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What does it cost to install an electric shower?
The cost to install an electric shower depends mostly on the electrics: a like-for-like swap on a suitable circuit is a smaller job than a new shower that needs its own circuit run from the consumer unit. The unit, the plumbing, making good the wall and the certificates add to the total.
Last reviewed:What does installing an electric shower involve?
An electric shower heats cold mains water inside the unit as it flows, so it does not need a hot water cylinder or a boiler. That makes it popular in bathrooms, en-suites and downstairs shower rooms. It also means the unit draws a lot of power while it runs, which is why the electrics drive most of the cost.
Installation jobs fall into two broad kinds:
- A like-for-like replacement. The old shower comes off and a new one goes in the same place, on the existing circuit and water supply, as long as both suit the new unit.
- A new installation. A shower goes where there was none, or in a new position, with a new circuit from the consumer unit, a new cold water feed and work on the wall.
Between those sit many in-between jobs, such as a swap to a more powerful unit that the existing cable cannot carry.
QuoteZila is starting in Cheshire, with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach among the first towns, and anyone in the UK can post a job or register a business. This guide explains what an electrician and plumber price, so you can compare quotes. For specifying the shower and the room, see what to ask before an electric shower is fitted.
Is there a published figure?
One. The Federation of Master Builders' bathroom renovation cost breakdown, citing its member firm Fittra, says adding a free-standing shower unit costs around £350 for an electric shower, with the enclosure an additional £500 [S1]. The same FMB page says labour prices outside London are generally lower [S1].
Treat that as one firm's published figure, not a price for your home. It does not say whether a new circuit, a consumer unit upgrade or making good the wall is included. Those are the lines that change most from house to house, and they are set out below.
What moves the price of an electric shower installation?
| What moves the price | What the quote should say | Why quotes differ |
|---|---|---|
| The shower unit | Make, model and power rating, and who supplies it | Units vary, and a more powerful one can need heavier cable |
| Existing circuit | Whether the circuit, cable and protection suit the new unit | A suitable circuit keeps a swap simple |
| New circuit | Cable route from the consumer unit to the bathroom | Long runs, floors to lift and walls to chase add time |
| Consumer unit | Whether there is a spare way and suitable protection | An old or full board may need upgrading first |
| Switch and controls | The switch for the shower and where it goes | Positions in a bathroom follow the wiring regulations |
| Cold water supply | Pipe run to the shower and water pressure checks | A long or awkward pipe run adds plumbing time |
| Wall and tiles | Holes, old fixings and any tiles to cut or replace | Moving the shower can leave tiling to make good |
| Removal and waste | Taking away the old unit and packaging | Small, but sometimes missing from a quote |
| Testing and certificates | Testing, certificates and building regulations notification | Part of the job when done by a registered electrician |
| Tray or enclosure | Whether a tray, screen or enclosure is included | A new shower area is a separate, larger job |
Ask each installer to price the same unit in the same position. If one includes a consumer unit upgrade and another does not, ask both why.
Why do the electrics drive the cost?
Because an electric shower is one of the most demanding appliances in a home, and the rules around bathrooms are strict.
The Planning Portal lists the installation of a complete new circuit, including a new circuit for a shower, as notifiable work under the building regulations [S2]. It also says that alterations to existing circuits in special locations are notifiable, and that in England special locations are the spaces around baths and showers [S2]. The Planning Portal recommends an installer registered with a competent person scheme, who can self-certify that the work meets the regulations [S2].
Electrical Safety First says that, apart from some minor tasks, electrical installation work must either be reported to building control or carried out by a registered electrician who is a member of a Government-approved scheme [S3]. When a registered electrician does the work, you receive an Electrical Installation Certificate or Minor Works Certificate, and a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate [S3].
What this means for price:
- A suitable existing circuit keeps the job smaller. The electrician still needs to test and certify it.
- A new or upgraded circuit means running cable, connecting it at the consumer unit and testing it, which takes much longer.
- An old consumer unit may not have space or suitable protection for a new circuit, and replacing it is its own job. See what changes the cost of a consumer unit.
This guide does not give DIY steps for any of this work. Find a registered electrician through the official registers.
Electrical Safety First: find a registered electrician; NICEIC; NAPIT. QuoteZila is not affiliated with this organisation.
GOV.UK explains when you need building regulations approval, and Electrical Safety First explains Part P of the building regulations.
Is it a swap or a new installation?
Before you buy a shower, ask an electrician to look at what you have. The answers decide which kind of job you are paying for.
Questions about the existing shower:
- Is it on its own circuit, and is that circuit in good condition?
- Does the cable suit the power rating of the unit you want?
- Is the protection at the consumer unit suitable?
- Is the switch in a suitable position?
Questions if there is no shower now:
- Where is the consumer unit, and how will the cable reach the bathroom?
- Are there floors to lift, ceilings to cross or walls to chase?
- Is there a spare way on the board, or does it need upgrading?
If the existing circuit is suitable, a like-for-like swap is usually the simplest job. Choosing a more powerful shower than the old one can change that, so check before you buy rather than after.
What about the water and the room?
The plumbing side matters too. An electric shower needs a cold water supply from the mains at a suitable pressure, so the plumber may need to run a new pipe or check the pressure at the shower's position. Ask whether the plumbing is in the electrician's price, the fitter's price or a separate quote.
Think about the room as well:
- Ventilation. The Planning Portal says any new bathroom or shower room should have extract ventilation to reduce condensation [S5]. If you are refurbishing, it says any existing extract ventilation must be kept or replaced [S5].
- Wall finish. Moving the shower can leave old holes and a gap in the tiles. Ask whether making good is included, or whether you need a tiler.
- The shower area. A new tray, screen or enclosure is a separate cost. FMB's breakdown, citing Fittra, puts an enclosure at an additional £500 on top of the shower unit [S1].
If the tray or wall needs work, see fitting a shower tray and what changes the cost to tile a bathroom.
How do you compare electric shower quotes?
Citizens Advice says a quote should include a fixed total price rather than a daily rate, a breakdown of the work and materials, how long the price is valid, whether it includes VAT and when the price can go up [S6]. It suggests getting written quotes from at least three traders [S6].
Questions to ask each installer:
- Are you registered with a competent person scheme for electrical work?
- Can the existing circuit take the shower I want, or will you run a new one?
- Does the consumer unit need any work?
- Who supplies the shower unit, and is it in the price?
- Who does the plumbing, and is it in the price?
- Will you make good the wall and tiles?
- Which certificates will I receive, and will you notify building control if needed?
- Does the price include VAT?
On VAT, a business must register when its taxable turnover for the last 12 months goes over £90,000 [S4], so some installers add VAT and some do not.
Jobs you might post
These are examples, not taken from real job posts.
- "Electric shower has stopped working. Please quote to replace it with a similar unit in the same place, including testing and certificate."
- "Want an electric shower over the bath in a house with no shower. Please quote for the circuit, the unit and the plumbing."
- "New en-suite in a loft conversion. Looking for an electrician to run a shower circuit and fit an electric shower, working with our fitter."
Get quotes to install an electric shower
Describe the shower you have now, if any, where you want the new one, where the consumer unit is and how old it looks, with photos if you can. Up to five matched local businesses can send you a quote [QZ2]. QuoteZila is free for customers and local businesses [QZ1].
Honest status: QuoteZila is new. We're starting in Cheshire, beginning with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach, and growing area by area. Anyone in the UK can still post a job or register a business. How fast you get quotes depends on how many local businesses have joined near you. Businesses can register and receive jobs straight away. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire.
Posting a job is not open yet
See our electricians page, plumbers page and bathroom fitters page. For electrician rates, see what changes the cost of an electrician. For a full refit, see what changes the cost of a bathroom.
Questions about electric shower installation costs
How much does it cost to install an electric shower?
It depends on the job. FMB's bathroom cost breakdown, citing member firm Fittra, says adding a free-standing shower unit costs around £350 for an electric shower. A new circuit, a consumer unit upgrade or wall repairs can add to that, so ask for itemised written quotes.
Does a new electric shower need its own circuit?
An electric shower is normally on its own circuit from the consumer unit. The Planning Portal lists a new circuit for a shower as notifiable work. A registered electrician can tell you whether your existing circuit suits the new unit or a new one is needed.
Is replacing an electric shower cheaper than a new installation?
Usually, if the new unit suits the existing circuit, cable and water supply. A more powerful shower, a different position or an old circuit can turn a swap into a bigger electrical job. Ask the electrician to check the circuit before you buy a unit.
Who should install an electric shower?
A registered electrician for the electrics, often working with a plumber or bathroom fitter for the water side. Electrical Safety First says that, apart from some minor tasks, electrical work must be reported to building control or done by a registered electrician in a Government-approved scheme.
What certificates should I get?
Electrical Safety First says that when a registered electrician does the work, you receive an Electrical Installation Certificate or Minor Works Certificate, and a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate. Keep them with your house papers.
Can I fit an electric shower myself?
This guide does not give DIY steps for electrical work. The Planning Portal says work in the spaces around baths and showers is a special location in England, and a new shower circuit is notifiable. Use a registered electrician.
Will the quote include VAT?
Not always. A business must register for VAT when its taxable turnover for the last 12 months goes over £90,000. Ask whether each price includes VAT.
Does QuoteZila check the electricians who quote?
No. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire. You can report a quote or a business from your job page.
This page is general information, not professional or legal advice. QuoteZila does not check Gas Safe, WaterSafe, NFRC, NICEIC or other registrations against the register on your behalf: look them up yourself.
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- Installing a cooker hood: what to ask. In Cheshire, installing a cooker hood depends on the duct, the electrics and safe access. No pound total is printed. See what to put on the quote.
- Installing Spotlights: What Changes the Cost. What moves a quote for installing spotlights or downlights: number of lights, access above the ceiling, new or existing circuit, bathrooms, certificates.
Sources
- QZ1: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila home and FAQ copy.
- QZ2: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila FAQ How does getting quotes work.
- S1: Bathroom renovation costs: a cost breakdown, Federation of Master Builders. Accessed 2026-11-01. https://www.fmb.org.uk/resource/bathroom-renovation-costs-a-cost-breakdown.html
- S2: Electrics: building regulations general information, Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-11-01. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/electrics/building-regulations-general-information/
- S3: Building regulations (Part P), Electrical Safety First. Accessed 2026-11-01. https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/find-a-registered-electrician/building-regulations/
- S4: Register for VAT, GOV.UK (HMRC). Accessed 2026-11-01. https://www.gov.uk/register-for-vat
- S5: Kitchens and bathrooms: need for additional ventilation, Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-11-01. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/kitchens-and-bathrooms/building-regulations-need-for-additional-ventilation/
- S6: Before you get work done on your home, Citizens Advice. Accessed 2026-11-01. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/before-you-get-building-work-done/