What Affects the Cost of a Wet Room

A wet room usually involves more work than a standard shower with a tray. The floor has to be built with falls to a drain, the waterproofing covers more of the room, and the tiling runs across the whole floor. In return you get a level-access, open shower with no tray to clean around. Whether that extra work is worth it depends on how you use the room.

The floor construction is one of the biggest factors in a wet room installation. On a timber floor, a pre-formed wet room former is usually set into the floor, which can mean lifting boards and adjusting the timbers around it. On a concrete floor, the falls may be formed in screed or with a former, and the drain may need setting into the slab. A floor that flexes has to be stiffened before anything else.

A wet room is waterproofed across the floor and up the walls around the shower, often across the whole floor. The size of the room, the number of corners and pipes to seal, and the system used all affect the work involved.

Many wet rooms involve moving or building walls, boxing in pipes, adding niches or boarding walls with tile backer board ready for waterproofing. Robert does full plasterboard and wall alterations, so this is part of the build rather than a separate trade, but the amount of wall work changes the size of the job.

The drain type and position affect the falls and the tile layout: a linear drain along one wall and a central point drain need different falls and suit different tiles. The drain connection, waste route and all plumbing are done by your plumber, and their part of the cost depends on how far the waste has to run and what's being moved.

Small tiles and mosaics follow the falls to a point drain easily, while large tiles usually suit a linear drain. Mosaics and patterned tiles take longer to lay, large-format tiles need flatter surfaces, and natural stone needs sealing. The tile you choose affects the labour as well as the materials.

Most wet rooms have a fixed glass screen to keep the rest of the room drier. Screens vary in size and fixing, and are generally fitted after tiling by the supplier or your fitter. Robert can redecorate the rest of the bathroom, which can be included in the same job.

Robert builds the wet room: the floor former and falls, the wall alterations and plasterboard, the waterproofing and the tiling. Your plumber connects the drain and the shower, and an electrician does any electrical work. A clear written quote should list each part, so you can see exactly what's included. For more on how tiling work is priced in general, see the tiling cost guide.