The Frameless Glass Process: From Quote to Install

Between deciding on a frameless shower and standing in the finished one, there are five steps, one of which decides whether the rest go smoothly. Most homeowners have never bought custom glass before and have no reference for what should happen when, which is how projects end up measured too early or approved too late. This is the process Frameless Glass Company follows on every job, what the client actually does at each stage, and honest timing for how long the whole thing takes.

Step One: The Consultation and Five-Minute Quote

The process opens with a Client Consultation, and it starts with less information than most people expect.

What to send:

Rough opening dimensions, taken with a tape measure
Photos of the space from a few angles, including the curb and any bench
Whether the tile is already installed or still to come
A sense of the layout wanted, such as a single door, a door with a panel, or a corner
Any hardware finish already chosen elsewhere in the bathroom

That is enough for a written quote in five minutes or less. It is worth being clear about what that quote is: an accurate estimate built from the information provided, not a final contract number. If the tile turns out to be an inch out of level or the opening measures differently than the tape suggested, the number moves. Nobody can price custom glass to the dollar from photos, and any company claiming otherwise is either padding or guessing.

If a builder or designer is running the project, it is worth reading what to ask before a glass project starts before the first conversation.

Step Two: Specialist Design and Layout Decisions

Specialist Design is where the glass shower enclosure gets specified, and where the decisions that shape both the look and the price get made.

What gets decided at this stage:

Panel configuration, meaning how many panels and where they sit
Door swing direction and the clearance it needs
Glass thickness, driven by panel size as much as by preference
Glass clarity, standard tempered or ultra-clear low-iron
Hardware line and finish
Whether a factory-applied glass coating is added, in a ten-year or lifetime tier

The coating decision is the one most worth pausing on. Central Texas water is hard, and untreated glass etches over years of use in a way no cleaning product reverses. Adding a coating at this stage costs a fraction of replacing etched panels later.

Door swing is the decision people most often regret. A door that swings into a towel bar or clears the toilet by an inch is technically correct and daily annoying, so it is worth standing in the room and miming it. The full range of shower door options and hardware shows how each finish and hinge type behaves in practice.

Step Three: Approval Before Anything Is Cut

The Approval Process is a genuine gate, not a formality. It is the last inexpensive moment to change anything.

What approval covers:

Final panel layout and dimensions
Door swing and handle placement
Glass thickness and clarity grade
Hardware line and finish
Coating selection, if any

Tempered glass cannot be cut, drilled, or trimmed after it is tempered. Every hole for a hinge and every notch around a bench is cut before the glass goes through the tempering oven. Once a panel is fabricated, a change means a new panel rather than an adjustment.

That constraint is why approval matters more here than in trades where a field modification is possible. Reviewing the layout carefully at this stage costs a few minutes. Discovering a problem after fabrication costs a rebuild and a new lead time.

Measurement Timing: The Step Most Projects Get Wrong

Here is the single detail that derails more glass projects than anything else: final measurements happen after tile is installed and fully cured, never before.

Why the sequence is fixed:

Tile thickness changes the opening dimensions, sometimes by a meaningful margin
Grout and setting materials shift the finished surface plane
Curbs and benches are rarely built exactly to plan
Walls are rarely plumb, and templating captures the actual angles
Glass cut to pre-tile dimensions will not fit the finished opening

On a remodel, this means the glass date follows the tile date, and if tile slips a week the glass slips with it. On new construction, it means glass is one of the last trades in the house and the builder's schedule governs. Neither is a scheduling failure. It is how custom glass works, and planning around it removes most of the friction from a project.

The practical move is to hold a tentative slot early and confirm it once tile is genuinely complete, rather than booking a firm date months out and rescheduling twice.

Step Four and Five: Installation and Follow-Up

Professional Install is usually the shortest part of the whole timeline, which surprises people who spent weeks waiting for it.

What installation day looks like:

Floors and finished surfaces protected before anything comes in the door
Panels carried in and set, typically by two installers on larger enclosures
Hardware mounted, panels aligned, and the door set to swing and hold correctly
Silicone applied where the design requires it
Cleanup, with packaging and offcuts removed

Most standard enclosures are completed in a single visit within a few hours. Silicone needs time to cure before the shower is used, generally around twenty-four hours, and rushing that is the most common way a new install develops a leak.

Client Follow Up closes the process. It covers checking that the door still swings true after a few uses, making any adjustment needed, and confirming the Limited Lifetime Craftsmanship Warranty coverage, which applies to hardware and craftsmanship rather than to glass breakage. What that covers in practice is spelled out in the glass shower door warranty guide, and existing customers can request warranty work directly.

How Long the Whole Process Takes

Timing varies by market, and blending it into one number does nobody any favors.

Realistic spans:

Austin area: seven to ten business days from final measurement to installation
Georgetown: two to three weeks from consultation to installation
Quote turnaround: five minutes or less in every market

What extends a timeline:

Tile that is not finished or not cured on the scheduled measurement date
Custom or special-order hardware finishes
Oversized panels requiring specialty handling
Builder schedule changes on new construction

The quote is fast. The fabrication is not, and it should not be, because the panels are being made for one specific opening.

To start the first step, send dimensions and a few photos or call (512) 661-0995, and Frameless Glass Company returns a written quote in five minutes or less. You can also design your shower online.

Frameless Glass Process FAQs

How long does it take to install a frameless shower door? Installation itself usually takes a few hours in a single visit. The full process runs seven to ten business days from final measurement to installation in the Austin area, and two to three weeks from consultation to installation in Georgetown, with fabrication accounting for most of that time.

When should shower glass be measured? After tile is fully installed and cured, never before. Tile thickness and grout change the opening dimensions, and glass cut to pre-tile measurements will not fit. Measuring early is the most common cause of a rebuilt panel and a restarted lead time.

Can a frameless shower design be changed after approval? Not without refabricating the affected panels. Tempered glass cannot be cut, drilled, or trimmed once it has been through the tempering oven, so hinge holes and bench notches are all cut beforehand. Approval is the last low-cost moment to change layout, swing, thickness, or finish.

What is the average cost to install a frameless shower door? Pricing follows panel count, glass thickness, hardware, and site condition rather than a flat rate, which is why a written quote arrives before any measurement is taken and firms up after templating. A full regional breakdown of what moves the number is covered in the Central Texas shower door cost guide.