Framed Shower Door Installation
Handis framed shower door installation puts an aluminum-perimeter 3/16 inch tempered-glass door on a tub alcove or walk-in shower up to 60 inches — shimmed to plumb up to 3/16 inch of tile-opening offset, anchored into the studs behind the tile-backer, sealed with magnetic strike and full-perimeter sweep, water-tested before sign-off — from $600. A framed door is the budget-conscious bathroom update that does not need a custom-measure lead time or a perfectly plumb tile opening. The aluminum frame absorbs the small offsets that frameless glass cannot. Install runs 2 to 3 hours and the door is ready to use the same day. Best fit for tub alcoves, older tile work, and rentals.
Service
How a Framed Shower Door Install Works
Six sequential steps from opening measurement through the post-install water test — the actual sequence we follow on every framed shower door install.
Measure the Opening Plumb and Level
Tech measures the opening plumb (left wall to right wall, top to bottom) and level (top track plane) with a 4-foot level and a laser plumb. Framed-door tolerance is up to 3/16 inch through frame shimming; anything beyond that is flagged before the door order goes in.
Locate Studs Behind the Tile-Backer
Borescope check at planned anchor points confirms studs behind the cement board. Where no stud sits at the anchor location, we install a backing plate before the jamb anchors land — drywall behind tile holds nothing under sustained door load.
Carbide-Drill the Tile Face at Low RPM
Tile gets carbide-drilled with water cooling and the bit set at the lowest practical RPM so the porcelain or ceramic does not crack on the drill-through. Pilot at small diameter first, step up to anchor diameter, no impact mode.
Shim and Plumb the Side Jambs
Tapered plastic shims (from the door kit) or custom-cut aluminum shims at the top and bottom of each jamb absorb up to 3/16 inch of opening offset. Both jambs read plumb against a 4-foot level before final anchor tightening.
Hang the Door and Install Seals
Door drops into the framed jambs. Full-perimeter clear vinyl bottom sweep sized to 3/16 inch glass installs into the bottom rail. Magnetic strike runs the full height of the door close. Perimeter caulk in 100 percent silicone matched to the tile grout finishes the seal-to-tile transition.
Run the Low-Flow Water Test
After the perimeter caulk skins (30 to 60 minutes), handheld showerhead at low flow directed at the strike, the sweep, the perimeter caulk, and each jamb anchor location. Anything that fails gets adjusted on the spot. Framed doors are ready to use immediately after the test passes.
Framed Shower Door Pricing
Final pricing depends on opening size, hardware finish, and whether the opening is plumb-and-level within the 3/16 inch frame tolerance. Request a free estimate for an accurate quote.
Tell us the opening width and whether it is a tub alcove or a walk-in shower — we will measure plumb on arrival before quoting.
Why Handis for Framed Shower Doors
Framed doors get a reputation for looking dated — and a cheap framed door in white painted aluminum from 1995 does. A current framed door in brushed nickel or matte black on 3/16 tempered glass with a clean magnetic strike does not look like the 1995 unit. It looks like an honest, durable shower door that you put up in three hours and you do not think about for the next ten years. The reason we install more framed doors than any other variant on Seattle older homes is that older homes have older tile, and older tile is rarely plumb within the 1/8 inch frameless tolerance. The framed shim kit absorbs what the tile setter in 1962 left behind.
Estimate
Tell us the opening width, whether it is a tub alcove or a walk-in shower, the door configuration you want (single pivot, single hinged, two-panel bypass), and the hardware finish (chrome is standard, brushed nickel / matte black / ORB available). We measure plumb on the first visit before any door is ordered.
Customer Reviews
Framed shower door reviews from real Handis customers.
1962 split-level in Bellevue, plastic-folding door over the master tub alcove. Handis measured plumb on arrival, found the right wall was 1/8 inch out, said the framed door would absorb that no problem. Door was installed three days later — magnetic strike snaps clean, water test passed first try. Best $700 we have spent on the bathroom in 20 years.
Brushed-nickel framed door on our hall bath walk-in. We thought we needed frameless for it to look modern but the brushed-nickel frame on 3/16 glass looks just as clean. Tech was honest the frameless would have been three weeks out and twice the price. Install was 2.5 hours and we used the shower that night.
1940s Ballard Craftsman, original tile in the master bath. The opening was 3/16 inch out-of-plumb on the right side. Handis said only the framed door would absorb that offset and recommended against frameless without leveling the tile first. Framed door installed cleanly, the shim kit took the offset, no gaps in the strike seal.
Bypass sliding framed door on our tub alcove — we wanted both panels because the alcove is in a hallway and a swinging door would have hit the laundry. Tech installed the top and bottom tracks, both panels, the magnetic strike at the meeting stile. Slides smoothly, both ways, no rattle in the track.
Pivot framed door on a tub alcove in our rental. Tenant had been using a curtain for years. Handis installed in 2 hours, brushed-nickel hardware to match the new vanity. Two years in, tenant still happy, no leaks reported. Solid choice for rental property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about framed shower door installation.