What is the difference between tile over cement board and a real waterproof system?

Cement board is moisture-tolerant but not waterproof — water passes through it. A real system (Schluter-KERDI or Wedi) puts a fully bonded sheet membrane between the tile and the wall, so even a hairline grout crack does not let water reach the studs. This is the single biggest reason newer showers leak when older "tile over greenboard" showers from the 1960s did not.

Can I choose natural stone like marble or travertine?

Yes. We install Carrara and Calacatta marble, honed travertine, and slate in Fountain Inn homes regularly. Natural stone needs an annual sealer reapplication and benefits from epoxy grout, both of which we set up at install. We will walk you through the maintenance trade-offs at the estimate so there are no surprises later.

How long do epoxy grout joints last vs. sanded grout?

Epoxy grout on wet walls realistically lasts 20+ years with no maintenance beyond cleaning. Sanded grout in the same spot will start staining and developing hairline cracks inside of 5–7 years. The cost difference at install is minor; the cost difference at year ten is enormous.

Do you build benches and niches in tile?

Yes — both. Built-in tile benches and recessed niches (with hidden ledges for shampoo if you want them) are part of a normal custom build. We pre-frame and waterproof both, then tile them in matching or accent material so the bench reads as part of the wall rather than a bolt-on.

Home Service Areas Fountain Inn, SCCustom Tile Shower

Fountain Inn, SC· 5.0 rated

Custom Tile Shower in Fountain Inn, SC

Tile work that lasts decades, not seasons. Local crew based in Pendleton, real photos and references from your neighborhood, and a firm written price before we start.

Timeline

7–14 working days depending on tile complexity

Price Range

$8.5k–$25k

Warranty

Written workmanship

Local to

45 miles from Pendleton

A custom tile shower is the difference between a bathroom you tolerate and a bathroom you actually enjoy. Done right, it lasts twenty-plus years with no leaks, no failing grout, and no replacement. Done wrong, you are calling a contractor inside of five. Every custom tile shower we build in Fountain Inn, SC sits on top of a full Schluter-KERDI or Wedi waterproofing system, is set with epoxy grout on the wet walls, and is laid out so the grout lines actually line up where they should — bench-to-niche, niche-to-wall, wall-to-floor.

We serve every neighborhood in Fountain Inn, including Downtown Fountain Inn, Fairview Church Road area, Woodside, Laurens Road corridor.

What's included in a custom tile shower project

Every Fountain Inn custom tile shower project we quote covers the items below in writing — no "we'll deal with that on the day of" surprises.

Full sheet-membrane waterproofing on walls and pan (Schluter-KERDI or Wedi)

Pre-build tile layout review so grout lines align across niches, benches, and floor

Large-format porcelain, natural stone, marble, or mosaic options

Epoxy grout on wet walls for stain resistance and easier cleaning

Recessed niches, built-in bench, or corner shelves as scoped

Linear or center drain with verified slope (1/4" per foot)

Frameless glass enclosure measured and installed to fit your finished tile

Wall-mounted rainfall head, handheld wand, and thermostatic mixing valve

Color-matched silicone at every plane change

Written workmanship warranty

Materials we install

12×24, 24×24, or 24×48 large-format porcelain
Carrara, Calacatta, or honed-marble accent work
Glass mosaic accent stripes or full feature walls
Natural stone (slate, travertine, marble) with sealed surfaces
Schluter-KERDI or Wedi waterproof membrane
Epoxy grout (wet zones), sanded grout (dry zones)
Frameless tempered glass — clear or low-iron

What it costs in Fountain Inn

Typical project range

$8.5k – $25k

Standard porcelain tile showers in $8,500–$14,000. Natural stone, marble, or feature-wall mosaics in $12,000–$18,000. Full primary-bath cave-style showers with slabs and lit niches run $18,000–$25,000+.

Every Fountain Inn estimate is free, in-home, and presented line by line so you see exactly where every dollar goes. Financing options are available through our lending partners — approval terms depend on credit, project size, and lender.

What's different about custom tile shower projects in Fountain Inn

The local housing stock

Fountain Inn sits on the Greenville-Laurens County line and its housing reflects that rural-to-suburban transition. The original downtown grid and the older Main Street neighborhoods have 1920s–1960s craftsman and brick ranch homes with small original bathrooms (typically 5×7), heart-pine subfloors over narrow joists, and original galvanized supply lines that almost always need replacement during a remodel. The Fairview Church Road, Woodside, and Laurens Road corridors are dominated by 1990s–2010s suburban subdivisions where master baths have the now-typical garden tub + small fiberglass shower + cultured-marble vanity combination that homeowners are converting to walk-in showers and quartz double vanities. The growing 2018+ new-construction belt on the south side of Fountain Inn toward Laurens County has larger master suites where homeowners want full custom-tile upgrades beyond the builder's standard package.

Permits, HOAs, and scheduling

Fountain Inn's jurisdictional split matters: Greenville County side projects go through Greenville County permitting, Laurens County side projects through Laurens County — both typically clear bathroom plumbing-and-electrical permits in 1–2 weeks, and we determine which agency applies during the estimate. Inside Fountain Inn city limits, city building department review applies on a similar timeline. For pre-1970 downtown homes, we always inspect supply lines and joists during demo because original galvanized supply lines and narrow joists are the two biggest sources of surprise change orders in this housing stock — we flag those at the in-home estimate, not mid-project.

Why it matters

Most shower failures we are called to look at are not tile failures — they are waterproofing failures hidden behind tile that looks fine for the first two or three years. Building it right the first time is dramatically cheaper than tearing out and rebuilding inside of five.

See our custom tile shower work

Real photos, real homeowners, real results — not stock images.

Before & after transformations Full project gallery

Custom Tile Shower questions, answered for Fountain Inn homeowners

Other services in Fountain Inn

Custom Tile Shower projects in nearby cities

Ready to start your Fountain Inn custom tile shower project?

Free in-home estimate. Firm written price. Local crew based in Pendleton — 45 miles away.