Walk-in tubs across Chicago's neighborhoods
From the Bungalow Belt to lakefront high-rises, Chicago's housing shapes every walk-in tub project. Here is what we see by building type, and the city resources that help older residents stay home.
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A city of distinctive buildings
Chicago's housing stock has a personality you do not find in many American cities. The Historic Chicago Bungalow Association counts more than 80,000 bungalows in the city, most built between about 1910 and 1940 in a crescent of neighborhoods known as the Bungalow Belt. Brick and limestone two-flats line blocks across the North, West and South Sides. Greystones from the decades around 1900 fill parts of North Lawndale, Logan Square and Woodlawn. And along the lake, vintage courtyard buildings and high-rise towers house thousands of older residents.
We help Chicago families choose and install walk-in tubs, wheelchair transfer tubs and roll-in showers in all of these. We do not run a city showroom. We plan by phone and photos, confirm measurements and handle installation, or ship a tub for your own contractor to install.
Bungalows: often a good fit
The classic Chicago bungalow is a one-and-a-half-story brick house with its main bathroom on the first floor, which is good news for anyone who struggles with stairs. Many have a standard 60-inch tub alcove, the footprint many walk-in tubs are made for.
The details still matter. Bathrooms are compact, often with a window over the tub, a radiator nearby and plaster walls behind original tile. Floors are wood-framed over a basement, which makes drain access from below easier than on a slab, but also means we look at the framing under a heavy, filled tub. Bungalows in neighborhoods like Portage Park, Jefferson Park, Chatham, Brainerd and Marquette Park share these traits, with plenty of variation from decades of updates.
Bungalow checklist
- Alcove length at top and bottom
- Drain side and access from the basement
- Radiator location
- Window over the tub
- Water heater size in the basement
Two-flats, three-flats and greystones
A local historian once described the Chicago two-flat as essentially two bungalows stacked on top of each other, and the comparison is useful. Each unit typically has its own bathroom in a similar spot, with plumbing stacked between floors.
Getting there
Upper units mean stairs. Front stairs may be narrow with a turn; back porch stairs are sometimes the better route. We measure both.
Neighbors below
Plumbing work on the second floor can affect the ceiling of the first. Keeping the drain where it is minimizes that, and a quality install protects the unit below.
Owner-occupied buildings
Many older owners live on the first floor and rent the second. A walk-in tub on the owner's floor avoids the stairs entirely.
Greystone layouts
Older greystones can have narrow bathrooms and tight door swings. Inward-swing tub doors or a low-curb shower often suit them best.
Southwest and Northwest Side neighborhoods
On the Southwest Side in neighborhoods like Garfield Ridge, Clearing, West Lawn and Mount Greenwood, and on the Northwest Side in Norwood Park, Edison Park and Dunning, you find bungalows alongside postwar brick ranches and Cape Cods. Many longtime owners have lived in these homes for decades and want to stay. Postwar homes often have a first-floor bathroom with a standard alcove, and basement access below makes drain work easier.
Beverly, on the far South Side, has many larger older homes with second-floor bathrooms, closer in character to Oak Park or Evanston. The stairs question applies there too.
Basement water heaters: common across the city. A long run from the basement to a second-floor bathroom means a wait for hot water. Tell us where yours is.
Condos, co-ops and high-rises
Along the lakefront, from Edgewater and Rogers Park down through Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Streeterville and the South Loop to Hyde Park, many older Chicagoans live in condos and co-ops. Walk-in tubs work in many of these units, but the building is part of the project.
Expect management or the board to ask for a scope of work, the contractor's license and insurance certificate, an elevator reservation and work within set hours. Plumbing changes that touch shared risers may need extra approval, which is another reason to keep the drain in place.
Measure the elevator. Door width, cab depth and height decide whether a boxed tub can ride up, or whether a more compact model is needed.
City resources for older residents
Department of Family and Support Services
The city's Area Agency on Aging, serving Chicagoans 60 and older through information and assistance, senior centers in five regions, home-delivered meals and in-home help. Call 312-744-4016.
DFSS Senior ServicesSmall Accessible Repairs for Seniors
Grab bars and other small accessibility repairs for income-eligible residents 60 and older, through delegate agencies that may serve specific wards. Check whether applications are open.
chicago.gov/sarfsPermits
The Department of Buildings' Express Permit Program covers many fixture replacements and interior alterations. Permitted electrical work must be done by a Chicago-licensed electrical contractor.
Express PermitsCook County exemptions
Senior, senior freeze and home improvement exemptions can lower property taxes for eligible owners.
Assessor exemptions
Neighborhoods and suburbs we serve
We help families in neighborhoods across the city, including Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Edgewater, Rogers Park, Andersonville, Wicker Park, Logan Square, Portage Park, Jefferson Park, Norwood Park, Edison Park, Bridgeport, Beverly, Mount Greenwood, Hyde Park, Bronzeville, Chatham and beyond, along with suburbs throughout Cook, DuPage, Lake and Will counties.
Chicago questions
Will a walk-in tub fit in my Chicago bungalow?
Often, yes. Many bungalows have a standard 60-inch tub alcove. We confirm the alcove, drain side, radiator and window placement, and the path from the door before recommending a model.
Can you install a walk-in tub on the second floor of a two-flat?
Usually, with planning for the stairs and attention to plumbing above the first-floor unit. We measure front and back routes and keep the drain in place whenever possible.
Do you have a showroom in Chicago?
No. We work by phone and photos, confirm measurements and handle the installation, or ship the tub to your home for your own contractor.
Sources
- WBEZ, "100 years of Chicago bungalows": wbez.org
- Rogers Park/West Ridge Historical Society, "Chicago bungalows in Rogers Park and West Ridge": rpwrhs.org
- City of Chicago DFSS Senior Services: chicago.gov
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