Outdoor Shower

One project lead — cedar enclosure self-performed, licensed plumber coordinated

Handis owns the carpentry on every outdoor shower install — cedar enclosure framing and slats, concrete base or cedar slat decking with the grated drain, fixture mounting, drainage trenching, finishes. The licensed Washington L&I plumber handles the hot and cold water supply, the mixing valve and fixture connection, and the drain connection on two scheduled visits inside the project timeline. The plumber pulls the plumbing permit under their license. The homeowner sees one project manager, one schedule, and one walk-through at the end.

Hot/cold supply tee'd from indoor plumbing — no new water heater needed

The hot/cold supply is tee'd from the existing indoor plumbing (typically from the bathroom that backs to the outdoor-shower wall, or from the basement mechanical room) and run through the house wall to the outdoor shower in insulated piping. No new water heater is required for typical outdoor-shower use — the existing water heater handles the demand at standard 2-gallon-per-minute fixtures without strain. The supply lines are insulated to prevent freeze damage in PNW winter (heat-tape optional for homeowners who use the shower in below-freezing conditions, which is rare in the Seattle area).

Drainage to drywell or permitted sewer — soil type and permit driven

Drainage is planned at the estimate visit based on the soil type and the AHJ permit requirements. A drywell (gravel-and-fabric, sized for the soil's percolation rate at the property) is the standard for properties with sandy or gravelly soil — handles the typical 10 to 15 gallons per use easily. For properties with heavy clay soil or no drywell location, Seattle DCI permits a sewer connection with a proper P-trap and venting to prevent gases from venting back through the drain. The licensed plumber handles the drain installation and the inspection.

Cedar built for PNW weather — kiln-dried local supply, stainless throughout

Cedar enclosures hold up in PNW rain for 15 to 20 years if built correctly. We use kiln-dried Western red cedar from local PNW suppliers (Dunn Lumber, McLendon, Crosscut Hardwoods) — never big-box-store cedar that is sometimes wet-stacked and twists or checks within months in PNW climate. All cedar joints stainless-fastened (never galvanized — galvanized fasteners stain cedar over time). Cedar slats spaced for the privacy detail desired (1/2 to 3/4-inch for full privacy with airflow, 1/4-inch for screen-only). The enclosure typically left bare to silver naturally; oiled with Penofin or TWP for the warm-tone retention.

Insured, background-checked, written one-year project warranty

Handis carries general liability and workers' compensation; every technician has cleared a background screening. The one-year project warranty covers our carpentry — cedar framing, enclosure construction, concrete base, drainage performance, and finishes — if anything in our scope fails inside a year, we come back and fix at no charge. The licensed plumber's portion (water supply, mixing valve, fixture, drain connection) carries the plumber's own Washington L&I-trade warranty under their license, named on the quote so you know whom to call for what.