How to measure a shower enclosure for glass
Measure a shower enclosure after tiling is finished: take the opening width at three heights — bottom, middle and top — and use the smallest reading; measure height on both sides; check both walls for plumb; and note every obstruction such as taps, mixers, kerbs and beams. Record everything in millimetres and let your fabricator take the final confirming measure.
Step-by-step
- Finish tiling first. Measure only after wall tiles, floor tiles and the tray or kerb are fully installed — tiling typically shrinks the opening by 10–25mm.
- Measure the width at three heights. With a steel tape, measure the opening width near the bottom (about 150mm up), at mid-height and near the top, in millimetres.
- Use the smallest width. Take the smallest of the three readings as your working width — toughened glass cannot be trimmed on site.
- Measure the height on both sides. Measure from the finished floor or kerb up to your planned top level (around 2000–2100mm is typical in India) on both the left and right, and use the smaller.
- Check both walls for plumb. Hold a spirit level vertically against each wall and note how many millimetres it leans, and in which direction — out-of-plumb walls need adjustable channels or fillers.
- Note every obstruction. Record the position of the shower mixer, taps, spouts, tile ledges, kerb width and any ceiling beam, each as a distance from the corner and from the floor.
- Confirm door swing or slide clearance. Decide which way the door will open and check the space is free — a hinged door needs its full width clear to swing, a sliding door needs room for panels to overlap.
- Write everything down in mm. Fill the checklist below, photograph the space from two angles, and let your fabricator take a final confirming site measure before cutting.
What to write down
| Measurement | Where to take it | Your reading |
|---|---|---|
| Width — bottom | Across the opening, about 150mm above the tray or floor | ______ mm |
| Width — middle | Across the opening at roughly half height | ______ mm |
| Width — top | Across the opening at your planned glass top level | ______ mm |
| Height — left side | Finished floor or kerb to top level, left of the opening | ______ mm |
| Height — right side | Finished floor or kerb to top level, right of the opening | ______ mm |
| Wall plumb — left | Spirit level: lean in mm, and whether it leans in or out | ______ mm |
| Wall plumb — right | Spirit level: lean in mm, and whether it leans in or out | ______ mm |
| Kerb / tray | Kerb width and height, or tray lip size | ______ mm |
| Obstructions | Mixer, taps, spout, ledges — distance from corner and floor | ______ mm |
| Door swing / slide | Opening direction, and free clearance in front of it | ______ |