Shower Remodel in Dallas, TX

When a tiled shower fails, the tile itself is rarely the cause. Water got behind the surface at the pan, a corner or the curb and stayed there, so the fix is a rebuild in the right order.

Signs a Dallas Shower Needs a Rebuild, Not a Regrout

A shower needs rebuilding when water gets past the tile, and the signs often show up outside the shower first. Look for grout that darkens and stays dark long after a shower, loose or hollow-sounding floor tile, a musty smell, peeling paint or swollen baseboard on the far side of the wall, and caulk that keeps splitting at the same corner.

Dallas homes add two local causes. Mid-century showers often sit on a mortar bed over a liner that has simply worn out, and the expansive clay under local slabs moves enough to crack rigid tile and grout at the curb and corners. Regrouting hides those symptoms for a while; it does not stop water already behind the wall.

What Gets Replaced in a Dallas Shower Remodel

When we remodel a shower, we take it down to bare studs and the slab or subfloor so we can see the framing and the drain. A full rebuild covers:

• Shower pan replacement. A new sloped base and drain assembly.
• Waterproofing. Liner or membrane on the floor, walls, bench and niches, then a flood test.
• Valve and plumbing. A new pressure-balancing or thermostatic valve, showerhead and any handheld or body sprays.
• Tile and grout. Wall and floor tile, niches, an optional bench, and flexible sealant at corners and changes of plane.
• Glass. A frameless door or fixed panel measured after the tile is finished.

Starting with a tub you no longer use? A tub-to-shower conversion covers that. To keep and update the tub, see bathtub replacement.

How Is a New Shower Waterproofed? Pan, Membrane and Flood Test

Every shower floor starts with slope: the base is pre-sloped, typically about a quarter inch per foot, before any waterproof layer goes down. Skipping the pre-slope under a traditional liner is a common reason old showers smell and stain: water sits flat on the liner and never drains.

Two methods are sound:

• Traditional liner. A PVC or CPE liner over the pre-slope, clamped into a two-part drain, with a mortar bed on top. Walls get cement board over a moisture barrier lapped into the liner.
• Surface membrane. A sheet or liquid membrane applied over the sloped base and the wall board, sealed into a drain with an integrated flange, with tile set directly on it. Seams, corners and niche edges are overlapped or reinforced per the manufacturer's instructions.

Then comes the flood test. We plug the drain, fill the pan to just below the top of the curb, mark the water line and leave it, commonly for 24 hours. If the level holds and nothing shows below, tile can begin.

Walk-In Shower and Curbless Shower Options on a Dallas Slab

A walk-in shower can have a low curb or none at all. A curb is simple and lets the shower floor sit level with the bathroom floor. A curbless shower is harder, because the shower floor has to drop below the bathroom floor to keep its slope.

On a slab foundation, which most Dallas-area homes have, there are two ways to get there. One is to saw-cut and recess the slab in the shower area, which on a post-tensioned slab requires locating the steel tendons before any cutting. The other is to build up the rest of the bathroom floor and ramp the transition at the door. A linear drain along the back wall helps either way, because the floor slopes in one direction and larger tile can be used.

Steam Shower Requirements

A steam shower adds a vapor-tight membrane on the walls and ceiling, a ceiling sloped so condensation runs off rather than dripping, glass that reaches the ceiling with a sealed door, and a steam generator in a nearby closet or vanity. The generator needs its own circuit.

Custom Tile Shower Choices: Niches, Benches and Layout

Niches are planned during framing, sized to land on grout lines, and given a slightly sloped bottom so water drains out. Benches are framed or built from a waterproof foam unit and wrapped in membrane like the walls. On the floor, smaller tile or mosaic follows the slope of a center drain more easily and gives more grip; with a linear drain, large-format tile works. Our bathroom tile page goes deeper on materials and layout.

Frameless Glass Shower Doors and Dallas Hard Water

Frameless doors and panels use thick tempered safety glass with minimal hardware, which keeps the shower open and easy to clean. In Dallas, hard water is the reason to think about glass early: minerals dry into white spots on clear glass and chrome. We cover cleaning routines in more depth in how to keep shower glass free of hard-water spots.

Shower Tile Replacement, Step by Step

1. Consultation. We inspect the existing shower, check for soft walls and leaks, and discuss size, curb or curbless, and glass.
2. Design and selections. You choose the valve, tile, niche and bench layout; we confirm lead times.
3. Permit. Valve and drain work is permitted with the city before demolition.
4. Demolition. Tile, backer and the old pan come out, down to studs and slab.
5. Rough-in and waterproofing. Drain and valve are set and inspected, then the pre-slope, membrane and flood test.
6. Tile, glass and walkthrough. Tile is set and grouted, trim and glass go in, and we run the water with you and check every seal.

Permits and Licensed Plumbing for a Shower Remodel

Replacing a shower valve or drain is plumbing work, and Texas requires a plumber licensed by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners to do it. In the City of Dallas, a registered contractor pulls the permit and the rough-in is inspected before the walls close; Plano, Richardson and the other suburbs run their own inspections. A steam unit's circuit goes to a TDLR-licensed electrician. Ask who holds those licenses on your job.

What Moves the Cost of a Shower Remodel?

Size and layout come first: a larger shower means more tile, membrane and labor, and moving the drain or going curbless on a slab adds concrete work and inspections. Tile choice follows, since large-format porcelain and natural stone take longer to set than standard ceramic. Custom glass, a bench, extra niches, body sprays and steam each add their own cost. Hidden damage is the wild card: rotted studs or a soft subfloor behind an old pan are repaired before the new waterproofing goes on, and we price that repair before continuing.

We build showers across Dallas and nearby cities such as Richardson, about 20 minutes away, and Plano, about 30, where many 1970s to 1990s homes still have original cultured-marble shower surrounds.