Multifamily Shower Doors Supplier: Tub & Alcove Enclosures for Apartment Bathrooms

Why developers and GCs source apartment shower doors factory-direct

On a 150-unit garden-apartment build, the shower enclosure is one of the highest-repetition items in the whole bathroom: the same tub door installs in every stack, every floor, every building. That repetition is exactly why the sourcing model matters. Buy through an importer and then a local glass shop and you stack three margins — manufacturer, distributor, fabricator — onto a part that ships in pallet quantities. Buy direct from the plant that actually extrudes the aluminum, cuts and tempers the glass, and packs the carton, and you collapse that margin stack into one price and one point of accountability.

As a factory-direct manufacturer, SANIKB runs our own tooling, our own tempering, and our own QC line. That means one finish lot across every unit so your stacks match, one bill of materials you can value-engineer against a budget, and one contact who owns the schedule from takeoff to jobsite delivery. This guide is written for the people who actually carry that risk — developers, general contractors, procurement managers, and property owners spec'ing apartment, student-housing, and workforce-housing bathrooms — and it is deliberately specific where most supplier pages stay vague: real model numbers, honest framed-versus-frameless trade-offs, MOQ thresholds, lead-time logic, certifications, and ocean-freight packaging. If you want to browse the full program first, our multifamily shower doors catalog lists every framed and semi-frameless tub and alcove model with handles and finishes.

Shower door and enclosure types for multifamily builds

Apartment bathrooms are won or lost on fit and turnover durability, not on showroom drama. The four configurations below cover the overwhelming majority of multifamily and student-housing scopes. Spec by unit mix and budget tier, not by what looks best in a single mockup.

Sliding tub doors (bypass over an alcove tub)

The workhorse of apartment renovation and value-tier new construction. A bypass tub door like our S-8 sliding bathtub door mounts to a standard alcove tub with no swing clearance — critical in compact unit baths where a hinged door would hit the vanity or toilet. Two panels slide on a top track, so there is no out-swing into the room and nothing to obstruct in a tight stack. The exact tub-deck width it fits is confirmed per model and market on your submittal.

Framed sliding shower enclosures (alcove shower, no tub)

For walk-in alcove showers on a base, a framed double-sliding door such as the P-11 aluminum-framed double sliding shower door or the Y-Series framed sliding shower enclosure gives you a fully captured opening. The aluminum frame carries the glass load, hides minor wall variation, and is the most forgiving, fastest-installing, lowest-warranty-risk configuration for high-turnover rentals.

Semi-frameless and design-forward options

When a market-rate or class-A property wants a more premium read without the cost and breakage exposure of true frameless, a semi-frameless sliding door splits the difference: a slim header and minimal hardware, thicker glass on the moving panel, lighter framing on the fixed panel. Our SN-R21 fluted-glass sliding shower door is the upgrade SKU here — fluted (reeded) tempered glass that hides water spotting between cleans, which matters in units where housekeeping turns a unit in hours, not days.

Honest note on framed vs. frameless for multifamily

Frameless looks the best and costs the most — in glass thickness, in hardware, in breakage during freight and install, and in warranty exposure over a rental's life. For the vast majority of multifamily, student, and workforce housing, framed and semi-frameless are the right answer: lower per-door cost, faster install, more forgiving of out-of-plumb walls, and far cheaper to replace a single panel years later. We will tell you when frameless is not worth it for your unit mix rather than upsell you into a turnover headache. Reserve true frameless for amenity baths, model units, and class-A penthouses.

Real model comparison: tub and alcove enclosures we ship for projects

The table below is built only from SANIKB models in current production. Exact opening sizes, glass thickness, and finish availability are confirmed per model and market on your submittal — we do not publish a single number that we cannot stand behind on a cut sheet.

The P-11 above is the model we spec most often as a baseline for core multifamily: an aluminum-framed double slider that absorbs wall variation, installs fast, and keeps replacement-part logistics simple across a multi-building scope. For a tub-over scope, the S-8 below is the equivalent baseline.

Stock-ready vs. custom-fabricated: lead-time logic for a construction schedule

Most supplier pages promise "faster lead times" and publish no numbers. Here is how our lead times actually break down, with the honest caveat that exact windows are confirmed at PO per model, finish, and current factory load:

• Catalog standard sizes, standard finish (in production): these move fastest because the extrusion and glass sizes are already tooled. Expect a short production window plus ocean transit. We confirm the exact ship date in writing on order acknowledgment.
• Standard model, custom finish or glass (e.g., matte black hardware, fluted glass): add finish/coating and tempering time to the standard window.
• Made-to-order sizes or OEM/private-label tooling: the longest window because it includes sample approval and, for new private-label hardware, tooling lead time. Build this into your submittal schedule early.

For multifamily, the move that protects your construction timeline is phased delivery: we stage production and shipping to match your building-by-building or floor-by-floor close-in, so you are not paying to store 150 enclosures in a trailer while building 3 is still framed. Give us your install ramp and we sequence the cartons to it.

Volume and MOQ for projects: from 20 to 2,000+ units

We are a project-scale manufacturer, so we welcome both a 20-unit renovation and a 2,000-unit ground-up. MOQ is set per model and is confirmed on quote, but the logic is simple: factory-direct pricing improves as volume rises because tooling, setup, and container utilization amortize across more units. A full-container order of a single model is the most cost-efficient way to buy; mixed-model and mixed-finish loads are absolutely doable and just priced accordingly. Tell us your unit count, model mix, and finish schedule and we will return tiered per-door pricing — not a single retail number, because this is a quote-based B2B program, not a storefront.

Code, safety, and ADA compliance — documented, not buzzwords

Shower enclosure glass in the United States must be safety glazing. The two references your architect and inspector will ask about are the federal consumer-product rule and the national glazing standard:

• All SANIKB shower and tub door glass is tempered safety glass, intended to meet the impact requirements of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission glazing rule, 16 CFR Part 1201 (Category II for bath/shower doors), and the voluntary glazing-material standard ANSI Z97.1. Specific test certificates are issued per model and market on request with your submittal package.
• For accessible and roll-in units, clear-opening width and approach are driven by the ADA Standards for Accessible Design. We will spec the configuration and clear opening to your accessibility scope and confirm it on the cut sheet.

We will never put a certification on paper that a given model does not actually hold. Where a claim depends on the specific size or finish you order, we say it is confirmed per model and market and then we confirm it before you cut a PO. That is the difference between a documented compliance package and a marketing bullet.

Finishes, glass, and hardware for high-turnover rentals

Finish and hardware are where total cost of ownership is won or lost in rental housing. Our standard frame and hardware finishes (polished, brushed nickel/silver, and matte black are the common multifamily picks) are confirmed per model. For glass, clear tempered is the value default; fluted/reeded glass on the SN-R21 hides spotting between cleans; frosted is available for privacy-sensitive layouts. For hardware on high-turnover units we steer buyers toward corrosion-resistant rollers and treated fasteners and, where the budget allows, an easy-clean coating on the glass — both pay for themselves in reduced service calls and longer replacement intervals. Critically, because every unit ships from one finish lot, your buildings match; you are not explaining to an owner why floor 2 reads warmer than floor 6.

Measuring, rough-opening tolerance, and out-of-plumb walls

This is the gap that quietly wrecks multifamily installs: every unit stack is slightly different, and walls are rarely plumb. Framed sliding enclosures like the P-11 and Y-Series exist precisely for this reality — the aluminum wall jambs carry adjustment, so an installer can absorb normal wall variation without custom-cutting glass at each opening. We provide the rough-opening range and adjustment tolerance per model on the cut sheet so your trades template once and install fast across the whole project. For tub doors like the S-8, we confirm the tub-deck width and out-of-square allowance up front. Frameless, by contrast, demands tight, plumb openings and field-measured glass — another reason it is the wrong default for repetitive apartment scopes.

Submittal and spec package for architects and GCs

A contact form is not a submittal package. For project buyers we provide PDF cut sheets with dimensions and rough-opening ranges, finish and hardware schedules, glass-thickness and safety-glazing references, and the per-model test-certificate documentation your architect needs for approval. Send us the model, finish, and accessibility scope and we return submittal-ready documents — not a brochure. If you have a private-label program, OEM cut sheets carry your brand and part numbers.

OEM, ODM, and private-label programs

Because we own the tooling and the line, customization is a manufacturing decision, not a long change-order chain through a middleman. We control glass thickness, opening sizes, hardware style, finish, and packaging. Private-label buyers and brands can put their own logo on the hardware, the carton, and the documentation; ODM buyers can develop a model to their own spec with our engineering. There is no importer markup on changes and no third party in the loop slowing approvals. That control is the core advantage of buying from the maker rather than a domestic fabricator or a local glass shop.

Packaging, QC, and ocean freight

Glass that arrives broken is a non-starter on a jobsite, so our export packaging is built for the container, not the curb. Each enclosure is corner-protected, the glass is separated and braced, hardware is bagged and labeled to the carton, and cartons are palletized and strapped for ocean transit and forklift handling. Our QC line inspects glass edges and temper, frame straightness, roller action, and finish consistency before sealing the carton, and we run a pre-shipment check against your PO so the load that leaves matches the load you bought. We will confirm carton dimensions and per-container quantities for your model so you can plan container loads and jobsite staging, and we operate a clear breakage/replacement policy on shipped goods. For multifamily, we can sequence cartons for phased, building-by-building delivery so the right units land when the right building is ready for them.

Our project process: inquiry to delivery

1. Inquiry & takeoff: you send unit count, model mix, rough-opening sizes, finish, and target install date.
2. Quote & spec: we return tiered per-door pricing, cut sheets, and a lead-time window.
3. Samples / mockup: approve a real unit or a finish/hardware sample before committing the full run — so the owner signs off on the actual product, not a render.
4. Submittal approval: your architect and GC sign off on documented specs and safety-glazing references.
5. Production & QC: we run the order from one finish lot with line and pre-shipment inspection.
6. Freight & delivery: palletized, phased ocean shipment sequenced to your construction schedule.
7. Post-delivery support: replacement parts and panels available years out so a cracked panel in year three is a part order, not a re-source.

Why SANIKB vs. a domestic fabricator or local glass shop

A local glass shop is great for one custom frameless enclosure and terrible for 150 matching units. A domestic fabricator adds a margin layer and still often sources glass and hardware abroad. As the factory, SANIKB gives you the lowest landed per-door cost at volume, single-source accountability across every building, one finish lot for matching stacks, documented safety-glazing references, and the customization control to build exactly the model your budget and code scope require. Start from our multifamily shower doors program and pair the right tub and alcove enclosures to each unit type so the whole bathroom ships from one supplier on one schedule.

Building out the rest of the unit bath? See our companion guides on the full multifamily bathroom fixtures supplier scope and on sourcing contract-grade bathroom fixtures for projects.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the MOQ for shower doors on a multifamily project?

MOQ is set per model and confirmed on quote. We welcome project-scale orders from roughly 20 units up to 2,000+, and factory-direct pricing improves as volume rises because tooling, setup, and container utilization amortize across more units. A single-model full-container order is the most cost-efficient; mixed-model and mixed-finish loads are fine and priced accordingly.

What are typical lead times, and can you phase delivery to our construction schedule?

Catalog standard sizes in standard finishes ship fastest (production window plus ocean transit); custom finishes, fluted glass, made-to-order sizes, and new private-label tooling add time. Exact windows are confirmed in writing at PO. We routinely phase production and shipping building-by-building or floor-by-floor so enclosures land when each building is ready, not all at once.

Is the glass safety-glazing compliant for U.S. shower doors?

Yes. All our shower and tub door glass is tempered safety glass intended to meet CPSC 16 CFR Part 1201 (Category II) and ANSI Z97.1 impact requirements. Specific test certificates are issued per model and market with your submittal package, and we confirm any size- or finish-dependent claim before you issue a PO.

Should we spec framed or frameless for apartment units?

For most multifamily, student, and workforce housing, framed or semi-frameless is the right call: lower per-door cost, faster install, more forgiving of out-of-plumb walls, and far cheaper to replace a single panel years later. Reserve true frameless for amenity baths, model units, and class-A penthouses where the look justifies the cost and breakage exposure. We will tell you honestly which fits your unit mix.

Do you offer OEM/private-label and submittal documentation?

Yes. Because we own the tooling and line, we control glass thickness, sizes, hardware, finish, and packaging, and we private-label hardware, cartons, and documents. We provide submittal-ready PDF cut sheets with rough-opening ranges, finish/hardware schedules, and safety-glazing references for architect and GC approval — not just a contact form.

Request a project quote

Tell us your unit count, rough-opening sizes, finish, model mix, and target install date, and we will return tiered per-door pricing, cut sheets, and a lead-time window. Start a project inquiry on our request-a-quote page and source your apartment enclosures factory-direct.

— Rokan, SANIKB