Shower curtain rod height: how high to set a tension rod for your curtain

Search for the right shower curtain rod height and you will find one number repeated everywhere. The honest starting point is less tidy: no building code or rod maker sets a standard. Moen, one of the largest shower-rod brands, says the installation height “is personal preference”. What decides the height is your curtain – and, for a tension rod, the walls at that height.

Work out the height from your curtain

The rod height is a simple sum:

Rod height = curtain length + drop of the hooks or rings + gap above the floor

Two example sums, with numbers you would replace by your own measurements:

The first two land in the range Bob Vila gives for a typical rod, roughly 75 to 77 inches above the floor, and in Moen's 78-inch example. An 84-inch curtain moves the rod much higher, which matters for a tension rod, as the next section shows. Pepper Home also points out that the curtain should not reach the floor.

What a tension rod needs at that height

A fixed rod can go wherever you drill. A tension rod has to find its grip: its rubber end caps press outward against the two walls, and friction at the caps carries the curtain. Moen's instruction sheet for its TR1000 tension rods starts with exactly this step: place one side of the rod “at the desired height” in the tub enclosure or on the wall, then extend it to the other side. So the height you calculated is only a first draft. Then check the walls:

1. Tile on both walls. In some alcoves the tile stops well below the ceiling. If it ends below your rod height, the caps would press on painted drywall – a soft surface that can show marks.
2. A flat tile face, not a grout line. A cap that sits across a grout joint or on a caulk bead is where most shower rods start to slide. Move the rod up or down by an inch or two until both caps sit fully on a tile face.
3. Not the trim row. The top row is often a rounded bullnose or trim tile. A cap on a curve has little contact area.
4. Level, not tile-aligned. Tile rows are not always level. Use a spirit level on the rod, not the grout lines, to set the second side.

Why grout lines and glazed surfaces behave differently is covered on our page about tension rods on tile.

Rod height and the curtain plus liner

Most tub setups hang a decorative curtain outside and a liner inside the tub on the same rod. Both usually come in the same 72-inch length, so the same height works for both; the liner should hang inside the tub so water runs back in. Wet fabric is heavier than dry, and no source we found measures by how much. Whether a tension rod copes with both layers is the topic of can a tension rod hold a shower curtain and a liner.

Higher rods and extra-long curtains

A rod near the ceiling suits 84-inch curtains. For a tension rod it raises two practical questions:

• Is there still tile? Above the tile line a tension rod presses on paint or drywall. The pressure sits on two small pads, so marks are possible and the grip depends on the paint.
• Is the width the same up there? Alcove walls are rarely perfectly parallel. Measure wall to wall at the new height, at the front and a little further in, and use the smaller figure. The width must fall inside the rod's printed range. Measuring is explained in the tension rod sizes guide.

Curved rods: height plus depth

A curved rod bows out over the tub. Height works the same way, but the curve also moves the curtain outward, so the hem lands further from the tub rim. Kenney's instructions for its permanent-mount curved rod place the rod about 4 inches inside the point where a straight rod would normally go, so that the midpoint extends a few inches past the outside of the tub. Curved tension rods also need a near-exact width: Moen's CSR2172 fits 57 to 60 inches only. Our curved tension shower rod guide compares the models.

A rod that fits at any of these heights

Our pick for straight showersAd

Moen

Moen TR1000 straight

A straight tension shower rod from a plumbing brand that you lengthen, then turn three times to lock.

Why here: Moen's straight tension rod installs by placing one end at your chosen height, extending it to the other wall and turning it three times to lock – no tools.

Best for: Straight tub and shower openings of about 5 to 6 feet when you want a maker with a written warranty

• Moen: “expand the shower rod to the desired length and turn it three times to lock it in place” – no tools
• Limited lifetime warranty (Moen)
• Decorative covers hide the mounting hardware; several finishes

• Fits 44–72 in only (Moen spec sheet) – measure before you buy
• No load rating stated by Moen
• Upper price class for a tension rod

View on Amazon*(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on AmazonLearn more

Width range

44–72 in (Moen spec sheet)

Mechanism

Twist to lock (FastLock)

Diameter

1 in

Material / finish

Type 201 stainless rod, type 430 covers; bronzed gold

Stated load

Not stated by Moen

Data from

Manufacturer page

Moen states no load rating for the TR1000; its spec sheet gives a range of 44 to 72 inches. The other options are compared on the tension shower curtain rod overview.

Quick checklist

• Measure the curtain and the hook drop; decide on the gap.
• Mark the height on both walls with a level.
• Check for flat tile at both marks; shift the height to clear grout lines and trim tiles.
• Measure the width at that height and compare with the rod's range.
• Install, then check after a day that the rod has not moved. The full procedure is in how to install a tension shower rod.