Shower Pan Installation
Shower Pan Installation Bonita Springs FL
Shower Pan Installation Bonita Springs FL means a sloped, waterproofed base that drains fully and never rots your subfloor. We handle shower base installation in Bonita Springs, Florida for homeowners in Lee County dealing with cracked pans, recurring leaks, and musty smells that keep coming back. If water pools in the corner or the ceiling below shows a stain, we tear it out and rebuild it correctly.
Service overview
Shower Pan Installation Bonita Springs FL Done Right
Shower Pan Installation Bonita Springs FL is the trade of building and setting the waterproof, sloped base under a shower floor so water runs to the drain instead of into your framing. We start by pulling the old pan, checking the subfloor for soft spots, then setting a pre-slope, a shower pan liner, and a waterproofing membrane that meets ANSI A118.10. Cement backer board goes up the walls, the pan gets flood-tested, and only then does tile go down.
Bonita Springs homes take a beating from humidity, and shower pans fail here faster than most homeowners expect. A shower pan leak in a 1980s ranch off Imperial River often starts as a hairline crack in the liner and ends as subfloor water damage and mold behind the wall. If you have been searching for shower pan installation near me Bonita Springs, we handle the whole job, from demo to the last bead of silicone sealant.
Practical benefits
Why Homeowners Rebuild the Pan First
A shower pan is the one part of your bathroom you cannot patch and forget. When it is built correctly, everything above it lasts. When it is not, you pay for it twice.
Stops Recurring Leaks
A properly sloped pan moves water to the drain in seconds instead of letting it sit against the liner. We flood-test every pan for 24 hours before tile goes down, so a shower pan replacement Bonita Springs FL homeowners can trust is verified, not hoped for.
Protects Your Subfloor
Water that escapes a failed pan rots plywood, swells joists, and stains the ceiling below. Catching it early with a moisture meter saves thousands. We replace damaged subfloor sections with pressure-treated lumber where framing is affected, then rebuild from the deck up.
Kills the Musty Smell
That damp, closed-in odor in a Bonita Springs bathroom is usually mold feeding on wet greenboard behind the tile. Rebuilding the pan with cement backer board and epoxy grout removes the food source. Most customers notice the smell is gone within a week of the new pan curing.
Adds Real Resale Value
A clean, code-correct shower base installation in Bonita Springs, Florida is one of the few bathroom upgrades a home inspector will actually praise. Buyers in Bonita Bay and Pelican Landing ask about water damage first, and a documented pan rebuild answers that question before it is asked.
How service works
How Our Shower Pan Installation Process Works
Five steps, no surprises. We tell you what happens each day, who is in your house, and when the water gets shut off. Most pan jobs run two to four days from demo to first shower.
STEP 01
On-Site Assessment
We inspect the pan, check for soft subfloor with a moisture meter, and look at the drain and shower valve while the wall is still closed. You get a written scope and a fixed price the same visit. If the leak has spread into the ceiling below, we tell you before we start cutting.
Tools and methods
Tools and Methods We Use
Laser Level
Confirms the pre-slope is pitched correctly to the drain before the liner goes down. A pan that looks sloped by eye is often flat in the corner, which is where water pools.
Moisture Meter
Reads the moisture content in the subfloor and surrounding framing so we know exactly how far the water has spread. It tells us what to replace and what can stay.
Oscillating Multi-Tool
Cuts backer board, trim, and subfloor cleanly in tight corners without damaging adjacent framing. It is the tool that keeps demo from turning into a bigger tear-out than necessary.
Notched Trowel and Tile Spacers
Spreads thinset at the correct depth and keeps tile joints consistent across the pan and walls. Even joints are what make a shower look professionally finished.
Caulking Gun with Silicone Sealant
Runs a clean, continuous bead at every change of plane. Silicone, not grout, is what seals the corners where movement happens. We use it at the curb, the wall joints, and the drain collar.
Shop Vacuum
Runs continuously during demo to keep dust out of the rest of the house. It is a small thing that makes a big difference in how your home feels during the job.
ANSI A118.10 Waterproofing Membrane Standard
This is the standard that defines what counts as a real waterproofing membrane. We use products that meet it on every pan, and we can show you the spec sheet. It is the difference between a pan that keeps water out and one that just slows it down.
Pre-Slope and Liner Assembly
A mortar pre-slope under the liner directs water to the drain. The liner sits on top, wrapped at the curb and corners without fasteners through it. This is the traditional method, and when it is built correctly it lasts decades.
24-Hour Flood Test
We fill the pan with water and leave it for a full day before tile goes down. If the ceiling below shows any moisture, we fix it and test again. No pan leaves our hands without passing this test.
Florida Building Code Compliance
We build to the Florida Building Code and the ICC Residential Building Code, which govern pan slope, liner thickness, and drain height. We file the permit and meet the inspector on site so you get signed-off paperwork at the end.
Where this service fits
When to Call for a Shower Pan Rebuild
A homeowner in Spring Creek notices a water stain spreading on the ceiling below the master shower.
We inspect the pan and the drain connection, then pull the pan to find the source. Most of the time it is a failed liner or a cracked drain collar. We rebuild the waterproofing assembly and flood-test it before tile goes back down. The stain stops spreading within a week, and the ceiling below dries out. You get documentation of the flood test and the permit sign-off for your records.
A couple in Copperleaf wants to convert a rarely used tub into a walk-in shower with a custom pan.
We relocate the drain, pour a custom mortar bed sized to the old tub footprint, and set a low-curb pan. They pick porcelain tile and a frameless glass enclosure. The job takes about five working days. A walk-in shower that fits the space exactly, drains perfectly, and looks like it was original to the house. No wasted footprint, no awkward gaps.
A rental property owner near Downtown Bonita Springs has a shower pan that has been re-caulked three times and still leaks.
Caulk is a surface fix. We pull the pan, replace the liner and pre-slope, and rebuild the assembly to current code. The tenant is out of the shower for three days, and we schedule around their work hours. The leak stops for good, the tenant stops calling, and the owner avoids a mold remediation bill. The pan is warrantied in writing.
A homeowner in Bonita Terra is planning to sell and the home inspector flagged the shower pan as a likely leak.
We do a full pan replacement with a documented flood test and permit sign-off. The paperwork goes into the seller's disclosure packet, which answers the buyer's question before it becomes a negotiation point. The inspection objection is cleared, the sale moves forward, and the new owner gets a warrantied pan. The seller avoids a price reduction at closing.
Local execution
How Shower Pan Installation Works in Bonita Springs
Bonita Springs sits at sea level with a water table that rises fast in the wet season, and that changes how we build shower pans here. A pan that would be fine in a dry climate can wick moisture from below during a heavy summer. We build every pan with a full pre-slope and a membrane that meets ANSI A118.10, and we check the subfloor moisture before we close anything up. Older homes in Downtown Bonita Springs and along the Imperial River often have original 1970s and 1980s pans with no pre-slope at all, which is why we see so many shower pan leaks in that part of town. If you are searching for shower pan replacement in Spring Creek Bonita Springs FL, we know the housing stock and we know what fails. We also pull the permit under the Florida Building Code, which most pan replacements in Lee County require. Whether you need a custom shower pan in Copperleaf Bonita Springs FL or a simple acrylic swap in Bonita Terra, we build to the same standard.
Downtown Bonita Springs
Older housing stock with original pans that often have no pre-slope. We see more failed liners here than anywhere else in the city.
Bonita Bay
Larger master bathrooms with custom tile showers. Most pan jobs here pair with a frameless glass enclosure and new tile.
Spanish Wells
Mix of original and updated bathrooms. We often find pans that were re-caulked repeatedly instead of rebuilt, which hides the real problem.
Copperleaf
Newer construction where homeowners are converting tubs to walk-in showers. Custom mortar beds are the norm here.
Bonita Terra
Active adult community where resale inspections frequently flag shower pans. Documented flood tests and permits matter here.
High water table in the wet season
Ground moisture can wick up through a slab and into a poorly sealed pan. We check subfloor moisture before installing and use a full membrane assembly to keep ground moisture out.
Year-round humidity above 70 percent
Grout cracks faster and mold grows quicker than in drier climates. We use epoxy grout in wet zones and install exhaust fans sized to the room to keep the pan dry between showers.
Older homes with no pre-slope under the original pan
Water sits against the liner instead of draining, which is the root cause of most leaks we see in Downtown Bonita Springs and along the Imperial River.
Florida Building Code permit requirements
Most pan replacements that move the drain or rebuild waterproofing need a permit. We file it and meet the inspector so you get signed-off paperwork for resale and insurance.
Problems we solve
Shower Pan Problems We Fix in Bonita Springs
Most pan failures we see in Bonita Springs started small and got ignored for a year or two. Here are the four we run into most, and what happens if you let them ride.
Shower pan leaking into the ceiling below
We trace the leak with a moisture meter, pull the pan, and rebuild the waterproofing from the pre-slope up. If the subfloor or joists are damaged, we replace them with pressure-treated lumber before the new pan goes in. Flood test confirms the fix before tile. Water stains on the ceiling, sagging drywall, and eventually mold in the joist bays. Left long enough, the framing itself starts to rot and the repair cost triples.
Cracked grout and mold at the pan corners
We remove the failing tile and backer board, replace greenboard with cement backer board, and rebuild the pan corners with reinforcing fabric. Epoxy grout and silicone sealant at the joints resist the humidity that caused the original failure. Florida humidity works grout loose at every change of plane. Once water gets behind the tile, mold grows on the greenboard and the musty smell spreads through the house.
Water pooling in the corner of the shower
We pull the pan, pour a new mortar pre-slope to the drain, and set a fresh liner on top. A laser level confirms the slope before we tile. Water drains in seconds instead of sitting overnight. Standing water means the pan has no pre-slope or the slope has settled. It keeps the liner wet, speeds up mold growth, and eventually finds a path through the subfloor.
Old acrylic pan flexing underfoot
We replace the acrylic pan with a mortar-set base or a properly bedded acrylic pan, depending on your budget. The new pan sits solid with no flex, and the drain connection gets sealed and tested before the tile goes down. A flexing pan cracks at the drain collar, which is the most common source of slow leaks. By the time you feel the flex, the subfloor underneath is usually already wet.
A practical standard for every visit.
Clear planningPrepared arrivalsCareful workLocal follow-through
Experience in the details
Local Experience With Florida Shower Pans
We are a state-licensed bathroom remodeling contractor working out of Bonita Springs, and shower pans are one of the few jobs we refuse to shortcut. Our crew is trained on Schluter Systems waterproofing assemblies and follows the ICC Residential Building Code and Florida Building Code on every rebuild. We carry EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm status for pre-1978 homes, which matters in older Bonita Springs neighborhoods. Every pan we set is flood-tested and documented, and we warranty the waterproofing in writing.
- State-licensed building contractor with waterproofing specialization
- EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm for pre-1978 Bonita Springs homes
- Trained on Schluter Systems and ANSI A118.10 membrane assemblies
- Every pan flood-tested 24 hours before tile is installed
- Written waterproofing warranty on all shower pan work
Where we work
One local team. A lot of ground covered.
Downtown Bonita SpringsBonita Springs City CenterBonita BayPelican LandingPelican MarshSpanish WellsImperial RiverBonita NationalVanderbilt BeachBarefoot BeachBonita BeachCoconut Point
Check my address Most shower pan installations in Bonita Springs run $1,200 to $3,800 in 2026, depending on pan size, tile choice, and whether the subfloor needs repair. A simple acrylic pan swap sits at the low end. A custom shower pan Bonita Springs FL job with a mortar bed, membrane, and new tile lands at the high end. We quote a fixed price after seeing the space.
Plan on two to four working days for a standard replacement, plus 24 hours for the flood test. Demo and subfloor repair take a day, the pre-slope and liner take a day, and tile and grout take one to two days. You can usually shower again 24 hours after the final grout seal cures.
Most leaks here trace back to a liner that was nailed through at the curb, a pan with no pre-slope, or 20-year-old caulk that finally gave out. Florida humidity speeds up grout cracking and mold growth, so small failures turn into subfloor water damage fast. We find the source with a moisture meter before we quote the repair.
Yes, most pan replacements that involve moving the drain or rebuilding the waterproofing require a permit under the Florida Building Code. We file it for you and meet the inspector on site. Skipping the permit can void your insurance claim if the pan ever leaks and cause problems when you sell the house.
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Your next step is waiting
Get Your Shower Pan Installation Bonita Springs FL Quote
We give fixed-price quotes, pull the permit, and warranty the waterproofing in writing. If your pan is leaking or you are planning a rebuild, call us at 512 325 0295 and we will schedule a same-week assessment.
Start with the basics
Get Your Free Bathroom Estimate
Call us at 512 325 0295 or send a message and we will get back to you the same business day. We answer the phone Monday through Friday, 8:00 to 6:00, and we book most estimates within the week. Tell us what is going on with your bathroom and we will tell you what it takes to fix it.