Costs
The cost to install a shower: what actually drives it
Written by Martin, M24/7 Bathrooms
Last updated:
Shower installation cost depends on the shower type, the pipework, the tray or enclosure, tiling and electrics. Here is how each factor moves the figure.
Asking what a shower costs to install is like asking what a car costs to run: the answer depends on which shower, which room and what is already there. A like-for-like swap of an electric shower is a different job from fitting a mixer shower where only a bath tap existed.
This guide breaks down the factors that move the figure, so you can describe your job accurately and compare quotes on scope rather than headline numbers. When you are ready, our shower installation service starts with a free survey and a written quote.
The shower type sets the starting point
An electric shower heats its own water and needs a cold feed and a dedicated electrical circuit. A mixer shower blends your existing hot and cold supplies, so it depends on your boiler and water pressure. A power shower adds a pump for homes where the pressure is poor.
Each type changes the work involved. An electric shower where none existed needs new electrical work. A mixer shower on a low-pressure gravity system may need the pump or a different approach entirely. The right type for your house is part of the survey conversation.
New pipework versus existing supplies
The cheapest shower to fit is the one that connects to supplies already in the right place. Moving the shower to a different wall, or adding one where there was only a bath, means running new hot and cold feeds and a waste route, and that labour is often a larger share of the job than the shower itself.
Waste is the constraint people forget. A new shower position needs a fall to the soil pipe or a pumped alternative, and the floor type decides how that is achieved.
Tray, enclosure and what surrounds them
A shower over a bath needs only a screen or curtain rail. A standalone shower needs a tray and an enclosure or screen, and the price of those varies from a basic acrylic tray with a framed door to a low profile stone resin tray with frameless glass.
The surrounding work matters as much as the parts. A tray must sit level and fully supported, the waste must be accessible, and the walls where the screen fixes must be sound. Skimping the preparation is how showers end up rocking or leaking within a year.
Tiling and waterproofing around the shower
The walls around a new shower need to be waterproof before they are pretty. Tanking the showering area, then tiling it, is a significant part of a new shower installation and the part that protects everything behind the tiles.
How much tiling is involved depends on the design: a tiled enclosure area only, or full-height walls across the room. The bathroom tiling cost guide covers what drives that side of the figure.
Electrics and certification
Any electrical work in a bathroom, including an electric shower circuit, must meet the wiring regulations and is not a place for guesswork. The electrical side is scoped as part of the job and carried out properly, and it is one of the reasons a shower installation quote covers more than plumbing.
If you are comparing quotes, ask each firm what is included for electrics, waterproofing and making good. The walk-in shower cost guide covers the walk-in end of the market if that is the direction you are heading.
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Questions
Frequently asked
Should I choose an electric or a mixer shower?
It depends on your hot water system. An electric shower heats its own water and works independently of the boiler, while a mixer uses your existing hot supply and usually gives a stronger flow where pressure allows. The survey checks which suits your house.
Can a shower be fitted over a bath?
Yes, and it is often the simplest installation because the supplies and waste are already there. The wall above the bath needs waterproofing and tiling or panels, and a screen keeps the spray where it belongs.
Why do shower installation quotes vary so much?
Because the scope varies. Pipework changes, waterproofing, tiling and electrical work are all separate from the shower unit itself, and quotes differ in how much of that they include. Compare scopes, not totals.
Can I keep my existing tray and just replace the shower?
Often, yes, if the tray is sound, level and its waste is in good order. The survey confirms whether the existing tray and enclosure are worth keeping before anything is replaced.