Let’s Talk About the “Perfect Shower” Debate
In the video above, we aimed to start the conversation about visually pleasing install vs perfect standards.
We went for a bit of a provocative title “don’t check your walls for plumb”.
Now, if you watch the video you’ll learn that that’s not actually what we mean…
In this trade, we’re taught from day one that straight walls, proper layout, and accurate prep matter. They absolutely do. If your walls are wildly out of plumb or your corners are out of square, it can create all kinds of issues during installation — uneven cuts, lippage, awkward grout lines, and sometimes bigger structural or waterproofing problems down the road.
But here’s where the conversation gets interesting:
I think some people hear me say, “The shower has to look good,” and assume I’m saying standards don’t matter.
That’s not what I’m saying at all.
What I’m saying is this:
At the end of the day, the customer experiences the shower visually — not mathematically.
And sometimes, in real-world remodeling, there’s a difference.
What Does “Plumb” Actually Mean?
For people outside the construction world, “plumb” simply means perfectly vertical. Straight up and down.
If you put a level against a wall and the bubble is centered vertically, congratulations — your wall is plumb.
Being plumb matters because tile exaggerates imperfections. A wall that leans even slightly can create noticeable issues once long tile lines, glass doors, niches, or large-format tiles enter the picture.
Tile is basically the world’s most judgmental finish material.
It tells on everything.
And What About “Square”?
“Square” refers to corners meeting at a true 90-degree angle.
In a perfect world, every shower corner would be perfectly square. But if you’ve worked in remodeling for more than five minutes, you already know that many homes were apparently framed using vibes and positive thinking.
When walls aren’t square, installers have to make decisions:
Do you center the layout?
Hide the taper?
Adjust the cuts?
Split the difference visually?
Because once again, tile exposes everything.
Here’s Where the Debate Starts
Now let me be clear:
I’m not against plumb walls.
I’m not against square corners.
I’m definitely not against good prep.
Good installers should always aim for the straightest, cleanest, most technically sound installation possible.
But I also think some guys become so obsessed with technical perfection that they forget who the project is actually for.
The homeowner is not walking into the bathroom with a laser level.
They’re walking in with their eyes.
They care about whether the shower feels balanced.
Whether the layout flows.
Whether the grout joints look clean.
Whether the cuts feel intentional.
Whether the whole space feels beautiful.
And honestly? They should.
Because this isn’t a math competition.
It’s a finished living space, and THEY are the ones living in it!
Real Houses Are Messy
This is the part internet arguments usually skip over.
Most installers are not working in labs built by NASA engineers.
We work in imperfect spaces:
old homes, uneven slabs, twisted framing, settling structures, curved walls.
Sometimes you open up a shower and realize very quickly that achieving “perfect” in one area creates visible ugliness somewhere else.
And now you have a choice.
Do you chase technical perfection at all costs?
Or do you make smart adjustments that create the best-looking final result for the customer?
That’s not laziness.
That’s experience.
Tile Work Is Both Science and Art
I’ve seen technically perfect showers that looked awkward because the layout was poorly balanced.
And I’ve seen installations that weren’t mathematically flawless but looked incredible because the installer understood visual harmony.
That’s the real skill in this trade.
Anybody can point at a level and say, “See? Bubble.”
But making a difficult room look effortless?
That takes craftsmanship.
Great tile installers understand both the technical and visual sides of a good install.
The magic happens when those two work together.
Our Take
At the end of the day, the customer gets the final word.
Not Instagram.
Not the comment section.
Not the internet police.
The customer.
If they walk into that bathroom and feel proud of it…
If the shower looks balanced and intentional…
If the space feels beautiful every single morning…
then I believe that matters most.
Yes, we should always pursue high standards.
Yes, plumb and square are important.
Yes, craftsmanship matters deeply.
But our job is not just to build technically correct showers.
Our job is to create spaces people love living in.
And sometimes, those are two slightly different conversations.
Thank you for reading!
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