Curbless, or zero-entry, showers are among the most requested upgrades in bathroom remodeling. They look clean, they work well for accessibility, and they're also one of the trickiest showers to build. Here's an honest look at the trade-offs.
The short answer
A curbless shower is worth it if you want an accessible, seamless look and your home can accommodate the floor work. It's less suited to a tight bathroom or an upper floor with little room to recess the floor, and it costs more than a curbed shower because of the extra framing and waterproofing. Done well, it's safe and easy to live with.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| No step to trip over, which helps with walkers, wheelchairs and balance issues | The floor must be recessed or built up to slope toward the drain |
| A continuous floor makes small bathrooms feel larger | Needs careful waterproofing across the transition |
| Easier to clean with fewer edges and no curb to scrub | Water can escape if the shower is small or lacks a glass panel |
| Allows a roll-in design for future needs | Typically more labor and cost than a curbed shower |
| Works with linear drains and large-format tile | Harder in upstairs bathrooms where joists limit recessing |
What makes them harder to build
Slope and drainage
Water has to run to the drain with no curb to stop it. Washington's plumbing code calls for a floor slope of one-quarter to one-half inch per foot toward the drain, and the area outside the shower is usually level or slightly sloped back toward it. Linear drains along a wall or the entry make it easier to build a single-plane slope, which works well with large-format tile.
Recessing the floor
To keep the bathroom floor flat, the shower area is often dropped below the surrounding floor. On a slab or a floor over a crawl space, that can be simple. In an upstairs bathroom, floor joists may limit how much can be recessed, and structural changes may be needed, so ask your contractor to check.
Keeping the water in
A curbless shower needs enough size, a well-placed fixed glass panel or a thoughtful showerhead position to keep spray from reaching the bathroom floor. Some homeowners add a small, low threshold or a shallow dam as a compromise. If you're asking the question for safety reasons, see accessible bathroom remodeling.
Who a curbless shower suits best
- homeowners planning to age in place
- households that use mobility aids or may need to in future
- larger bathrooms where the shower can be roomy
- remodels where the floor is being rebuilt anyway
- owners who prefer a seamless, minimal look
Cost considerations
Cost depends on how much floor work is needed, the drain type, tile and glass, and the waterproofing method. A curbless layout in an existing slab bathroom is a different project from one in a second-floor bathroom with structural changes. See the bathroom remodel cost guide for how to compare quotes, and shower remodeling for the pan and membrane options.
If you're weighing a curbless shower against other options, walk-in shower vs. bathtub helps frame the decision, and our main page on bathroom remodeling in Kirkland, WA shows how it fits in a full project.