Shower Glass Repair and Installation in Calgary
Great Choice Glass handles shower glass repair and installation across Calgary. Broken panel, failing tracks, or a full bathroom renovation. We come to you, assess the job, and give you a firm price before any work starts. Same-day visits available.
Repair or Replace? We Tell You Before Anyone Drives Out.
Before you spend anything, call us and describe what's happening. Nine times out of ten, we can tell you over the phone whether you're looking at a hardware fix or a glass replacement. That's the first thing we do — and it costs you nothing.
Tempered glass can't be repaired once it's cracked, chipped at the edge, or shattered. It needs a full panel replacement. But the glass itself isn't always the problem. If the door won't close flush, that's usually a hinge or pivot adjustment. Sliding door jumping the track? Almost always the bottom rollers. Water leaking past the frame? Typically a failed silicone seal, not cracked glass. Hardware fixes cost a fraction of a replacement — and we won't recommend one when the other will do.
Glass replacement needed.
Impact crack, corner chip, stress fracture, shattered panel. Tempered glass must be replaced as a whole unit.
Hardware repair may be enough.
Door not closing, track issues, leaking seals, loose or broken handles. All fixable without replacing the glass panel.
Not sure? Call first.
Describe what's happening and we'll tell you over the phone whether it's likely a repair or a replacement before any visit.
Shower Glass Services in Calgary.
We handle the full scope of residential shower glass work in Calgary. Here's what that looks like in practice.
Framed Shower Door Replacement
Calgary homes built between 1990 and 2010 almost universally have framed aluminium enclosures. The frame holds 6mm tempered glass panels and works fine for years, but aluminium corrodes, tracks fill with calcium from hard water, and the door seals eventually crack. We remove the old door and frame, fit new 6mm tempered glass panels, and install. Many jobs are done start to finish in one visit.
2-4 hours typicalFrameless Shower Enclosure Installation
No frame, no track, no aluminium at the perimeter. Just glass attached to the wall and floor with hinges, a pivot bracket, and a handle. Frameless enclosures need 10mm tempered glass at minimum. The process involves two visits: a template measure, then fabrication (5-10 business days), then installation (4-8 hours). Cost runs $800 to $2,500.
Two-visit processSliding Glass Shower Door Repair
Sliding panels run on a bottom track with a top guide rail. Track and roller problems are genuinely common. Tracks warp, rollers wear down, and older installations often have corrosion issues. In many cases the glass panel is completely fine and we're only replacing the track hardware. If the panel is cracked or broken, we cut a replacement to the existing frame dimensions.
Often hardware-onlyShower Door Hardware Repair
Hinges, pivot brackets, handles, door sweeps, towel bars. All replaceable without changing the glass. Hardware finishes we work with: chrome, brushed nickel, matte black, oil-rubbed bronze. If a hinge has seized or a handle has stripped, we swap the part. Usually under two hours.
Under 2 hoursBathtub Glass Enclosures
Plenty of Calgary bathrooms have tub-shower combos rather than standalone showers. Sliding glass panels on a bottom track, typically 6mm tempered. The hardware fails the same way: track corrosion, worn rollers, failed seals. We handle tub enclosures the same as shower enclosures: repair the hardware where possible, replace the glass panel if that's what's broken.
Custom and Semi-Frameless Configurations
Walk-in showers, L-shaped enclosures, neo-angle corner setups, alcove installations with non-standard dimensions. These are all within scope. Semi-frameless configurations use a partial aluminium frame along the base and one side. We also install boxed shower door kits purchased from hardware stores. Glass finish options: clear, frosted (acid-etched), and rain-pattern glass in 6mm and 10mm.
How the Job Gets Done.
You get in touch first: phone or the contact form. Here's exactly what happens after that.
Call or message us.
Describe the enclosure type and what's wrong. Framed door jobs can often be quoted by phone alone. Frameless or non-standard? We need to see it in person.
Same-day assessment.
A glazier comes to your home, looks at the enclosure, measures the opening, and hands you a firm quote before leaving. That number doesn't change unless something unexpected comes up.
Framed jobs: often same visit.
Common framed door sizes are easy to source. We get the glass to fit, install, and you're done. Typically 2-4 hours from arrival.
Frameless: template then fabrication.
First visit handles the template. Then a fabrication wait of 5-10 business days while the custom-cut panels are made. Second visit is installation day: 4-8 hours.
Install, seal, clean up.
Old enclosure removed, replacement glass and hardware fitted, perimeter joints silicone-sealed, door function tested, everything cleaned up. We don't leave a job in a state where you're dealing with the aftermath.
What the Code Requires for Shower Glass.
Alberta Building Code Section 9.6 requires tempered safety glass in all residential shower enclosures. Standard annealed glass, regular plate glass, window glass. None of these are acceptable. This isn't a recommendation. It's a code requirement with a real reason behind it.
When standard glass breaks, it produces large sharp shards. In an enclosed wet space where you're standing barefoot, that's a genuine injury risk. Tempered glass is heat-treated to around 620 degrees Celsius and then rapidly cooled, which changes how it behaves under stress. If it does break, it fractures into small rounded pieces rather than jagged shards. It's also about 4-5 times stronger than regular glass at the same thickness.
Every panel used in our installations carries a safety glazing certification mark etched into the corner. That mark is your evidence the glass meets code. Ask any company quoting you what glass thickness they're installing and whether it carries a safety glazing certification mark.
On permits: replacing existing shower glass with the same spec doesn't trigger a permit requirement in Calgary. Installing a brand-new enclosure in a newly opened bathroom space may, depending on whether any structural work is involved. The City of Calgary Building Permit Office can confirm for your situation.
| Enclosure type | Min. thickness |
|---|---|
| Framed shower door | 6mm tempered |
| Frameless enclosure | 10mm tempered |
| Wide frameless spans over 900mm | 12mm tempered |
Why Great Choice Glass.
We're a building glass company. That's all we do: windows, shower glass, storefronts, custom glass. No auto glass, no sidelines. Being building-glass-only means the glaziers we send know exactly what they're dealing with before they walk into your bathroom.
Calgary's housing stock means something specific to us. The framed enclosures going out in homes across Tuscany, McKenzie Towne, Springbank Hill, and Cranston right now were installed 20-25 years ago. We've replaced hundreds of them. The corrosion patterns on those aluminium tracks, the calcium buildup from Calgary's hard water, the specific profiles used in that era. Familiar territory. We're not learning on your job.
"The issue we see most often is frameless glass installed at 6mm instead of 10mm. Whoever sold it went cheap on the glass. The door flexes every time you open it, the hinges start pulling loose, and eventually you've got a structural problem. The code minimum exists for a reason and we don't work around it."Lead glazier, Great Choice Glass
Building glass only.
No auto glass, no sidelines. Every glazier we send specialises in exactly this type of work. There's no divided attention.
Always installed to code.
Every shower glass installation uses certified tempered safety glass that meets Alberta Building Code Section 9.6. The safety glazing mark on the glass corner is your verification.
Quote is the invoice.
The number we give before starting is the number on your invoice. If something unexpected changes the scope, we stop and discuss before proceeding. No surprises.
The cost depends on the job. Hardware and track repairs are significantly less than a full glass replacement. Framed door replacements are less than custom frameless enclosures. Contact us and describe what you have — we will give you a firm number before any work starts.
The panel itself can't be patched or repaired. Once it's broken, the whole piece needs to go. But the glass isn't always the problem. Track failures, worn rollers, seized hinges, and cracked silicone seals are all fixable without touching the glass at all. Tell us what's happening and we'll sort out which situation you're actually in.
Tempered safety glass, full stop. Alberta Building Code Section 9.6 makes it mandatory. You can identify compliant glass by the certification mark etched into the corner of each panel. That mark confirms the glass meets the required standard. Regular annealed glass in a shower is a code violation.
Framed doors with an aluminium surround need 6mm tempered glass. The frame carries the load, so 6mm is structurally sufficient. Frameless enclosures are different. Without a frame, the glass handles its own structural load, which requires 10mm minimum. Wider panels over 900mm should go to 12mm. Installing 6mm in a frameless application is an undersized specification and creates a flex and hinge-pull problem over time.
Framed door replacements are usually 2-4 hours and often same-day. Frameless enclosures involve two visits: a template measure, then a 5-10 business day fabrication period, then an installation day of 4-8 hours. The fabrication wait is the main difference between the two job types.
Not for a like-for-like glass replacement in an existing enclosure. If you're putting in a brand-new shower in a space that didn't have one before, a permit may be needed depending on what other work is involved. Quick call to the City of Calgary Building Permit Office will confirm for your specific project.
Framed uses aluminium channels around the glass edges. The frame provides structure, so 6mm glass works. Frameless has no frame. The 10mm or 12mm tempered glass and precision hardware at the hinges and handle carry all the structural load. Frameless requires on-site templating. It looks cleaner and is easier to clean, but takes longer and costs more than a framed installation.
It depends on the cause. Sudden accidental impact is often covered under home insurance policies that include glass breakage. Gradual wear, corrosion, and seal failures are typically excluded. If something hit the panel and broke it, check your policy. We can prepare the assessment and documentation you'd need for a claim.
We Cover All Calgary and Nearby Communities.
Outer communities (Airdrie, Cochrane, Chestermere, Okotoks) require a scheduling confirmation call. (403) 796-5485
Get a Quote for Your Calgary Shower Glass Job.
Great Choice Glass is exclusively a building glass company: windows, shower glass, storefronts, and custom glass. No auto glass. We serve all Calgary communities.
Request a Free Quote
We'll respond within a few hours. For urgent jobs, call directly.
Or call us directly at (403) 796-5485 for a same-day response.