Walk-in and curbless showers, built to stay dry

Low curb or no curb?

Low-threshold showers keep a small curb, a couple of inches at most, so water stays put with a standard drain. They work in almost any bathroom and cost less to build.

Curbless showers have no step at all. To pull that off, the shower floor sits slightly lower than the bathroom floor, or the whole floor is pitched toward a drain. On a wood-framed floor, that can mean adjusting joists or using a recessed pan system. On a slab, it can mean cutting concrete. We figure out which applies to your house at the visit.

The parts that matter most

Slope

Shower floors need consistent pitch to the drain. Too little and water puddles; too much and the floor feels like a ramp. We set it carefully and check it before tile goes down.

Drain

A center drain is classic and works with small tiles. A linear drain along one wall lets you use large tiles and makes curbless layouts easier.

Waterproofing

Tile and grout are not waterproof. The membrane behind and under them is. We use a continuous waterproofing system on walls and floor and flood-test the pan before tiling.

Glass and splash

Open designs look great, but water travels. A fixed glass panel, a slightly larger footprint or a well-placed showerhead keeps the rest of the bathroom dry.

Safety details, without the hospital look

• Grab bars anchored to blocking, in finishes that match your fixtures
• A bench, built in or fold-down
• Handheld shower on a slide bar, reachable from the bench
• Slip-resistant floor tile, often smaller tiles with more grout lines for grip
• Controls placed near the entry so you can turn on the water without getting blasted
• A pressure-balancing or thermostatic valve to help prevent scalding

Cost

Public cost guides put a prefab walk-in shower at roughly $1,000 to $8,000 installed and a custom tiled walk-in at about $3,500 to $15,000. Curbless builds usually land higher because of the floor work and custom pan. Build your range.