Shower Remodel in New Plymouth, ID

Because most New Plymouth homes sit over vented crawlspaces. In a slab-built suburban home, a shower leak damages finishes; in a crawlspace-built colony or mid-century New Plymouth home, a pan or wall failure drips unseen into the crawlspace and rots joists and subfloor for years before anyone sees it. That is why a continuous, code-compliant bonded waterproofing membrane over a properly built pan is the single most important element of any New Plymouth shower — far more consequential here than in newer slab construction. Tiling over bare backer without a membrane is a code violation and a slow structural failure in this housing stock.

In older homes, frequently yes. Colony-era and mid-century New Plymouth showers were often built or retrofitted over inadequate waterproofing and have been leaking into the crawlspace for years. When we demolish, we regularly find rotted subfloor and joists beneath. We scope pre-1980 shower projects with a structural-repair contingency rather than as a clean swap, because concealed damage from prior leakage is common enough here to plan for, and correcting it is what makes the new shower durable.

New Plymouth's water — hard whether from a private well on the agricultural fringe or the municipal system in town — scales glass, pits fixtures, and degrades grout and stone. The strategy: large-format porcelain rather than natural stone, epoxy or high-performance grout, frameless glass with a factory hydrophobic coating, and brushed or matte fixture finishes that hide scale. On well-sourced rural properties we account for possible iron and sediment too. The specification is tailored to your actual water source, not a generic build.

Yes, and it is one of the most requested New Plymouth projects given how many long-tenure families plan to stay in their homes for decades. We build curbless or low-threshold walk-in showers with linear drains, benches, slip-resistant tile, a handheld on a slide bar, and grab bars anchored into in-wall blocking installed during framing — structurally, not just into drywall. Done well it reads as a clean modern shower, not a clinical one. In single-bathroom colony homes we discuss retaining bathing capacity elsewhere before removing the only tub.

A shower remodel with plumbing or structural changes is permitted through the applicable authority — New Plymouth City Hall with City of Fruitland inspection (208-452-4946) inside city limits, or Payette County for rural parcels. Importantly, the plumbing permit for valve and drain work is issued separately by the State of Idaho, not locally. We confirm jurisdiction and coordinate the building permit and the separate state plumbing permit as part of the project.

A shower remodel in the Boise area typically costs $6,000-12,000 for a standard tub-to-shower conversion with tile, $10,000-18,000 for a mid-range custom walk-in shower, and $18,000-30,000+ for a luxury shower with premium tile, frameless glass, and multi-head fixtures.

A typical shower remodel takes 2-3 weeks from demolition to completion. Simple tub-to-shower conversions with panel systems can be faster. Complex custom tile showers with specialty glass take longer. Design and material ordering before construction adds 2-4 weeks.

Walk-in showers are preferred for daily use, accessibility, and modern design. However, having at least one bathtub in the home is recommended for families with young children and for resale value. Many homeowners convert a secondary tub to a shower while keeping one tub elsewhere.

Waterproofing. Every square inch of the shower — floor, walls, curb, niches, and bench — must be properly membraned to prevent water from reaching the framing and subfloor. Proper waterproofing prevents leaks, mold, rot, and structural damage that are extremely costly to repair.

Absolutely. Modern accessible shower design uses curbless entries with linear drains, decorative grab bars in matching finishes, teak fold-down benches, and the same premium tile and glass as any custom shower. The result is a beautiful shower that happens to be accessible.

Small mosaic tiles (2x2 or penny rounds) are the traditional choice because they conform to the shower pan slope and provide grip with many grout lines. Large-format tiles with linear drains are increasingly popular for a modern, seamless look but require precise slope and installation.

Yes. We coordinate all plumbing work through licensed plumbers. This includes drain relocation, supply line modifications, valve installation, and fixture connections. All plumbing work is permitted and inspected per local code requirements.