A custom shower system sounds like something reserved for boutique hotels, but it is really just a shower assembled from individual components instead of a boxed kit: a valve behind the wall, trim on top of it, a shower head, usually a hand shower, and sometimes body jets or a second head. Buying piece by piece means every part earns its place, and nothing shows up that you didn't choose. The catch is that the pieces have to agree with each other, and a few decisions need to happen in the right order. Here's how the components fit together, and where Canadian favourites like Riobel, Kalia, Vogt, Aquabrass and Rubinet come in.
The valve comes first, and it lives behind the wall
Every component you can see is downstream of a valve you can't. The rough-in valve is the brains of the system, buried in the wall, and it comes in two main types.
A pressure-balance valve protects you from temperature swings caused by pressure changes elsewhere in the house — the classic toilet-flush scald. One handle controls temperature and volume together. It's simple, reliable, code-friendly and the sensible choice for a straightforward shower with one or two outlets.
A thermostatic valve actively holds the temperature you set, independent of flow. Temperature and volume get separate controls, and larger thermostatic valves can feed several outlets at once without the temperature wandering. If your plan involves a rain head, a hand shower and body jets running together, this is the foundation you build on.
| Pressure-balance | Thermostatic | |
|---|---|---|
| How it protects you | Reacts to pressure changes to prevent sudden hot or cold shocks | Holds a set temperature regardless of flow or pressure |
| Controls | Temperature and volume on one handle | Separate temperature and volume controls |
| Best suited to | One or two outlets | Multi-outlet systems, simultaneous use |
| Cost and complexity | Simpler and generally less expensive | More capable, more parts, more planning |
Rough-in first, trim later
Nearly every serious brand splits its shower hardware into two purchases: the rough-in valve that gets plumbed in before the wall closes up, and the trim kit — handles, escutcheon plates, the visible metal — that installs at the finishing stage. This split is a gift during a renovation. Your plumber can set the valve early, the wall can be boarded and tiled, and you can still be debating brushed nickel versus matte black weeks later.
The one hard rule: rough-ins are brand-specific. Riobel trim fits Riobel rough-ins, Kalia fits Kalia, and so on — there is no universal standard behind the wall. Decide on your brand before the plumber shows up, buy the rough-in valve from that brand, and your trim options stay open within its collections. Many brands even use one shared rough-in across multiple trim styles, so a future refresh can be a trim swap rather than a wall demolition.
Heads, hand showers and the visible layer
With the valve sorted, the fun part is choosing what the water actually comes out of. A wall-mounted shower head is the easiest to plumb; a ceiling-mounted rain head needs supply lines run through the ceiling, which is worth deciding before framing closes. A hand shower — on a fixed holder or a slide bar — is the component people skip and then regret, because it does the unglamorous work: rinsing the walls, washing kids and dogs, and serving anyone seated. If you add only one component beyond a fixed head, make it this one.
Body jets and diverters: count your outlets
Think of each independently-controlled water path as a function. A rain head is one function; a hand shower is another; a bank of body jets — usually installed in a set and plumbed together — is a third. A diverter or transfer valve is what routes water between them. Two-function and three-function diverters are common, and some allow shared positions so two outlets run at once, while others are strictly one-at-a-time. Read that detail carefully, because it defines how your shower actually behaves.
More simultaneous functions also means more water moving. Multi-outlet systems are typically built on higher-capacity thermostatic valves with three-quarter-inch connections rather than the standard half-inch, and your drain has to keep pace with everything you turn on. If you're rethinking the whole enclosure, it's worth reading our guide to shower base sizes and drain placement before you commit to a jet wall.
Be honest about pressure and volume
Pressure is how hard the water pushes; volume is how much of it your plumbing can deliver at once. A custom shower needs both, and no valve can manufacture either. Older homes with narrow supply lines, homes on wells, and top-floor bathrooms in low-pressure areas can all struggle to feed a multi-outlet system, and a conventional tank water heater will empty noticeably faster with three functions running than with one. If your household already races through hot water, plan the water heater conversation alongside the shower one. A well-chosen two-function system that runs at full strength beats a six-outlet showpiece that trickles.
Matching finishes across components
Finishes are where component shopping goes wrong most often. "Brushed gold" from one manufacturer rarely matches "brushed gold" from another, and even within a brand, finish availability can differ between collections. The safe play is to build the entire system — valve trim, head, hand shower, jets, diverter — from one brand, and ideally one collection, so every piece comes off the same finish line.
Among the brands we carry, Riobel offers one of the deepest benches of coordinated shower systems in Canada, with both pressure-balance and thermostatic platforms and trim that coordinates cleanly across its collections. Kalia, designed in Quebec, takes a contemporary, clean-lined approach with finishes that carry across its shower and faucet families. Vogt brings European-influenced styling with tightly coordinated finish groups, and Aquabrass — a Montreal design house — is the pick if you want a broad, adventurous finish palette. Rubinet goes furthest of all: its systems are built to order, with separate main and accent finishes on the same piece of trim, which makes a genuinely one-of-a-kind shower possible without leaving a single brand's catalogue.
Frequently asked questions
Can I mix components from different brands?
Sometimes, at the edges. Shower heads and hand showers generally use standard plumbing connections, so a head from one brand can screw onto another's shower arm. Valves and trim are the opposite: trim only fits its own brand's rough-in. And even where parts physically connect, finishes from different brands rarely match, so most people are happier staying within one brand.
Do I need a thermostatic valve for a rain head and hand shower?
No. A pressure-balance valve paired with a two-function diverter handles a rain head plus hand shower well, and it keeps cost and wall depth down. Thermostatic valves earn their keep when you want several outlets running at the same time, or precise temperature control day to day.
What's the difference between a diverter and a volume control?
A diverter chooses where the water goes — head, hand shower or jets. A volume control adjusts how much water flows to an outlet, independent of temperature. Larger thermostatic systems often use both: one thermostatic control for temperature, plus volume controls or a diverter for each function.
When do I have to lock in my shower components during a renovation?
The valve and any ceiling or jet plumbing must be decided before the walls close — that means brand and system layout are early decisions. Trim, head and hand shower styles can wait until the finishing stage, as long as they belong to the brand whose rough-in is already in the wall.