How to Frame a Basement Shower Pan

Create two wall frames, one for each side of the shower, using 2-by-4 boards and regular nails and a hammer. Each frame must span the entire width of the shower and allow the entire shower pan to fit inside the frames. For instance, if your shower is 48 inches square, create two wall frames, each 48-inches wide. To do this, cut four 2-by-4 boards on a table saw. Next, cut the vertical framing boards from 2-by-4 boards, each 1/2 inch shorter than the total height of the wall. Lay the vertical framing boards between the 48-inch boards, spaced 16 inches apart. Drive nails through the 48-inch boards and into the vertical framing boards with a hammer.

Erect the frames where you plan to install the shower. Measure to ensure the frames are spaced 48-inches apart, or the proper width for your shower, with a tape measure. Slide shims between the top of the frames and the wall joists. Drive screws through the underside of the top of the frames and into the joists with a power screwdriver to mount the frames to the walls.

Drive masonry screws through the top side of the bottom of the frames and into the concrete to anchor the bottom of the frames to the floor. Or drive a concrete nail through the top side of the bottom of the frame and into the floor with a hammer.