If you're mid-remodel, the timing works like this: we can quote whenever you like, from plans or a walkthrough, but the final measure waits until the tile is set, because the glass is made to the finished walls. Calling while the tile is going up usually lines everything up well. Estimates are free.
The styles you're choosing between
Frameless
Thick tempered panels held by hinges and clamps anchored straight to the wall, with no metal wrapping the glass. The cleanest look available and the most demanding install, because the glass itself is the structure.
Semi-frameless
A middle path: framing where you won't notice it, open glass where you will. It keeps most of the frameless look while being more forgiving of the opening.
Framed
A full perimeter frame around every panel. It's the most forgiving style for walls that lean a little, and generally the easiest on a remodel budget.
Sliding and tub doors
Bypass panels that glide instead of swing, for tubs and for bathrooms where a swinging door would eat the floor space in front of the shower.
Picking the glass and the hardware
Clear tempered glass is the default for good reason, and most people stick with it. If your tile is white or pale gray, ask to see low-iron glass next to standard clear: ordinary glass carries a faint green tint at the edges that low-iron removes. Frosted and patterned glass trade some light for privacy, which earns its keep on doors that face the bathroom entry.
Hardware is where the bathroom's finish carries through. Hinges, handles, and towel bars come in the finishes your fixtures already wear, chrome, brushed nickel, and matte black among them. A factory-applied coating that helps water sheet off the glass is available if squeegeeing isn't going to become a habit.
From quote to first shower
1. The quote
We talk through the opening, the style, and the glass, then put a number in writing at no charge. Nothing is ordered at this stage, so quoting early costs you nothing but a phone call.
2. The final measure
Once the tile is set and grouted, we measure the finished opening and check every surface the glass will meet. The panels are fabricated to these numbers and tempered glass can't be trimmed afterward, so this is the one visit we won't rush.
3. Fabrication
Your panels are cut, polished, drilled, and tempered to order. This is the waiting stretch in the middle of the project, and we give you the current lead time with your quote so the schedule holds no surprises.
4. Installation
Install day runs a few hours, not days. The crew sets the panels, hangs and adjusts the door, and seals the joints, and the door is swinging the way it should before we pack up.
5. A day to cure
The silicone needs about a day to cure before the enclosure gets wet. One dry day, then the first shower in your finished bathroom.
What to ask before you hire anyone, including us
Shower glass is a trade where a few pointed questions up front save real grief later. Whoever is bidding the work, ask:
- Is your CCB license current, and is the number on the estimate?
- Does the final measure happen after the tile is finished?
- Is the glass fabricated for my opening, or trimmed from stock panels?
- What happens if the door drops out of alignment after a few months?
- What does your warranty cover, and for how long?
We're glad to take all five. Our license rides on every estimate we write, the measure waits for your tile, every panel is made for your opening, and shower door workmanship is covered for a full year after the install.
What homeowners ask while the bathroom's torn up
When in the remodel should I call?
When tile is being picked is not too early. We can quote from drawings or a walkthrough, and an early quote locks in your spot; the only step that has to wait for finished tile is the final measure.
How long does the whole glass phase take?
Fabrication sets the pace, and we put the current lead time in writing with your quote. The install itself takes a few hours, and the silicone wants a day to cure before the first shower.
What moves the quote up or down?
Frameless costs more than framed because thicker glass and precision fabrication do. Beyond style, the big movers are the size of the opening, low-iron or patterned glass over standard clear, custom cuts like a notch around a knee wall or an angle under a sloped ceiling, and the hardware finish. The estimate sorts your bathroom's mix into one written number, free.
My walls aren't plumb. Can I still do frameless?
Usually, yes. Older Portland bathrooms are rarely square, and quality hinges and channels carry enough adjustment to absorb small leans. The final measure tells us for certain, while every option is still on the table.
Can you replace just one panel or door in an existing shower?
Yes, when the rest of the enclosure is sound. A cracked panel, a door that never hung right, or new glass for an existing tub track can each be quoted on its own, and the same measuring care applies.
How do I keep the glass clear long-term?
The thirty-second squeegee habit does more than any product. The factory coating helps water sheet off and stretches the time between deep cleanings, and skipping abrasive pads protects both the glass and the coating.
Is shower glass safe?
All of it is tempered safety glass, which building code requires in wet areas, and tempered breaks into small pebbles rather than shards in the rare event it breaks at all. Heavier frameless panels are the same tempered glass, just thicker.
Ready when your tile is
Call (503) 887-8329 with where your remodel stands and we'll take it from there: a written quote now, at no charge, the final measure when your tile is done, and panels made for your exact opening. Clear Works Glass, based in SE Portland. Monday to Friday 7 to 5, Saturday 8 to 2. Oregon CCB #261682, bonded and insured.