Custom semi-frameless shower doors start at $999. Semi-frameless sits in the mid range of the four enclosure types, above sliding units and below full frameless, because it uses thinner 1/4 in or 3/8 in glass but still needs a metal perimeter frame fabricated and finished to match your hardware.

What moves the price on a specific job is the size of the opening, whether the door is a single swing or has a return panel, the frame finish, and how much the opening is out of square. A wider metal frame actually works in your favor here since it covers more variation without extra fabrication, which is part of why semi-frameless tends to price a bit more predictably than frameless on older openings.

We template every job on site before quoting, so the price reflects your actual opening. Estimates are free. Call or text (708) 808-7775 to schedule one.

Frameless glass has no metal around the door panel at all, just hinges and clamps holding 3/8 in or 1/2 in glass. Semi-frameless has a slim metal frame around the perimeter, usually aluminum, while the door itself still swings open the same way. The glass on semi-frameless is thinner, 1/4 in or 3/8 in, because the frame is doing the structural work that thicker glass does on a frameless door.

That frame is the whole trade-off. It costs less, it hides an out of plumb wall or an uneven curb far better than bare glass edges can, and it gives you a visible seal at the hinge and strike side. What it does not give you is the uninterrupted glass look, and the frame needs an occasional wipe down where framed water tracks and never fully dries.

Neither is the wrong choice. Frameless reads as a fully renovated, high end bathroom. Semi-frameless is the more forgiving option in a home where the walls and curb are not perfectly true, which describes a lot of housing stock in this area.

Yes. Every panel we fabricate for a shower or tub enclosure is tempered safety glass, regardless of enclosure type. That is a code requirement for wet, high contact glazing, not something we add as an upgrade.

Tempering is a heat treatment applied after the glass is cut, polished, and any holes for hardware are drilled, since tempered glass cannot be altered afterward without shattering it. The finished panel is several times stronger than untreated glass of the same thickness, and if it does break it comes apart in small blunt pieces instead of sharp shards.

On semi-frameless the metal frame adds a second layer of protection by supporting the glass edge, which is part of why thinner 1/4 in and 3/8 in glass is standard here rather than the 3/8 in and 1/2 in used on unframed panels.

Not with current hardware and finishes. The dated look people picture is the 1990s builder grade shower door: thick bright chrome or gold framing on all four sides, a textured or obscure glass panel, and a bulky bottom track. That is a fully framed unit, which is a different product than what we build today.

Modern semi-frameless uses a slim perimeter profile, often under an inch wide, in a matte black, brushed nickel, or brushed gold finish, with clear glass and minimal visible hardware. The frame reads as an intentional design line rather than a leftover part.

If the look is the deciding factor for you, frameless removes the visible metal entirely. But a well finished semi-frameless door, next to a fully framed one, looks like a different generation of product.

It takes a bit more attention than frameless, but far less than a fully framed sliding door. The perimeter frame on semi-frameless has no bottom track for standing water and debris to collect in, which is the main source of buildup on older sliding enclosures. What it does have is a metal channel edge where the glass meets the frame, and that seam can hold soap film and water spots if it is never wiped.

A squeegee on the glass after each shower and a cloth run along the frame edge weekly keeps it looking new. Avoid abrasive pads directly on the frame finish, since matte black and brushed finishes scratch more visibly than polished chrome.

Compared to frameless, you are adding maybe an extra minute of wipe down on the frame itself. Compared to a framed sliding door with a full track, semi-frameless is a noticeably easier clean.

Yes, this is the situation semi-frameless is built for. Of the four enclosure types, semi-frameless has the most tolerance for an out of plumb wall, an uneven curb, or a corner that is not square. The metal perimeter frame absorbs that variation in a way bare glass edges cannot, since the frame can be scribed and fit to the actual wall line rather than requiring the wall to match the glass.

This is common in older Chicago area homes where the bathroom has settled or was never perfectly square to begin with. On a frameless job the same wall condition can leave a visible wedge of light at the hinge side. On semi-frameless the frame simply follows the wall and the gap disappears behind it.

We confirm this at the template visit. If your walls are far enough out of plumb that even a framed unit would look strained, we will say so and walk you through the alternative before any glass is ordered.

Yes, both directions are a straightforward swap in most bathrooms. The opening, the curb, and the plumbing stay the same, so switching enclosure types is really a matter of removing the existing glass and hardware, then fabricating and installing the new type to fit the opening that is already there.

Going from frameless to semi-frameless is usually the simpler direction, since the added frame gives more room to correct for wear, minor wall movement, or hardware holes left from the old install. Going from semi-frameless to frameless means confirming the wall is plumb and has adequate blocking behind the tile, since frameless has the least tolerance of the two.

We remove the old enclosure, template the opening as it exists now, and quote the new glass the same way we would for a new install. Call (708) 808-7775 and we can look at photos or set up a time to come out.