Connecting a linear shower drain right next to a wall stud
When a shower drain sits extremely close to the wall framing, standard trap alignment becomes nearly impossible without cutting open the slab to shift the pipe. This spatial conflict prevents a clean tie-in to existing plumbing and leaves installers considering disruptive concrete work.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Using an offset linear drain model to align with the existing setup.
- 2Relying on a horizontal wet vent system if upstream fixtures allow.
- 3cutting open the concrete pad to shift the drain over
- 4removing rigid foam and moving 2x4 studs closer to the wall using spray foam
- 5using an offset adapter
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
r/Plumbing2 people · September 2026 – October 2026
“I’m trying to figure out a good way to tie in the drain and trap to the current configuration but nothing seems to be a good solution.”source ↗
Luke-__- · r/Plumbing · 1 upvotes
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 7How to fix a PVC drain pipe broken flush against the wall
- 2How to install a vanity over floor pipes in a tight space
- 9Does every sink need a P-trap?
- 8How to replace a shower drain cover with a broken screw hole
- 14Where do I run the vent for a washer installation?
- 2Can you wrench a shower arm past a dry fit position to align it?