The walk-in shower has become the centerpiece of bathroom remodeling in the Chicago suburbs. It's the single most requested upgrade we see at Culture Construction — ahead of double vanities, heated floors, and freestanding tubs.
The appeal is straightforward: walk-in showers look better, feel more spacious, and are easier to clean than a traditional tub-shower combo with a curtain. They're also more accessible for aging homeowners, which makes them a practical long-term investment.
But "walk-in shower" covers an enormous range of designs, materials, and price points. Here are the decisions that shape the final result.
Curbless vs. Curbed Entry
The first decision is whether the shower has a curb (a raised threshold at the entry) or is curbless (flush with the bathroom floor).
Curbed entry is the standard approach. A 4 to 6 inch curb at the shower opening contains water within the shower area. It's simpler to waterproof, less expensive, and works with any floor tile.
Curbless (zero-threshold) showers are flush with the bathroom floor — you step in without stepping over anything. The floor slopes gently toward the drain. Curbless showers look dramatically more open and are essential for wheelchair accessibility. They require more precise slope engineering and a linear drain at the entry point.
Curbless adds $1,500 to $3,000 to a walk-in shower installation due to the additional floor prep and drainage work. In our experience, about 30% of Chicagoland homeowners request curbless when remodeling a master bath.
Glass Enclosure Options
The glass enclosure defines the shower's visual presence in the bathroom.
Frameless glass is the premium choice — thick tempered glass panels (3/8" to 1/2") with minimal hardware and no visible frame. Clean, modern, and makes the shower feel larger. Cost: $1,200 to $3,500 installed for a typical two-panel enclosure with a door.
Semi-frameless has a frame along the top and bottom but no frame around the glass panels themselves. It's a middle ground between the clean look of frameless and the cost of framed. Cost: $800 to $2,000 installed.
Fixed glass panel (no door) is increasingly popular in Chicagoland — a single sheet of glass at the shower entry with an open side for access. No door to clean, no hardware to maintain. It requires a curbless or very low-curb design and a larger shower footprint (at least 36 inches wide at the open side) to prevent water from escaping.
No glass — an open walk-in shower with no glass at all — works in large master baths where the shower is set into an alcove or has walls on three sides. The open side needs to be at least 48 inches from the nearest showerhead to avoid splashing.
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Tile Selection for Showers
Shower tile needs to handle constant water exposure, so material choice matters more here than on a bathroom floor.
Porcelain is the workhorse. Dense, low-absorption, and available in virtually any size, color, or pattern. Large-format porcelain (12x24, 24x48) with thin grout lines is the most popular shower wall tile in the western suburbs right now. Expect $5 to $15 per square foot for materials.
Ceramic is fine for walls that don't get direct water spray. It's less dense than porcelain and absorbs slightly more water, so we don't recommend it for shower floors or lower wall areas in direct spray zones.
Natural stone (marble, travertine) is beautiful in a shower but requires sealing and more diligent maintenance. Marble shower walls in a master bath are a prestige finish in Hinsdale, Burr Ridge, and the North Shore — but the homeowner needs to understand the maintenance commitment.
Accent tiles — mosaics, penny rounds, linear patterns — are typically used in the shower niche, on the floor, or as a decorative band. These small tiles add visual interest without taking over the design. Budget $15 to $40 per square foot for accent tiles.
Shower Features Worth Considering
Built-In Niche
A recessed shelf in the shower wall for shampoo, soap, and razors. Every walk-in shower should have at least one. A standard niche costs $200 to $500 to install during new construction (it's cut into the framing before waterproofing). Adding one after the tile is set is much more expensive and risks compromising the waterproof membrane.
Bench
A built-in shower bench is useful for shaving legs, sitting during long showers, and aging in place. It can be tiled to match the walls (floating bench, $600 to $1,200) or built as a solid surface slab (Quartz or solid surface, $400 to $800).
Rain Showerhead
A ceiling-mounted or overhead rain showerhead creates an immersive water experience. Standard rain heads are 8 to 12 inches in diameter and cost $200 to $600 for the fixture. Installation requires routing the water supply into the ceiling, which adds $500 to $1,000 during new rough-in.
Linear Drain
A linear drain replaces the traditional center-point drain with a long, narrow channel along one wall or at the shower entry. It allows the floor to slope in one direction rather than four, which is cleaner-looking with large-format floor tiles. Linear drains cost $300 to $800 for the unit and add $500 to $1,000 for the modified floor prep.
What a Walk-In Shower Costs, Total
Pulling the numbers together for a typical Chicagoland walk-in shower:
A basic tiled walk-in shower with a curb, porcelain tile, frameless glass, one niche, and standard fixtures runs $6,000 to $12,000 installed. A premium walk-in shower with curbless entry, natural stone, a rain head, bench, linear drain, and body jets runs $15,000 to $30,000+.
The labor component is typically 40 to 50% of the total — skilled tile work and proper waterproofing are not places to look for savings.
Ready to design your walk-in shower? Contact Culture Construction for a free on-site estimate.