Leaking shower pan repair & replacement

Stains on the ceiling below, a swollen baseboard or a musty smell? We help you find out whether the shower pan is the cause, and replace it with a new, flood-tested hot mop pan when it is.

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The short answer

A shower pan can't be patched from above, because it's buried under the mortar bed and tile. When the pan itself has failed, the lasting fix is a re-pan: remove the tile and mortar bed, install a new hot mop pan, flood test it, then re-tile. Not every shower leak is the pan, though, so the first step is finding the real source.

Signs your shower pan may be leaking

• Water stains or bubbling paint on the ceiling below the shower.
• Damp, swollen or stained baseboards, flooring or drywall next to the shower.
• A musty smell around the bathroom that doesn't go away.
• Grout at the base of the shower that stays dark long after the shower is dry.
• Loose or cracked floor tile, or mold at the bottom of the walls.

More detail in our guide: signs your shower pan is leaking.

It isn't always the pan

Water damage near a shower can come from several places, and it's worth ruling them out before tearing anything out:

• The valve or supply lines inside the wall.
• The drain connection under the floor.
• The shower door or glass, letting water past onto the bathroom floor.
• Grout and caulk on the walls or at the curb.
• The pan itself, the membrane under the shower floor.

Call and describe what you're seeing. We'll talk through the likely cause with you, take a look, and give you a straight answer, including when the fix is a job for a plumber rather than for us.

How a re-pan works

1. Tear-out. The floor tile, the mortar bed and the old pan come out, along with the lower part of the walls and the curb as needed to reach the membrane's edges.
2. Check and repair. The framing and subfloor are checked for water damage and repaired before anything new goes in, and the drain is checked or replaced.
3. New hot mop pan. We hot mop a new, seamless pan, up the walls, over the curb and clamped at the drain.
4. Flood test. The new pan is water-tested before it's covered. See flood testing.
5. Mortar bed and tile. Your tile setter re-tiles the shower, or Luxury Builders CA can handle the full rebuild.

Replacing a leaking shower is also a good time to change the layout: a bench, a niche, a larger footprint or a curbless entry. Ask us while the shower is open.

Why it's worth acting early

A slow shower leak usually gets worse, not better. Water that keeps reaching the framing and subfloor can cause rot and mold and damage the ceiling below. Catching it early often means a smaller repair around the shower instead of a bigger one.

Leaking shower repair across Orange County

We replace leaking shower pans in homes across Orange County, including Mission Viejo, Laguna Hills, Aliso Viejo, Costa Mesa, Santa Ana and Huntington Beach. See areas we serve.

Leak repair questions

Can a leaking shower pan be fixed without removing the tile?

Not the pan itself. The membrane sits under the mortar bed and tile, so replacing it means taking the shower floor out. If the leak turns out to be grout, caulk, the door or the valve, that's a different and usually smaller repair.

Do I have to replace the whole shower?

A re-pan replaces the floor, the curb and the lower part of the walls where the membrane runs. How much of the wall tile has to come out depends on the shower. We'll explain the scope with your free estimate.

Can you match my existing tile?

We focus on the waterproofing, and tile matching depends on whether the original tile is still available. Many people use a re-pan as the moment to re-tile the shower. Your tile setter, or Luxury Builders CA, can advise.

Is a re-pan expensive?

It depends on the size of the shower, how much has to come out and what's found underneath. We give free estimates, so call (949) 446-4413 and we'll talk it through.

Free estimate

Homeowner, contractor or tile setter: call or send the details and we'll get back to you. Mon–Sat, 8:00–5:00.

(949) 446-4413 Send project details

Keep reading

Related

Signs your shower pan is leakingWhat to look for, and what else it could be. Hot mop shower pansHow the new pan is built. About usA division of Luxury Builders CA.

Get your shower pan done right.

Tell us about the shower. We'll answer your questions and give you a free estimate.

(949) 446-4413 Free estimate