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What changes the cost of a walk-in shower?
In Cheshire, the cost of a walk-in shower depends on whether it replaces a bath or an old shower, whether it uses a low tray or a level wet room floor, the drainage, the tiling and screen, and the shower and its electrics. We print no installation price, so compare written quotes for the same layout and finish.
Last reviewed:What does a walk-in shower price include?
A walk-in shower is a shower you step into without a door or a high tray edge, usually with a fixed glass screen and a low or level floor. The price is a price for the whole job around it, not just the shower unit. It usually includes stripping out the old bath or shower, any changes to the waste and water pipes, the tray or wet room floor, waterproofing, wall boards or tiling, the screen, the shower valve or electric shower, connections, and making good.
QuoteZila is starting in Cheshire, with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach among the first towns. This guide does not print an installation price. We could not find two dated public UK sources for one. It does print one public figure, the GOV.UK maximum for a Disabled Facilities Grant in England, and explains what changes a fitter's quote.
Walk-in tray or wet room?
These are the two common ways of doing it, and they cost differently.
- Walk-in shower with a low tray. A slim tray sits on the floor, with a fixed glass panel and an open end. The step in is small. The tray already holds the fall to the waste, so the floor needs less work.
- Wet room or level access floor. There is no tray. The floor itself slopes to a drain, and the floor and lower walls are tanked so the whole area can take water. This suits people who cannot step over any edge, but it usually means more preparation, especially on a timber upstairs floor.
Ask each fitter which they are quoting. A wet room quote and a tray quote are not like for like, even if both are described as walk-in.
The one public figure on this page: grants
If the shower is needed because someone in the house is disabled, a grant may help. GOV.UK says a Disabled Facilities Grant in England can be up to £30,000, and that the amount you get usually depends on your household income and household savings over £6,000 [S4]. The same page says some councils may give more [S4].
The grant is run by your local council, so in Cheshire that means Cheshire East or Cheshire West and Chester. Councils usually want an assessment before work starts, and work done before approval may not be covered. Ask the council first, then ask fitters to quote against what the council approves.
Drainage, plumbing and building regulations
Drainage is often the hardest part of a walk-in shower. A low tray or a level floor leaves little depth for the waste pipe, so the pipe needs a proper fall to the soil stack, or the floor needs raising, or a pump may be needed. On an upstairs timber floor, joists may need cutting or packing, which has to be done carefully.
The Planning Portal says refitting a bathroom does not generally need building regulations approval, but that new drainage or electrical work within it can [S3]. Ask each fitter whether your job needs approval, and how they will handle it. For the water supply side, WaterSafe runs a register of approved plumbers you can search by postcode [S6].
GOV.UK: find your local council for building control. QuoteZila is not affiliated with this organisation.
Showers and electrics
The shower itself can be a mixer fed by your hot water system, or an electric shower that heats its own water. A mixer depends on your water pressure and boiler. An electric shower needs a dedicated supply from the consumer unit, which is electrical work in a bathroom.
This page gives no DIY steps for electrical work. The Planning Portal says an installer registered with a competent person scheme can self-certify compliance with the building regulations [S5]. Ask each fitter who will do the electrics, and what certificate you will get. Extractor fans and lighting near the shower are electrical work too.
Electrical Safety First: find a registered electrician; NICEIC; NAPIT. QuoteZila is not affiliated with this organisation.
Features that change the specification
Small choices add up on a walk-in shower, and they are easier to price at the start than to add later. Think about grab rails and where they will be fixed, because walls need the right backing to hold them. A fold-down seat needs the same. A thermostatic valve keeps the water temperature steadier than a basic mixer. A slip-resistant tray or floor tile matters more on a level floor than on a raised tray. A longer screen, or a second panel, keeps more water inside the shower area in a small room. If anyone in the house uses a wheelchair or a walking frame, measure the doorway and the turning space too. Tell each fitter which of these you want, so every quote includes the same list.
What changes the cost of a walk-in shower
| What is being priced | What makes it bigger or smaller | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Strip-out | Removing a bath, old shower, tiles, boxing | What is removed and how waste is taken away |
| Tray or wet room floor | Low tray, tile-in tray, fully tanked wet room | Which they are pricing |
| Floor work | Timber or concrete floor, raising or lowering | What floor work is included |
| Drainage | Moving the waste, fall to the stack, pump | How the waste will drain, and whether a pump is needed |
| Water supply | New pipework, moving the valve | What pipework changes are included |
| Shower | Mixer, thermostatic, electric, who supplies it | The shower named, and who supplies it |
| Electrics | New supply for an electric shower, fan, lighting | Who does them, and how they are certified |
| Walls | Tiles, wall panels, waterproof boards | The finish and who supplies it |
| Screen | Fixed panel, size, glass type | The screen named |
| Making good | Ceiling below, flooring, decorating | Where their price stops |
| VAT | Whether the business is VAT registered | Whether the total includes VAT |
A business must register for VAT when its taxable turnover goes over £90,000 [S2]. Ask whether each total includes VAT before you compare.
What to have ready before you ask for quotes
Give each fitter the same information:
- whether the shower replaces a bath, an old shower, or goes in a new space
- photos of the bathroom, including the floor, the bath or shower and the toilet
- the room size, and which floor the bathroom is on
- tray or wet room, if you know
- the type of shower you want, and how your hot water is heated
- the wall finish you want: tiles or panels
- whether a grant is involved, and whether the council has visited
- your postcode, and when the work could be done
How to compare walk-in shower quotes
Check each quote for:
- Tray or wet room, named.
- How the waste will drain, and whether a pump or floor work is included.
- The shower, screen and wall finish, named, and who supplies them.
- Electrics: who does them and what certificate you get.
- Strip-out, waste removal and making good.
- How long the bathroom will be out of use.
- Whether VAT is included.
- Whether it is a fixed price for the listed work.
Citizens Advice suggests getting written quotes from at least three traders, avoiding large upfront payments and keeping any deposit you cannot avoid to no more than 25% [S1].
Jobs you might post
These are examples, not taken from real job posts. "Remove our bath and fit a walk-in shower with a low tray and glass screen, tiled to the ceiling." Or: "Convert a small ground-floor bathroom in Sandbach into a level access wet room. The council has approved a grant." Or: "Replace an old shower cubicle with a walk-in shower and a new electric shower, including the electrics."
Get quotes from local bathroom fitters
Describe the bathroom, the shower you want and your postcode. Up to five matched local businesses can reply [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 the bathroom fitters page, the plumbers page, the tilers page or the plumber cost guide. For a dripping tap in the same room, see how to change a tap cartridge.
Official and public sources
QuoteZila is not affiliated with these organisations.
- Quotes and deposits: Citizens Advice [S1].
- VAT: GOV.UK on when to register [S2].
- Bathroom building regulations: Planning Portal: kitchens and bathrooms [S3].
- Grants: GOV.UK: Disabled Facilities Grants, what you'll get [S4].
- Electrical work: Planning Portal: electrics, building regulations [S5].
- Approved plumbers: WaterSafe [S6].
Questions about walk-in shower costs
How much does a walk-in shower cost?
This guide does not print an installation price, because we could not find two dated public UK sources for one. Removing a bath, the drainage, the tray or wet room floor, tiling, the screen and the shower itself all change the total. Ask bathroom fitters to price the same layout and finish.
Is a walk-in shower the same as a wet room?
Not quite. A walk-in shower usually has a low tray and a fixed glass screen with an open entry. A wet room usually has a level, fully waterproofed floor that slopes to a drain, with no tray at all. A wet room is often more work, because the floor and walls have to be tanked.
Can I get a grant for a walk-in shower?
Possibly, if it is needed because of a disability. GOV.UK says a Disabled Facilities Grant in England can be up to £30,000, and that the amount usually depends on household income and savings over £6,000. Ask your council how to apply, because an assessment is usually needed before any work starts.
Do I need building regulations approval for a walk-in shower?
Sometimes. The Planning Portal says refitting a bathroom does not generally need approval, but that new drainage or electrical work within it can. Ask each fitter whether your job needs approval, and how they will handle it.
Does an electric shower need an electrician?
Yes. Electrical work in a bathroom is a job for a registered electrician, and this page gives no DIY steps. The Planning Portal says an installer registered with a competent person scheme can self-certify compliance with the building regulations.
Should I pay a deposit for a walk-in shower?
Citizens Advice suggests avoiding large upfront payments and keeping any deposit you cannot avoid to no more than 25%. If the fitter is ordering a tray, screen or shower for you, agree in writing what the deposit covers.
Does QuoteZila check the fitters 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.
Related guides
- Bathroom fitters: full bathroom jobs
- Plumbers: drainage and pipework
- Plumber cost: what goes into a plumber's quote
- All cost guides
Part of Cost guides. All services
Related trades
Cost guides
Related pages
- Bathtub Installation Cost: What Changes the Price. What changes the cost of bathtub installation in Cheshire: the type and weight of bath, the floor, taps and waste, panels, tiling and taking out the old one.
- New Bathroom Cost: What Changes the Price. A new bathroom is around £5,000 in the Federation of Master Builders guide of 5 June 2026. Prices vary by job and location. QuoteZila does not set prices.
Sources
- QZ1: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila home and jobs-for-tradesmen copy.
- QZ2: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila terms and matching notes.
- S1: Before you get work done on your home, Citizens Advice. Accessed 2026-10-25. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/before-you-get-building-work-done/
- S2: Register for VAT, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-25. https://www.gov.uk/register-for-vat
- S3: Is building regulations approval needed for work to a kitchen or bathroom?, Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-10-25. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/kitchens-and-bathrooms/is-building-regulations-approval-needed-for-work-to-a-kitchen-or-bathroom/
- S4: Disabled Facilities Grants: what you'll get, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-25. https://www.gov.uk/disabled-facilities-grants/what-youll-get
- S5: Building Regulations: general information, electrics, Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-10-25. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/electrics/building-regulations-general-information/
- S6: Find a local approved plumber, WaterSafe. Accessed 2026-10-25. https://www.watersafe.org.uk/