Walk-in Shower Guide: Pans, Glass, Drains, and Waterproofing

Curbless vs. curbed

A curbed shower has a 3–5" threshold that keeps water in. It's the traditional approach: cheaper, easier to waterproof, and works with any subfloor.

A curbless shower has zero threshold - the shower floor is flush with the bathroom floor. It looks like a spa, it's future-proof for aging-in-place, and it requires a recessed subfloor (either poured shower pan lowered into the joists, or a linear drain sloped across the bathroom floor to a wall). Curbless costs $2,000–$5,000 more than curbed on a full remodel.

• Curbed: $3,000–$8,000 less than curbless, works on any floor
• Curbless: modern aesthetic, aging-in-place ready, requires recessed subfloor
• Half-curb (2") is a compromise, still requires stepping over, less flush look

Shower pan types

Three main options. Each has different price, lifespan, and design flexibility.

Pre-formed foam pan (Kerdi, Wedi, Schluter): the modern standard. Foam panel with the slope built in, waterproof coating factory-applied. Install in a day, works with any tile.

Mortar-bed pan: old-school. Sand and cement sloped by hand, then waterproofed with a liner or membrane. Requires a skilled tile-setter. Cheapest but slowest and most prone to installation errors.

Acrylic or solid-surface base: pre-fab, drops in place. Comes in standard sizes only. Fastest and cheapest, limited to acrylic wall systems (won't tie into a tile shower).

• Pre-formed foam: $500–$1,200, 1-day install, most reliable
• Mortar bed: $300–$800 in materials, 2–3 days, dependent on skill
• Acrylic base: $200–$600, part of acrylic system

Drains: center vs. linear

Center drains are the standard. They require the pan to slope in from all four sides, which limits tile size (large-format tile can't follow a compound slope). Cheapest and most familiar.

Linear drains sit on one edge (usually the wall opposite the shower entry). The whole pan slopes one direction. This lets you use large-format tile (24" x 48" and larger), gives a cleaner modern look, and is required for most curbless installations. Linear drains cost $200–$600 for the drain itself, plus $500–$1,500 more in labor.

• Center drain: cheapest, best for smaller tile, compound slope
• Linear drain: modern look, large-format tile, single slope, +$500–$1,500

Waterproofing: the part that matters most

Shower failures almost never come from bad tile. They come from bad waterproofing behind the tile. Once water gets past the membrane, it rots the substrate and shows up 3–5 years later as tile falling off or a soft spot in the shower floor.

Two main waterproofing systems. Sheet membrane (Kerdi, Wedi, Hydroban board): plastic sheets glued to the substrate, seams overlapped, corners sealed. Fastest and most reliable when installed correctly. Liquid membrane (RedGard, Hydro Ban liquid): brush or roll on, dry, second coat. Requires wet-film thickness gauge to verify coverage. Both work if installed to spec. Neither works if rushed.

• Sheet membrane: Kerdi, Wedi, Hydroban board - $2–$4/sq ft in material
• Liquid membrane: RedGard, Hydro Ban - $1–$2/sq ft in material
• Cement board alone is NOT waterproof (contrary to popular belief)
• Never skip corners, seams, and the pan-to-wall transition

Glass: framed, semi-frameless, frameless

Framed: aluminum frame around every edge. Cheapest, most durable, most dated aesthetic.

Semi-frameless: frame at the top and bottom, frameless door and side panel. Middle price, cleaner look.

Frameless: 3/8" or 1/2" tempered glass with minimal hardware. Highest cost, best aesthetic, weakest tolerance to construction errors (the shower opening must be square within 1/8").

Glass fabrication happens after tile install because the fabricator measures the finished opening. Add 5–15 business days for fabrication and installation.

• Framed: $600–$1,200 typical
• Semi-frameless: $1,200–$2,500 typical
• Frameless: $2,500–$5,000+ typical
• Shower door swing: pick outward-only or bi-directional