Redoing a leaking shower? Here's what we usually find underneath
Published Oct 21, 2026 · 5 min read · By Lucas Barbosa
The short answer
Most showers don't get redone because someone wants a new look. In my experience, out of every 10 people redoing a shower or a bathroom, maybe one or two are just updating it. The rest have a problem, and the problem is usually water getting through.
So pretty much every tiled shower we've redone has needed some repair underneath: the subfloor, the framing, sometimes new insulation. It's rarely dramatic. But it's there often enough that we plan for it before we start.
What it usually looks like once the tile is off
It's almost never "somebody's going to fall through this floor." What we usually find is plywood that has taken on moisture over time. The shower didn't fail all at once. It failed with time, and because it did, the subfloor under it is usually somewhat rotten.
The other thing we find is choppy work from a previous job. Something that was done in a way that doesn't hold up over the years.
You can't see either one from inside the bathroom. You never really know how a shower was done until it's open. If you want to know what's supposed to keep water out in the first place, our shower tile guide covers it.
Why we fix it now instead of leaving it
When the old shower comes out, the whole bathroom is open in a way it probably hasn't been in a long time, and won't be again for a long time after. So if the subfloor or the framing is in bad shape, you might as well repair it now, instead of leaving something that's good enough and serviceable and letting it become a problem later.
Two jobs that show the range
A joist cut almost all the way through
On one job, the bathroom had been remodeled before. When that crew routed the plumbing under the floor, they cut into the joists too deep. The middle joist, the one in the center carrying a good part of the shower, was a 2x6. At most, about 2 inches of it was left. Its structure was compromised.
If the drain absolutely needs to be in one spot, it can be. You just have to make the accommodations and add structure and support around it, so the job lasts once everything is closed up and signed off.
Half the subfloor out to redo one drain
On another job, the toilet, the shower and the vanity were all tied into a single drain line. That part isn't out of the ordinary. Where they connected was. To fit the new toilet and the new vanity the client had bought, we ended up taking out about half of the bathroom's subfloor so our plumber could redo the drain. There was no other way to reach it.
Nothing there was rotten. It wasn't a repair, it was an adaptation, and nobody could have seen it coming. When everything is covered up, it's hard to tell where everything is going to line up.
That bathroom when it was done. About half the subfloor under that floor had been opened up so the drain could be redone.
Why the quote can't know everything up front
Part of it is timing. Most people get a quote first, sometimes a few. Once they find a contractor they're comfortable with and confident in, that's when they start shopping for the toilet, the vanity and the tile. So the quote is often written before anyone knows exactly what's going in, and when the new pieces don't line up with what's under the floor, some adjustments get made in the field.
That's the usual order, and there's nothing wrong with it. What matters is how those adjustments get handled.
How we handle it on your quote
- We bring it up at the walkthrough. Before you sign anything, we talk about what might be under the shower and what it could mean.
- Known leaks get a number up front. If we already know there have been water leaks, we expect some repairs and put a range or a minimum in the quote, so it doesn't catch you off guard halfway through.
- Nothing extra happens without you knowing. Any work beyond what's in the contract is documented and communicated to you before we go ahead.
- We work from above. Second-floor bathrooms often can't be reached from the ceiling below, so the goal is to handle everything from the bathroom itself. Opening the ceiling below happens only if it's absolutely necessary, and that's very rare. Either way, demo goes further than retiling alone would need, so the plumber and the other trades can get in and do their part.
What gets added that was never there
Not everything we build underneath is a repair. A lot of showers get things the old one didn't have, like a niche, a bench or grab bars. Those need support built in before the tile goes on: framing for the niche or the bench, and blocking inside the wall so a grab bar has something solid to hold onto. Planning one for a parent? See walk-in showers for seniors.
How long it takes
A shower or bathroom remodel usually runs over 10 days. It depends on how much work there is, how big the bathroom is, and whether we're also replacing the vanity or the tile floor outside the shower.
Turning a tub into a walk-in shower is closer to 7 to 10 days. It includes floor work outside the shower too, and several trades: demo, tile, plumbing, trim, paint, electrical if you want it, and a glass door measured and installed by a glass company if you go that route.
Thinking about redoing your shower?
If the shower stays a shower, that's a shower remodel and bathroom tile job. If the tub is coming out, see how a tub to shower conversion works. Either way, we come look at it for free, talk through what might be underneath, and put the price in writing before anything starts.