Bathrooms · Services

Schluter Shower Waterproofing in NJ

Tile and grout are not waterproof. The membrane under them is. Every shower we build in North and Central New Jersey is built on the Schluter system, installed to Schluter's spec and water-tested before the first tile goes on.

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4.9 on Google · 51 reviewsNJ HIC reg. #13VH10766600Building in New Jersey since 2019

Walk-in shower with gray marble-look walls, a corner bench and a pebble floor

What the Schluter system is, and why every shower we build uses it.

A bonded, sheet-applied waterproofing that sits directly under the tile, so water stops at the surface instead of soaking into the wall.

Older showers were built on a mortar bed with a vinyl liner under it. Water was expected to pass through the tile and grout, soak the mortar, and drain out through weep holes. It worked when it was built right, and it is why so many 30-year-old showers smell like a basement. The Schluter system does the opposite: the KERDI membrane bonds to the wall and the sloped pan, the tile bonds to the membrane, and the water never gets past the surface.

KERDI is a sheet membrane, so its thickness is the same everywhere. Liquid membranes depend on how many coats went on in the corner; a sheet does not. It is continuous across every corner, the bench, the niche and the curb, with pre-formed corners and KERDI-BAND at every seam, and it runs from the drain to the full height of the tile, which is what ANSI A118.10 asks of a waterproofing membrane.

We have built every one of our showers this way, 200-plus bathrooms, because it is the only part of the job you cannot inspect after the fact.

The parts, by name

KERDI membrane on every shower wall and floor, over KERDI-BOARD or cement board. Cement board alone is not waterproof.
KERDI-DRAIN (point drain) or KERDI-LINE (linear drain), with the flange bonded to the membrane, not clamped under a liner.
KERDI-KERECK pre-formed inside and outside corners, KERDI-BAND on seams, KERDI-FIX at the pipes and the glass.
Schluter ALL-SET mortar to bond the membrane and set the tile. It is the mortar that qualifies the shower for Schluter's longest warranty.
DITRA uncoupling membrane under bathroom floor tile over wood framing.

Two-shelf shower niche lined with pebble tile

How we install it.

The order matters, and so does the water test.

Walls to the studs, blocking for the niche, the bench, the glass and future grab bars, then KERDI-BOARD or cement board screwed and taped.
A pan sloped a quarter inch per foot to the drain, the KERDI-DRAIN or KERDI-LINE set in mortar with its bonded flange.
KERDI membrane over the floor and up every wall to tile height, seams overlapped, corners pre-formed, bench and niche wrapped, all in ALL-SET.
Water test: the drain plugged, the pan filled, and left. If it holds, we tile. If not, we fix it while it costs nothing.
Tile in ALL-SET, a grout that needs no sealer, silicone rather than grout at every change of plane so the corners can move without cracking.

How we waterproof every shower

What a Schluter shower costs in NJ.

Waterproofing is not a line we sell on its own. It is inside every shower price below.

Project	Labor only
Tub-to-shower conversionTub out, Schluter shower in the same alcove, niche and glass.	$6,500 – $16,750
Walk-in shower rebuildAn old stall or leaking tiled shower rebuilt from the studs on the Schluter system.	$7,000 – $16,750
Hall or guest bath, full remodelShower plus floor, vanity, toilet and lighting.	$12,000 – $26,000
Primary bathA larger or curbless shower, double vanity, often a tub.	$23,000 – $50,000+

Labor only. Every number on this page is for our work: demolition and disposal, prep, Schluter waterproofing, installation and cleanup. You buy all the materials, including the tile, vanity, fixtures, glass, Schluter membrane and drain, cement board, ALL-SET mortar and grout, from the product list we give you. Permit fees, and anything we find behind the walls, are separate and priced in writing. These are the same ranges our online calculator uses; your real number comes in writing after the visit.

Price your bathroom in 60 seconds

Two Schluter showers we finished.

Every shower on the projects page was built this way. Here are two.

Curbless walk-in shower with a fixed glass panel, pebble floor, niche and grab bars

Warren County, NJ · July 2026

Curbless walk-in shower with a pebble floor

No curb, a fixed glass panel, a natural pebble floor, grab bars and large-format tile under a skylight, with a green double vanity and matching linen cabinet.

Walk-in shower with slate-look porcelain, a window and a pebble floor

Burlington County, NJ · June 2025

Tub-to-shower guest bath in matte black

The tub nobody used became a full walk-in shower in slate-look porcelain with a pebble floor and a matte black sliding door, and the linen closet became open storage.

Google: 4.9 stars from 51 reviews
Bathrooms: 200+ remodeled
Showers: Every one built on the Schluter waterproofing system
Registered: NJ HIC reg. #13VH10766600

See the finished projects

How it works.

The same four steps on every job. Payments follow progress. See the ways to pay.

Step 1

Free 30-minute visit

We measure the room, look at what is behind the problem spots, and listen to what bugs you about it.

Step 2

A written scope

You get the scope in writing with a labor price broken out by phase, plus the product list you will buy from.

Step 3

One point of contact

One person runs your job from start to finish. When your town requires a permit, we file it and schedule the inspections.

Step 4

Final walkthrough

We walk the finished room together and fix anything on the list before the last payment.

Schluter shower questions.

Is the Schluter system really better than cement board and a liquid membrane?

It is more predictable. A liquid membrane is only as thick as the last coat in the corner; a sheet is the same thickness everywhere, and it does not need to cure before the water test. Cement board by itself is not waterproof, so a membrane over it is required either way. We chose one system, learned it completely, and build every shower on it.

What is the Schluter warranty?

Schluter warrants its shower system when its components are installed together to its instructions. Using Schluter's own ALL-SET mortar is what qualifies the installation for the longest coverage, and a modified thin-set from another brand is not approved over KERDI. What voids the coverage is swapping a Schluter component, such as the drain or a corner, for another brand, which we never do.

Do I have to buy the Schluter products?

Yes. Like everything else in the job, the materials are yours: the KERDI membrane, the drain, the corners, the band and the ALL-SET come from the product list we give you, and Floor & Decor and most tile suppliers stock them. Our price is labor only.

Do you water-test the shower?

Every one, before tile. The drain is plugged, the pan is filled, and it sits. It is the only way to prove the pan does not leak while the fix is still simple.

Why not just retile over my old shower?

Because the old pan is the problem, not the old tile. Water getting behind tile means the membrane or liner has failed, and new tile on top fails the same way. A rebuild from the studs with a new Schluter pan is the last time you pay for that shower.

Do I need a permit?

Usually yes when the work touches plumbing, electrical or framing, which most shower projects do. We file the application with your town under the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code and schedule the inspections. A like-for-like cosmetic swap may not need one, and we tell you which case you are in at the visit.

Got it. We will call you.

Expect a call or text from (973) 577-9383 within one business day to set up your visit.