Shower Pan Leak Repair & Replacement in Houston, TX

A water stain spreading across the ceiling under an upstairs bathroom, a musty smell that never leaves the shower, or tile that has started to shift underfoot. These are the signs of a leaking shower pan, the waterproof layer under your shower floor that you never see until it fails. At Repipe Solutions, our licensed plumbers find the leak, confirm whether it is the pan, and repair or replace it, built for how Houston homes are actually made.

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Shower Pan Experts in Houston

A shower pan is the hidden floor of your shower: a sloped bed, a waterproof liner, and the drain connection, all buried under the tile. You only find out it failed when water shows up where it should not, in the subfloor, the wall behind the shower, or the ceiling of the room below. As licensed plumbers, we start by tracing the water to its real source, take care of permits whenever the drain or supply lines change, and price the repair and the full rebuild side by side so you can choose.

Signs Your Shower Pan Is Leaking

A failing shower pan rarely shows up in the shower itself. The water goes down, not out, so the first clues usually appear somewhere else. Here is what we look for, and why not every shower leak is the pan.

Stains On The Ceiling Below

On a second-floor bathroom, the most common first sign is a yellow or brown stain on the ceiling underneath the shower. If the stain grows or darkens after the shower is used, the water is coming from that bathroom. Our guide to ceiling water damage repair covers what to do about the ceiling itself.

Loose Tile, Cracked Grout Or A Musty Smell

Tile that shifts, grout that keeps cracking at the base of the shower, a floor that feels soft, and a musty smell that cleaning does not remove all point to water sitting under the tile. Not every shower leak is the pan, though. Failed grout and caulk, a loose drain connection, or a leaking valve can look the same, which is why we find the source before quoting a pan. Our leak detection service pinpoints it without opening more than we need to.

Repair Or Replace? Honest Signs

A leak at the drain connection, failed grout, or worn caulk can often be repaired on its own. Recurring pan leaks, a floor that flexes underfoot, or tile that sounds hollow usually mean the liner itself has failed and the pan has to be rebuilt. When both options are on the table, you get a price for each before anything starts.

Our Shower Pan Services in Houston

From finding the leak to rebuilding the floor of the shower, we handle every part of a shower pan job, plumbing included.

Shower Pan Leak Diagnosis

Before anything is torn out, we confirm the water is coming from the pan and not the drain, valve, grout, or supply lines. A leak blamed on the pan can turn out to be something smaller.

Shower Pan Leak Rebuild

When the liner has failed, the tile floor comes up, the old mortar bed and liner come out, and a new sloped bed and liner go in with a sealed drain connection. Then the floor is retiled.

Tile Shower Pan Replacement

For tiled showers we build a true mortar-bed pan with a waterproof liner or membrane, sloped to the drain, then tile over it. If the whole shower is due, see our shower installation in Houston.

Prefab Shower Base Replacement

A prefab shower base is a single molded piece. It is faster to replace than a tile pan because there is no mortar bed to build, and it still connects to the drain and needs a watertight seal at the walls.

How We Replace A Shower Pan, Step By Step

The steps below are for a full pan replacement. A smaller repair, like a drain connection or regrouting, skips most of them.

1. In-home assessment and free quote. We confirm the leak is the pan, check what is under the shower (slab or framed floor), and quote it in writing.

2. Permit. When a pan job changes the drain or supply plumbing, Houston and most nearby cities require a plumbing permit. We file for it, so the work is inspected rather than hidden under new tile.

3. Demo. Floor tile, mortar bed, and the old liner come out, down to the subfloor or slab.

4. Drain and pre-slope. The drain connection is set or replaced, and a sloped bed is built so water runs to the drain.

5. Liner or membrane. A waterproof liner or membrane goes over the slope and is sealed to the drain.

6. Flood test. The drain is plugged and the pan is filled with water to prove it holds before any tile goes on, flood-tested where the inspector requires it.

7. Tile, grout, and caulk. The final mortar bed and tile go in, and grout and caulk cure before first use.

Why The Flood Test Matters

A flood test is the only way to prove a pan is watertight before it disappears under tile. The International Residential Code, for example, calls for at least 2 inches of water held for at least 15 minutes with no sign of leakage, and manufacturers such as Oatey and Schluter recommend longer tests. Houston adopted the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code in January 2024, so your inspector works from that code.

Tile Pan Or Prefab Base?

Shower pans come in two main types, and which one you have changes what a repair involves.

Tile Shower Pans

Built on site in layers: a sloped mortar bed, a waterproof liner, a second mortar bed, and tile. They fit any shower size or shape, but a failed liner means the tile floor has to come up to replace it.

Prefab Shower Bases

A single molded base, usually acrylic or fiberglass, set on the floor and connected to the drain. It is faster to replace, with no mortar bed to rebuild, but it comes in set sizes.

Built For Houston Homes

How Houston homes are built changes how a shower pan fails and how it gets fixed.

Slab Foundations

On a slab, the shower drain runs through the concrete, so a pan leak can soak the slab edge and the rooms beside the shower instead of showing up on a ceiling. If a drain has to move, that means controlled saw-cutting, re-piping, and a proper repour. We do this routinely.

Humidity And Mold

In Houston’s humid climate, water trapped under shower tile rarely dries out. A slow pan leak becomes mold behind the tile, which is why we rebuild pans with membrane waterproofing and mold-resistant backer and check that the bathroom fan is moving enough air.

Second-Floor Showers

Many Houston homes have a bathroom over a living area. When a pan fails upstairs, the ceiling below takes the damage. We fix the pan first, and our team can repair the ceiling drywall once it is dry.

What Shower Pan Work Costs In Houston

Shower pan work is quoted in person and in writing, at no charge and with no trip fee. The final number depends on the size of the shower, what is under it, and whether the floor tile can be saved.

Service	Typical Houston Cost
Regrout / recaulk shower	$250 – $850
Shower pan leak rebuild	$1,200 – $3,500
Prefab shower installation	$2,500 – $6,500
Custom tile shower installation	$5,500 – $15,000+

Frequently Asked Questions About Shower Pans in Houston

How much does shower pan repair cost in Houston?

A shower pan leak rebuild typically runs $1,200 to $3,500 in Houston, and smaller fixes like regrouting or recaulking run $250 to $850. We look at the shower in person and give you a written price at no cost.

How do I know if my shower pan is leaking?

Look for a stain on the ceiling below the shower, tile that shifts, grout that keeps cracking at the base, a soft floor, or a musty smell. Because a drain, valve, or grout leak can look the same, we confirm the source before quoting a pan.

What is a shower pan flood test?

The drain is plugged and the pan is filled with water to prove it holds before tile goes on. Model codes such as the IRC require at least 2 inches of water for at least 15 minutes, and manufacturers often recommend longer.

Can you replace a shower pan without replacing the tile?

On a prefab base, the walls can often stay in place. On a tiled shower, the liner sits under the floor tile and mortar, so the floor tile has to come up to replace it. We tell you before work starts exactly what has to be removed.

Do I need a permit to replace a shower pan in Houston?

Usually, when the drain or supply lines are changed as part of the job. Houston and most surrounding cities require a plumbing permit for that work, and as licensed plumbers we file it and book the city inspection.

Do plumbers replace shower pans?

Yes. A shower pan connects to the drain, and the drain connection is a common failure point. As licensed plumbers, we handle the drain, the pan, and the tile in one job.

Get A Free Quote On Your Shower Pan Repair

Call 832-662-4288 or contact us to have a licensed plumber look at your shower pan. The visit and written quote are free, with no trip charge. Our Houston, Pasadena, and New Caney offices cover the Greater Houston area, from Katy and Sugar Land to The Woodlands, Kingwood, Baytown, and League City.

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