Bathroom Remodeling
What It Actually Takes to Build a Curbless Shower on a Slab
June 9, 20267 min read
A curbless shower is the single best aging-in-place upgrade you can make, but it has real structural prerequisites.
You need depth for slope
On a slab foundation, that usually means a recessed pan poured into the slab or a shower placed where joists can be dropped. On pier-and-beam, we sister and drop framing to gain the two inches of fall required.
Drainage strategy matters
Linear drains at the back wall let the floor slope in one plane, which keeps large-format tile flat and readable. Center drains force four slopes and small tile.
Containment without a curb
A slightly wider shower, a fixed glass panel, and a full-length trough handle splash without a threshold. We size the opening for a walker or wheelchair — thirty-six inches clear whenever framing allows.
The takeaway
Decide on curbless before demolition. Retrofitting it after framing is the expensive path.
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