Shower remodelin Las Vegas.

A shower remodel in Las Vegas usually starts for one of two reasons: the old shower is leaking or stained beyond cleaning, or the tub is in the way. Either way, the job means taking the space down to the studs, rebuilding it with proper waterproofing, and finishing with tile, fixtures and glass.

A tub-to-shower conversion follows the same path with one extra step. The tub drain usually has to move to suit the new shower, and on a slab-on-grade home that means opening the concrete floor. The result can be a simple alcove shower with a low curb or a larger walk-in shower with a bench, niche and handheld on a slide bar.

Curbless showers are possible here too, but on a slab the floor has to be recessed or built up to get the slope right, which adds work. We look at the slab and drain location during the walkthrough before recommending one.

If your shower remodel needs a permit from Clark County or your city, we tell you up front, and the written flat quote is in your hands before any demo. Floors along the path to the bathroom are covered during the job, and we clean up when it is done.

Tile and grout are not waterproof. Water passes through grout lines, so what keeps a shower dry is the layer behind the tile: a sheet membrane or liquid-applied system over cement board or foam board, tied into the pan, the niche and the curb. Older showers often relied on a barrier behind the board and a liner under the pan, and when those fail, the damage stays hidden until demo.

Niches and benches are the usual weak spots, because they are extra corners and seams. Each one is wrapped in the same membrane as the walls, with sealed corners and a slight slope so water runs back into the shower instead of sitting on a flat shelf.

Before tile goes on, the pan is flood tested: the drain is plugged and the floor holds water long enough to show any leak. It is a simple step, and it is much easier to fix a problem then than after the tile is set.

Size and tile are the first factors. A standard alcove with large-format porcelain tile takes less labor than a walk-in with small mosaic tile, a pattern on the back wall and a tiled bench. Every niche, bench and change in tile adds cutting, waterproofing and setting time.

Plumbing is next. Moving the drain, adding a second shower head or a body spray, or switching to a linear drain all change the rough-in. Glass is the last big item: a frameless enclosure with a fixed panel and a door costs more than a framed slider, and custom angles add more.

If demo turns up water damage in the framing or drywall, it has to be repaired before the new shower goes in. Older mortar-bed shower pans deserve a close look, since a failed liner can leak into the wall bottoms for a long time before anything shows.

Accessibility features such as grab bars need blocking inside the wall, and adding it now costs little compared with opening finished tile later. Even if you do not want bars today, blocking keeps the option open.

Las Vegas water is hard enough to leave a white film on shower glass quickly if it is not wiped down. Frameless glass with minimal hardware is easier to squeegee, and many glass suppliers offer a factory-applied coating that helps water bead off, which is worth asking about when you order.

Fixtures take a beating from scale too. Shower heads with rubber nozzles can be rubbed clean, and a thermostatic or pressure-balance valve keeps the temperature steady when someone flushes a toilet. Cement grout should be sealed after it cures, or you can choose an epoxy or urethane grout that resists staining without sealing.

Lighting is easy to overlook. A wet-rated recessed light over the shower makes cleaning and shaving easier, and the time to add it is while the walls and ceiling are open.