A shower curtain does one job and does it poorly. If you’re remodeling a bathroom in Minneapolis, Edina, or anywhere else in the Twin Cities, a custom glass shower enclosure is one of the few upgrades that changes how the whole room feels, not just how it looks in photos.
Hopkins Glass & Glazing has been designing, fabricating, and installing shower glass for Twin Cities homeowners for more than 55 years. We measure every job on-site, cut the glass in our own shop, and install it ourselves.
Your bathroom is one of the most important rooms of your house, offering a private space in which to get clean and refreshed at the start and finish of each day. The shower is the cornerstone of every bathroom, so your shower should look and feel exactly the way you want it to.
Not every bathroom needs the same enclosure. Here’s how the three main options actually compare, not just in looks but in cost and upkeep.
Frameless glass shower doors
No metal border around the glass panels, just heavy ⅜” tempered glass held by minimal hardware. This is the option most homeowners picture when they say “walk-in glass shower.” It reads as open and modern, and it’s easier to keep clean since there’s no metal track collecting soap scum. It’s also the priciest option, since the thicker glass and precision hardware cost more to fabricate.
Semi-frameless glass shower doors
A slimmer frame around the door itself, usually where it meets the wall or a fixed panel, while the rest stays frameless. This gets you most of the open, modern look at a lower price point than full frameless, and it’s a common middle ground for homeowners remodeling on a set budget.
Framed shower doors
A full metal frame around every glass panel. Less expensive up front, and the frame does add some structural forgiveness if your bathroom walls aren’t perfectly square. We still install these, though most of our customers who see frameless and semi-frameless options side by side end up choosing one of those instead.
Clear glass is the standard. It’s what most people picture and it shows off tile work without any tint getting in the way.
Low-iron glass cuts the slight green cast you get with standard clear glass, especially noticeable along the edges of thicker panels. If you’ve invested in a nice tile pattern, low-iron glass shows it without a color shift.
Obscure, frosted, and patterned glass trade some visibility for privacy. We carry several patterns, from a light frost to heavier textures, so you can dial in exactly how much you want to see through.
Hardware finishes include chrome, brushed nickel, matte black, and oil-rubbed bronze, matched to your existing fixtures so the door doesn’t look bolted on as an afterthought.
Glass sealant is worth adding to any shower enclosure. It’s a coating that keeps mineral deposits and soap scum from bonding to the glass surface, which means less scrubbing and a door that still looks new after a few years of hard water.
Most calls we get fall into one of these categories:
If you’re not sure which category you’re in, that’s a normal question to bring to a quote call. We’ll tell you honestly if repair is even an option before we sell you a full replacement.
We’re a licensed and insured glass company, not a franchise reading from a script. Our team fabricates glass in-house at our Hopkins showroom, so what you see measured is what gets installed, cut to fit your bathroom rather than adjusted to fit a pre-made panel.
You’re also welcome to visit our showroom at 11594 K-Tel Drive in Hopkins to see glass types and hardware finishes in person before you commit to anything.
How much does a frameless glass shower door cost? Cost depends on the size of the opening, glass thickness, hardware finish, and whether you choose frameless, semi-frameless, or framed. Semi-frameless typically runs lower than full frameless, and framed is the least expensive option. The only way to get an accurate number is a measurement, since every bathroom layout is different.
How long does installation take? Most standard shower enclosures install in a single day once fabrication is complete. Fabrication itself, since every panel is custom-cut, usually takes [X business days — editor to confirm current lead time] after your final measurement appointment.
Can you replace just the door, or do I need a whole new enclosure? It depends on the damage and the age of the existing panels. If the fixed side panels are in good shape and only the door itself is cracked or the hardware has failed, we can often replace just the door. We’ll tell you which applies during your quote.
What glass thickness do you use? Frameless enclosures use ⅜” tempered safety glass, which is thick enough to be self-supporting with minimal hardware. Semi-frameless and framed doors typically use a thinner glass since the frame provides additional support.
Do you install tub-to-shower conversions? Yes. This is one of our most common residential projects, particularly for homeowners remodeling for accessibility or simply updating a dated tub-shower combo into a walk-in space.
Our high-quality glass gives your frameless glass shower enclosure the support it needs while providing you with an unobstructed view of your entire bathroom.
