Window in Shower Replacement — Tempered Glass, Sealed to the Tile
The window in your tub or shower wall is black at the bottom corners, the paint is peeling and the sill stays wet after every shower.
Reply within one business day. Or call / text 763-204-2099.
Window in shower replacement means a vinyl or fiberglass window with tempered obscure glass, set in a sill pan, with the opening waterproofed and tied into the tile or surround and the sill sloped so water runs back into the shower. JMB Builders replaces windows in tub and shower walls across the Twin Cities metro. Priced per window, quoted from photos, with a reply within one business day.
- Priced per window
- Tempered obscure glass, vinyl or fiberglass
- Opening waterproofed, sill sloped
A window inside a shower gets sprayed every day. Most of the ones we see are wood windows with a flat wood sill, so water sits on the sill and soaks into the bottom rail and corners. Behind the tile, water that gets past the old caulk runs into the wall framing under the window. By the time the paint peels, the sill is often soft.
The fix has three parts. The window: vinyl or fiberglass, which does not rot, with tempered glass because code calls for safety glass in a tub or shower wall, and usually obscure for privacy. The opening: sill pan and flashing outside, and on the inside a waterproofing membrane wrapped into the opening and tied into the shower's membrane or surround. The sill: sloped toward the shower in tile, solid surface or PVC, so water runs off instead of sitting.
The tile around the opening has to be cut back to do this right. On a tiled shower we re-tile the return and the strip around the window; a close match is quoted when the original tile is gone. On an acrylic or fiberglass surround, the window is trimmed with PVC and sealed to the surround. Some people decide to drop the window, close the wall or switch to glass block; those are options below.
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 763-204-2099.
What you supply
- Photos of the window from inside the shower and outside, plus a close-up of the sill and corners
- A photo of the whole shower wall so we can see the tile or surround
- Spare tile if you have any from the original job
- The bathroom cleared and the shower out of use for the work days
What JMB supplies
- In-home measure before anything is ordered
- Vinyl or fiberglass window with tempered glass, obscure if you want it
- Old window out, rotted sill and framing repaired and quoted first
- Sill pan and flashing outside; waterproofing membrane wrapped into the opening inside
- Sloped sill in tile, solid surface or PVC, sealed to the shower
- Tile around the opening cut back and re-tiled, or PVC trim on a surround
- Painting quoted as a separate line — or leave it primed and paint it yourself
How it is priced: per window
Quoted in writing from your photos, with a reply within one business day. What moves the number:
- Tiled shower vs. acrylic or fiberglass surround
- How much tile around the window has to be cut back and re-tiled
- Matching tile available or a contrasting band
- Rot in the sill, framing or wall below the window
- Window size and style
- Exterior finish: capping, PVC trim or siding patch
Send a close-up of the bottom corners of the window and a photo of the whole shower wall.
How long it takes
Usually two to three days start to finish, because the waterproofing and tile have to cure before the shower is used.
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
Same size, tempered obscure
The most common fix: a new vinyl window the same size, tempered obscure glass, the opening waterproofed and the tile tied back in.
Smaller window up high
An awning set higher in the wall stays out of the spray and still gives light and air. The rest of the opening is framed in and tiled.
Glass block
No sash, no sill to rot and good privacy. Light comes through; air does not, so the bath fan has to do the venting.
Close the opening
The window comes out, the wall is framed, insulated and sided outside, and the shower wall is waterproofed and tiled like the rest.
Window in Shower Replacement — Tempered Glass, Sealed to the Tile: questions, answered
Does a window in a shower need tempered glass?
Yes. Code calls for safety glass in a window inside a tub or shower wall, and tempered glass is the usual choice. It is ordered as part of the new window, usually with obscure glass for privacy.
Why is the window in my shower rotting?
Water sits on a flat wood sill and soaks into the bottom of the sash and frame every day. Once the caulk between the tile and the window fails, water also runs into the wall under the window. A wood window in a shower almost always rots at the bottom corners first.
Can you replace a shower window without redoing all the tile?
Usually only the tile around the opening is cut back, not the whole shower. The return and a band around the window are re-tiled after the opening is waterproofed. If the original tile is no longer made, a close match or a contrasting band is the choice.
Should I just remove the window from my shower?
It is an option. Closing the opening ends the problem for good, but you lose the light and the air. A smaller awning set high in the wall, or glass block, keeps some light with less water on it.
What kind of window is best in a shower?
A vinyl or fiberglass window with tempered obscure glass, because neither frame rots. An awning or casement sheds water better than a slider, whose bottom track holds water. Set it on a sill sloped toward the shower.
How do you waterproof around a window in a shower wall?
Outside, the window sits in a sill pan with flashing. Inside, a waterproofing membrane is wrapped into the opening, lapped onto the window frame and tied into the shower's own membrane or surround. The sill is sloped toward the shower and sealed with a silicone made for wet areas.
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 9, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All windows pages
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