table.
Mid-century tile and what is behind it
Bathrooms of this period commonly have ceramic tile carried up the walls to about four feet, set over mortar in the older ones and over board in the later ones. Behind it, moisture-resistant drywall was standard well before waterproofing membranes became normal practice.
That is not a defect and it does not mean anything has failed. It does mean that what goes back in is built to a different standard from what comes out, which is most of why a properly built modern shower is a genuine upgrade rather than a cosmetic one. What was behind bathroom tile in each era, and what Ohio's code permits behind it now, is on the building page.
Townships that share the address
Some addresses that say Gahanna are in Jefferson Township or Mifflin Township rather than inside the city. We serve those the same way and at the same prices, and as everywhere else it can change which building department a project answers to.
What a Gahanna project looks like
- One to two days on site for a conversion, three to five for a full remodel, with a separate longer wait while selections are ordered.
- An itemized price before demolition and a signature on any change to it.
- Floor protection the whole way from your door, a barrier wall at the bathroom, air scrubbers through demolition, at least two full cleanings.
- Lifetime leak-free guarantee on the pan and walls we install, five years on workmanship, finish and adjustment items.
Common questions
Is a 1970s Gahanna hall bathroom a difficult conversion?
It is usually the most straightforward kind. A five-foot alcove tub is closed on three sides with the drain already at one end, so the walls a shower needs are there and the space it needs is the space the tub is using. Nothing structural has to move and the drain often stays where it is.
Our house is a split-level and the bathroom is over the garage. Does that limit what we can do?
Only if the drain has to move. If a conversion keeps the drain where it is, what is underneath the floor never comes into it. If a layout change means moving it, then what is below decides how involved that gets, and a bathroom over a finished room or a garage is a different proposition from one over an open basement. Worth establishing before any layout is drawn.
What is behind the old tile in a house of this age?
Commonly ceramic tile up to about four feet over mortar in the older houses and over board in the later ones, with moisture-resistant drywall behind it. That was standard practice long before waterproofing membranes were normal, and it is not a sign anything has failed. It does mean what goes back in is built to a different standard from what comes out.
Do you cover addresses in Jefferson Township and Mifflin Township?
Yes, and at the same prices. Some addresses that read as Gahanna sit in one of those townships rather than inside the city. It changes nothing about whether we come, and it can change which building department the project answers to.
Can we keep the tub and just replace the shower over it?
If there is a tub and shower combination and the tub itself is sound, replacing only the surround and the valve is a real option and a smaller job than a conversion. It is worth being honest with yourself about whether anyone in the house takes baths, because doing this and then converting a few years later costs more than doing the conversion once.
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