A high tub wall, a slippery floor or a shower you have to step into sideways can turn an ordinary morning into a risk. If you or a parent live in Covington and plan to stay put for years, the bathroom is usually the first room worth rethinking. Big Easy Bathrooms helps Covington homeowners swap those trouble spots for walk-in showers, safer tubs and barrier-free entries.
Below: which upgrade suits the person using the room, how permits work in the city and the parish, and how to plan for our humid climate.
What makes a bathroom safer for aging in place?
A safer bathroom takes away the step, the slip and the stretch: a low or level shower entry, a floor that grips when it’s wet, somewhere to sit, and controls you can reach without twisting.
The riskiest moments in a bathroom are the transitions. Stepping over a tub wall, turning around in a tight stall and reaching for a towel on a wet floor all ask for balance at the worst possible time. The upgrades that help most are the ones that remove those moments.
- A shower you can walk or roll into, with little or no curb.
- A built-in bench or fold-down seat, so washing can happen sitting down.
- A handheld shower head on a slide bar, within reach of the seat.
- Grab bars where you sit down and stand up.
- Floor and base surfaces that stay grippy when wet, plus bright, even lighting.
If you’re weighing a shower against a tub for a parent, our article on the benefits of walk-in showers for aging in place goes deeper into daily use.
Walk-in shower, walk-in tub or tub-to-shower conversion: which fits a Covington home?
If the goal is to stop climbing over a tub wall, a walk-in shower or a tub-to-shower conversion is usually the simplest fix. A walk-in tub makes sense when someone still wants to soak and is comfortable sitting while it fills and drains.
The right choice depends on who uses the bathroom and how. Here’s how the three options compare.
| Option | Best for | Things to weigh |
|---|---|---|
| Walk-in shower | Standing or seated showers with a low entry | Leave room for a bench and a handheld shower |
| Tub-to-shower conversion | Replacing an old tub inside the same footprint | You give up the tub, so think about who else bathes there |
| Walk-in tub | People who still want a soak | You sit inside while it fills and drains |
If a shower is where you’re leaning, our page on walk-in showers in Covington shows the entry styles and layouts we install.
Do you need a permit for a bathroom remodel in Covington?
Often, yes, once the work touches plumbing, wiring or walls. Which office issues it depends on your address: the City of Covington inside city limits, St. Tammany Parish outside them.
Inside the city, the City of Covington Building Permit Department handles applications and keeps a checklist for residential renovations. The city asks for inspections to be requested one business day in advance, so build that into your schedule.
Outside city limits, St. Tammany Parish Permits and Inspections handles the work, with separate forms for plumbing and electrical permits. Either way, the work is inspected against Louisiana’s building codes, which moved to the 2021 editions of the International Codes on January 1, 2023.
How should Covington’s humid climate shape your material choices?
Pick surfaces that shed water and resist mildew, and make sure the room can dry out: a vent fan that exhausts outdoors, fewer grout lines and tight seams around the shower.
Louisiana’s humid air slows how fast a bathroom dries after a shower, so finish choices matter for more than looks.
Acrylic wall panels and one-piece shower bases have far fewer seams to scrub than tile. Tile can still work well, as long as the grout is sealed and kept up. Whatever you choose, pair it with a fan sized for the room and run it after every shower.
We serve homes all over Covington, and our Covington service area page lists the bathroom work we do there.
What should you ask before hiring a bathroom remodeler in Covington?
Ask to see the layout, which permits the job needs, what the floor will be made of and who you’ll talk to while the work is underway.
- Can you mark the shower entry, the seat and the controls on a drawing before work starts?
- Which permits does this job need, and who applies for them?
- What floor and wall surfaces do you recommend for the wet areas, and why?
- How will the rest of the house be protected while the old tub comes out?
- Who is my contact from start to finish?
When you’re ready to talk through your own bathroom, contact Big Easy Bathrooms or call 504-688-7786 to set up a free estimate.
Frequently asked questions
Does Big Easy Bathrooms work in Covington?
Yes. Covington is one of the areas Big Easy Bathrooms serves, along with New Orleans, Abita Springs, Hammond, Madisonville, Mandeville, Metairie and Slidell.
Can a walk-in shower fit where an old bathtub is now?
In many bathrooms it can. A tub-to-shower conversion reuses the tub’s footprint, so the layout of the room stays largely the same. An in-home visit is the only way to confirm it for your space.
Is a walk-in tub safer than a walk-in shower?
Neither is safer in every case. A walk-in shower suits people who want to avoid climbing and prefer a quick wash. A walk-in tub suits people who still want to soak and don’t mind sitting while it fills and drains.
Do I have to redo the whole bathroom to make it safer?
Not always. Changing the shower or tub entry often removes the biggest risk, and seating, lighting and controls can be improved in the same project.
