Hot mop waterproofing · Orange County, CA

Hot mop shower pans across Orange County

Seamless, flood-tested hot mop waterproofing for new showers, remodels and leaking pans. Built to pass inspection and scheduled around your tile setter.

Get a free estimate Call (949) 446-4413

• Free estimates
• Flood tested before tile
• A Luxury Builders CA company

How every pan gets done

1. Hot mopFelt and hot asphalt, up the walls and over the curb
2. Flood testDrain plugged, pan filled, water line checked
3. Ready for inspection & tileHanded off to your tile setter

Free estimatesStraight answers before any work starts Flood testedEvery pan is water-tested before tile Contractor friendlyWe work around your schedule and trades Licensed GC parentA division of Luxury Builders CA

What is hot mop?

The traditional Southern California way to waterproof a shower.

A hot mop shower pan is a waterproof membrane built in place under your shower floor: layers of felt paper bonded with hot asphalt, mopped over the pan, up the walls and over the curb to form one seamless, watertight liner. It's clamped into the drain, flood tested, and then covered by the mortar bed and tile.

• Seamless. Built on site to the exact shape of your shower, with no seams or folded corners to fail.
• Proven. A long-standing method that Southern California builders, tile setters and inspectors know well.
• Tested. We flood test every pan so you know it holds water before tile goes on.

How we build hot mop pans Hot mop vs. other methods What you see is tile and glass. What keeps the water in is the pan underneath.

Services

Shower waterproofing, done as one focused job.

From a single hall bath to a custom steam shower, we hot mop the pan, test it and hand it off ready for tile.

Hot mop shower pans

New construction and remodels: a seamless hot mop pan, carried up the walls and over the curb, clamped at the drain.

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Flood testing & inspection

We plug the drain, fill the pan and check it, so it's ready for your city's inspection before tile.

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Shower pan leak repair

Water stains below the shower? We help confirm the cause and replace a failed pan with a new hot mop (re-pan).

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Tub decks, benches & steam showers

Custom shapes are where hot mop shines: tub decks, built-in benches, niches and steam shower pans.

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Curbless & walk-in pans

Zero-entry showers need a recessed, carefully sloped pan. We hot mop it once the framing is ready.

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For contractors & tile setters

Clear prep checklist, on-time arrival and a tested pan, so your tile crew can start on schedule.

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Inside a hot mop pan

What's under a properly built shower.

The membrane is the part of the shower you never see, and the part that keeps water out of your floor, walls and the room below.

Cross-section of a hot mop shower pan. Simplified for clarity; details vary by project and by what your city requires.

1. Framing and subfloor. The shower floor and curb are framed solid and the drain body is set by the plumber.
2. Sloped base. Where the job calls for it, a mortar base sloped toward the drain goes in first, so the membrane itself falls to the drain.
3. Hot mop membrane. Layers of felt paper, each bonded and sealed with hot-applied asphalt, mopped into one seamless pan.
4. Up the walls. The membrane runs up the walls well above the height of the curb, so water can't get behind it.
5. Over the curb. It wraps up, over and down the outside of the curb in one continuous piece.
6. Clamped at the drain. The drain's clamping ring locks the membrane into the drain body, so water that reaches the membrane drains away.
7. Mortar bed and tile. After the flood test, the tile setter lays the mortar bed and tile over the membrane, which protects it.

1. Look & estimate

   We look at the shower or plans, answer questions and give you a free estimate.

2. Hot mop

   Felt and hot asphalt, mopped over the pan, up the walls, over the curb and into the drain clamp.

3. Flood test

   Drain plugged, pan filled with water and checked for any drop in level or sign of a leak.

4. Inspection & tile

   Ready for your city's inspection, then the mortar bed and tile go on.

Why OC Waterproofing

A specialist for the one part of the shower you can't redo later.

Tile can be replaced. A pan that leaks means tearing the shower out. That's why we focus on doing the waterproofing carefully, testing it, and explaining what we did.

• Part of Luxury Builders CAA division of a licensed and insured general contractor in Trabuco Canyon.
• Tested, not assumedEvery pan is flood tested before it's covered.
• Schedule-friendlyWe coordinate with your GC, plumber and tile setter.
• Easy to payCards, cash, check, Zelle or Venmo. Financing through Luxury Builders CA.

Hot mop vs. other methods

How hot mop compares.

There's more than one good way to waterproof a shower. Here's an honest, short comparison.

Swipe to compare all methods →

	Hot mop	PVC / CPE sheet liner	Bonded sheet (e.g. Kerdi)	Liquid-applied
What it is	Felt layers bonded with hot asphalt, built on site	A plastic sheet folded into the pan	A thin sheet set in thin-set under the tile	A membrane rolled or troweled on
Seams & corners	One continuous piece	Folded corners, seams welded or glued	Overlapped seams and preformed corners	Seamless if applied evenly
Custom shapes	Excellent: molds to any shape	Harder in odd shapes	Good, with system pieces	Good
Who installs	A specialty hot mop crew	Tile setter or contractor	Tile setter, using that system's parts	Tile setter, to the maker's thickness

Every method has to be installed correctly and tested. Read the full comparison.

Service area

Hot mop across all of Orange County.

From Trabuco Canyon, home of Luxury Builders CA, we serve homeowners and builders throughout Orange County.

See all areas

• Irvine
• Mission Viejo
• Lake Forest
• Trabuco Canyon
• Rancho Santa Margarita
• Laguna Niguel
• Laguna Hills
• Aliso Viejo
• Ladera Ranch
• San Juan Capistrano
• Dana Point
• San Clemente
• Newport Beach
• Costa Mesa
• Huntington Beach
• Tustin
• Orange
• Anaheim
• Santa Ana
• Yorba Linda

Questions

Hot mop questions, answered.

The questions we hear most. More in the full FAQ.

What is a hot mop shower pan?

It's a waterproof liner built in place under the shower floor: layers of felt paper bonded with hot asphalt, mopped over the pan, up the walls and over the curb, then clamped into the drain. After a flood test, the mortar bed and tile go on top. See what a hot mop shower pan is.

Is hot mop better than a PVC liner, Kerdi or a liquid membrane?

Each can work well when it's installed correctly. Hot mop's strengths are a seamless, custom-fit membrane with no folded corners, and a long track record in Southern California. The right choice depends on the shower design, the drain and your tile setter. See hot mop vs. other methods.

Do you flood test the pan?

Yes, every pan. We plug the drain, fill the pan with water and check that the level holds and nothing leaks before any tile goes on. Read how flood testing works.

Will it pass the city inspection?

We build every pan to pass inspection and have it ready, with water in it, when the inspector needs to see it. Requirements vary by city, so confirm the details with your building department or your contractor.

Can you fix a leaking shower pan?

Yes. If the pan is the source of the leak, the fix is a re-pan: the tile and mortar bed come out, we install a new hot mop pan and flood test it, and then new mortar and tile go in. See shower pan leak repair.

How do I pay, and is financing available?

We accept major credit cards, cash, check, Zelle and Venmo. Financing is available through our parent company, Luxury Builders CA.

Free estimate

Tell us about your shower.

New build, remodel or a leak you want fixed: send a few details or call, and we'll get back to you.

• Call(949) 446-4413
• Emailinfo@luxurybuildersca.com
• HoursMon–Sat 8:00 am–5:00 pm · Sunday closed
• Service areaAll of Orange County, CA

LB

A Luxury Builders CA company

Backed by a licensed & insured general contractor

OC Waterproofing Hot Mop is a division of Luxury Builders CA, a licensed and insured general contractor based in Trabuco Canyon. Planning a full bathroom remodel? Luxury Builders CA can take on the whole project.

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