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Shower installation in San Jose, from tub conversions to curbless showers
Turning a tub into a walk-in shower, building a curbless shower, or upgrading to a thermostatic valve. A shower is mostly hidden work: the valve at the right depth, the drain at the right height and slope, and a pan that does not leak.
Shower installation in San Jose covers the plumbing behind the tile: a mixing valve set at the right depth for its trim, a 2 inch drain at the correct height, and a waterproof pan or membrane that is flood-tested before tile goes on. Tub-to-shower conversions usually need the drain upsized and moved.
The job
The parts you never see
Most failed showers fail behind the tile: a valve set too deep or too shallow for the trim, a drain that sits high so water pools, or a pan that was never flood-tested. We rough in to the valve and drain you have chosen, and test before the tile setter starts, while fixing anything is still cheap.
Problems with an existing shower are covered under shower repair, full bathroom layouts under bathroom remodel plumbing, and putting a tub back in under bathtub installation.
Cost factors
What changes the price of a new shower
- Conversion scope Moving the drain and valve adds work.
- Valve type Thermostatic and multi-outlet valves cost more.
- Curbless Recessing the floor or slab adds labor.
- Waterproofing Pan, liner or membrane system.
- Permit Altered plumbing is permitted and inspected.
Every job is priced after we see it; any published range is for planning only.
Your options
Pressure-balance or thermostatic valve?
Both protect against scalding when someone flushes a toilet. They differ in control and cost.
| Pressure-balance | Thermostatic | |
|---|---|---|
| Controls | One handle for flow and temperature | Separate temperature and volume |
| What it holds | The balance of hot and cold pressure | A set outlet temperature |
| Multiple outlets | One outlet, or two with a diverter | Suits body sprays and several heads |
| Cost | Lower | Higher |
| Common in | Standard shower remodels | Custom walk-in showers |
Tub-to-shower conversion
Replacing a tub with a shower changes the drain: tubs drain through a 1-1/2 inch line near one end, while a shower needs a 2 inch drain, usually centered or along one side of the new pan. We cut out the old drain, run the new one at the right height and slope, and move the valve up to shower height if the old one sat low for the tub spout. The wall behind is open anyway, so it is the time to replace old supply lines to the valve.
Walk-in shower rough-in
A walk-in shower is a set of choices made before framing closes: where the valve and controls go, how many heads or body sprays, whether a handheld on a slide bar is wanted, and where the niche and bench sit. Each outlet gets its own supply run, and the valve has to be rated for the total flow. We rough in to the fixtures you have selected, add blocking for the slide bar and grab bars, and pressure-test every line before the walls are boarded.
Thermostatic valve
A thermostatic valve lets you set the temperature once and control volume separately, and it holds that temperature when water is drawn elsewhere in the house. It suits showers with more than one outlet, where a single-handle valve struggles to supply everything. The valve body has a set depth range from the finished wall, so we need the wall build-up, backer board plus tile, before setting it. Moen, Delta and Kohler thermostatic valves each use their own trims, so the trim is chosen with the valve.
Curbless shower drain
A curbless shower has no step at the entry, so the floor inside has to slope to the drain without the bathroom floor getting wet. That usually means recessing the subfloor or the slab where the shower sits and using a linear drain along one wall or at the entry. On raised floors we lower the framing; on slabs the concrete is cut and repoured lower. The waterproofing runs beyond the shower area, and the whole assembly is flood-tested before tile goes down.
What happens after you call
How a shower installation runs
- 1
Plan
Valve, outlets, drain and pan.
- 2
Permit
Pulled before work.
- 3
Rough-in
Valve, supply and drain set.
- 4
Pan and test
Pan or membrane flood-tested.
- 5
Inspect
Before tile.
- 6
Trim out
Valve trim, heads and drain cover.
Local context
Converting San Jose tub-showers to walk-ins
Many San Jose bathrooms are still laid out around the original tub-shower combination, with the valve set low for the tub spout and a 1-1/2 inch tub drain below it. That is why most walk-in conversions here involve raising the valve and upsizing the drain, not just swapping the tub for a pan. We open the wall and floor once, see what is actually there, and plan the new shower around the existing drain and vent lines.
Timing
How long the bathroom is out of service
The plumbing in a tub-to-shower conversion or new shower is a small part of the schedule; demolition, the pan or membrane, the flood test, the inspection and the tile set the pace. Curbless showers on slabs take longer because of the concrete work. If it is your only bathroom, tell us early, and we plan the order so a toilet and a sink stay usable.
FAQ
Shower installation questions
Usually, with the drain upsized and the valve moved up.
A 2 inch drain, larger than a tub's.
Thermostatic for several outlets; pressure-balance for one head.
Yes, by recessing the slab where the shower sits.
Yes, before any tile goes on.
Moen, Delta, Kohler and others.
Yes, when the plumbing is altered.
Related work
Other Kitchen & Bath jobs we handle
Plan a new shower in San Jose
Call any hour to book a planning visit.
Updated September 2026