---
title: "Curbless Shower: How It Is Built on a Florida Slab"
url: https://remodelbycuttingedge.com/curbless-shower/
date: 2026-10-11
modified: 2026-10-11
lang: en
author: "Blane Perun"
description: "How a curbless, zero-entry shower is built on a Florida slab: slab recess, linear drains, waterproofing, post-tension cautions and aging-in-place design."
image: https://remodelbycuttingedge.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Shower-Remodel-by-Cutting-Edge-Bonita-Springs-4-1024x572.webp
word_count: 909
---

# Curbless Shower: How It Is Built on a Florida Slab

![Curbless Shower How It Is Built on a Florida Slab by Cutting Edge Kitchen & Bath](https://remodelbycuttingedge.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Shower-Remodel-by-Cutting-Edge-Bonita-Springs-4-scaled.webp)Shower Remodel · Bonita Springs & Naples
# Curbless ShowerHow It Is Built on a Florida Slab
Design VisitFreeLiDAR scan and photo-real 3D renderPricingFixedOne contract before work startsBuilt ByOur CrewsLicensed Florida GC, 500+ SWFL remodels
By **Blane Perun**, Owner · Cutting Edge Kitchen & Bath·20 years property management · 500+ SWFL remodels · Updated October 2026

The short answer
A curbless shower, also called a zero-entry shower, has no step or curb at the entrance. The bathroom floor flows straight into the shower, which slopes gently to a drain, usually a linear drain along the back wall or the entry. On a concrete slab, that slope comes from recessing the slab under the shower or raising the rest of the bathroom floor. Waterproofing has to extend beyond the shower area. The result is a cleaner look and an entry with nothing to trip over.

[Part of our Shower Remodel guide →](/shower-remodel-bonita/)

![Curbless walk-in shower with linear drain in a Bonita Springs bathroom](https://remodelbycuttingedge.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Shower-Remodel-by-Cutting-Edge-Bonita-Springs-1-scaled.webp)Shower Remodel · Cutting Edge Kitchen & Bath

## What Does It Take to Build a Zero-Entry Shower?
A standard shower relies on a curb to hold water in. Without one, the floor itself does the job, so it must slope toward the drain at roughly a quarter inch per foot while the entry stays level with the bathroom. The two usual methods are to cut and lower the slab where the shower sits, or to build up the bathroom floor with a thicker mortar bed or foam system so the shower can be recessed within it. A linear drain helps because the floor only needs to slope in one direction, which suits large-format tile.

Waterproofing is the part you never see and the part that matters most. A continuous sheet or liquid membrane covers the shower floor, runs up the walls and extends well past the entry into the dry area, and the pan is flood-tested before any tile goes down. Frameless glass panels are common, sometimes with a short return or no door at all if the shower is deep enough. Building curbless usually costs more than a curbed shower of the same size because of the slab work, the drain and the extra waterproofing.

| Item | Curbed shower | Curbless shower |
| ---- | ------------- | --------------- |
| Entry | Curb of a few inches to step over | Level with the bathroom floor |
| Floor prep on a slab | Standard mortar bed | Slab recess or raised bathroom floor |
| Drain | Center point drain common | Linear drain common |
| Waterproofing | Shower area and curb | Shower area plus extended zone into the bathroom |
| Glass | Door and panel on the curb | Fixed panel, walk-in opening or full enclosure |
| Accessibility | Step-in required | Walker and wheelchair friendly |

Plan Your *Walk-In Shower.*
See how our shower remodels handle curbless entries, linear drains and frameless glass.

[Explore Shower Remodels →](/shower-remodel-bonita/)[Set an Appointment](/contact/)

## What Changes on a Southwest Florida Slab?
Most homes here are slab-on-grade, and many newer ones use post-tensioned slabs with steel cables under high tension inside the concrete. Cutting into a post-tensioned slab without locating those tendons is dangerous and can damage the structure, so the slab should be scanned and the recess planned with the original drawings or an engineer before any saw touches it. Older conventional slabs are easier to recess, though plumbing under them may need rerouting. Where cutting is off the table, raising the bathroom floor is the reliable alternative.

Condo owners face their own limits. Concrete floors between units usually cannot be cut, so a curbless shower in a Naples or Bonita Springs high-rise often means building up the bathroom floor and getting association approval. Any shower rebuild with new drain work needs a plumbing permit. The design also works well for aging in place, which matters for many Southwest Florida retirees and for families planning around visiting parents. Pair it with blocking for grab bars, a bench and a handheld shower on a slide bar and the bath will serve you for decades.

![Zero-entry tiled shower with frameless glass in a Naples home](https://remodelbycuttingedge.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Shower-Remodel-by-Cutting-Edge-Bonita-Springs-2-scaled.webp)Shower Remodel · Cutting Edge Kitchen & Bath

## Curbless Shower Questions

### Do curbless showers leak onto the bathroom floor?
Not when they are designed correctly. The floor slopes to the drain, the linear drain captures water before it reaches the entry, and the waterproofing extends past the opening. Shower size and glass placement also matter, so splash stays inside the wet zone. We confirm the slope and glass layout in the 3D render.

### Is a zero entry shower the same as a curbless shower?
Yes. Both terms describe a shower with no curb or threshold at the entrance. Some people also call it a barrier-free or roll-in shower, especially when it is sized for wheelchair use. The construction is the same: a sloped floor, a capable drain and extended waterproofing.

### Can you build a curbless shower on a post-tension slab?
Sometimes. The slab must be scanned to locate the tendons and an engineer may need to approve the recess. When cutting is not safe, we raise the bathroom floor instead so the shower can still sit flush.

Go *Curbless.*
We will scan your slab and bathroom, render a zero-entry layout and quote one fixed price.

[Start Your Shower Project →](/shower-remodel-bonita/)[Set an Appointment](/contact/)

## Why Curbless Projects Go to Cutting Edge
A curbless shower is only as good as the slab work and waterproofing beneath it. Cutting Edge Kitchen & Bath is a licensed Florida general contractor based in Bonita Springs with more than 500 Southwest Florida remodels, so we plan the recess, drain and membrane as one system and flood-test the pan before tile. Owner Blane Perun brings 20 years of property management to how we protect occupied homes. Each project begins with a free LiDAR scan and photo-real 3D render, then one fixed-price contract built by our own crews.