In short, a wet room is essentially one large shower area. A wet room can create a more immersive and enjoyable showering space, while also being a helpful option for those with mobility challenges. While wet rooms can offer a whole host of advantages, you’ll want to consider the potential costs involved and ensure you opt for a wet room that fits your needs, preferences and works within your budget.
In this guide, we’ll look at the average costs of having different types of wet rooms installed and the potential cost of different price elements, maintenance and long-term costs, cost comparisons, and more. Let’s begin!
in this article
Definition and Popularity
So, what is a wet room exactly? This immersive showering area, along with generally being waterproofed, features a shower area that is usually no higher than the floor. While there is often a shower frame of some kind, this tends to be more limited than with the average shower and there will not likely be a shower door present.
Wet rooms are growing in popularity throughout the UK. Many modern UK homes have had a wet room installed or included in the initial construction in recent times. And, more than likely, these contemporary approaches to the showering experience will become more popular with time.
Initial Installation Costs
In this section, we’ll explore all things related to the total costs and cost elements of professionals installing a wet room. Of course, these are approximations and can vary depending on a range of other factors (as discussed toward the bottom of this section).
Average Total Wet Room Prices
The overall cost (i.e. price of labour and supply only costs) of wet rooms will primarily depend on the size of the space.
The average cost of a small wet room of about 3 square metres is £3,000 to £5,000. The average price rises to £7,000 to £9,000 for a mid-sized 5 square metre wet room and ends up around £10,000 to £14,000 in the case of a large 12 square metre wet room.
Cost of Materials
Of course, the materials needed for a wet room will differ depending on the type of wet room you go for and its specific composition.
Here are some notable examples and their average supply only costs:
- Shower - £250 to £1,000
- Shower Screen - £250 to £350
- Shower Tray Former - £400 to £600
- Drain - £40 to £280
- Tiles - £15 to £100 per square metre*
- Tile Adhesive - £15 to £80
- Grout - £15 to £50
* Broad estimate and in some cases, tiles can cost even more (and sometimes, in fact, less) than the range given above.
Other potential materials (and their prices) worth mentioning are tanking shower kits (approx. £40 to £190), spacers (approx. £15 to £30 each). Of course, the price of materials will vary depending on the type and quality/brand of materials used.
With the above considerations, the supply only cost of a wet room installation is likely to end up around £2,700 to £4,250 for a 3m² wet room, £6,550 to £8,000 in the case of a 5m² wet room or £9,250 to £12,500 if opting for a 12m² wet room.
Ultimately, the cost of materials is likely to end up around 85% to 95% of the total cost, with the remaining 5% to 15% comprising the price of labour. Of course, when additional costs apply, these percentage figures will change but overall, we’re looking at a ratio of about 16:1 to 19:1 for supply costs vs. labour prices.
Cost of Labour
The other key cost element in having a wet room build added to your home is the price of labour.
An average wet room installer will cost about £150 to £250 a day in labour price only. This work will generally involve hiring two installers and take approximately two to six days.
While hiring two contractors will contact more per day it shouldn’t take as long as it would if hiring one person (which may stretch the timeframes to between four and twelve days), meaning that the labour price will probably end up about the same regardless of the number of contractors hired.
On average, this brings us to the following total labour price estimates for different sized wet room instalments (and estimated timeframes):
- 3 Square Metre Wet Room - £300 to £750 (2 to 3 days)
- 5 Square Metre Wet Room - £450 to £1,000 (3 to 4 days)
- 12 Square Metre Wet Room - £750 to £1,500 (5 to 6 days)
Other Key Cost Factors
So far, we’ve mentioned some notable cost factors, including the size of the wet room and the type and quality/brand of the materials used. But what other cost-affecting factors can shape the total cost of a wet room installation?
Here are other key cost factors for a wet room build:
- Price of labour in your region*
- Ease of access to the work area
- Ease or difficulty for the contractor(s) to install the wet room
- Complexity of the wet room designed being added
- Any costs related to laws and regulations (e.g. Building Regulations fees) if applicable and the extent and number of fees involved
* The cost of labour can differ throughout the UK. For example, labour prices are generally below average in northern England and Scotland but, on the contrary, above average in southwest England.
Plumbing and Waterproofing Costs
A wet room requires professional waterproofing to protect it against the higher moisture levels that will be present in the space. Moreover, professional plumbing is also required to successfully create a wet room.
As discussed, tanking shower kits (used to waterproof the space) are likely to cost around £40 to £90 in supply costs plus approximately £20 to £120 depending in labour prices depending on factors such as how long the work takes. This will likely bring the total to roughly £60 to £210.
The plumbing work needed may cost somewhere in the region of several hundred pounds to a little over £1,000 in total. However, this is a very approximate range since the plumbing work needed for any given wet room will vary depending on the extent of the pipework involved.
Additional Features and Luxury Additions
Along with the primary aspects of a wet room, there are additional features and even luxury additions that may interest you.
Here is the average cost of some standout optional features, including luxury additions:
| Type of Feature | Supply Only Cost | Labour Cost | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electric (Dry) Underfloor Heating | £2,000 to £4,000 | £250 to £750 | £2,250 to £4,750 |
| Water (Wet) Underfloor Heating | £4,500 to £10,000 | £900 to £1,700 | £5,400 to £11,700 |
| High-End Tiles (for mid-size space) | £50 to £100 per square metre | £75 to £500 | £1,860 to £7,750* |
| Bespoke Glass Shower Screens | £300 to £1,000 | £40 to £125 | £340 to £1,125 |
| Bespoke Tap | £600 to £1,500 | £20 to £90 | £620 to £1,590 |
* This assumes that around 100 to 200 tiles are used in total.
Maintenance and Long-Term Costs
Over time, a wet room will require cleaning, maintenance or/and potential repairs. Therefore, you’ll want to consider how these might impact on the cost of upholding a wet room over time.
So, while it’s important to think plenty about the cost of installing a wet room upfront, you’ll also need to consider further costs over time. Of course, this can apply to a bathroom too (and potentially more so given how wet rooms are generally designed to last longer and are easier to clean, reducing the chances of costlier cleans or maintenance later on).
Also, you’ll want to note that beneficial long-term costs can arise too (e.g. increased property value). Let’s explore maintenance and long-term cost considerations.
Ongoing Cleaning
As is the case with a bathroom, it’s important to clean a wet room on an ongoing basis. While generally easier to clean than bathrooms, wet rooms, like bathrooms, can require plenty of cleaning work.
This can include washing the floor with warm water and an appropriate bathroom cleaner. Beyond that, you may want to clean surfaces by spraying a suitable disinfectant spray product.
Further steps will be needed if mould forms, although hopefully this won’t happen with a well-installed wet room. If you need to clean mould, many safety steps are needed and it’s important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Safety steps for cleaning mould including the use of protective gloves, a protective face mask and eye protection. It’s also a good idea to shower after applying a mould killer and properly dispose of or clean (where appropriate and in the ways that work correctly) the protective equipment used.
Repair and Maintenance Work
Note: Some repair or maintenance work can be done DIY, as explained below. However, it’s still important that you know exactly what’s involved and take all necessary safety steps. If in doubt, always hire a professional to err on the side of caution.
Over time, issues will arise that need addressing. Here are some of the notable examples of repairs and maintenance that may be needed:
| Type of Repair or Maintenance | Average Cost (if hiring a professional) | DIY Friendly? | Average cost (if done DIY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regrouting Bathroom Tiles | £200 to £300 | Yes | £10 to £40 |
| Replace Broken Bathroom Tiles | £50 to £300 | Yes | £30 to £250 |
| High-End Tiles (for mid-size space) | £50 to £100 per square metre | £75 to £500 | £1,860 to £7,750* |
| Repair a Broken Shower | £50 to £150 | No | Not Applicable |
| Replace a Broken Shower | £250 to £1,000 | No | Not Applicable |
| Fixing a Leaky Shower or Leaky Tap | £50 to £150 | No | Not Applicable |
Impact On Property Value
The good news is that having a wet room added to your home may increase the resale value of your property. In fact, it may increase your home’s value by around 5%.
In most cases, home insurance will cover this without added costs. However, you’ll want to chat with your insurer well in advance to verify how a wet room installation might affect your insurance and whether it’s covered to begin with.
In some cases, an additional cost may be added to your insurance. Therefore, finding out how a wet room may or may not affect your insurance ahead of time is important to avoid unexpected costs.
Cost Comparisons
If you’re unsure whether to opt for a wet room or to have your current bathroom remodeled into an upgraded bathroom, you’ll want to consider a range of factors including cost comparisons.
On average, a small bathroom (around 2-3 square metres) costs around £2,000 to £4,000 in total (this includes the price of labour and supply only costs). On the other hand, a mid-size bathroom (about 4-5 square metres) will likely cost somewhere in the region of £5,000 to £7,000. Finally, a large bathroom, sized approximately 10-12 square metres will probably set you back about £8,000 to £12,000.
On the whole, a new bathroom is likely to cost less (about 10-30% less). However, there is no denying that there are many advantages of having a wet room installed, which can arguably make it the better value for money choice in many cases.
If in doubt, you may want to discuss this with your installer/installation team ahead of time to make sure you end up with a satisfactory result, including within the context of how much money is spent.
Please note, however, that these discussions may add to your overall bill, so just check to what extent additional conversations may apply without adding costs (or that additional costs are at least within your budget).
As mentioned earlier, prices for a wet room can vary from region to region (due to differing labour costs). The same, of course, applies to bathrooms. Therefore, it’s a good idea to find out how much these options generally cost in your region.
Here is how the cost of a wet room vs. bathroom installation can differ throughout the UK: *
| Region (Avg. Daily Labour Price) | Average Wet Room Cost (Mid-sized, 5m²)** | Average New Bathroom Cost (Mid-sized, 5m²)** |
|---|---|---|
| London (£280 to £320) | £7,390 to £9,280 | £6,620 to £9,100 |
| Manchester (£240 to £280) | £7,270 to £9,120 | £6,460 to £8,900 |
| Birmingham (£220 to £260) | £7,210 to £9,040 | £6,380 to £8,800 |
| Cardiff (£210 to £250) | £7,180 to £9,000 | £6,340 to £8,750 |
| Liverpool (£210 to £250) | £7,180 to £9,000 | £6,340 to £8,750 |
| Glasgow (£260 to £300) | £7,330 to £9,200 | £6,540 to £9,000 |
| Newcastle-upon-Tyne (£240 to £280) | £7,270 to £9,120 | £6,460 to £8,900 |
| Belfast (£200 to £240) | £7,150 to £8,960 | £6,300 to £8,700 |
| Sheffield (£220 to £260) | £7,270 to £9,040 | £6,380 to £8,800 |
| Edinburgh (£250 to £290) | £7,300 to £9,160 | £6,500 to £8,950 |
* These are some notable examples. Researching wet room installers near you can help get a sense of prices in your area. If not fully available, you can always request quotes from several installers/installation teams to get an idea of costs in your area.
** In both cases above, the costs given are total costs (i.e. labour costs and supply only costs combined). It’s also worth noting that, on average, a bathroom can take a day or two longer to install than a wet room. However, the total cost to have a bathroom installed will generally be cheaper.
Budgeting and Cost-Saving Tips
When planning to have a wet room installed, it’s important to budget carefully. This is another reason why landing quotes from three or more wet room installers/installation companies can be helpful.
Of course, you’ll want to opt for the quote that offers the most value for money (so not necessarily the cheapest), considering pricing, the installer's level of experience and any online reviews or ratings they might have.
Here are some budgeting and cost-saving tips to consider:
- Discuss the quote with the wet room installer/installation team you wish you hire
- Make sure that your budget will be sufficient for the project
- Ask about potential added costs and ensure you have sufficient leeway in your budget either way
- If saving is needed, make a plan and consider how long it might be before a wet room is comfortably affordable
- Engage with the installer/installation team about ways of keeping costs down without sacrificing on quality (e.g. budget-friendly but high-quality bathroom tiles)
To add to the final point, it’s possible that due to ongoing discounts (or another reason, such as a brand known for affordability but effectiveness too), you’ll be able to keep the costs of some materials down. All in all, though, saving money should nost bring with it risks of a poor installation that could pose safety hazards and prove relatively costly to maintain.
Conclusion
To have a wet room installed, you may need to budget for somewhere in the region of £3,000 to £12,000 altogether. Of course, the budget needed (including with leeway room) will depend heavily on the size and type of wet room being installed.
As discussed earlier, the price of a wet room build can vary depending on many other cost-affecting factors like the cost of labour near you, ease of access to the work area and potential added costs.
While the average wet room installation cost may often exceed that of a bathroom, wet rooms provide a calming, open space that many households find appealing. A wet room is also well-suited to those with limited mobility given how open and accessible these spaces are.
Having a wet room added could greatly enhance the feel and appearance of your home’s main showering area, giving it a total new lease of life, while also possibly adding to your property’s resale value!