Custom Glass & Shower Doors
Starting at $999
- We Come to YouOn-site measurement at your home
- Free EstimatesFirm written pricing, no obligation
- Fast TurnaroundClear timelines from measure to install
- Expert InstallationFabricated and installed by one team
Custom Glass Shower Door Fabrication and Installation in Chicago
We fabricate and install custom shower doors for homes across Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. Both halves of that sentence matter, because most companies only do one.
A lot of outfits selling shower doors are really selling installation. They take a measurement, order a semi-custom unit from a manufacturer, and set it when it arrives. That works until the opening is unusual, and then you are waiting weeks on a reorder because the panel came in wrong and tempered glass cannot be adjusted.
We control the whole chain. We template your opening, cut the glass to those dimensions, finish the edges, and install it ourselves. One company, one measurement, one point of accountability.
Get a Quote
Shower Door Fabrication Services in Chicago
We install frameless, semi-frameless, sliding, and fully custom shower enclosures, with every panel cut for one opening in one bathroom.
How Glass Shower Door Fabrication Works
Fabrication happens in a specific order, and the order cannot be rearranged. Everything gets done to the glass before it is tempered, because after tempering the glass cannot be cut, drilled, or modified without shattering.
So the sequence runs: template the opening, cut the panel to size, cut any notches or holes for hinges and hardware, grind and polish the edges, then temper. That is the point of no return. A hinge hole in the wrong place after tempering means a new panel, not a fix.
Why We Fabricate Shower Doors In-House
When fabrication and installation are split between two companies, the gap between them is where jobs go wrong.
The installer measures and sends dimensions to a fabricator who has never seen the room. The fabricator cuts exactly what was on the sheet. If the opening had a quarter-inch of taper that never made it onto the order, or if the hinge locations did not account for where the studs actually are, nobody finds out until install day. Then the two companies point at each other, and you wait.
Doing both ourselves removes that handoff. The person who measured your bathroom knows the walls lean, knows where the blocking is, and that information travels with the job instead of getting flattened into a number on an order form.
Compare Shower Door Types
We fabricate and install frameless, semi-frameless, and sliding glass shower doors, along with fixed panels for walk-in showers. Here is how the four compare on the factors that matter most when choosing.
| Feature | Frameless | Semi-Frameless | Sliding | Fixed Panel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glass Thickness | 3/8 in or 1/2 in | 1/4 in or 3/8 in | 1/4 in to 3/8 in | 3/8 in or 1/2 in |
| Framing | None, hinges and clamps only | Slim perimeter, open door panel | Framed or slim framed on track | None, wall channel or clamps |
| Swing Clearance Needed | Yes, roughly door width | Yes, roughly door width | None | None |
| Handles Uneven Walls | Least tolerance | Most tolerance | Good tolerance | Limited tolerance |
| Cleaning and Upkeep | Easiest, no tracks | Wipe framing regularly | Bottom track collects buildup | Easiest, no moving parts |
| Wall Anchoring | Studs or blocking required | Standard anchoring | Standard anchoring | Studs or blocking required |
| Best Suited To | Renovated baths with true walls | Older homes, settled openings | Tub alcoves and tight bathrooms | Walk-in and curbless showers |
| Relative Cost | Highest | Mid range | Most affordable | Varies with panel size |
Custom shower doors start at $999. Every enclosure is templated on-site and fabricated to your opening, so the right choice depends on your bathroom rather than on the chart alone. Call (708) 808-7775 for a free on-site estimate.
Shower Glass Thickness, Edges, and Hardware
A few specification decisions get made during fabrication, and they are worth understanding before you sign a quote.
Thickness is driven by structure, not preference. Frameless panels usually need three-eighths or half-inch glass because they carry their own weight. Semi-frameless can run thinner since the framing takes edge load. Larger panels push toward thicker glass regardless of style.
Edgework is the finish on the exposed glass edge, and on a frameless enclosure you see it every day. A flat polished edge is standard. Beveled costs more and reads more traditional. Then there is hardware finish, which should relate to your faucet and lighting rather than being chosen in isolation, and optional protective coating that makes hard water easier to clean off.
Custom Glass Shower Door Pricing
Custom shower doors start at $999, with fabrication and installation both included in the quoted price rather than billed separately. Cost is driven by glass thickness, panel count and size, edgework, hardware finish, and how complex the opening is. A single semi-frameless door across a standard alcove sits at the entry point. Frameless costs more because the glass is thicker and heavier. Neo-angle corners, steam enclosures, and sloped or angled cuts cost more again, since they take more glass and more precise fabrication. You get one firm written number after the on-site template.
From Estimate to Installed Glass Shower Door
It starts with a free on-site visit. We template the opening, check where the walls run out of plumb, locate structure for anchoring, and talk through glass, edges, and hardware. If your bathroom calls for a configuration different from what you had in mind, you will hear that before anything is ordered.
Once you approve the quote, your panels go into fabrication cut to your template. When the glass is ready we schedule installation. Our crew sets and levels the panels, seals the perimeter, removes the old enclosure, and walks the finished shower with you before leaving. Silicone needs to cure before you use the shower, and we tell you exactly how long to wait.
How Our Process Works
Request a Quote
Contact us to tell us about your project and schedule your free consultation.
Measure & Plan
We measure your space and create a custom plan tailored to your needs.
Custom Fabrication
Your glass and hardware are precision-fabricated to exact specifications.
Professional Installation
Our expert installers deliver a flawless finish and ensure your complete satisfaction.
Gallery
Frequently Asked Questions
What does custom shower door fabrication cost?
Custom fabricated shower doors start at $999. Where a specific job lands above that depends on the enclosure type, the size of the opening, glass thickness, edge work, hardware finish, and how much cutting the layout requires around benches, curbs, valves, and tile ledges.
Sliding units are the most affordable since they use thinner glass and the track carries the structural load. Semi-frameless sits in the middle. Full frameless costs the most because it uses the thickest glass and needs precise fabrication since there is no frame to cover a margin of error. Fixed panels for walk-in showers vary with panel size.
We do not quote fabrication over the phone. Every enclosure is templated on site so the price reflects your actual opening instead of a guess. Estimates are free. Call or text (708) 808-7775 to schedule one.
How long does fabrication take?
Fabrication is a made-to-order process, not something pulled off a shelf. After your on-site template, glass is cut to your exact opening, edges are polished or beveled, any holes or notches are machined in, and the panel is sent out for tempering before hardware is fitted. Each of those steps has to happen in order and none of them can be rushed once the glass is in the tempering oven.
Standard configurations in common sizes move through this pipeline faster than a job with a return panel, custom notching around a bench or a curb, or a specialty finish that has to be special ordered. Install is scheduled once the finished glass and hardware are in hand, so the panel is never sitting around waiting on us.
We give you a firm timeline at the template visit once we know the exact configuration, rather than a general range that may not match your job. Call (708) 808-7775 and we can talk through what your specific enclosure would look like.
Why can't tempered glass be cut after it is made?
Tempering works by rapidly heating the glass and then cooling the surface much faster than the core. That process locks the outer surface into a state of compression while the interior stays in tension, which is what makes tempered glass several times stronger than ordinary annealed glass of the same thickness.
That same internal stress is why it cannot be altered afterward. Cutting, drilling, or grinding a tempered panel breaks through the compressed surface layer and releases the stress all at once, which shatters the entire piece into small pieces rather than leaving a clean cut. There is no way to trim or resize a tempered panel once it has been through the oven.
This is why templating comes before fabrication rather than after. Every cut, every hole for a hinge or a handle, and every notch around a bench or curb has to be finished on the annealed glass first. The panel is measured, cut, edged, and drilled to the exact final dimensions, and only then is it tempered as the last step before it ships for install.
What glass thickness will my shower need?
Thickness follows enclosure type, since it is a structural decision more than a cosmetic one. Frameless doors and fixed panels use 3/8 in or 1/2 in glass because the glass itself is carrying the load with no frame to help. Semi-frameless and sliding units use 1/4 in or 3/8 in because the perimeter frame or track shares that load with the glass.
Within frameless, 1/2 in gets specified for taller panels, wider openings, large unsupported spans, and spa style enclosures where the extra rigidity is worth the added weight and cost. A standard residential frameless door in a typical opening is usually well served by 3/8 in.
We confirm the right thickness for your specific opening at the template visit, based on the panel dimensions, the enclosure type you are choosing, and how the panel will be supported.
What is the difference between a polished and beveled edge?
A polished edge, sometimes called a flat polish or pencil polish, is ground smooth and rounded just enough to remove any sharpness, then buffed to a clear, seamless finish. Looking at the glass from the front, the edge nearly disappears. This is the standard edge finish for the great majority of shower enclosures, frameless especially, since it keeps the attention on the glass itself.
A beveled edge is ground at an angle instead of rounded, cutting a flat facet into the edge of the glass that catches light and creates a visible line of refraction along the border of the panel. It reads as more decorative and traditional, closer to the look of beveled mirror trim.
For a shower door, polished is the practical default because a beveled edge is more exposed and more likely to chip on a functioning door that opens and closes. Bevel work shows up more often on fixed decorative panels or accent pieces than on the swinging door itself, but either can be specified depending on the look you want.
Do you fabricate replacement glass for an existing enclosure?
Yes. A cracked panel, a scratched piece, or hardware that has outlived the glass it was mounted to are all common reasons to replace a single panel rather than rebuild the entire enclosure. Since tempered glass cannot be modified after fabrication, a replacement panel has to be cut and drilled fresh to match the original hole pattern and dimensions rather than reused or altered.
We measure the existing opening and the hardware locations on site, since an enclosure that has settled slightly over the years may not match its original specs exactly anymore. Matching the glass type, thickness, and edge work to the rest of the enclosure is part of that visit as well, so a single new panel does not look mismatched next to the others.
If the existing hardware is worn out along with the glass, we can quote replacing both together. Call (708) 808-7775 with photos of the damaged panel and we can talk through what is involved.
Do you install glass fabricated by someone else?
This depends on the job, and we would need to see the glass and the opening before committing to it. Because tempered glass cannot be trimmed, drilled, or altered once it has been fabricated, an install-only job only works if the panel dimensions, hole locations, and edge work already match the opening and the hardware being used. If anything is off, there is no way to correct it on site the way there would be with an un-fabricated panel.
We are glad to inspect glass that was fabricated elsewhere and give you an honest read on whether it is install-ready. That inspection is also where any liability question gets settled, since we can only stand behind an installation, not the fabrication accuracy of glass we did not cut ourselves.
In most cases, fabricating and installing as one job is what lets us guarantee the fit, since the same shop that took the measurements is the one making sure the panel matches them. Call (708) 808-7775 to discuss your specific situation.
Question not answered here? Call or text (708) 808-7775 and we will walk you through it.
