An installed walk in tub in Louisiana typically costs $14,000 to $25,000, with a basic soaker model at $14,000 to $19,000 and the job usually finished in about one day, according to the price tables Tubbs by Grubbs publishes. This page gives the range for each tub type first. It then covers what moves the price, how long the install takes, how older Louisiana homes affect the job, how a tub compares with a walk in shower, how to pay for it, and how to compare quotes.
An installed walk in tub in Louisiana typically costs $14,000 to $25,000. The low end is a basic soaker model and the high end is a tub and shower combo. Tubbs by Grubbs publishes its installed ranges by tub type, and across its Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas markets a walk in tub overall typically runs $14,000 to $25,000 for the three single purpose types.
The table below shows each type. A soaker is a deep seated tub with a low threshold door, and it is the most common choice. A hydrotherapy model adds air or water jets. A bariatric or wide door model has a larger opening and seat. A combo adds a shower to the tub.
The ranges are installed prices, meaning the tub and the labor to set it, not the tub alone. They are ranges because the final number depends on the model, the bathroom and what is behind the old tub. The next section explains each of those factors. The reliable way to turn a range into a number is a measured, written quote, since a price given over the phone without measurements cannot account for the wall, the plumbing or the doorway.
Typical installed price of a walk in tub by type
| Walk in tub type | Typical installed range |
|---|---|
| Soaker walk in tub | $14,000 to $19,000 |
| Hydrotherapy (air or water jets) | $17,000 to $23,000 |
| Bariatric or wide door model | $18,000 to $25,000 |
| Walk in tub and shower combo | $19,000 to $25,000 |
Source: Tubbs by Grubbs published walk in tub price table
The type of tub moves the price most, from $14,000 to $19,000 for a soaker up to $19,000 to $25,000 for a tub and shower combo, followed by door and seat size, jets, and any repairs behind the old tub. Tubbs by Grubbs' published table shows a soaker at $14,000 to $19,000, a hydrotherapy model with air or water jets at $17,000 to $23,000, a bariatric or wide door model at $18,000 to $25,000, and a tub and shower combo at $19,000 to $25,000. Moving from a soaker to jets or to a wider door shifts you into a higher band.
Tub size and door side matter because the tub has to fit the alcove and the door has to swing or slide where there is room to enter. A tub that does not match the alcove can mean extra plumbing or wall work. Choose the door side from where you stand when you get in and out, and from where the drain and faucet sit.
A heater is an option that keeps the water warm while you wait for it to fill and drain, which matters because you sit first and then fill. Removal of the old tub and repairs behind the wall are the two items most likely to change a quote after the first visit. The published tables do not break out a price for a heater, door side, removal or repairs, so ask for each one as a separate line on a written, itemized, fixed price quote before you sign.
A walk in tub install usually takes about 1 day, according to the cost index Tubbs by Grubbs publishes for walk in tubs. That is the figure for a one day bath system, where the tub, walls and fixtures are replaced without gutting the whole room.
For comparison, the same index lists walk in showers at 1 to 2 days and a full bathroom remodel at 1 to 3 weeks, with a typical range of $20,000 to $45,000 for the larger remodel. Tile work is slower still. The business's own comparison of acrylic and tile says acrylic and solid surface installs in 1 to 2 days, while tile often takes 1 to 2 weeks.
The one day estimate assumes nothing surprising behind the old tub. If the crew finds damage once the old tub is out, the repair can add time to the schedule, but the exact quote you signed stays the price you pay.
Plan the day around the room being out of use. Because you sit in a walk in tub before it fills, the tub also needs time to fill and drain, so plan for that during normal use. Clear the path to the bathroom, make sure the installers can reach the water shutoff, and ask when the tub can be used after the install.
An older Louisiana home can mean more work around the tub, because old framing, plumbing or a soft subfloor may need attention, and Tubbs by Grubbs prices the project at the in home visit so the exact quote is the price you pay. The Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey puts the median home in Monroe at a build year of 1971, with 28.4 percent of homes built before 1960, and the median home in West Monroe at 1976, with 24.9 percent built before 1960. Census data also shows the 1960s were Monroe's biggest single decade of building still standing, at 20.1 percent of homes, so many hall baths there are about sixty years old behind their original plumbing walls.
The same survey puts the median home value at $174,800 in Monroe and $174,400 in West Monroe. Tubbs by Grubbs publishes a local labor cost index of 0.66 for the Monroe, LA metro, which covers Monroe, West Monroe, Ruston and Bastrop, the lowest of the seven metros in its cost index. The index is a labor measure, not a price list, so use the installed ranges in this guide for budgeting and the written quote for the real number.
The practical step for an older house is to have the design consultant look at the alcove and the wall during the in home visit, before you get the exact quote. An older tub set into a wall alcove decades ago is the fixture most people want out when getting in and out gets harder, so the wall condition is worth asking about up front.
Housing facts for two north Louisiana cities
| Measure | Monroe | West Monroe |
|---|---|---|
| Median year built | 1971 | 1976 |
| Homes built before 1960 | 28.4 percent | 24.9 percent |
| Median home value | $174,800 | $174,400 |
| Owner occupied homes | 45 percent | 44 percent |
Source: Census Bureau American Community Survey, 5 year estimates, 2023
Choose a walk in tub if you want to soak, have sore joints or want hydrotherapy. Choose a walk in shower if you want quick, easy access or have a small bathroom. Both carry the same overall published range of $14,000 to $25,000 installed, according to Tubbs by Grubbs' comparison guide, so price alone rarely decides it.
The real differences are in how you use the room. A walk in tub has a low threshold door, and you sit, then fill. A walk in shower has a low step or no step, and you walk straight in, standing or using a bench seat. A tub fits a standard tub alcove. A shower opens up a small bathroom. Install time is about 1 day for the tub and 1 to 2 days for the shower.
The published shower options run from $14,000 to $19,000 for a low step acrylic walk in shower and $18,000 to $25,000 for a curbless or zero threshold shower. If the main concern is getting in and out safely and you do not need to soak, price a shower alongside the tub. If the person using it needs to sit for a full soak, the tub earns its cost.
Walk in tub compared with walk in shower
| Walk in tub | Walk in shower | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Soaking, sore joints, hydrotherapy | Quick easy access, small spaces |
| Entry | Low threshold door, you sit then fill | Low step or curbless, walk straight in |
| Space | Fits a standard tub alcove | Opens up a small bathroom |
| Typical installed range | $14,000 to $25,000 | $14,000 to $25,000 |
| Install time | About 1 day | 1 to 2 days |
Source: Tubbs by Grubbs published guide to walk in tub versus walk in shower
Most Louisiana households pay for a walk in tub out of pocket or with financing, and the programs that help, such as the VA HISA grant of up to $6,800 for eligible veterans, are narrower than many people expect. The options that exist are a Medicare Advantage bathroom safety benefit, the Louisiana Community Choices Waiver, the VA HISA grant and the medical expense rules in IRS Publication 502.
IRS Publication 502 counts installing railings, support bars or other modifications to bathrooms as a medical expense that can usually be included in full, while costs for aesthetic reasons do not count. It also lets the medically necessary cost count toward the medical deduction above 7.5 percent of income. Ask a tax professional how that applies to your return.
The Louisiana Department of Health Community Choices Waiver funds Environmental Accessibility Adaptations, including grab bars and a roll in shower, for people who are 21 or older, meet long term care Medicaid eligibility and meet nursing home level of care. Openings come from a Request for Services Registry, reached through Louisiana Options in Long Term Care at 877 456 1146.
Louisiana veterans can apply for the VA HISA grant, up to $6,800 for service connected conditions or $2,000 otherwise, before work begins. Veterans in the Monroe area get primary care at the Monroe VA Clinic, and a VA physician's prescription is the first document a HISA application needs. Some Medicare Advantage plans offer bathroom safety devices after an in home assessment.
Compare quotes that are written, itemized and fixed price, and take measurements before anyone quotes. A verbal number that keeps changing is the clearest warning sign. Tubbs by Grubbs' guide to choosing a bath remodeler lists the signs to look for and the red flags to avoid.
With the installed range of $14,000 to $25,000 in mind, line up each quote against the same list: tub type, size and door side, jets, heater, removal of the old tub, hauling, and what happens if damage is found behind the wall. A quote that leaves those out is not comparable to one that includes them, even if the totals look close.
Ask who does the work. The guide favors a company's own trained, insured installers over whoever can be found that week. It also favors a written warranty on both labor and products over no warranty or one that covers only the product, and reviews you can read by name and place over a bare star rating. No one should pressure you to sign today.
In Monroe and West Monroe, a free in home estimate means a short drive.
What to look for when choosing a bath remodeler
| Good sign | Red flag |
|---|---|
| Written, itemized, fixed price | A verbal number that keeps changing |
| Own trained, insured installers | Whoever they can find that week |
| Written warranty on labor and products | No warranty, or only on the product |
| Takes measurements before quoting | Quotes sight unseen over the phone |
| No pressure to sign today | A price that is only good if you sign now |
Source: Tubbs by Grubbs published guide to choosing a bath remodeler
Sources: Tubbs by Grubbs published walk in tub price table; Tubbs by Grubbs 2026 Bath Remodel Cost Index, including the local labor cost index; Tubbs by Grubbs published guide to walk in tub versus walk in shower; Tubbs by Grubbs published guide to choosing a bath remodeler; Tubbs by Grubbs published guide to acrylic versus tile showers; Tubbs by Grubbs published bathtub replacement and walk in shower price tables; Census Bureau American Community Survey, 5 year estimates, 2023; IRS Publication 502; Louisiana Department of Health Community Choices Waiver; VA Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) grant.
No, not with Tubbs by Grubbs: the exact quote you get at the free in home visit covers the material, the installation and the demolition, and that quote is the price you pay. Installed walk in tubs run $14,000 to $25,000 on the published price table, and options such as hydrotherapy jets or a heater are chosen before the quote, so they are already in the number. Financing does not change the price either. When you compare other companies, ask whether their number is an exact quote or an estimate that can grow, and whether removal and haul away of the old tub are included. A verbal number that keeps changing is a red flag in the business's own guide to choosing a remodeler.
It can be, in part, under IRS Publication 502, which says the medically necessary cost counts toward the medical deduction above 7.5 percent of income. The same publication counts installing railings, support bars or other modifications to bathrooms as a medical expense that can usually be included in full, while costs for aesthetic reasons do not count. That means a tub chosen mainly for safety and medical need is treated differently from one chosen for looks. Keep a physician's note, the itemized invoice and proof of payment, and ask a tax professional how the rules apply to your situation before you file.
No, refinishing is not a substitute for a walk in tub, because it changes the surface of the old tub but does not lower the step over the tub wall, which is the reason most people look at a walk in tub. A walk in tub has a low threshold door, installs in about 1 day and typically costs $14,000 to $25,000 for the soaker, hydrotherapy and bariatric types, according to Tubbs by Grubbs' published tables. If the tub is simply worn, a bathtub replacement with an acrylic tub and wall surround is published at $14,000 to $18,000 installed. If getting in and out is the problem, a refinished tub will not solve it. The decision comes down to whether the issue is the surface or the entry.
The crew repairs the damage before the new tub goes in, which can add time to an install that normally takes about 1 day, while the exact Tubbs by Grubbs quote stays the price you pay. Homes in Monroe lean old: the Census Bureau's 2023 survey says the 1960s were its biggest decade of building still standing, at 20.1 percent of homes, so many walls are about sixty years old. That is why a design consultant looks at the alcove, the walls and the floor at the in home visit before quoting. If you are comparing other installers, ask whether their price can change once the wall is open.
Yes, the exact quote from Tubbs by Grubbs covers the material, the installation and the demolition, so taking out the old tub is part of the price you pay. Installed walk in tubs run $14,000 to $25,000 on the published price table. Not every installer works this way, so when you compare quotes, ask each one whether removal and haul away of the old tub are included or billed as an extra line. A quote that leaves demolition out is not comparable to one that includes it, even if the totals look close.
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