Tempered Glass Replacement Window Beside a Tub or Shower
The window over the tub or next to the shower is fogged or rotting, and someone told you the new one has to be tempered.
Reply within one business day. Or call / text 763-250-3621.
A tempered glass window beside tub or shower is a normal replacement window ordered with safety glass in every pane, because glass that close to a wet floor counts as a hazardous location. JMB Builders flags it at the measure, orders it through ABC Supply in your style and privacy pattern, and installs it across the Twin Cities metro. Priced per window. Send photos and we reply within one business day, or book a free in-home estimate.
- Tempered glass ordered, not swapped in later
- Obscure patterns come tempered too
- Priced per window, window included
Glass near a tub or shower is treated the way glass beside a door or at the bottom of a stair is treated: as a place where someone can slip and go through it. The rule of thumb is that any pane whose bottom edge sits within about five feet of the tub floor or shower floor, and within a few feet of the water, has to be safety glass. Tempered glass breaks into small blunt pieces instead of shards. The building official makes the call, and we check it at the measure.
That does not change what the window is. It is still a double-hung, slider, casement or awning in vinyl or fiberglass, ordered to your opening in the color and privacy glass you want. Tempered is a box checked on the order, and obscure patterns like rain or frosted come tempered too. The window arrives with a small etched mark in one corner of each pane, which is how an inspector and the next owner know it is safety glass.
The install is the same as any bathroom window: the old unit out, the sill checked for rot, a sill pan and flashing, the new window foamed and sealed, and the inside trimmed with moisture-resistant stock. If the window sits in the tile of the tub surround itself, see our window-in-shower page for the waterproofing that adds.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough: a reply within one business day, or ask for a free in-home estimate. Or text the photos to 763-250-3621.
What you supply
- Photos of the window from inside, with the tub or shower in the frame, and from outside
- A rough measure from the tub floor to the bottom of the glass
- Your pick of window style, frame color and privacy pattern
- Paint color for the new trim, or leave it primed
What JMB supplies
- A measure that checks the glass against the tub and shower and flags it tempered when it has to be
- The window, ordered through ABC Supply with tempered glass in every pane
- Removal of the old window and repair of a rotted sill
- Sill pan, flashing tape, low-expansion foam and sealant
- Interior stops or casing in moisture-resistant trim, exterior capping or trim to match
- Painting quoted as a separate line, or leave it primed and caulked
- Photos of the finished window in your job folder
How it is priced: per window
Quoted in writing from your photos, with a reply within one business day. What moves the number:
- Window style and size; tempered glass is an added line on the window order
- Clear tempered vs. an obscure pattern that is also tempered
- Insert into a sound frame vs. full frame with sill repair
- How the inside is trimmed: stops, casing or a tiled return
- Exterior finish: capping, PVC trim or siding cut back
Send a photo that shows the window and the tub or shower together, plus the distance from the tub floor to the glass. That tells us whether tempered is required before the order goes in.
How long it takes
One window: half a day to a day once it arrives. Tempered glass is a factory option, so lead time runs with the window line, not the glass.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized reply within one business day. Prefer a look in person? A free in-home estimate is always an option.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Tempered and clear
A window that looks like every other window in the house, with safety glass you only notice by the corner etch. Common for a window beside a tub that faces a private yard.
Tempered and obscure
Rain, frosted or glue-chip glass with tempered built in. The privacy pattern and the safety glass go on one order; neither is added after the fact.
Awning above the tub
A short awning window set high on the wall opens for steam, keeps the glass above the hazard zone in many layouts and still gets ordered tempered when it falls inside it.
Tempered Glass Replacement Window Beside a Tub or Shower: questions, answered
Does the window next to my bathtub need tempered glass?
Usually yes. Glass whose bottom edge is within about five feet of the tub or shower floor and close to the water is treated as a hazardous location, and a replacement window there is ordered with tempered glass. The building official has the final say, and JMB Builders checks it at the measure so the order is right the first time.
Can I get tempered glass and frosted glass in the same window?
Yes. Privacy patterns such as rain, frosted and glue chip are made in tempered glass. Both are chosen when the window is ordered. The pattern is in the glass itself, so there is no film to peel and the tempered pane carries the usual etched mark in the corner.
Can you just replace the glass with tempered instead of the whole window?
If the frame is sound and the only problem is the glass, a sealed unit with tempered glass can sometimes be ordered for the existing sash. Most windows beside a tub have a rotted sill or a frame that has taken years of steam, so the whole window is the better fix. We tell you which from the photos.
What if the window is above the tub but far from the water?
Distance matters. A window set high enough that the bottom of the glass is well above the tub floor may be outside the zone that needs safety glass. We measure from the tub floor to the glass and from the tub rim to the window, and order tempered only when it is required or when you want it anyway.
Will tempered glass look any different from my other windows?
No. Tempered glass is the same clear glass heat-treated to break safely, with the same Low-E coating and argon fill as the rest of the house. The only visible difference is a small etched mark in one corner of the pane.
Does the window beside a shower have to be vinyl?
Vinyl and fiberglass are the usual picks because they do not swell or peel in steam. A wood-interior window can go beside a tub if it is sealed well, but the inside trim near the water takes the most abuse, so we trim bathroom windows with moisture-resistant stock either way.
Recent JMB work, from our job log
59 installs recorded across 30 Twin Cities communities since Dec 2025. Window and door installs for homeowners and the builders we work with. Counts come straight from our job log; no customer names.
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Read morePage reviewed October 27, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All windows pages
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