Tigard Shower Remodeling

The curbless look is easy to want and hard to build right

A curbless walk-in shower looks simple, but it is one of the more technical things we build; the waterproofing and the slope have to be exact. JDI Construction is a family-owned, Vancouver-based design-build remodeler, and we build a shower from the framing out — the membrane, the pan, and the slope first, then the tile and glass you actually see. Tigard's established suburban neighborhoods off Highway 99W are full of homes ready for exactly this kind of upgrade, and doing the hidden work correctly is what lets a curbless shower here last for decades instead of leaking in a few years.

Our designers and installers work as one team, so the shower you approve is the shower that gets built — we don't hand finished plans to a separate contractor and hope the waterproofing gets done correctly. Here's how we think a shower through, what tends to come up in Tigard homes, and what to expect on cost and timeline.

Where a shower is won or lost

A shower has to look good, but first it has to keep water where it belongs. These are the details that decide whether it does — and most of them are invisible once the tile is on:

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   WaterproofingDone right behind the tile, it's the difference between a shower that lasts decades and one that leaks in a few years.
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   Curb vs curblessCurbless is barrier-free and clean, but it needs recessed framing and an exact slope.
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   GlassFrameless or semi-frameless, with the right coatings for hard water and easier cleaning.
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   Niches & benchesPlanned into the framing and waterproofed, not tacked on after the tile.

A few decisions worth making early

The choices that shape a shower's cost and layout are best settled before demolition, while framing and plumbing can still move. The big one is whether to convert a tub to a walk-in — often the right call when the tub goes unused, though it's worth keeping at least one tub in the house for resale. Then it's curbed versus curbless: a zero-threshold shower is barrier-free and clean-looking, but it needs recessed framing and an exact slope, which is where the real labor goes. The extras that have to be built into the framing — a bench, recessed niches, a second showerhead, grab-bar blocking for aging in place — can't be convincingly added after the tile is set, so we plan them in now. We also lock in the glass and drain early, because both change how the pan and walls get built.

What Tigard showers tend to need

Much of Tigard's housing dates to the suburban build-out along Highway 99W, which means a lot of primary baths still have the shower they were built with — a fiberglass tub-and-shower unit, or a small tiled stall that's begun to leak at the corners. The most common project here is converting that setup to a proper walk-in, and the honest part of the job is rebuilding the pan and waterproofing rather than tiling over an assembly that's already failing. Opening the wall is also the chance to fix a shallow, poorly sloped pan that has been wicking water into the subfloor.

On the homes that are already in good shape, the work is usually about updating a dated but sound shower to something cleaner — a curbless walk-in, frameless glass, a niche or two, and the slope details that make it feel custom. Either way, in the damp Willamette Valley climate a bathroom rarely dries fully on its own, so we treat the membrane and a properly vented fan as the parts we never shortcut. That's what protects the finished work you actually see.

Showers we've built around Tigard

A few recent bath and shower projects near Tigard — click through for the full before-and-after:

Beaverton · Nearby

Forest Green Kitchen and Bath Remodel in Beaverton, OR

See the project

Beaverton · Nearby

Bright and Airy Bathroom Transformation in Beaverton, OR

See the project

Portland · Nearby

Bathroom Renovation in Portland, OR

See the project

Portland · Nearby

Vintage-Modern Bathroom Remodel in Portland, OR

See the project

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What does a shower remodel cost in Tigard?

What a Tigard shower costs depends on what you're building, not the address. Replacing one prefab insert with another sits at the low end; a fully tiled, curbless walk-in with frameless glass and a linear drain sits at the top. The levers between them are size, tile versus a molded pan, whether the drain moves, the glass, and the waterproofing system behind it all. Curbless costs more because the framing and slope take more labor to get exactly right. Because our design and our trades are both in-house, we can steer the plan toward what matters to you — and you get an itemized estimate after we've seen the space, so the number reflects your shower rather than a rough average.

How long does a shower remodel take?

A shower-only remodel is usually quicker than a full bathroom, but it isn't a weekend job. Waterproofing and mortar need to cure before tile goes on, and tile and grout need their own set-and-cure time before the shower gets used — a curbless build in particular has more to get right, so it isn't a step to rush. Moving the drain or opening walls in an older Tigard home adds days. We give you a realistic schedule before demolition, pull the permits the work requires, and sequence it so you're not without your only working shower any longer than necessary.

Why homeowners in Tigard choose JDI

Design-build means one team is accountable for the whole shower — the framing, the waterproofing, the pan, the tile, and the glass — so the part that matters most, especially on a technical curbless build, isn't quietly handed to whoever's cheapest. We handle the permitting, coordinate the trades so the sequence holds, keep you updated through our client portal, and stand behind the work with a five-year workmanship warranty. We're based across the river in Vancouver, but Tigard is a short drive, so we stay responsive during the project and long after it wraps.

JDI Construction — "Built by family. Trusted by neighbors." Design-build remodeling based in downtown Vancouver, WA, serving Tigard and the greater Portland–Vancouver metro since 2007.