Home Building
Fred Price walks through the shower in a Lauren Homes custom home (1 minute 8 seconds).
Short answer: When you build a custom home with Lauren Homes in Southwest Florida, you choose your own shower and plumbing features, such as a frameless glass enclosure, tile to the ceiling, a rain head, multiple shower heads or a handheld sprayer, and we build your fixed-price budget around those choices.
Many production builders offer a set menu of packages instead. A built-in shower niche, quality faucets and trim, comfort-height toilets and a wheelchair-accessible bathroom are typically included in our homes before you pick a single upgrade.
The shower is one of the most-used spaces in any home, and it is one of the easiest places to see the difference between a custom builder and a production builder. In the short video above, Fred Price, who founded Lauren Homes with his wife Lauren in 2013, walks through a finished shower in one of our custom homes. He explains the features we recommend and why.
Key takeaways
- Glass opens up a bathroom. A frameless glass enclosure lets in light and makes the shower feel larger, so it doesn’t feel like a dark, closed-in box.
- Tile to the ceiling looks finished. In the home in the video, the tile runs all the way up, with an accent “waterfall” strip down the center.
- A shower niche is standard. It keeps shampoo bottles organized and out of sight.
- You pick the plumbing fixtures. Rain heads, multiple heads and a handheld on a slide bar are all options, and we budget around what you choose.
- We recommend what we use ourselves. Lauren and Fred suggest features they have put in their own home.
What you can choose for your shower in a Lauren Homes custom home
With Lauren Homes, nothing in the shower is decided for you from a package sheet. Lauren works with each client through design and selections, and these are the shower and plumbing choices we talk through most often:
- Frameless glass enclosure or glass panel. Glass makes the shower part of the room instead of a closed-off corner. It opens up the space, lets natural light reach the shower and makes the whole bathroom feel larger and more open.
- Tile height and layout. Taking the tile all the way to the ceiling gives the shower a clean, finished look. An accent strip, like the “waterfall” running down the center of the shower in the video, adds a design detail without making the room feel busy.
- Shower heads. A fixed head, a rain head, multiple shower heads, or a handheld sprayer on a slide bar. A handheld is especially useful for rinsing the shower, bathing pets, and for anyone who prefers to sit while showering.
- Faucet and trim finishes. Faucets and trim are supplied by Lauren Homes as part of our standard features, and you can choose a different style or finish to match your design.
- Niche size and placement. Every shower gets a niche. We place it where it’s easy to reach and out of the main sightline, so when you walk into the bathroom it looks neat.
- Accessibility details. Every home we build includes a wheelchair-accessible bathroom. Clients planning a forever or retirement home often add a curbless entry, a bench or a handheld sprayer. See accessible custom homes in Southwest Florida and aging-in-place homes.
What comes standard in a Lauren Homes bathroom
Before you choose any upgrades, our standard features typically include the following in the kitchen, bath and plumbing categories. Because every home is custom, your fixed-price proposal lists exactly what goes into yours.
- Shower niches
- Faucets and trim supplied by Lauren Homes
- Elongated, comfort-height ADA toilets
- A wheelchair-accessible bathroom
- White rectangular or oval undermount vanity sinks
- Frameless mirrors
- Quartz (by builder) or level 2 granite countertops
- Tile throughout the home, including the bedrooms (see our take on LVP vs. tile in Southwest Florida)
- A 50-gallon water heater, or as sized by energy calculations
- A $2,000 master tub allowance, if your plan has a tub
Every plumbing system is also pressure tested before it is covered up. Here’s why the plumbing pressure test matters.
Custom builder vs. production builder: how bathroom selections differ
Production builders are set up to build many similar homes efficiently. That usually means a fixed list of plans, a design center with preset packages, and a deadline after which changes aren’t allowed. That works for some buyers. If you have a clear picture of how you want your home to live, a custom builder gives you far more control.
| Question | Typical production builder | Lauren Homes (custom, on your lot) |
|---|---|---|
| Who chooses the shower layout and fixtures? | You pick from preset packages or tiers | You choose each feature with Lauren’s guidance |
| Can you add glass, tile to the ceiling or multiple heads? | Only if it’s on the option list | Yes, and we price it into your budget up front |
| How is the budget set? | Base price plus upgrade packages | A fixed-price proposal built around your plan, lot and selections |
| Where is the home built? | On the builder’s lot in their community | On your own lot in Cape Coral, Fort Myers, North Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres, Alva or Punta Gorda |
| Who guides your selections? | A design center appointment | Lauren works with you through design and selections |
For a fuller list of questions to compare builders, see questions to ask a home builder.
We recommend what we put in our own home
When Lauren and Fred suggest a feature, it isn’t to pad the price. It’s something they have used in their own home and want their clients to have too. The built-in shower niche is a good example: Fred says on camera it’s one thing he loves in every shower, so we build one into every home. Our rule of thumb: if a builder puts it in their own house, it’s probably worth having in yours.
That same thinking runs through our whole interior and exterior features list. That includes impact windows, spray-foam insulation, a metal or barrel tile roof, and tile throughout.
How Lauren Homes builds your budget around your selections
- A quick range. We talk through what you want and give you a realistic range so you know if we’re a fit. Our custom homes typically start no less than $400,000, not including land.
- Free lot evaluation. We look at your lot for anything that affects cost. Learn more about building on your own lot in Southwest Florida.
- Floor plan review. Start from one of our nine floor plans (1,621 to 2,804 sq ft) or customize one.
- Selections with Lauren. Shower glass, tile, plumbing fixtures, cabinets, countertops, lighting and more.
- A fixed-price proposal. Your selections are built into a fixed-price contract, not cost-plus, so you know the number before we break ground.
Own a lot in Southwest Florida? Book a free lot evaluation and start planning the bathroom you actually want. Call 239-829-1520 or contact Lauren Homes.
Realtors: have a buyer with a lot, or one who can’t find the right resale home? Register as a referral partner.
Frequently asked questions
Can I choose my own shower fixtures when building a custom home?
Yes. With Lauren Homes you choose your shower and plumbing fixtures, including rain heads, multiple shower heads, a handheld sprayer and the faucet finish. We build those selections into your fixed-price proposal.
Is a glass shower enclosure worth it in a new home?
For most bathrooms, yes. Glass lets light into the shower, makes the bathroom feel larger and more open, and shows off the tile work. It’s one of the features Fred recommends most often in the video.
Should shower tile go all the way to the ceiling?
Running the tile to the ceiling gives the shower a clean, finished look and makes the space feel taller. It’s a common selection in our custom homes, and we price it into your budget during selections.
What is a shower niche?
A shower niche is a recessed shelf built into the shower wall to hold shampoo and soap. It keeps bottles organized and out of sight. Shower niches are part of the standard features in a Lauren Homes custom home.
What is the difference between a custom builder and a production builder?
A production builder builds many similar homes on its own lots and offers preset plans and option packages. A custom builder like Lauren Homes builds on your lot and lets you choose your plan and features one by one, with a fixed-price contract built around your selections.
What plumbing features are standard in a Lauren Homes home?
Standard features typically include faucets and trim supplied by Lauren Homes, shower niches, elongated comfort-height ADA toilets, a wheelchair-accessible bathroom, undermount vanity sinks, a 50-gallon water heater (or as sized by energy calculations), and a $2,000 master tub allowance where the plan has a tub.
Written by Fred Price, founder of Lauren Homes. Lauren Homes is an on-your-lot custom home builder in Southwest Florida, serving Cape Coral, Fort Myers, North Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres, Alva and Punta Gorda, building since 2013 with fixed-price contracts. Florida license CRC1331621. Lauren Homes, 1425 Del Prado Blvd S, Cape Coral, FL 33990 · 239-829-1520 · lauren-homes.com
