Pick the look. We'll handle what's behind it.
Six ways to finish a shower wall, from budget tile-look panels to full quartz slabs. What each one is, what it isn't, and where it belongs.
Certistone, manufacturer product example.
The six wall systems, side by side
| System | Material | Seams | Look | Cost signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tile-look panels | Acrylic composite, molded tile pattern | Sealed, a few per wall | Subway, 4×4 to 12×12 patterns, 10+ colors | $ |
| PuroStone | Solid surface, matte stone look | Sealed, a few per wall | 5 colors, no grout field | $$ |
| Real tile | Porcelain or ceramic on Schluter | Grout, sealed | Anything you can imagine | $$–$$$ |
| Certistone | Large-format stone-look panels | Sealed, minimal | 3 looks, glossy or matte | $$$ |
| Large-format porcelain | Oversized reinforced porcelain | Minimal | Marble and stone, wall-scale | $$$ |
| Quartz slab | Engineered quartz, one slab per wall | Corners only | Continuous, no pattern repeat | $$$ |
Featured
PuroStone: five colors, no grout, lifetime limited warranty
Our go-to for people who want a stone look without the grout maintenance. The manufacturer describes it as non-porous, GREENGUARD certified, cleanable with mild soap and water, and covered by a lifetime limited warranty. Full PuroStone page →
Manufacturer product example, shown for the product look. Confirm color from a physical sample at your estimate.
Tundra
Crisp, bright white with a soft stone texture. The safe pick for small or dark bathrooms.
Tundra
Stratus
Coastal Mist
Sahara
Marbled Ash
Our private label
Certistone large-format panels
Certistone is our own line of large-format, stone-look wall panels: three looks, glossy or matte, in 61×96, 48×96, 61×63, and 32×63-inch sizes. Most showers need two or three panels per wall with sealed seams, so you get a near-seamless stone wall without the weight or price of real slab.
- Big panels, few seams, no grout field
- Glossy for light bounce, matte for a stone feel
- Installed on a fully waterproofed Schluter substrate
Samples at your estimate. Warranty details in writing with your quote.
Porcelain, wall-scale
Panoramic large-format porcelain
Oversized porcelain panels with a reinforced backing, so the panels survive handling and install without the breakage that makes slab porcelain expensive elsewhere. Marble, travertine, and stone looks in wide, panoramic faces: one piece for most walls, two at most for a big alcove back wall.
- Fewer seams than any tile, smooth to wipe down
- Reinforced backing keeps breakage, and your price, low
- From $15,000–$19,000 installed for a standard shower
Physical samples at your estimate; the exact range is confirmed in person.
Budget tier
Tile-look panels: honest about what they are
These are molded acrylic composite panels with a simulated tile pattern: subway, 4×4, 8×8, 12×12, or the Piazza pattern shown here, in ten-plus colors including white, matte white, grey, Arctic Ice, Quartz, White Travertine, Canyon Rock, and Sandalwood. They are not tile, and we'll never call them tile. What they are is fast to install, free of grout, and the most affordable way to get a finished, watertight surround.
Best for: rentals, second bathrooms, and walk-in tub surrounds where budget matters more than texture.
Manufacturer product example.
The classic
Real porcelain and ceramic tile
Real tile is still the most flexible finish there is: any size, any pattern, niches, benches, borders. Porcelain is denser and more water-resistant than ceramic, so it's what we recommend for shower walls and floors. The catch with tile has never been the tile. It's the grout, which is porous, and what's behind it. We install every tile shower on Schluter Kerdi-Board and a pre-sloped Kerdi pan, so the waterproofing is continuous whether or not the grout is perfect. How we build a tile shower →
Manufacturer product example of a stone look.
Want to see samples in your own light?
We bring PuroStone, Certistone, tile, and porcelain samples to the estimate so you can hold them up against your floor and vanity.
Request a free in-home estimateOr call or text 214-974-8375 · Financing from about $200/month on approved credit