How to Waterproof and Tile a Shower Niche

A shower niche is the most failure-prone tile work in a bathroom. Get the waterproofing right and the tile lasts decades; skip it and you've got rot in two years.

Frame the niche between studs using 2x4 blocking top and bottom. The niche cavity should slope slightly forward — about 1/8" — so water drains out rather than pooling on the bottom shelf. This is the single most important construction detail.

Sheath the niche interior with 1/2" concrete board (Durock or HardieBacker), or use a prefab niche like a Schluter-Kerdi-Board niche. Either way, the entire interior — back, sides, top, sloped bottom shelf — must be waterproofed with Kerdi membrane, RedGard, or equivalent before tile goes in. Overlap the waterproofing 4" onto the surrounding shower wall.

Tile the back wall first, then the bottom shelf (cut tiles with a 1/8" forward slope), then the sides, then the top. The reveal tile (the tile that wraps the niche opening) is last — miter the edges for a clean wrap, or use a Schluter trim piece for an easier finish.

Caulk every change of plane inside the niche (back-to-shelf, shelf-to-side, side-to-top) instead of grouting. Plane changes flex; grout cracks; caulk doesn't. Color-matched caulk is invisible.