Custom Tile Shower
The 1990s fiberglass insert that has been on the punch list since the second-home tour and is finally coming out. The master remodel where the new shower has to be the design centerpiece because the rest of the room is a refresh and the shower is a full rebuild. The downstairs guest bath where a custom porcelain shower replaces a tub the family has not used in eight years. The Mercer Island remodel where the homeowner has been saving toward a honed-Carrara marble shower since the build started. A custom tile shower is the from-scratch shower build — substrate prep, framing checks, full Schluter KERDI or Wedi sheet-membrane waterproofing on every wall and the pan, mortar-bed pan or pre-formed KERDI tray sloped 1/4 inch per foot, niche and bench integration with the membrane wrap, every tile in the chosen material category, every grout joint matched to the layout, and the glass enclosure at the end. Five material categories — porcelain, large-format porcelain, natural stone and marble, subway, mosaic — each with its own page below covering the install detail and the price floor. From $5,000 for a subway-tile build at the budget-conscious end up to $18,000 for a custom natural-stone walk-in at the premium end. Handis self-performs every tile-trade and membrane step on every variant; the in-wall mixer rough-in on a from-scratch build subs to a licensed Washington L&I plumber.
Variants
Custom Tile Shower Pricing
Final pricing depends on the variant chosen (porcelain, large-format, natural stone, subway, mosaic), the shower dimensions, the substrate condition, the niche and bench scope, and whether the project includes a new in-wall mixer rough-in (licensed-plumber sub). Each variant page below has detailed pricing. Licensed-sub fees pass through transparently with the line item named. Request a free estimate for an accurate quote.
Tell us the shower footprint and the tile or stone material you have in mind — we will quote the build with full Schluter or Wedi waterproofing as standard.
Why Handis for Custom Tile Shower Builds
A custom tile shower is the project where the design wants to be the focus and the build has to be the foundation under it. The five-figure shower that fails inside 12 years almost always had a waterproofing shortcut on the build — cement board treated as a membrane, a niche cut into a wet wall without wrap, a pan-to-wall inside-corner left un-banded — that no one could see behind the tile. Handis builds every custom shower with full Schluter KERDI or Wedi sheet-membrane waterproofing, every niche wrapped, every penetration sealed, every inside corner banded. You see the membrane assembly before any tile goes over it. The pretty tile is what the project is about; the membrane underneath is what makes it last 30 years instead of 12.
Estimate
Tell us the shower footprint (width by depth by height), the material category you have in mind (porcelain, large-format, natural stone, subway, mosaic), the pan style (standard curbed or curbless), the niche and bench scope (none, single niche, niche plus bench, multi-niche), whether the in-wall mixer is staying or being replaced, and any known issues with the existing shower (active leak, soft floor, ceiling stain below). We send a clear estimate with full Schluter or Wedi waterproofing as standard and the licensed-plumber portion named line by line on any new-mixer scope.
Customer Reviews
Recent custom tile shower reviews from verified Handis customers.
Custom porcelain walk-in shower in our 1985 split-level master remodel. Handis demoed the old fiberglass insert, found rot in the sill plate from a slow leak we did not know about, repaired the framing, set Schluter KERDI on the walls and the pan, and tiled in 12x24 porcelain. The membrane assembly sat for inspection before tile went up — they walked us through every seam. Two years later, every joint is tight, the bedroom ceiling below is dry.
Honed Carrara marble walk-in in our Mercer Island remodel. Handis met us at Pental to walk the slab yard for the right book-match. Used white thinset so no mineral-line bleed through the translucent stone, unsanded grout, sealed with Miracle 511 Impregnator. The shower is the design centerpiece of the whole renovation. Twelve months in, no etching, no staining, the seal is still beading water.
Large-format 24x48 porcelain in our three-wall master walk-in. Two other contractors had quoted the job and both said they would not run large-format that big on a wall, only on a floor. Handis did it — medium-bed LFT thinset, MLT clips on every joint, substrate self-leveled before the membrane went on. Almost no grout lines, dead-flat walls, looks like a slab. Best tile install we have ever paid for.
Subway tile shower in our 1925 craftsman bathroom restoration. White 3x6 ceramic in a stacked layout (we wanted modern stacked, not historic offset), pencil-trim accent strip across the niche, brushed-nickel bullnose at the niche rim. Handis matched the install to the home's era while keeping the layout contemporary. Eight working days, under budget by a small margin.
Mosaic accent feature wall in our master walk-in remodel — Calacatta marble mosaic on the back wall behind the showerhead, large-format porcelain on the side walls and the pan. The mosaic transitions to the porcelain field with a brushed-brass Schluter edge profile that we picked out at the design review. Looks high-end without natural stone everywhere. The Calacatta accent gets the design value, the porcelain gets the easy maintenance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Handis custom tile shower builds — material categories, waterproofing, scheduling, in-wall plumbing handoff, and pricing.