Why a Curbless Shower Makes Sense for Florida Homes
Let's be honest—stepping over a high bathtub wall every morning isn't exactly the spa-like experience most of us want to wake up to. When this homeowner reached out to us for a bathroom rehab project in Tampa, FL, their main goal was accessibility and modern design. They wanted to open up the room, get rid of the tub they never used, and create a seamless transition from the vanity area straight into the shower.
Tub-to-shower conversions are easily one of our most requested services across Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. Whether you're over in Clearwater, down in St. Pete, or right here in the heart of Tampa or Riverview, a curbless (zero-entry) shower doesn't just look incredible—it actually makes the room feel twice as big and is much safer as we age in place.
This wasn't just a surface-level facelift. We had to take this room down to the studs, restructure the plumbing, and re-pour the concrete to get that perfect flat slope. If you're looking for a bathroom remodeling contractor who actually understands the structural side of things, you're in the right place.
The Tear-Out and Waterproofing Phase
You can buy the most expensive tile in the world, but if the waterproofing behind it fails, your bathroom is ruined. In Florida's humid climate, mold isn't just a possibility—it's a guarantee if the prep work isn't perfect. We ripped out the old tub, vanity, and drywall, taking everything down to the bare framing.
To build a true zero-entry shower on a concrete slab, you have to recess the shower pan area so that once the tile is laid, the shower floor is perfectly flush with the rest of the bathroom floor.
We used the Schluter-Kerdi board system for the walls and pan. You can see that bright orange material in the progress photo above. This system is 100% waterproof right out of the box, meaning water vapor can't penetrate the backer board and rot the studs. We also framed out an extra-wide shower niche to hold all the soaps and shampoos without cluttering the floor.
Laying the Large-Format Grey Tile
The design choice for this Tampa home was a beautiful, industrial-inspired concrete-look large format tile. Using oversized tiles in a bathroom minimizes grout lines, which makes the space look much larger and significantly cuts down on cleaning time.
Notice how the floor tile flows continuously right into the shower area without any threshold or speedbump. That’s the beauty of a curbless shower. However, installing large format tile on a sloped shower pan requires serious skill. The pitch toward the linear drain has to be exact so water doesn't pool in the corners or spill out into the main bathroom area. We take our time with the leveling clips here to ensure zero "lippage" (where one tile sits slightly higher than its neighbor).
Laser Precision: Setting the Floating Vanity
To keep with the modern, open-concept vibe, we installed a heavy floating wood-grain vanity. Because this vanity doesn't have legs resting on the floor, the structural blocking behind the drywall has to be incredibly strong to hold the weight of the cabinet, the quartz top, and the sinks.
In the photo above, you can see our green laser level mapping out the exact horizontal lines for the vanity mounting bracket, as well as the vertical lines for the wall tile. The walls in most houses are never perfectly straight, so we rely on lasers—not the drywall—to make sure everything is dead-level and plumb. We carried that same grey tile up the wall behind the vanity to act as a massive, ceiling-height backsplash.
The Final Reveal: Matte Black Fixtures and Seamless Space
We finished off this Tampa bathroom rehab by installing matte black plumbing fixtures. The dark hardware pops beautifully against the grey concrete-look tile. We updated the plumbing lines to accommodate a modern rain showerhead and a handheld wand combo.
By running the tile all the way to the ceiling and removing the visual barrier of a bathtub, the room feels completely transformed. A massive wall-to-wall mirror over the vanity reflects light from the recessed ceiling cans, brightening the entire space. It's clean, it's accessible, and it's built to last.
Project Video Walkthrough
Get a closer look at the finished details, the seamless large-format tile, and the flow of this modern curbless shower in our quick video walkthrough below.
Thinking About a Tub-to-Shower Conversion?
Whether you need a wheelchair-accessible shower built in Brandon, or you just want to rip out that ugly 1990s garden tub in your Temple Terrace home, we can handle the entire project from demolition to the final coat of paint.
- Expert waterproofing (Schluter systems)
- Custom tile and flooring installation
- Vanity, lighting, and fixture upgrades