Bathroom Upgrades: Shower, Tub or Both?

Most buyers still want both. NAHB's 2024 survey found 78% of buyers rate a shower and tub combination essential or desirable. A walk-in shower in the primary bath is popular, but keep at least one tub somewhere in the home for resale.

Do home buyers prefer tub or shower?

Most want both somewhere in the home. NAHB's 2024 What Home Buyers Really Want survey found 78% of buyers rated a shower and tub combination essential or desirable. In the same survey, 76% wanted a linen closet and 70% a private toilet compartment in the bath.

An earlier NAHB survey, cited by NAR, found 74% of buyers wanted both a shower stall and a tub, and 36% considered a tub essential.

Does a primary bathroom need to have a tub?

Not necessarily. Many people prefer a large walk-in shower in the primary bath, especially downsizers who want a low or no step-in.

What matters for resale is that the home has a tub somewhere, usually a secondary bath. NAR has noted that many buyers may be unlikely to buy a home without a bathtub. Families with young children and people who simply like a bath look for one.

My take: choose the primary shower setup you'll use every day, and keep a tub in another bathroom.

Is it cheaper to install a shower or a bathtub?

It depends on what you compare. A standard tub with a shower over it is usually one of the simplest, least expensive setups. A large tiled walk-in shower with glass and custom features can cost more than a basic tub.

On new construction, the builder's options list will show the price difference between choices for your plan. Remodeling data shows bathroom work is costly to redo: the 2025 Cost vs. Value report for the South Atlantic region put a midrange bath remodel at around $26,000, recouping roughly three-quarters of that at resale. Choosing right the first time is worth it.

Bath choices that are hard to change later

• The shower and tub layout
• Where the toilet and sinks sit
• A second sink in the primary bath
• Blocking in the walls for grab bars, even if you don't install them yet
• The exhaust fan and its location

Easy to change later: faucets, mirrors, lighting, towel bars and paint.

Who's writing this. I sell new homes for D.R. Horton at Collins Ridge in Hillsborough, so I represent the builder, not you. This guide is general education from my years on job sites and in sales. It isn't legal, tax or lending advice, and it doesn't describe any specific home, price or incentive. Check the sources linked below, and talk with your own lender, agent or attorney before you decide.