How do I know if my shower pan is leaking?
Look for stains on the ceiling below, swelling baseboards or floors next to the shower, loose or hollow-sounding tile, grout that keeps cracking, or a musty smell.
Failed shower pans and leaking showers
Leaking Shower Repair and Shower Pan Replacement in Austin, TX
When a shower leaks, the water usually is not coming through the tile. It is getting past the pan or wall waterproofing underneath, often for months before anyone notices. Bailey & Bear opens the shower, finds the failure, dries and repairs what got wet, and rebuilds the waterproofing and tile.
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Written quoteline-item scope before work starts
A shower pan rebuild is usually priced like a shower remodel: our published tub-to-shower and shower replacement range is $7,000–$18,000. Framing or subfloor damage found after opening is added as a written change before we repair it.
Call 512-689-8346 for a free walkthrough and a written quote.
Signs your shower pan has failed
A stain or soft spot on the ceiling below an upstairs shower. Baseboards or flooring outside the shower that swell or discolor. Tile that sounds hollow or comes loose, grout that keeps cracking in the same place, or a musty smell that cleaning does not fix.
Regrouting or caulking can hide these signs for a while, but it does not fix water that is already getting behind the tile.
What we do
We remove the tile and pan, trace the failure, and check the framing and subfloor. Anything soft or wet is dried and repaired first. Then we rebuild the pan with proper slope to the drain, install continuous waterproofing on the walls and floor, test the pan, and tile.
If the leak has damaged more of the house, see our water damage rebuild service.
Repair or remodel
Since the tile has to come off anyway, many owners use a shower rebuild to change the layout, for example removing a tub, going curbless or adding a niche. See walk-in shower remodels. If you are keeping the look, we can often match a simple tile, but an exact match to old tile is rarely possible.
At a glance
Shower Leak Repair numbers
| Item | What this page states |
|---|---|
| Shower replacement range | $7,000–$18,000 (published) |
| Tile and waterproofing share | About 25–35% |
| Hidden damage | Added as a written change after opening |
| Pan test | Done before tile is set |
| Permit | Required when drains or supply lines are replaced or moved |
Ranges come from Bailey & Bear's published Austin cost guides. Your exact number comes from a free walkthrough and a written line-item quote.
Real Bailey & Bear bathrooms
More from our Austin projects
Each photo is from a completed Bailey & Bear project with its own page in our project gallery.
Straight answers
Frequently asked questions
Can a leaking shower be fixed without removing the tile?
Sometimes a failed drain seal or valve can be fixed from an access panel. If the pan or wall waterproofing has failed, the tile has to come off.
How much does it cost to replace a shower pan in Austin?
A pan rebuild is priced like a shower replacement, which on our published range runs $7,000 to $18,000. Damaged framing or subfloor is added in writing once we see it.
Will insurance cover a leaking shower?
That depends on your policy and the cause. We document what we find with photos so you can share it with your insurer.
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Start with the overview: bathroom remodeling in Austin · bathroom remodel cost in Austin
Shower leaking?
Free walkthrough and a written, line-item quote from an owner-run Austin remodeler.