Most homeowners pay for a new bath or shower with savings, a loan, or a promotional plan. The CFPB warns that a no interest offer with the word if attached is deferred interest, so read that line before you sign.
Updated October 2026. General information, not medical, tax, insurance or legal advice.
A one day bath or shower project in Arkansas typically lands at $10,000 to $18,000 for a tub to shower conversion, so most households pay with a mix of savings, a loan, and any medical or veteran program they qualify for. The single most important thing to check on any financing offer is whether it is zero interest or deferred interest, because the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) treats those as two very different deals. This guide explains the difference with the CFPB's own example, then covers the medical tax rule and the VA grant that can lower what you pay.
Start with the price, because the financing question only matters once you know the amount. Typical Bath Planet of Arkansas installed ranges run $10,000 to $18,000 for a tub to shower conversion, $10,000 to $18,000 for a walk in shower, $15,000 to $24,000 for a low step walk in shower and $14,000 to $20,000 for a walk in tub. Those are typical ranges, not quotes, and they are the same across Arkansas; where your project lands depends on size, options and the home.
Get the written price for your own bathroom first. A financing offer quoted before the scope is settled tells you a monthly number for a project you have not defined yet.
| Project | Typical installed range |
|---|---|
| Tub to shower conversion | $10,000 to $18,000 |
| Walk in shower | $10,000 to $18,000 |
| Low step walk in shower | $15,000 to $24,000 |
| Walk in tub | $14,000 to $20,000 |
| Fully loaded walk in tub with shower and rain shower head | $20,000 to $36,000 |
Source: Bath Planet typical installed ranges published on this site; typical, not quotes.
A zero interest promotion charges no interest during the promotional period, while a deferred interest promotion quietly adds up interest the whole time and charges all of it if you miss the payoff date. The CFPB puts the warning plainly: “Watch out for the if. That means the promotion is a deferred interest offer.” An offer that reads no interest if paid in full is the deferred kind.
Federal advertising rules back that up. Regulation Z, section 1026.16(h), says that when an advertisement states a no interest term, the words if paid in full must also be stated clearly and conspicuously. So the phrase is there on purpose. On a deferred interest plan, the CFPB explains, if you do not pay off the entire balance of the promotional purchase, “then interest going back to the date of the purchase will be added on top of the remaining balance.” A zero interest plan, by contrast, “will not add interest based on the balance of your promotional purchase during the promotional period.” Ask any lender which kind it is, in writing, before you sign.
The CFPB's worked example shows how fast a small balance turns into a large charge. A shopper buys a $400 television on a 12 month promotion and pays $25 a month, which adds up to $300 by the end of the promotion and leaves $100 unpaid. On a zero interest promotion that shopper owes $100 when the promotion ends. On a deferred interest promotion at 25% APR, $65 in interest has built up behind the scenes, so the shopper owes $165 the day the promotion ends.
Scale that to a bathroom and the stakes grow with the balance. The lesson from the example is simple: on a deferred interest plan, divide the full price by the number of promotional months and pay at least that amount every month, or set up automatic payments that clear the balance with time to spare. The minimum payment printed on the statement is often not enough to finish on time.
Dividing the price by the term gives the floor for any monthly payment, before a lender adds interest or fees. The table below is that arithmetic only, so you can sanity check an offer. On a $15,000 project the principal alone is $417 a month over 36 months, $250 over 60 months and $125 over 120 months. A real loan adds interest on top, and a longer term lowers the payment while raising the total you pay.
Use these numbers two ways. If a promotional offer has a payoff date, the matching column tells you what you must pay each month to clear it in time. If a quote shows a monthly figure below the principal only figure for the same term, ask what is being deferred or added at the end. This is an illustration of arithmetic, not an offer of credit, and our team does not set loan terms.
| Project amount | 36 months | 60 months | 120 months |
|---|---|---|---|
| $12,000 project | $333 | $200 | $100 |
| $15,000 project | $417 | $250 | $125 |
| $18,000 project | $500 | $300 | $150 |
Source: Arithmetic on the typical ranges above; not an offer of credit.
Yes, when the work is mainly for medical care and you itemize. IRS Publication 502 lists “Installing railings, support bars, or other modifications to bathrooms” among the home changes that can count as medical expenses, along with grab bars anywhere in the house. The limit is that you can deduct only the part of your total medical and dental expenses that is more than 7.5% of your adjusted gross income.
The IRS also draws a line around taste. Only reasonable costs to accommodate a home to a disabled condition count, and “Additional costs for personal motives, such as for architectural or aesthetic reasons, aren't medical expenses.” In practice that means a doctor's note describing the medical need, a written estimate that separates safety features from finish upgrades, and receipts. Ask a tax preparer before you count on the deduction, because it only helps households whose medical costs clear the 7.5% line.
Two programs reach Arkansas homeowners, and both need approval before any work starts. Veterans can apply for the VA Home Improvements and Structural Alterations grant, known as HISA, which pays for medically necessary changes to bathroom facilities and lowered bathroom sinks. It is a lifetime benefit of $6,800 for a service connected disability, or for any disability when the Veteran has a service connected rating of at least 50 percent, and $2,000 for other eligible Veterans. The application needs a prescription from a VA physician, an itemized estimate and a color photograph of the bathroom.
Arkansas Medicaid's ARChoices in Homecare waiver covers Environmental Accessibility Adaptions, physical changes to the home listed in a person's care plan as necessary for health, welfare and safety. It serves adults 21 through 64 with a physical disability and people 65 and older who meet financial and nursing home level of care rules. Call Access Arkansas at 855 372 1084 to ask about eligibility.
Ask five things and get each answer in writing. First, is this zero interest or deferred interest, and what exact date ends the promotion. Second, what is the APR after the promotion and on any balance left over. Third, is there an origination fee, a prepayment penalty or a late fee. Fourth, does the monthly payment shown clear the full balance before the promotion ends, using the arithmetic in the table above. Fifth, who is the lender, because the company installing your shower and the company lending the money are usually different businesses with different contracts.
Then compare the offer against the plain options: savings, a personal loan from your bank or credit union, or a home equity line. Ask about financing during your free in home consultation and you will get the current details in writing alongside the project price, so you can compare like with like. Never let a monthly payment decide the scope of the project; settle the scope first.
No. The CFPB says the word if is the warning sign: an offer that reads no interest if paid in full is deferred interest. Interest builds from the date of purchase, and if any of the promotional balance is left at the end, all of that interest is added on top of what you still owe. A true zero percent promotion only charges interest on a leftover balance from the day the promotion ends. Ask the lender to name the type in writing.
In the CFPB's example, a $400 purchase on a 12 month deferred interest promotion with $100 left unpaid ended with $65 of back interest at 25% APR, so the shopper owed $165 instead of $100. On a bathroom balance the dollar figure is larger because it scales with the amount and the rate. The protection is to divide the full price by the promotional months and pay at least that every month.
Sometimes. IRS Publication 502 lets modifications to bathrooms, such as support bars, count as medical expenses when they are made mainly for medical care, but only the part of your total medical costs above 7.5% of your adjusted gross income is deductible, and only if you itemize. Costs for architectural or aesthetic reasons do not count. Keep a doctor's note, an itemized estimate and receipts, and confirm with a tax preparer.
The VA HISA grant pays for medically necessary home changes, including bathroom changes, up to a lifetime $6,800 for a service connected disability or a service connected rating of at least 50 percent, and up to $2,000 for other eligible Veterans. You apply before work begins, with a prescription from a VA physician, an itemized estimate and a color photograph of the area. Your VA care team is the place to start.
Before any interest, $15,000 works out to $417 a month over 36 months, $250 over 60 months and $125 over 120 months. Interest and fees add to those figures, and a longer term raises the total paid even as the monthly number falls. Use the principal only figure to check whether an offer's monthly payment would actually clear the balance on time.
Ask during your free in home consultation and you will get the current options and terms in writing next to your project price. Whatever plan you consider, check whether it is zero interest or deferred interest, what the rate is after any promotion, and whether the monthly payment clears the balance in time. The CFPB example on this page shows why that one word, if, matters so much.
Ask about payment options at the free in home consultation; this page does not advertise a lender, rate or term. The financing guide's payment table shows what monthly principal looks like on a $15,000 project: $417 over 36 months, $250 over 60 months, and $125 over 120 months. Those are payment examples, not an approved loan. That table lists a $12,000 project at $100 a month over 120 months and an $18,000 project at $150 over 120 months. The published installed ranges are $10,000 to $18,000 for a tub to shower conversion or walk in shower, $15,000 to $24,000 for a low step walk in shower, and $14,000 to $20,000 for a walk in tub. What moves the amount you would borrow is scope, glass versus a curtain, wall material, fixtures, and whether plumbing must be relocated. Most households pay with a mix of savings, a loan, and any medical or veteran program they qualify for. A free in home design consultation settles the scope so the loan amount is not a guess. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau warns that a no interest offer with the word if attached is a deferred interest plan, so read that line before signing.
Most Arkansas homeowners pay for a new tub or shower with a mix of savings, a loan, and any medical or veteran program they qualify for, because a tub to shower conversion typically costs $10,000 to $18,000. According to Bath Planet of Arkansas' published price table, a walk in shower runs $10,000 to $18,000 and a walk in tub $14,000 to $20,000. Loan math then sets the monthly cost. On a $15,000 project, the same table shows example payments of $417 over 36 months, $250 over 60 months, or $125 over 120 months. Longer terms lower the payment but usually add interest over the life of the loan, so compare the total repaid, not only the monthly figure. Scope, a glass enclosure, plumbing changes, and wall material are what move a project within the range. Settle the final price in writing before you choose a loan size, and a free in home design consultation can give you that firm quote.
Yes, borrowers with bad credit can often still borrow for a new tub or shower, but expect a higher rate, collateral or a cosigner, on a project that runs $10,000 to $18,000 for a tub to shower conversion according to Bath Planet of Arkansas' published price table. Lenders weigh credit history, income and existing debt, so options vary by household and can include savings, a home equity loan if you have equity, or a personal loan. Loan term changes the payment sharply: the same published table lists a $15,000 project at $417 a month over 36 months, $250 over 60 months and $125 over 120 months. Scope moves the amount you need to borrow, since a walk in shower runs $10,000 to $18,000 and a walk in tub $14,000 to $20,000 in that table. Bath Planet of Arkansas offers a free in home design consultation to price your scope before you apply anywhere.
Most Arkansas homeowners pay for a new tub or shower with a mix of savings, a home equity loan or line of credit, a personal loan, and any medical or veteran program they qualify for, usually repaid over 36 to 120 months. According to Bath Planet of Arkansas' published price table, a tub to shower conversion runs $10,000 to $18,000, a walk in shower $10,000 to $18,000, and a walk in tub $14,000 to $20,000. The same table shows an $18,000 project works out to $500 a month over 36 months, $300 over 60 months, and $150 over 120 months before interest. A longer term lowers the payment but adds interest, so compare the total cost, not only the monthly figure. Glass enclosures, seats and plumbing moves push a project up the range, and a free in home design consultation gives a firm number to borrow against.
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