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Schluter Home Additions & ADU: The San Jose Owner’s Guide
Schluter systems are the backbone of waterproof tile work in San Jose additions and ADUs, and when a Schluter component fails, you need it diagnosed and handled correctly the first time. Our crew stocks and installs Schluter-compatible membranes, profiles, and drainage systems for home additions and ADUs across San Jose, with installed pricing typically ranging from $531 to $3,540 depending on the part and scope. Most owners discover a problem when grout starts cracking along a shower bench, water stains appear on the ceiling below a second-story ADU bath, or a tile edge profile pulls away from the wall.
We’re an independent remodeling contractor in San Jose, not a Schluter dealer or affiliate. That means we match the part to your existing installation, price it in writing, and stand behind the work for a full year.
Key Takeaways:
- Schluter waterproofing failures in San Jose are almost always installation errors or movement issues, not product defects.
- Installed replacement costs run $531–$3,540 for most single-fixture fixes; full shower or ADU wet-area rebuilds run higher.
- We stock common Schluter profiles, KERDI membrane, and KERDI-BAND on the truck for same-visit repair in most San Jose neighborhoods.
- Every Schluter repair we complete carries a written one-year guarantee under the 365-Day Done Right Promise.
Which Schluter Models This Applies To
Schluter’s product line is broad, but the components we most often replace in San Jose home additions and ADUs fall into three groups: KERDI waterproofing membranes and band, DITRA underlayment, and metal finishing profiles like SCHIENE, RONDEC, and QUADEC. If you have a failed shower pan in an ADU, that’s almost certainly a KERDI or KERDI-DRAIN system. If floor tile in a new addition is cracking, the substrate usually traces back to DITRA or DITRA-HEAT.
The fastest way to identify your exact part is to look for the raised Schluter logo printed on the membrane edge or the stamped code on the back of a profile. Profiles come in specific heights matched to your tile thickness. A SCHIENE that sits proud of the tile edge means someone used the wrong height for the tile. That’s a real compatibility gotcha we see regularly: a 3/8-inch tile needs a profile sized for that thickness, not whatever was left on the truck.
Our position on OEM versus aftermarket is simple. For anything that touches water, use genuine Schluter. The membrane chemistry, fleece bonding, and drain integration are tested as a system. For metal profiles that only finish an edge, a quality aftermarket profile in the same millimeter sizing works fine. We price both honestly and let you decide.
Styles & brands we work with
Signs Your Schluter Home Additions & ADU Is Failing
- Grout cracking along a bench or niche in a new addition — This usually means the framing behind the KERDI moved, or the membrane wasn’t bonded fully to the substrate. Water gets behind the tile and starts working on the wallboard.
- Water stains on the ceiling below an ADU bathroom — A leak at the KERDI-DRAIN flange or at a pipe penetration has breached the waterproofing layer. By the time you see the stain, the damage underneath is already underway.
- Loose or lifting tile at the shower floor perimeter — The bond between the tile and the KERDI membrane failed, often because thinset skinned over before the membrane went down. This is an installation defect, and it will not fix itself.
- A metal profile that has separated from the wall at the tile edge — The profile’s anchoring leg wasn’t fully embedded in thinset, or the wrong profile height was used. The exposed edge is sharp and the gap collects water and soap scum.
- Musty odor in a finished ADU that won’t clear with cleaning — Water is trapped somewhere it shouldn’t be. In San Jose’s mild but damp winter months, a small leak behind tile can stay wet for weeks and grow mold inside the wall cavity.
See the difference
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterReplacement Cost & What’s Included
For Schluter component replacement in San Jose, installed pricing breaks down like this:
| Scope | Installed Price Range |
|---|---|
| Single profile replacement (SCHIENE, RONDEC, QUADEC) | $95–$350 |
| Partial KERDI membrane repair at a niche or bench | $400–$1,200 |
| Shower pan KERDI and drain replacement | $1,500–$3,540 |
| Full shower rebuild with Schluter system (ADU or addition) | $5,310–$14,160 |
| Full home addition or ADU wet-area waterproofing (new construction) | $53,100–$153,400 |
What drives the range: tile removal and replacement around the failed area, whether the substrate behind the membrane is water-damaged, and whether the drain assembly itself needs to come out. Every quote we write in San Jose includes the part number, the labor line, and the total. No numbers move at the door. The work is covered by the 365-Day Done Right Promise, which means if the repair fails within a year, we return and correct it at no charge.
We also stock and install parts for other brands on our documented roster: KraftMaid cabinetry, Cambria and Silestone surfaces. If your ADU project involves a failed Schluter component alongside a cabinet or countertop issue, we handle the whole scope in one written quote.
DIY or Call Us?
A homeowner can safely identify which Schluter part they have by checking the printed logo, measuring tile thickness, and taking photos of the failed area. That information helps us quote accurately over the phone. What a homeowner should not do is pull up tile and membrane around a shower drain. The waterproofing layer is a continuous system, and cutting into it without knowing where the next seam lies can turn a small repair into a full pan replacement.
The sharpest risk is structural. In an ADU built over living space, a breached membrane lets water sit on subflooring and joists for months. We’ve opened walls in Willow Glen additions where the visible damage was a cracked tile, but the framing behind it needed four feet of replacement. That’s the difference between a $500 repair and a $5,000 one, and it comes down to catching it early. Call (669) 272-2637 for a free estimate. Straight number, written scope, done when we said done.
FAQs
A properly installed Schluter waterproofing system should last the life of the tile installation, typically 25 to 50 years in San Jose’s climate. The membrane itself doesn’t wear out; failures are almost always the result of movement in the structure, incorrect thinset application, or a drain that wasn’t seated correctly. Call (669) 272-2637 and we’ll tell you whether what you’re seeing is a material issue or an installation issue.
Yes, in many cases a failed KERDI seam at a bench or niche can be patched by cutting back to solid membrane, sanding the surface, and bonding new KERDI with a fresh overlap. We’ll tell you straight if the failure is too close to the drain or too extensive for a patch to hold.
A single profile replacement is usually done in under two hours. A partial membrane repair around a niche or bench takes one day. A full shower pan replacement with new KERDI and drain runs two to three days including tile setting and cure time. We put the schedule in writing before work starts.
We stock KERDI membrane, KERDI-BAND, KERDI-DRAIN assemblies, and common profile heights on our trucks for San Jose service calls. If your part is out of stock, we get it from a local supplier in one to two business days and hold the pricing we quoted. Call (669) 272-2637 for an exact match on your existing installation.
Written by Curtis Lane, Owner, Bradford Remodeling Co at Bradford Remodeling Co San Jose, serving San Jose and nearby areas.
