Custom Tile Showers

What's included in a custom tile shower build

• Demolition and removal of the existing shower or tub surround
• Substrate prep and backer board installation
• A complete waterproofing system, installed and inspected before any tile
• Properly sloped shower pan
• Niches, benches and curbless entries where the layout allows
• Full tile installation — walls, floor, curb and trim
• Grouting, sealing and silicone at every change of plane
• Cleanup, every day, not just at the end

Why does waterproofing matter more than the tile?

Because tile and grout are not waterproof, and most people assume they are. Water passes through grout lines continuously in a working shower. The only thing preventing it from reaching your framing and subfloor is the waterproofing membrane underneath the tile. When a shower fails, it almost never fails at the tile — it fails at a seam, a corner, or a penetration in the waterproofing that was rushed or skipped. The frustrating part is the delay: a badly waterproofed shower looks flawless for the first year or two, then shows up as a soft floor, a musty smell, or a stain on the ceiling underneath. By then the fix is a full rebuild. Every shower I build gets a complete waterproofing system installed before tile, and I check it before moving on. It's invisible work, and it's the reason the rest of the job lasts.

How much does a custom tile shower cost?

Most custom tile showers I build fall between $4,000 and $6,500. Where a specific project lands depends on four things: the size of the enclosure, the tile you pick, the pattern it's laid in, and how far the job is from New Prague. A standard-size shower in a straightforward layout with mid-range porcelain sits toward the lower end. A larger enclosure, natural stone, a herringbone or mosaic pattern, a bench and multiple niches will push toward the upper end — mostly in labor, because complex patterns multiply the number of individually fitted cuts. Worth knowing that a good share of the cost is work you will never see: demolition, substrate prep, and the waterproofing system that goes in before any tile. That's also the part that determines whether the shower lasts. I'll walk you through where your project falls before you commit to anything, and the quote you get is the price you pay.

How long does a custom tile shower take to build?

Four to seven days for most residential showers. That timeline isn't driven by how fast the tile goes up — it's driven by cure times. Waterproofing has to cure before tile can be set, thinset has to cure before grouting, and grout has to cure before the shower gets used. Rushing any of those is how showers fail early. Demolition and prep usually take the first day, waterproofing the second, tile setting the middle stretch depending on pattern complexity and square footage, and grout and finish work at the end. A herringbone or mosaic pattern adds time because every cut is individually fitted. Because I work solo, I stay on your project until it's done rather than splitting time across three jobs — so the timeline you get in the quote is the one I'm working to.

Can you build a curbless or walk-in shower?

In most cases, yes — it depends on your floor structure. A curbless shower needs the drain area recessed below the surrounding floor level, which means either the joists allow for it or the whole bathroom floor gets built up to meet it. Both are doable; they're just different amounts of work, and I'll tell you which one your house requires before you commit to the design. Curbless entries are worth asking about if anyone in the household has mobility concerns now or might later, and they make a small bathroom read as noticeably larger because the floor runs uninterrupted into the shower. Benches and niches get planned at the same stage, since all three affect where waterproofing seams land.

What tile works best in a shower?

Porcelain is the most forgiving choice for shower walls and floors — it's dense, absorbs almost no water, and handles the temperature swings of a bathroom well. Ceramic works on walls but is softer. Natural stone like marble is beautiful and entirely workable, but it's porous, so it needs sealing on a schedule, and it's less tolerant of harsh cleaners. For shower floors specifically, smaller tile is the practical choice regardless of material: more grout lines mean more grip underfoot, and small tiles conform to the slope of the pan without needing to be cut into wedges. I'll walk through the trade-offs for your specific bathroom before you buy anything.