For most homes on a concrete slab, a low-threshold walk-in shower is the practical choice. It sits in the tub's footprint at the existing drain, with a low curb that is easy to step over. A curbless shower needs the slab cut and recessed, which requires a permit and is outside the projects Legacy takes on.
A curbless or roll-in shower has no curb at all, so a wheelchair can roll straight in. To keep water from running onto the bathroom floor, the shower floor has to sit lower than the rest of the room and slope to the drain. On a concrete slab, which many Southern California homes are built on, that means cutting and re-pouring concrete and often moving the drain. That work requires a permit and inspection. ADA standards also call for a roll-in shower of at least 30 by 60 inches.
A low-threshold walk-in shower replaces the tub in the same footprint, uses the existing drain, and has a low curb in place of the tub wall. For someone with a walker, a cane, limited balance or a shower chair, that is a major improvement over climbing into a tub. Paired with a built-in or fold-down seat, grab bars anchored to blocking, a handheld shower on a slide bar and slip-resistant tile, it gives most households the access they need without breaking up the floor.
A curbless shower matters most for someone who must roll into the shower in a wheelchair without transferring to a seat. If that is your situation, we say so plainly, since that work is outside our scope, and you can plan with that in mind. We keep our projects within the scope that does not require a building permit, and we tell you at the first visit if what you have in mind would need one. For everyone else, a low-threshold shower costs less and fits within our 1 to 3 week on-site schedule.
Answered by Legacy Construction & Design · CA License #790442 · October 2026