Determining Shower Niche Dimensions
Standard Shower Niche Size
The most popular prefab niche dimension is 12″ wide x 20″ high x 3-1/2″ deep. This is based on sales volume of the biggest brand of prefab foam shower niche, Schluter Kerdi SN. The second most popular is their 12″ x 12″ shower niche.
Stud Bay Width
If you’ve chosen a general location for your shower niche, the first thing you need to check is if the space between the studs will fit the niche you’ve chosen. Most niches install between two adjacent wall studs, whether it’s a custom, prefabricated, or finished shower niche.
The problem is that your chosen stud bay may not be the standard stud spacing of 14-1/2″. It will not likely be any larger than this, but it may be too small for your prefab shower niche.
See my Shower Niche Height and Placement post for more info.
Shower Niche Depth
The niche depth will always be limited by the depth of the wall framing. Because the most common stud depth has always been 3 1/2 inches, the niche depth of most prefabs is also 3 1/2 inches.
That means that older homes will always have just enough room for any prefab niche but no more. Most newer homes in the US are built with 5 1/2-inch-deep exterior stud walls, leaving a two-inch space behind the niche.
So… If you decide to build a custom shower niche in a newer home, and you’re installing it in an outside shower wall, you’ll have the option to make your custom niche a couple of inches deeper, but I don’t recommend this. This extra space should always be filled with insulation… no exceptions. The closer the back wall of your niche gets to the exterior sheeting, the more problems you will have with condensation and mold growth behind it.
How Much Space Do You Need?
This is probably the most important question to ask yourself since it determines the functionality of your shower niche. You don’t have to create a custom niche that’s as big as the one in the image, but you should be realistic about your bathroom niche storage requirements and your personal preference – you don’t want any regrets after you’ve finished your shower remodel.
It’s important to consider the tall bottles of shampoo, body wash, toiletries, and bar soaps that will be used in the shower, as well as all the personal grooming tools like razors, shaving tubs – even your washing puff or shower brush (as long as your niche has a place to hang it).
Regardless how large your prefab shower niche might be, you’ll need to determine where the bottom of the niche should be (distance from from shower floor), and where the top should be in relation to the shower head to avoid interference with the water flow.
You should also consider whether you want a standard prefabricated shower niche (with its limited sizes), or a custom vertical niche. A vertical niche is always going to be the easiest and cheapest because it is installs between the wall studs.
Just remember that functionality has to be your highest priority when deciding on a SN size and type so you can avoid any regrets down the road.
Feel free to read my Shower Niche Height post for more insight on the vertical positioning of your niche..
Shelves in your Niche ?
If you decide that you need a bit more room than a standard 12″ x 12″ shower niche will provide, the easiest way to accomplish this is to go vertical!
A vertical shower niche is WAY better than a horizontal niche (HN) in many ways. A few shelves in a vertical niche will increase your shower storage significantly, without the need to alter the wall structure (more info on this in next section). Going vertical means that you’ll need to buy a taller prefab niche, or build your own custom niche. Then you’ll need to find shower niche shelves that suite your needs.
More shelves will obviously multiply the vertical height of your niche and your storage space. The higher you go, the more shelves you can install, and the more stuff you can put into it.
You should also consider the spacing between shelves so you can accommodate a tall shampoo bottle, as well as all the regular stuff you use in the shower. Do you need a space for your bar soap and razor? You should seriously consider installing a smaller shelf near the top of your bathroom niche/ shower niche. Nobody said that all the shelves need to be evenly spaced!
As well, you should think about installing as thin a shelf as possible in your shower niche. Most of the tile ready prefab shower niches offer an optional foam shelf, but it’s about 2” thick, which eliminates some of the storage space from the inside of the niche.
The reason the prefab shelf so thick is because it’s made of foam board. If it were any thinner, it wouldn’t be structurally sound.
Glass shelves are a very popular option because they are very subtle and quite thin as well (about 3/8″ thick). Just keep in mind that glass is super slippery, so it’s maybe not the best choice for bar soap storage. Glass is also very difficult to keep clean and water pooling is common if it’s not sloped outwards.
Another good choice is a (only 3/32″ thick). This super thin shelf will maximize the storage area of your shower niche. And it looks pretty nice too (see above image).
Horizontal Niche
The difference between a horizontal niche (HN) and vertical shower niche is that the vertical niche fits perfectly between the wall framing while the HN spans more than 1 stud width. It can span as little as two studs, or all the wall studs, if the niche spans the entire wall.
At some point during your investigation, you may have considered installing/ building a horizontal shower niche if you appreciate the aesthetic of the large single shelf.
However, you should keep in mind that when you increase your niche dimensions horizontally, you can create some serious structural problems in your wall, as well as some serious increases in your renovation cost.
Another factor to consider is that a horizontal niche will require an extra stud wall to be built adjacent to the existing shower wall to contain the niche, which will affect the layout of the shower and the bathroom. If the existing shower wall is a load bearing wall, this is the best way to ensure that the wall structure is not compromised.
Popular Prefabs Compared
Below, I’ll show you the most popular niche size for shower (internal dimensions) available for a prefab niche. But before I do that, you need to know a bit about the different prefab shower niche classifications. You should also know that a "Prefab" shower niche can also be called a prefabricated shower niche, or pre-manufactured shower niche.
There are two main types of these prefabs, each with a couple of sub-types.
Tile Ready Shower Niches:
- Foam Board niches
- Plastic (ABS) niches
Finished Shower Niches:
- Membrane Bonding shower niches
- Retrofit (Non-Membrane Bonding) shower niches
Now that you know the scoop, here’s the list :
Tile Ready Shower Niche
Prefab Foam Board Tile Ready Shower Niches:
Schluter Kerdi SN – The most popular tile-ready foam shower niche. A prefab foam shelf (discussed earlier) is available for these niches, depending on the model chosen, or you can buy it separately.
- Shower niche size: 12″ x 28″ x 3-1/2″, 12″ x 20″ x 3-1/2″, 12″ x 12″ x 3-1/2″, 12″ x 6″ x 3-1/2″
Schluter Kerdi SN
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Wedi Niche – Wedi niches are the second most purchased prefab tile-ready shower niche. These niches are coated with a thin cementitious layer which helps the tile to bond to its surface and increases surface rigidity (my favorite tile ready niche!). They also have tile ready foam shelves that can be mounted into most of their models.
- Shower niche size: 12″ x 5″ x 3″, 12″ x 9″ x 3″, 12″ x 13″ x 3″, 12″ x 13″ x 3″, 12″ x 19″ x 3″, 12″ x 38″ x 3″
Wedi Niche
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Noble Niche – Some of these niches come with integrated shelves, and some have arches or peaked top profiles.
- Shower niche size: 13-1/4″ x 48″ x 3-7/8″, 13-1/4″ x 30-1/2″ x 3-7/8″, 13-1/4″ x 26-3/4″ x 3-7/8″, 13-1/4″ x 21-1/2″ x 3-7/8 (Options: shelf or square, peaked, arched top), 13-1/4″ x 13-1/2″ x 3-7/8″, 7-1/4″ x 21-1/2″ x 3-7/8″ (Options: shelf or square, peaked, arched top), 7-1/4″ x 7-1/4″ x 3-7/8″
Noble Niche
Laticrete Hydro Ban Niche – Some models contain fixed shelves. The interior is coated with a material that allows for secure mortar bonding.
- Shower niche size: 12″ x 12″ x 3-1/2″, 12″ x 20″ x 3-1/2″, 8″ x 8″ x 3-1/2″
Combo Units:
- Shower niche size: 12″ x 12″ & 12″ x 6″ (x 3-1/2″ deep). 12″ x 12″ & 8″ x 6″ (x 3-1/2″ deep)
Laticrete Hydro Ban Niche
Plastic (ABS) Prefabricated Tile Ready Niche:
Redi Niche - This niche is similar to the EZ Niche because its tile bonding surface is ABS plastic. It also requires a special thinset to allow the tile to stick to its surface. Some Redi niche models include shelves, but keep in mind that the shelf effectively splits the niche into two separate niches separated by a strip of wall tile – a small section for your bar soaps, razors, etc, and a larger section for all your bottles.
- Shower niche size: 14″H x 32″W x 4″D, 14″H x 14″W x 4″D, 14″H x 16″W x 4″D, 14″H x 22″W x 4″D, 14″H x 48″W x 4″D, 17″H x 25″W x 4″D, 20″H x 16″W x 4″D, 20″H x 32″W x 4″D, 20″H x 48″W x 4″D, 25″H x 17″W x 4″D, 26″H x 16″W x 4″D, 28″H x 12″W x 4″D, 28″H x 16″W x 4″D, 34″H x 16″W x 4″D, 40″H x 16″W x 4″D, 42″H x 16″W x 4″D, 6″H x 16″W x 4″D
Redi Niche
EZ Niche - These niches are now called USA – EZLRN on Amazon (I wonder why ;)), and they changed their niche color from yellow to white, but the company is still EZ Niche.
The manufacturer says you can bond tiles to its surface with modified thin set mortar. I am skeptical about this – polymer modified thin set mortar has a hard time sticking to plastics. There are no shelf options with this niche as far as I know.
- Niche sizes: 7″ x 8″ x 3-5/8″, 8″ x 14″ x 3-5/8″, 11″ x 16″ x 3-5/8″, 14″ x 14″ x 3-5/8″ (with or without arch), 14″ x 22″ x 3-5/8″ (with or without arch), 14″ x 36″ x 3-5/8″ (horizontal installation)
EZ Niche
Finished Shower Niches
Membrane Bonding Shower Niche:
Redblock Stainless Steel Shower Niche – Integrates with all types of waterproofing membranes, built-in tile border flange, non-slip perforated shelves, 316 stainless steel for enhanced corrosion resistance. Currently available in brushed SS finishes.
- Shower niche size: 10″ x 14″ x 4″ (2 storage levels), 10″ x 28″ x 4″ (3 storage levels)
Redblock Stainless Steel Niche
Easy Drain Stainless Steel Shower Niche – Includes a plastic inner niche that bonds to waterproofing membrane. A finished stainless steel niche inserts into this plastic inner piece. There are no models with shelves. Avail. in brushed SS finish as well as 3 other powder coated color finishes.
- Shower niche size: 6″ x 12″ x 4″, 12″ x 12″ x 4″, 24″ x 12″ x 4″ ( Horiz. niche ), 36″ x 12″ x 4″ ( Horiz. niche ), 48″ x 12″ x 4″ ( Horiz. niche )
Non-Membrane Bonding (Overlap) shower niches:
Stainless Steel Overlap Niche – Installs into a hole cut in the shower wall in new showers only (no-retrofit installation). It attaches to the surrounding tile surface with silicone, so it does not integrate with waterproofing shower membranes. I call this style off niches, “Overlap Niches”.
- Shower niche size: 12″ x 12″ x 3-1/4″, 24″ x 12″ x 3-1/4″ (Horizontal)
Overlap Niche
Ceramic Overlap Niche - This is also considered an overlap niche because it can only be installed during construction of a new shower, it attaches to the tile surface with a bead of silicone, and does not integrate with shower waterproofing membranes. Most have built-in shelves / soap holders.
- Shower niche size: 11-3/4″ x 11-3/4″ x 3-5/8″, 11-3/4″ x 11-3/4″ x 3-5/8″ (with 3 compartments)
Ceramic shower niche
Lining up Niche with Shower Wall Tile:
I get into this topic in my Shower Niche Height post, so I won’t go into great detail here, but if you want to make sure that your niche recess lines up with your wall tiles, you’re in for a bit of a challenge.
Making sure that the tile line (grout line) and shower niche opening are perfectly lined up is more trouble than it’s worth… and it won’t be easy… take my word for it.
To accomplish this, you must do several dry fit tests of your wall tile against the wall framing before backer board install, to mark out the position of your niche. You then need to make exacting measurements from the floor of your shower, and transfer these to your backer board after your support framing and backer board are installed.
And even if these measurements are perfect, and your tile dimensions match the height of your niche, both the top or the bottom of the niche (or both) will almost never line up perfectly because there are too many elements that can throw these measurements off.
Something as small as a thicker mortar bed under the shower pan tiles, a tiny variation in the wall tile spacing or a tile leveling problem can ruin your plan. And if you don’t achieve your goal, you will likely end up with the dreaded “sliver” tile above or below your niche that ruins the look of your otherwise beautiful tiling job.
You’re better off making sure that the niche opening ends up somewhere around the middle of a tile, so the surrounding tiles are easier to cut.
FAQ
What are the most popular sizes for a shower niche?
The most popular niche sizes for a small bathroom are 12″ wide x 20″ high x 3-1/2″ deep, based on sales volume of the biggest brand of prefab foam shower niche, Schluter Kerdi SN. The second most popular for a smaller sized bathroom is their 12″ x 12″ niche.
How do shelf dimensions affect shower niche size?
The larger and more bulky the shelf you choose, the more interior storage height you will lose in your tiled niche. For example, if you buy a prefab niche with a 22 inch interior vertical height, the height after tile install will be around 21 inches (with no shelf). Installing into this niche, the standard 2 inch thick foam shelf that comes with most prefabs, will eliminate 3 inches of interior height, reducing the storage height down to 18 inches. In contrast, installing a stainless steel shelf will only reduce your storage height by 1/8 inch.
What size shower niche fits best in small bathrooms?
The size of the niche is almost irrelevant, regardless of the size of the bathroom or the shower. The easiest and least expensive choice is to buy a smaller prefab niche because they're a bit cheaper than the taller prefabs. But regardless of the vertical size of your niche, it's totally recessed into the wall which means it's completely out of your way., unlike other types of shower storage.
Wrap Up
I hope I’ve covered the topic of shower niche size and dimensions adequately. And I hope this post can be a valuable resource for the different prefab shower niche size options out there. I hope I’ve also shown you that size is important when it comes to shower niches, but there are also some other important considerations.
Please leave a comment below to let me know if this post has been of any help to you, or if I can add anything to make it better.
This post is for information purposes only and should NOT be interpreted as professional advice. You should always consult a licensed local contractor before undertaking any remodelling work in your home. Click here for my full Personal / Professional Disclosure.
