Payson · Star Valley · Pine · Show Low · Pinetop-Lakeside · Snowflake
Safer bathing for Rim Country and the White Mountains
Pine-country homes come with cold winters, long drives and bathrooms that were never planned for a walker. We help Payson and Show Low families choose a walk-in tub or roll-in shower that works up here, all year.
- Since 2012
- Installed in as little as one day
- Install or supply-only, statewide
Direct answer: Walk In Tubs Arizona, an Aging Safely Baths company, installs walk-in tubs and roll-in showers in Payson, Star Valley, Pine, Show Low, Pinetop-Lakeside and Snowflake, or ships them supply-only for your own ROC-licensed contractor. Up here, plan for cold winter water, snowy delivery days and county lines. The written quote is free. Call 1-888-779-2284.
The area
Who do we serve in Rim Country and the White Mountains?
This page covers two neighboring high-country areas that people often lump together but that sit in different counties. Payson, Star Valley, Pine and Strawberry are in Gila County, up State Route 87 from the East Valley. Show Low, Pinetop-Lakeside, Snowflake, Taylor and Heber-Overgaard are in Navajo County, farther east on the plateau. The county matters more than you might think, because it decides which aging agency, which building department and which hospital system you will deal with.
What the two areas share is the reason many people moved here: cooler summers, pine trees and a slower pace. What they also share is housing that was rarely built with aging in mind. We see a lot of cabins and split-level homes, manufactured homes on larger lots, second homes that are used part of the year, and older bathrooms with a standard tub, a narrow door and no blocking in the walls for grab bars. None of that rules out a safer bathroom. It simply shapes which product fits.
Payson, Star Valley, Pine
Gila County. Cabins and older homes on sloped lots, many with steps at the entry. Measure the path from the driveway first.
Show Low and Pinetop-Lakeside
Navajo County. A mix of full-time and seasonal homes, often with standard tub alcoves that fit a full-size walk-in tub.
Snowflake, Taylor, Heber-Overgaard
Navajo County. Larger lots and manufactured homes, where floor support and door width get checked before we recommend a model.
Winter
Does a cold mountain winter change which tub you should buy?
It changes a few details. A walk-in tub holds far more water than you use in a shower, and you sit in it while it fills. In January, the water coming into the house is colder than it is in July, and an unheated bathroom pulls warmth out of the tub walls and out of you. Three things make the biggest difference:
- A water heater sized to the tub. If the heater runs out halfway through the fill, the bath turns lukewarm fast. Check the tub's capacity against your heater before you order. Our parent company's guide to water heater sizing for a walk-in tub walks through it.
- An inline heater and a heated backrest. An inline heater keeps the bath water warm once the tub is filled; it does not heat the water from cold. A heated backrest or seat helps you stay comfortable while the tub drains, since the door stays sealed until the water is out.
- A warm room before you start. A safe, approved bathroom heater or a warm-up of the room before bathing makes the wait at the end of a bath much more pleasant. Any new heater circuit near a tub needs a licensed electrician.
If you would rather not wait for a tub at all, a low-threshold or roll-in shower is quick to use on a cold morning and fits most standard tub spaces.
Pipes in outside walls: some cabins and older homes run bathroom plumbing through exterior walls. We ask about it on the quote call, because it affects where controls and supply lines can go.
Delivery
Can a one-piece tub get to a mountain home in winter?
Usually, with planning. A walk-in tub travels as one rigid piece, so the route from the truck to your bathroom decides the plan as much as the bathroom does. In Rim Country that route can include a gravel or dirt drive, a snowy walk, a set of deck stairs, a narrow front door and a tight hallway turn.
- Measure the narrowest door on the route with the door fully open, and note any turns where a long box has to pivot.
- Count the steps between where a truck can park and the front door, and photograph them.
- Pick a dry window. We schedule around winter storms and would rather move a delivery date than carry a tub over ice.
- Consider a kit. If the path is tight, a shower kit that arrives in panels, or a compact tub, may be the smarter choice.
Second-home owners: if you are down in the Valley when the crew arrives, a neighbor, family member or property manager can let them in. Our seasonal timing guide has a planning calendar you can adapt.
Resources
Who can help locally in Payson and Show Low?
Because Payson and Show Low sit in different counties, the right first call differs. This table lists where to start for each need.
| Need | Payson area (Gila County) | Show Low area (Navajo County) |
|---|---|---|
| Aging services, caregiver help, home repair programs | Central Arizona Aging (Region V), 1-800-293-9393 | NACOG Area Agency on Aging (Region III), 1-877-521-3500 |
| Veterans (HISA bathroom grant) | Payson VA Clinic, 903 East Highway 260, Suite 2 | Show Low VA Clinic, 5171 Cub Lake Road, Suite C380 |
| After a hospital stay | Ask the discharge planner at Banner Payson Medical Center about a home bathing assessment | Ask the discharge planner at Summit Healthcare in Show Low about a home bathing assessment |
| Building permits | Town of Payson for homes in town; Gila County for unincorporated Pine and Strawberry | City of Show Low, City Hall, 180 N. 9th Street; Navajo County outside city limits |
| Long-term care with limited income | AHCCCS, about ALTCS home modifications written into a service plan | |
Sources, checked October 22, 2026: Payson VA Clinic; Show Low VA Clinic; City of Show Low permits; VA HISA program; AHCCCS policy 1240-I, home modifications; agency regions and phone numbers from our Arizona Area Agencies on Aging guide.
The VA's HISA grant pays up to $6,800 over a lifetime for a service-connected condition (or a non-service-connected one if you are rated 50% or higher), and up to $2,000 for other veterans enrolled in VA care. The VA names roll-in showers as an example of what it covers, and it excludes spa-type tubs, so a jetted tub is unlikely to qualify. A VA provider must prescribe the change. Our Arizona funding guide explains HISA, ALTCS and the other options in plain words.
Price
What does a walk-in tub cost installed in Rim Country?
Our parent company publishes its Arizona pricing range: on its Arizona walk-in tubs and roll-in showers page, Aging Safely Baths says most fully installed walk-in tub and roll-in shower projects in Arizona "land between $15,000 and just under $20,000, itemized." That range includes the tub or shower, removal of the old fixture, plumbing and finish work.
What moves a Payson or Show Low project within that range is mostly practical: the model you choose, whether the tub needs new electrical circuits for jets or a heater, whether a drain or wall has to move, and how hard the delivery path is. If you already have a trusted local contractor, supply-only delivery lets you buy the tub or shower kit and have your own installer set it, and our Arizona cost guide explains each line of a quote.
Decision
Should you choose a walk-in tub or a shower up here?
A walk-in tub suits you if you can sit down and stand up from a chair-height seat, you love a long soak after a cold day, and you are comfortable waiting for the tub to fill and drain while seated. A low-threshold or roll-in shower suits you if stepping over anything is hard, if you use a walker or wheelchair now or expect to, or if you want the fastest possible routine on a winter morning.
Many Rim Country callers end up choosing a shower with a fold-down seat and a handheld wand on a slide bar, especially in smaller cabin bathrooms. Others keep a soaking tub because it is the reason they bathe at all. Our tub or shower decision guide covers the trade-offs, and the Fit Check tool gives you a starting recommendation from your measurements. If you plan to install a shower kit yourself with a local contractor, Showers4Less ships accessible shower packages to Arizona.
FAQ
Payson and Show Low questions
Do you install walk-in tubs in Payson and Show Low?
Yes. Walk In Tubs Arizona, an Aging Safely Baths company, installs walk-in tubs and roll-in showers in Payson, Star Valley, Pine, Strawberry, Show Low, Pinetop-Lakeside, Snowflake, Taylor and Heber-Overgaard. If you already have a local ROC-licensed contractor, we can ship the tub or shower kit supply-only instead.
Which Area Agency on Aging serves Payson? Which serves Show Low?
Payson, Star Valley, Pine and Strawberry are in Gila County, served by Central Arizona Aging (Region V) at 1-800-293-9393. Show Low, Pinetop-Lakeside, Snowflake and Taylor are in Navajo County, served by the NACOG Area Agency on Aging (Region III) at 1-877-521-3500.
Where do Rim Country veterans ask about a VA bathroom grant?
Start with your primary care team at the Payson VA Clinic (903 East Highway 260) or the Show Low VA Clinic (5171 Cub Lake Road). Both are part of the Phoenix VA Health Care System. A VA provider must prescribe the change for a HISA grant, which pays up to $6,800 or $2,000 over a lifetime.
Will a walk-in tub stay warm in a cold mountain house?
Cold winter water and a cold bathroom both pull heat out of a deep tub. Size your water heater to the tub, ask about an inline heater, which keeps bath water warm once filled, and a heated backrest, and keep the bathroom warm before you bathe.
Do I need a permit in Show Low to replace a tub?
It depends on the work. Swapping a fixture in place is often treated differently from moving a drain, adding a circuit or removing a wall. Show Low issues permits at City Hall, 180 N. 9th Street; homes outside city limits go through Navajo County. Your installer should confirm and pull any permit.
What does a walk-in tub cost installed in Rim Country?
Aging Safely Baths says most fully installed walk-in tub and roll-in shower projects in Arizona land between $15,000 and just under $20,000, itemized. Delivery distance, the model, and any electrical or plumbing changes move the final number, so you get a written quote first.
Keep reading
Related Arizona pages
Tell us about your Rim Country bathroom.
A few photos and measurements are enough for a written quote, a model recommendation and an honest delivery plan.