No single upgrade changes the feel of a bathroom more dramatically than replacing a shower curtain — or a dated framed enclosure — with frameless glass. The room opens up, the tile work you invested in becomes visible, and the whole space reads as cleaner and larger. It's one of the highest-impact changes per dollar in a bathroom renovation.
The Three Types of Shower Glass Enclosures
Frameless Glass
Thick tempered glass panels (typically 3/8" or 1/2") mounted with minimal hardware — no metal frame surrounding the glass itself. The result is a seamless, open look where the shower feels integrated with the rest of the bathroom rather than boxed off. The glass is the feature.
Frameless enclosures are custom-measured and fabricated to your exact shower dimensions. They require precise installation — the walls and floor need to be plumb and level. Done right, they're the premium standard in bathroom design and last for decades with proper care.
Typical investment: $2,400–$4,200 installed (custom)
Best for: Primary ensuites, full renovations, any bathroom where the tile work deserves to be seen.
Semi-Frameless Glass
A hybrid approach — framing on the outer structure (the fixed panels and door frame) but not around the glass itself. The aesthetic sits between full framed and frameless, at a lower price point. This works well in renovations where the budget needs to be allocated elsewhere or where the shower geometry is complex.
Typical investment: $1,800–$3,000 installed
Best for: Renovations that want the glass look without full custom pricing, or complex shower configurations.
Prefabricated Enclosures
Pre-sized units designed for standard shower openings (typically 36"×36", 36"×48", or 60" tub surrounds). Faster to install than custom glass and significantly less expensive. The limitation is fit — prefab enclosures work with standard dimensions and look out of place in a custom-tiled shower.
Typical investment: $1,800–$3,000 installed
Best for: Budget renovations, secondary bathrooms, standard-dimension showers.
Frameless vs. Framed — The Decision at a Glance
| Frameless | Semi-Frameless | Framed / Prefab | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visual impact | Maximum — glass disappears | High | Moderate |
| Custom sizing | Yes — any dimension | Partial | Standard sizes only |
| Cleaning | Easy — no frame channels to collect soap | Good | More maintenance around frame |
| Installation | Requires plumb/level walls | More forgiving | Most forgiving |
| Typical installed cost | $2,400–$4,200 | $1,800–$3,000 | $1,800–$3,000 |
Glass Options & Treatments
Clear glass — The most common choice. Shows the tile work fully. Requires regular wiping to prevent water spots and soap film buildup — a squeegee after each shower handles most of it.
Frosted / privacy glass — Sandblasted or acid-etched to obscure visibility. Useful for shared bathrooms or street-facing windows. Hides water spots somewhat better than clear glass.
Low-iron glass — Standard glass has a slight green tint, most visible at the edges. Low-iron glass is optically cleaner and clearer — noticeable in frameless applications where the glass edges are visible.
Water-repelling coatings — Applied to the glass surface to cause water to bead and sheet off rather than film. Dramatically reduces spotting and cleaning frequency. We apply this as a standard upgrade on our glass installations — the difference in daily maintenance is significant.
Curbless (Barrier-Free) Showers
A curbless shower — where the floor transitions continuously from the bathroom into the shower without a step or curb — requires careful planning but creates a cleaner look and is genuinely more accessible. It's a strong choice for aging-in-place design, for making a small bathroom feel more open, and for any bathroom where a seamless floor run looks right.
The key requirements: the shower floor needs to slope correctly to the drain (typically using a Schluter drain system), and the waterproofing membrane has to be applied precisely. We use Schluter Systems for curbless shower construction — their track record for long-term waterproofing is the best in the industry.
Brands We Work With
Fleurco (Luna by Fleurco) — Our primary glass supplier. Fleurco makes frameless and semi-frameless enclosures with excellent hardware quality and a wide range of configurations including bypass doors, pivot doors, and hinged options. Canadian company, strong warranty, readily available parts.
Schluter Systems — For drain systems, waterproofing membranes, and profiles that integrate with the glass installation. Every curbless shower and most of our custom tile showers use Schluter at the substrate and transition level.
Planning Your Shower Glass
Shower glass works as part of a system — the enclosure, the tile, the floor, and the fixtures all need to be decided together. The glass hardware finish (brushed nickel, matte black, polished chrome, brushed gold) should be coordinated with the faucet and shower valve finish and the vanity hardware.
In a full bathroom renovation, we coordinate all of this. In a standalone glass upgrade, we'll help you match what you already have.
See Glass Enclosures in Our Showroom
We have working examples of frameless and semi-frameless configurations on display. Come in and see the hardware finishes, glass options, and how they feel in person.
Book a Showroom Visit See Our Bathroom Work