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Schluter Bathroom Remodeling: The Long Beach Owner’s Guide
A full Schluter-system bathroom remodel in Long Beach typically runs $9,000 to $28,000 installed, depending on shower size, tile selection, and how much of the existing waterproofing has to be torn out and replaced. We stock Schluter KERDI membrane, KERDI-BOARD, DITRA underlayment, and the matching edge trims and shower trays on our trucks, so most waterproofing repairs and shower pan replacements can be quoted and scheduled within days, not weeks. Most Long Beach homeowners call us after water shows up where it shouldn’t be: soft grout lines, staining at the shower curb, or a mildew smell that won’t quit no matter how much bleach gets thrown at it. The Schluter part itself rarely fails when it’s installed correctly. What fails is the install.
Which Schluter Models This Applies To
The Schluter system covers essentially every wet area in a Long Beach bathroom: KERDI membrane for shower walls and floors, KERDI-BOARD for waterproof wall panels, DITRA and DITRA-HEAT for floor uncoupling and in-floor heating, and the KERDI-LINE and KERDI-DRAIN styles for linear and point drains. The most common failure point we see is at transitions, where KERDI membrane meets the shower pan or drain flange, and at inside corners where someone skipped the KERDI-KERECK preformed corner pieces. Schluter’s system is engineered as a matched set, which means the waterproofing guarantee only holds when every layer is Schluter product, installed per their published spec. If a previous contractor patched a tear with a big-box store membrane and hoped for the best, that seam is where water finds its way through. We verify by checking the grid pattern printed on the membrane and looking for Schluter’s name on the backing, which knockoff membranes don’t have.
We’re an independent Long Beach remodeling contractor, not a Schluter dealer or affiliate. That independence matters on price, because we’re not locked into a single supplier’s pricing tiers for tiles, valves, trim, or glass. We stock the Schluter parts that matter on the truck and order the rest direct, so you’re not paying a middleman markup on every corner piece and drain assembly.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your Schluter Bathroom Remodeling Is Failing
- Grout stays dark or wet days after the last shower. Water is trapped in the mortar bed under the tile. In Long Beach’s coastal humidity, that trapped moisture feeds mold inside the wall cavity, not just on the surface.
- Wall tile feels soft or moves when you press on it. The KERDI membrane behind it has torn or debonded, and the tile is now floating on deteriorated mortar. This rarely gets better on its own.
- Mildew smell returns within a week of cleaning. The waterproofing layer has a breach, and water is wicking into the framing or stud bays. A properly installed KERDI system should never let moisture reach wood in the first place.
- Water stains on the ceiling below a second-floor bathroom. This is the classic Long Beach split-level or condo symptom. The shower pan or curb membrane has failed and water is traveling down through the subfloor.
- Loose or peeling edge trim around the shower base. The metal Schluter trim strips (Jolly, Rondec, or Quadec profiles) were either cut short or set with the wrong adhesive. Water sneaks behind the trim and starts working on the drywall.
See the difference
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After
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AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
In Long Beach, a Schluter shower waterproofing repair or full shower remodel lands between $9,000 and $28,000. On the low end, you’re looking at a standard 3×5 shower with a single showerhead, porcelain tile, and a KERDI drain assembly. The top of that range covers large walk-in showers with custom glass, linear drains, built-in benches or niches, heated floors, and premium tile like marble or large-format porcelain. What drives the price more than anything is what’s hiding behind the tile: if the studs are rotted from a previous failed waterproofing job, we’re reframing before we ever touch Schluter membrane. Every quote is written, line-itemed, and in your hands before demo starts, so the invoice you approve is the invoice you pay. No change orders because a foreman “found something” that should have been caught in the estimate.
DIY or Call Us?
You can safely check the obvious stuff: run your hand along the grout lines for soft spots, look for missing or cracked caulk at the trim, and check whether the shower drain still drains at full speed. What you shouldn’t do is peel back tile to “have a look” behind the membrane, because that just guarantees you’re paying for a bigger repair than the one you started with, and Schluter’s waterproofing only works as a continuous, unbroken layer. Once it’s compromised, it has to be redone properly or the leak comes back. If you see cracked tile, loose trim, or water where it shouldn’t be, call us at (562) 512-6480 and we’ll tell you honestly whether you need a repair or a full shower redo. Free estimates, no pressure.
FAQs
A properly installed Schluter system should last 25 years or more, and the manufacturer’s warranty runs for 10 years when the entire system is Schluter product installed by a qualified contractor. The limiting factor in Long Beach is usually the tile and grout on top of the membrane, not the membrane itself, since coastal moisture and shifting slab foundations take their toll on the finish layer first. Call (562) 512-6480 for an honest assessment of what’s worth repairing versus replacing.
Sometimes yes, if the failure is isolated to a single seam, corner, or drain connection, but most membrane breaches require removing tile to access and patch the KERDI layer with a proper 2-inch overlap. We’ll give you a straight answer after we see it, and the quote will separate the repair-your-existing-shower option from a full redo so you know both numbers. Call (562) 512-6480 and we’ll schedule the look.
Most full Schluter shower remodels in Long Beach run 7 to 14 working days from demo to final grout, depending on tile size, glass lead time, and whether we’re fixing framing or plumbing along the way. Waterproofing alone, done correctly with KERDI membrane and proper cure time, is a multi-day process, and nobody should rush it. We’ll give you a day-by-day schedule in writing before we start, and photo updates as the job moves.
We stock KERDI membrane, KERDI-BOARD, DITRA, DITRA-HEAT, KERDI-KERECK corners, KERDI-SEAL pipe seals, and the standard Jolly and Rondec trim profiles on our trucks for most common sizes and finishes, so a typical repair doesn’t wait on a supplier. If you need a specific drain finish or a less common profile, we order it direct and have it within a week. Call (562) 512-6480 with your model or a photo and we’ll confirm stock before you schedule.
Written by Luca Romano, Owner, Sawyer Remodel Long Beach at Sawyer Remodel Long Beach, serving Long Beach and nearby areas.
