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pepsigirl60

Cost of Frameless Shower Door

pepsigirl60
18 years ago

We are in the midst of selecting a shower door for our master bath. Our contractor brought over a sample size door that we thought would work well, seemed like a good product. I have asked him a number of times for pricing and he hasn't been able to give us the price. Yesterday he told me how much it was going to be which is about $700 over our allowance (an allowance of which I felt was pretty good). So my question is: are these doors really that expensive. Do we really need a frameless shower door. What is wrong with a framed shower door?

Comments (34)

  • dropje
    18 years ago

    We just ordered a frameless shower door for $900 and a framed shower door for $400

  • thull
    18 years ago

    You could use your dimensions on eshowerdoor.com or Wilson Glass (glasss.com- think you'll have to call to get a quick quote) to get a material price to compare.

  • madels
    18 years ago

    I just picked up a Keystone "Architectural" design door from Home Depot that is great (Insured for a lifetime -- just call customer service with any problems and they send you parts) and cheap.

  • luvMD
    18 years ago

    We just bought a Basco frameless shower door from a local plumbing supply store. $500 and my dh installed it himself in an hour.

  • david_cary
    18 years ago

    To those with sub $1000 pricing - what are your dimensions and where did you get it? My local glass supplier wanted $2400 for a a relatively small neo-angle shower in what I would call semi-frameless - 3/8 inch thick with a bar across the top of all panels (2 - 2 foot panels and a 30 inch door). I think eshowerdoor wants $1400 for supplies alone. I will probably go with them but I hate the thought of something being wrong and having to ship it all the way back.

  • Jill_77
    18 years ago

    I have a 3/8" thick tempered enclosure (2 sides glass). One side is 4'w x 8' high, other is 6'6"w x 8' high. I have the heaviest duty (and therefore most expensive) hinges because the door is 34" wide, plus there's a working transom over the door. Installed price = $1600. (That does not include the handle, which I purchased elsewhere and they installed.) Other quotes ranged from $2500-$4000. Most all glass companies use the same supplier (CR Laurence) for the hardware. FWIW, I priced it out on glasss.com, and it was much higher (although I did order the real chrome glass channel from them, and they are very nice to deal with.) Shop around, look for small glass companies that are maybe not in the best part of town, and you'll probably find a huge savings.

  • urspider
    18 years ago

    Wow, Jill_77. Your bathroom is gorgeous!

  • cuddlepoo
    18 years ago

    We are installing a frameless bathtub door that we bought from Lowe's. The glass is very thick and it's a really nice door for the price (I think it was around $500). The hardware is stylish and substantial. For me this door was plenty nice, but I also think it depends on the budget you're working. Our bathroom is mostly slate with maple cabinetry, and Memoirs toilet and sink. The total for material in our bath was $4k, but that's a diy price.

  • mahatmacat1
    18 years ago

    Jill, interesting--thanks. I've got a quote from glasss (Wilson Glass), but nowhere else yet. I'm thinking either that bifold screen not to the ceiling or a slider to the ceiling, with the slides mounted in the ceiling and in the shower surround (probably Swanstone). I'll start looking around in less expensive areas on Monday :)

  • teri47
    18 years ago

    Jill, I love your tile!!! Can you tell me what it's called, where did you get it and also what did you use on your floors. It's pretty much the look I'm going for. I've been struggling for months trying to find a tile that I like and low and behold you have what I'm looking for!! I certainly would appreciate it if you'd let me know.

    Also, are those little tiles much more expensive than 6 x 6's or 8 x 10's??

    Thanks so much!

  • Jill_77
    18 years ago

    Teri47,

    if you follow the link below, I've explained where most things came from in my own posting

    Here is a link that might be useful: Jill's bath

  • cindyandmocha
    18 years ago

    I want to throw in two cents here (waaaay more than what it's worth btw)...

    I see a lot of $500 "frameless" shower doors. Be very careful what you pay for as a "frameless". Frameless doors are very expensive for a reason -- the glass of course is one reason... but that glass does not have a thick metal header support or lots of metal framing it.

    I've see lots of showers called "frameless" that are anything but.

    In all honestly, I got a great deal from a local glass shop and I'm the most avid online shopper around. They came out and measured the space, and found out where I wanted the glass to start and stop, and had to custom cut it for that space. Eshowers and Wilson online are great places to see examples of it, along with a few of the folks showing pictures above.

    Remember, if you are seeing lots of metal tracks and frames, it's not* frameless. You pay way more for not having all that metal obscuring your pretty shower. A metal header would have totally obliterated any view from outside the shower of my decorative band of glass tiles.

    I got several quotes for the shower glass, including $2,500 from an expensive glass place in the city, and two sources online from $1,800 to 2,000. I went with a small local shop that has been around a long time and it was $1,200 installed including two extra tiny shelves for another area. Lesson? Shop around.

  • pebbles396
    18 years ago

    We got a prefab one for $650, I'll let you all know if it comes crashing down, ok?

  • nziegler773
    18 years ago

    I just had a quote done for our shower door and the local glass company gave me one price for 3/8" and another for 1/4". The 1/4" option is MUCH cheaper. They said that the 1/4" will not hold up quite as strongly to use but would work. Should I go for the 1/4" or not? Pros and cons?

  • pharaoh
    18 years ago

    3/8" is standard for strength as well as aesthetics.

    we used 1/2" starphire glass. the extra thickness makes it look substantial and the starphire is very clear (does not have the green tint).

  • salbwil
    18 years ago

    Hi
    Were your glass doors installed without screwing the edges into the curb? I need to be able to advise my installers that they should not be placing screws into the shower curb.
    Thanks, salbwil

  • hsheffield
    18 years ago

    almost $2000 for mine just installed. it has about 1/2 inch between the door and LEAKS water everywhere. rain head btw, so it's not like there's water directed right at the door.

    the company says they can put something on the edge of the door so it won't leak but I think that would look terrible and I feel like I paid all that money for a look.

    has anyone else had this problem?

    fyi: mine is a 3 by 3 foot neo angle.

  • uluvbs
    18 years ago

    Our bathroom is only 5x7 and I was just told the frameles shower door will be at least $1400 (yikes!). Trying to think of a workaround.

  • JillyM
    17 years ago

    My bathrooms are very tiny as well. I am putting a shower stall in one and a tub/shower combo in the other. I love the look of frameless doors but the cost is really outrageous. Also will the swing of the door be a problem in a room that is only 87 x 56

  • bridget helm
    17 years ago

    What a beautiful bathroom, Jill! I LOVE it!

  • arbor54
    17 years ago

    I have two comments and one question.
    Comment-1: If you have a 1/2" gap at your door, it was not properly installed.

    Comment-2: Shop around. Expo uses a company that offers the ultra-clear glass (really not much of a difference unless you see it side-by-side with standard glass). With Expo it is over $900. as an upgrade. Dealing with the company directly, it is only!?!? $450., watch out for the inflated mark-ups.

    Question: How can you possibly mount a frameless door without drilling into the curb (and walls)????

  • rawdeal
    16 years ago

    arbor, are you allowed to share the name of the company that Expo uses?

  • youngdeb
    16 years ago

    Ours was $850 installed from a local glass shop. Got 3 quotes, they were all around the same price. It's a very basic 25" wide 3/4" thick one-panel swing door, but we had them make it 80 inches high since the shower head was particularly high. It's a very small room, so having the door clear and unbound was important to us.

    Bottom line is that they aren't cheap, but they have a pretty big visual impact on the room.

  • dmlove
    16 years ago

    youngdeb, I assume you mean 3/8" thick? They usually run 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" (usually considered "top of the line"). Mine (78" tall and 3/8" thick crystal clear glass - about 30" wide) was $1230.

  • youngdeb
    16 years ago

    Good Lord yes, 3/8" not 3/4". Can you imagine?

    Sorry 'bout that!

  • salbwil
    16 years ago

    Arbor54,
    Just saw your question(sorry it took so long). Yes, they screwed into the wall and only glued to the curb as per instructions of Kerdi shower people so no water would have a chance to follow screws down into the curb itself. I've been using my steam shower for over a year now and love it .........and not having worries about leaks.
    salbwil

  • jorden-2008
    16 years ago

    Take a look at this site. It may help with any Q & A you may have.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Shower door Q & A

  • jimbo1117
    13 years ago

    has anyone found a standard gap between the shower door and the glass panel? I here 1.4" is a standard (ours leaks), and I have seen where it was 1/8th. Any help on this would be appreciated.

  • wi-sailorgirl
    13 years ago

    Don't bother looking at the disguised ad above ... they don't even sell the kind of shower doors the OP was asking about.

  • isomer
    13 years ago

    I've visited several glass stores in my area and found that Wilson Glass is least expensive. Their quote is $631.38 for a 48" x 72" opening (frameless, a 24" door and a 24" panel, 3/8" clear, hardware included). One store that sells Cardinal shower enclosures will charge $600 for a framed configuration with 1/4" clear glass.

  • lisa_kerlin_gmail_com
    12 years ago

    We are wanting to use river stone tile for the shower floor & want to carry it over the curb. Is there any way a frameless wall & door will work on the uneven surface if the pebbles?

    Thanks!

  • SuperiorDG
    10 years ago

    "Frameless" shower doors are a highly unregulated product. By code shower doors only need to have 3 things to meet code. Be safety glass, door has clear opening of 22" and that the door open out allowing a 22" clear opening. A lot of contractors do what ever the customer wants regardless if it is safe or not and still meet code. The International Code Council had been trying to improve the way these doors are installed. The link below is a list of items experts believe will help standardize the industry and make it safer for the owner of these doors. Gluing the glass in is not safe.

    Here is a link that might be useful: ICC Shower Code

  • tommy.lemieux
    9 years ago

    Shower Door pricing for a 3/8 frameless is around $35 a square foot. This is a big mark up for a relatively easy job so I started my own company and I charge $25 a square foot. Go to www.LeMieuxGlassAndMirror.com and we give you the prices and tools you need to get the real price you should be paying. No other company actually gives you the price because they want to sell you anything for the highest price.