Bathtub & Shower Installation Done Right the First Time
The most expensive mistake in any bathtub or shower installation isn't the fixture — it's the plumbing rough-in buried behind the wall. Set the valve at the wrong depth, skip the mortar bed under the tub, or rush past the waterproofing membrane, and you're looking at a mold-soaked subfloor or a full tile tearout inside two years. Deft Plumbing handles the complete plumbing scope for both prefab tub-shower combos and custom tiled walk-in showers across Aurora and the Denver Metro area. That means valve rough-in set to your exact tile thickness, drain connections that actually align, a properly bedded tub base, and waterproof membranes installed before a single tile goes up. Whether your GC is handling the tile work or you're coordinating subs yourself, we sequence the plumbing so nothing has to come back apart once it's finished.
Tiled Shower & Tub Installations
Custom tile showers require a properly sloped shower pan, a waterproof membrane (we use Kerdi or liquid-applied systems), and a valve rough-in set to the correct depth for your tile thickness. We install Moen, Delta, and Kohler pressure-balancing and thermostatic valves and verify the rough-in depth before your tile contractor starts. Getting this wrong means tearing out finished tile to fix it — a mistake that costs three to five times more than doing it right on the first pass.
Prefab Surround & Tub Combo Installation
Prefab acrylic and fiberglass surrounds are a cost-effective option for full bathrooms. We remove the old unit, inspect the subfloor and drain for rot or damage, install the new tub with a properly mixed mortar bed underneath, and connect the drain, overflow, and supply lines. A tub installed without a full mortar bed will flex underfoot and crack its drain seal within a few years. If the existing drain doesn't align with the new unit, we rework the trap and tailpiece to fit rather than forcing a connection that will leak.
Tub-to-Shower Conversions
Converting a bathtub to a walk-in shower changes the drain location, requires a new valve position, and needs a curbed or curbless pan with proper waterproofing at every floor-to-wall transition. We handle the full plumbing scope — capping the tub spout supply, relocating the showerhead riser to the correct height, and installing a linear or center drain set at the right elevation for the finished tile surface — so your tile contractor can start on a properly prepped substrate.
Common Failure Points and What Good Work Looks Like
Most shower and tub failures trace back to three mistakes: valve rough-in set too shallow or too deep for the finished wall thickness, missing or improperly lapped waterproofing at curbs and floor-to-wall transitions, and a tub installed without a full mortar bed. Good work means the valve body sits flush with the finished wall plane, the mortar bed fully supports the tub floor with no voids, and every drain collar lands at the correct height for the tile or pan surface. We don't move on until those details are confirmed — because once tile goes up, correcting them costs 10 times as much.
Need Bathtub and Shower Installation?
Contact Deft Plumbing for a free, upfront quote. No surprises, no hidden fees. We're licensed, bonded, and insured for your protection.
Call (720) 880-8064 or request a free estimate online.
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We provide bathtub and shower installation services across the Denver metro area, including Aurora, Lakewood, Arvada, Westminster, Thornton, Broomfield, and more.