Installing a wet room can be a great idea for many reasons, but the number-one factor for many customers is accessibility.
Life for anyone with mobility or disability issues is enough of a challenge, so any positive changes that can make things a little easier are always welcome, and that's why so many people consider having a wet room installed instead of keeping their traditional bathroom.
Other than this, you might simply want a more open-plan bathroom without the restrictions of a shower enclosure or shower tray, in which case, a wet room might be appealing. In fact, wet rooms and walk-in showers have become popular choices for homeowners who prefer a modern style over a traditional bathroom. Also, a good quality wet room can add to the value of your home, particularly if it is a second bathroom or you already have an en suite.
However, one of the biggest considerations is this: how much does a wet room cost?
The Bathroom Crew offer a specialist wet room installation service, so we've used our knowledge to gather the information you need before installing a wet room.
As a rough guide, a basic wet room will come in at around £4,000, and for something a little more high-spec you're looking at a figure of around £10,000.
However, there are many different aspects that will affect wet room costs, so we'll need to examine these in turn to get a better idea of what's what.
You knew this was coming - as with most things in life that you pay for, the bigger it is, the higher the costs involved!
While it's tempting to go for a small wet room to save money, bear in mind that you need to comfortably fit a toilet and hand basin in there somewhere. There's no official minimum size, but it's generally accepted that 1.5m x 1m is the limit as to go much smaller would risk the space being too cramped.
As a guide, you should allow at least the same amount of space that a standard bath takes up. which is important if you have a very small bathroom.
Alternatively, for those with a bigger bathroom, it's a good idea to set the shower unit along one wall or in a corner and have a shower screen installed. This is more like the walk-in shower idea, but it works on the same principle; the floor levels are the same and there's no step or shower tray or door to negotiate.
With this in mind, here's a rough idea of how much it might cost to install a wet room:
However, this is an approximation of a basic wet room installation, without any additional features. When you add further accessories such as underfloor heating mats, fancy lighting and high-spec tiles you can easily add another couple of thousand pounds to the final cost.
You need to think seriously about what material you'd like for your wet-style bathroom floor, as there are several wet room flooring options and each one will affect the final cost.
There are several considerations to keep in mind when choosing the right type of flooring:
Some of these options can put a strain on your budget! Thankfully, however, there are cheaper types that still look amazing (see below).
This is imperative, as you don't want any accidents. A competent professional wet room installation contractor will never recommend any flooring that puts you at risk.
Although wet rooms are tanked to make them waterproof, your flooring also needs to be watertight to eliminate the risk of leaks. Seamless systems are best, although properly laid tiles or mosaic floors should be waterproof.
Durability and aesthetic appeal are important - you want your new wet room to last a good long time and to look beautiful! The Bathroom Crew will advise you on the best wet-style bathroom floor option for you and your specific needs and circumstances.
Your choice of flooring material will affect the cost and the look of your wet room project, so take some time over this, and seek advice if necessary.
Take a look at these, the most popular types in use at the moment:
You can choose from ceramic, natural stone or porcelain. All of these waterproof tiles look stunning, making for a beautiful and sophisticated shower area. The price for each one varies according to quality and design, but they're generally between £20 and £100 per square metre.
Always look for non-slip tiles to avoid any nasty mishaps! As a general rule, porcelain provides a better grip, but many ceramic tiles are suitable for wet rooms.
Vinyl is a sensible and practical choice, but it still looks good. It has excellent non-slip qualities and is much easier to install, which will help with labour costs.
It's also an affordable option that is available in tile or sheet form and can be made to resemble more expensive materials like stone or ceramic tile. A vinyl floor for your new wet room will cost between £20 and £40 per square metre, depending on the design and whether you choose luxury tiles or vinyl on a roll.
Finally, it is also waterproof and it feels warmer and softer underfoot, making it perfect for wet room installations.
Another practical choice that offers many benefits! While you might think that a concrete floor would be a dull grey colour, modern polished concrete is made to include pigments, which opens up a huge range of colour options.
This type of floor covering is seamless, making it completely waterproof, and it provides a good non-slip surface, even if you choose a high-gloss finish!
It is also low-maintenance, requiring only the occasional wipe-down with a mop or cloth and mild detergent. It's also advisable to re-apply the sealant every 3 to 5 years (the old sealant will eventually wear out and has to be ground back before the new coat is applied).
One potential drawback is that it should only be installed in a ground-floor wet room, as the weight may be too great for an upstairs room.
As for the price, a polished concrete floor will cost somewhere between £75 and £130 per square metre.
This aspect accounts for a large percentage of the cost of wet room installations as it's likely that the entire space will have to be covered from floor to ceiling.
Tiling is going to cost around £40 per square metre (and maybe much more!), partly due to labour costs but also as tiles can be pretty expensive, so you might want to consider your choice of tiles very carefully.
Even so, there are some stunning examples that will make your new wet room look absolutely amazing.
For your safety, all lighting must be waterproof and fitted correctly by a professional company. Bathroom lighting is split into categories or zones, depending on where it is to be situated in the room. Essentially, it indicates the areas most likely to be splashed heavily during use.
Each zone is given a two-digit IP number, meaning ingress protection or international protection that illustrates the minimum standard of protection required.
The first digit relates to the protection against solid objects getting into the light fitting, while the second digit refers to the level of protection against moisture and liquids.
The zones are as follows:
Within the shower tray, bath or wet room floors. These light fittings must be rated at least IP67, which is suitable for immersion in water. They must also be a maximum of 12v.
The area immediately above a bath or shower up to a height of 2250mm. In the case of a wet room, the entire wall space - at least on three sides - might be considered a high-splash zone, as there is nothing to contain the water. Lighting in zone 1 is recommended to be at least IP45, but IP67 is typically used as a precaution.
This area generally sits 0.6m outside the very ends of Zone 1 on your bath (extending upwards to 2250mm) and all around the wall behind your hand basin to a radius of about 600mm. This zone is unlikely to exist in a wet room as water may be splashed further. Even so, IP44 is suggested for a traditional bathroom, while a bathroom fitter might still recommend using a higher specification.
These are areas that are not likely to be sprayed with water or get too much moisture, and they can be anywhere that isn't covered by the other zones. Typically, they can be found further away from the shower or bath, especially in a band around the top of the walls to a depth of 600mm.
Again, it's more difficult to pinpoint these areas in a wet room, as the splash zones will be different. An electrician will probably insist on installing light fittings with a higher IP rating to ensure your safety.
Because of this, the cost of installing a wet room might be more as the lighting will be more expensive; the average price of an IP67 bulb is £20 plus installation costs.
You can add some flair to your wet room by choosing coloured or colour-changing lights! Of course, this will push up the cost of your new wet room, but it can make it seriously luxurious. Also, mood lighting has proven to be beneficial to those with special needs, and for children in particular.
Again, this may increase the overall wet room installation costs, but it's absolutely worth it if your budget allows it! Prices run from around £15 up to the low hundreds, so it's worth consulting with your wet room fitter to see where you can save money.
This is your opportunity to create your own space by selecting the shower and accessories you want! These fixtures come in a variety of finishes, including silver, black, gold and brushed metal.
Prices start at around £200 and can run to £1,500 or more, so shop around to find one that suits your budget and style.
You don't have to install underfloor heating, but it's a real bonus and makes the room feel luxurious. It will also save space as there's no real need for a radiator (although a heated towel rail can be handy) and will definitely help the space to dry out quickly, avoiding the issue of damp or mould.
There are two types to choose from, and both will add to the overall cost of installing a wetroom:
This consists of a network of pipes through which hot water flows. The pipes are covered with a layer of screed, over which the flooring is laid.
The average price of wet underfloor heating is between £135 and £185 per square metre, so this is where the size of your bathroom really matters! A standard bathroom in the UK is about 4.4m², giving an approximate wet room cost of between £600 and £800.
If your bathroom floor area is more than this, say, three by three metres, you're looking at something like £1,200 or £1,600.
This often comes in the form of mats that are rolled out in minutes, once again saving on labour costs as well as the supply costs and amount of materials needed to do the job. Not all electric UFH mats are suitable for wet rooms, so your fitter will have to check this.
Average prices range from £70 to £400 or more, making it an attractive option over wet UFH. It also heats up more quickly: wet UFH can take up to two hours to reach temperature, whereas electric UFH takes about ten minutes!
At the end of the day, underfloor heating is a luxury - it's entirely up to you whether your budget allows for the additional costs, but the electric version is a sensible choice.
Generally speaking, no planning permission is required when installing a wet room in an existing bathroom. You will, of course, need planning permission for an extension, if it is being built specifically to contain the wet room.
However, if the wet room is to be installed in a new build, you will need to apply for building regulations approval.
On average, installing a wet room takes about a week, although this time can double if there are complications or your design specifications are complex. You should allow at least four days minimum for the actual installation, and a couple of days for removing your old bathroom if necessary.
Because of the nature of the work, various trades will need access at specific times and this has to run smoothly. Having a wet room installed is a much more involved process than fitting traditional bathrooms, and this is reflected in the price and the time taken to install them.
You could be wondering what the difference is between the two, and in some senses, they're pretty similar.
On the whole, a wet room is more practical and basic, although it doesn't mean they have to be dull and boring! Wet rooms are usually more open, while walk-in showers often have a shower screen and a low-level shower tray.
Wet rooms are also generally better for those with mobility or disability issues because there are fewer obstacles and restrictions. Generally speaking, wet rooms cost more than walk-in showers, although much depends on your choice of materials.
Also, you may qualify for financial assistance if you need to install a wet room because of your disability.
It's tempting to say yes. Everyone wants to save a bit of cash, and it's admirable that people are willing to do the hard graft themselves. In theory, it's possible for someone with moderate DIY skills to fit their own wet room, but it has to be installed correctly or they will soon run into problems!
Here are a few issues that you'll have to contend with if you plan to do the entire job yourself:
Your shower drain needs to be fitted properly and the floor surface or shower tray must slope towards the waste pipe to avoid the possibility of standing water.
The whole shower area and the entire floor will need tanking, a technical term that means sealing it in so that no water can penetrate through to the substrate. If this isn't done properly, you'll have water leaking through the wet room flooring and maybe even through the walls.
This would be bad enough on the ground floor, but if the wet room is upstairs it can cause major damage. A professional wet room installer will ensure that it is completely waterproof.
If you're installing a wet room using a kit, you need to make absolutely sure of the quality as some of these aren't up to scratch and you'll incur additional costs in repairs at a later date.
Also, it's important to note that the shower tray you use has to be strong enough to take the weight of a wheelchair with its occupant if you are installing a wet room for disability purposes. Not all shower trays are built for this!
This one is no joke. If you get this wrong it could result in a tragic accident, and that's the very last thing that anyone wants. Electricity and water don't mix very well, so our advice is to leave all wiring and electrics to a qualified professional unless you can be 100% certain that you've got it right!
The Bathroom Crew know this better than anyone, which is why we generally recommend that you employ a professional bathroom fitter as they have access to all the best materials, fixtures and accessories at trade prices and there's no compromise on quality.
Our wet room installation service handles all of the work, leaving you with a bathroom to be proud of.
Experts suggest that adding a wet room to your home can boost its value by 5%, especially if it's a second (or third!) bathroom or en suite.
So, although you'll be investing between £4,000 and £10,000 or so in your wet room installation, you'll easily recover that money if or when you sell your home.
But it's not all about money; a well-designed and professionally built wet room looks fantastic and will bring you a lot of joy and pleasure. And if you're installing a wet room because of mobility or disability problems, it will provide the freedom, comfort and peace of mind that you deserve.
It's safe to say that wet rooms are a good overall investment and offer excellent benefits for anyone with mobility issues. They don't have to cost the earth - you just need to avoid any unnecessary additional features - and they can still look stunning.
The key is to choose the best bathroom fitter for the job to get the best results and help you to make the most of your wet room installation. So when you want a new bathroom or wet room, keep the Bathroom Crew in mind. We also offer walk-in shower installation, so get in touch!
