Bath to walk-in shower from £3,900; a new thermostatic shower over the bath from £1,250
Shower upgrades
Taking the bath out and putting a walk-in shower in its place, or putting a proper thermostatic shower and a screen over the bath you have. The smaller jobs we are asked for most, done to the same standard as a whole bathroom.
Plenty of bathrooms do not need replacing; they need a better shower. The two jobs we do most are swapping the bath for a walk-in shower, usually for someone who finds the bath hard to step into, and fitting a proper thermostatic shower over an existing bath in place of an electric one that runs hot and cold.
Bath to shower: the bath comes out, the wall behind it is stripped and tanked, a low tray goes in where the bath was (they are made to the same length), the valve is concealed in the wall, and the shower area is tiled with a fixed glass panel. It is usually four days, and we match the new tiles to the room as closely as we can or tile the whole wall as a feature.
Over-bath showers: we check the water pressure and the boiler first, because a thermostatic shower needs one or the other. On a combination boiler it is usually straightforward; on a gravity system it may need a pump, which we tell you about before you choose. The valve goes in the wall, the bath gets a hinged screen, and the wall is tanked and retiled at the shower end.
What is included
- Water pressure and boiler checked first
- Concealed thermostatic valve
- Low tray the length of the old bath
- Tanking and tiling at the shower end
- Fixed or hinged glass screen
- Usually four days for a bath-to-shower
What it costs
Bath out and a walk-in shower in its place from £3,900; a thermostatic shower and screen over an existing bath from £1,250. Including VAT. Including VAT, supply, fit, the strip-out and the electrical certificate. The estimator adds full tiling and extras and shows the current lead time.
Questions about shower upgrades
Will removing the bath affect the value of my house?
Agents usually say a house needs one bath somewhere. If this is your only bathroom and you are likely to sell, ask an agent first; if you need a walk-in shower now, that is the answer.
Can I keep my electric shower?
Yes, and we can replace it with a better electric shower if the boiler cannot supply a mixer. Electric showers need their own circuit, and we use our registered electrician for it.
Is a walk-in shower wet everywhere?
Not with the right screen length and a tray with a good upstand. We size the glass to the shower head and the room.
Start with an hour in the room. Then the showroom.
The design visit is £95 and comes off the bathroom when you order: Siân measures the room, finds the pipes and the soil stack, and sends a drawn layout with three priced options within a week. Or price a package on the estimator first.