Many homeowners hope a shower leak can be fixed without major demolition. That is a natural goal, but not every leak is a good candidate for local repair.
When local repair is more realistic
If the issue clearly comes from localized sealant, water escaping at the glass edge, or a small connection point, a focused repair may be realistic.
Signs that the issue may be deeper than a local leak
If grout stays dark, wall bases remain damp, or the room below is affected, the problem may already involve deeper layers.
Why the visible wet spot is not enough to judge the scope
The place where water shows up is not always where it enters, so judging scope only by the visible wet spot can be misleading.