Bathrooms · Services
Steam shower installation in New Jersey
A steam shower is not a regular shower with a generator added. Steam goes where water never does: up the walls, across the ceiling and into every gap. The room has to be built as a sealed box, and that is decided before the first tile is set. We have built steam showers in New Jersey homes, and this page explains what the build requires and how we price it.
What makes a steam shower different.
A normal shower has to handle water running down. A steam room has to hold hot vapor on every surface, including the one over your head.
In a walk-in shower, the waterproofing stops at tile height and the ceiling is painted. In a steam shower, the walls, ceiling, bench, niche and curb are all covered by one continuous vapor barrier, with no breaks. A membrane that is fine for a normal shower is not automatically rated for steam; the system has to be one the manufacturer approves for steam rooms.
The door is part of the enclosure too. The glass runs to the ceiling or closes against a header, with gaskets, so the steam stays in. An operable transom above the door is common, to let the room clear after use.
Most steam showers we are asked about are part of a primary bathroom suite, where the shower is large enough for a bench and the walls are open anyway.
What the build needs
- A continuous vapor barrier on the walls, ceiling, bench, niche and curb.
- A sloped ceiling. Condensation collects there, and a slope sends the drops to a wall instead of onto your head.
- A sealed glass door, to the ceiling or against a header.
- Tile on every surface, including the ceiling.
- A place for the generator: outside the shower, close by, in a spot that stays accessible for service, such as a vanity base, a closet or the basement below.
- Its own electrical circuit and a water line for the generator, plus a drain line where the manufacturer requires one.
How we build the enclosure.
Every shower we build gets the Schluter waterproofing system. A steam room asks more of it.
- Framing first: the slope for the ceiling and the solid blocking for the bench and the door go in before the board.
- A vapor-rated Schluter KERDI system, installed to the manufacturer's steam-shower requirements, with sealed seams and corners.
- The ceiling gets the same treatment as the walls. Nothing is left as painted drywall inside the enclosure.
- Tile set in Schluter ALL-SET mortar on every surface, with silicone at every change of plane.
- We do the demolition, framing, waterproofing, tile and finish installation with our own crews.
- The generator's electrical and plumbing connections are made by a New Jersey electrician and plumber, and who does them is agreed in writing before the job starts.
What a steam shower costs.
One written labor price after a free visit. We do not quote a steam shower from a range on a web page.
A steam shower sits above a standard tiled shower in labor because there is more work in it: a framed and sloped ceiling, tile overhead, a vapor barrier on every surface, a sealed door and the coordination of the generator. The size of the room, the amount of tile (the ceiling counts), the bench and niches, and the distance from the generator to the shower move the number.
For the labor ranges of a regular shower, a hall bath and a primary suite, see what a bathroom remodel costs in New Jersey. Your steam shower is priced from there, in writing, once we have seen the room.
Our price is labor only. You buy the materials from a product list we give you: the steam generator and its control, the steam head, tile, glass door, the Schluter membrane and drain, board, ALL-SET mortar and grout. You see every material cost and there is no markup from us.
What is not in our price
- Materials, including the generator and the glass.
- Permit fees. We do not promise permit timelines.
- Anything found behind the walls once demolition starts. It is priced in writing before any work continues.
What you get for the labor
- Our own crews.
- The Schluter waterproofing system in every shower.
- A written 1-year warranty on our labor.
- Weekly photo updates and a final walkthrough.
Before you decide.
Four things that change the design, and that we look at during the visit.
- Ceiling height. A lower ceiling means less volume to heat and a smaller generator. Very tall ceilings are usually framed down inside the shower.
- Stone. Natural stone absorbs heat and can need a larger generator than porcelain. The generator is sized by the manufacturer's chart for the room and the wall material.
- Exterior walls and windows. Both lose heat. A window inside a steam room needs special attention, and often the layout is better without one.
- The rest of the bathroom. A good exhaust fan outside the enclosure protects the paint and the ceiling when the door opens.
Two showers we finished.
Neither of these two is a steam shower. They show the tile and waterproofing work that a steam enclosure is built on.
Basking Ridge, NJ · June 2025
Curbless primary with a freestanding tub
A 1990s jetted-tub layout opened into a walk-in bathroom the owners can use for decades: curbless shower, soaking tub under the skylight, double vanity.
Stewartsville, 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.
- 4.9 stars from 51 reviews
- Bathrooms
- 200+ remodeled
- Showers
- Every one built on the Schluter waterproofing system
- Certified
- NARI Certified Kitchen & Bath Remodeler (CKBR)
- Registered
- NJ HIC reg. #13VH10766600
How it works.
The same four steps on every job. Payments follow progress. See the ways to pay.
Free 30-minute visit
We measure the room, look at what is behind the problem spots, and listen to what bugs you about it.
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.
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.
Final walkthrough
We walk the finished room together and fix anything on the list before the last payment.
Steam shower questions.
Can my existing shower be turned into a steam shower?
Why does the ceiling have to be sloped?
Where does the steam generator go?
Who connects the generator?
Do I need a permit?
Who buys the generator?
What does a steam shower cost?
Is there a warranty?
How long does it take?
Book a visit for a steam shower.
We look at the ceiling height, the walls and where the generator can go, and you get one written labor price for the whole scope.
Registered and insured, NJ HIC reg. #13VH10766600. Towns we work in: South Orange, Basking Ridge, Summit, Essex County, Livingston. All service areas.
Got it. We will call you.
Expect a call or text from (973) 577-9383 within one business day to set up your visit.