How Much Does a Wet Room Cost?

Wet rooms are the latest bathroom design trend, but are they really worth it? Check out our breakdown of the benefits of installing a wet room, as well as how much a wet room costs.

Wet rooms have become one of the top design trends when remodelling a bathroom, but how much does a wetroom cost and are wetrooms really worth the price tag?

If you’re contemplating making the choice to install a wet room, there are many things to take into consideration. There are plenty of pros to wet rooms and outside of pricing, there are plenty of things to consider such as how to style your wet room.

Check out our breakdown of everything you need to know when it comes to wet rooms and how much they cost to install.

Arezzo 1950mm Matt Black Grid Wetroom Screen

Benefits of a wet room bathroom

Space saving

Due to wet rooms shower style, they can be a great space saving method and often make a small bathroom look bigger. A wet room shower is flush with the bathroom floor, removing the need for a shower enclosure, which allows for a more open room.

Accessibility

As wet rooms are open plan there’s no need for shower enclosure doors, a shower bath, or a raised shower tray. This means there’s no need to step up into your shower, which is why wet rooms are suited to those with mobility difficulties. Wet room floors are also typically built with non-slip bathroom tiles and leave plenty of room for the installation of support rails and shower seats.

Practicality

Wet rooms are completely waterproof which means you won’t have to worry about leaks and water damage. They are also super easy to clean which is always a plus!

Design options

Outside of all the practical benefits, wet rooms are also popular because they look great! The absence of a shower tray means that your bathroom floor can have a cohesive and sleek tile look. Wet rooms are completely customisable and so they’re an ideal choice for those with a strong sense of style.

Arezzo Screen Wetroom — Arezzo 1950mm Matt Black Profile Wetroom Screen

Costs of a wetroom bathroom

It’s hard to give a definitive answer as to how much a wet room installation costs in the UK, but it will likely fall within the region of £4,000 to £10,000. Whilst wetrooms are undoubtedly bathroom goals, they can be expensive because your entire bathroom will essentially need redoing. With all necessary products and labour costs considered, wetrooms aren’t exactly cheap. However, once they’re complete, wet rooms have an impressive longevity compared to typical bathrooms.

When budgeting for a wet room, there are some products and processes that are essential, so be sure to prioritise the costs of these when planning.

Tiles

This will take up a lot of your budget because in order for your shower to sit flush with the rest of your bathroom floor, you will have to have your bathroom floor completely retiled. In order to ensure that proper shower drainage can occur, your flooring must be angled towards the drain.

You will also have to retile your bathroom walls when installing a wetroom to allow for waterproofing.

Tanking

This is the process of waterproofing your wet room. Typically this is achieved with a waterproofing kit that acts as a base layer for your tiles. The entirety of your bathroom floor should be tanked, as well as any shower walls you may have.

Shower and shower screen

Whilst it’s not required to buy a brand new shower, if you’re going through the trouble of installing a wet room you may as well commit to an entire bathroom revamp. As you’re basically starting from scratch with your bathroom you may as well ensure that your shower meets all your practical needs, as well as matching your brand new bathroom aesthetic.

Shower screens aren’t essential in a wet room and many choose not to install one when renovating. However, they are useful in preventing water spray from reaching other areas of your bathroom and function as a great stylistic tool.

Labour

If it’s not clear by now, installing a wet room is no small feat. In order to ensure the installation process is carried out correctly, you’re looking at at least a good 5 days for the process to be complete. Of course, for particularly large bathrooms it is more likely that the entire process might take a full week to reach completion.

Whilst pricing for this may vary throughout the UK, the labour cost of installing a wetroom will likely fall between £200-£300 per person a day. Typically it takes about two labourers to get the job done at optimal capacity. Bear this in mind when budgeting!

Venice Wetroom grid wetroom screen — Venice 1950mm Matt Black Abstract Grid Wetroom Screen

Installing a wet room for disabled persons

The average cost for a wet room built for disabled persons, or for those with limited mobility like the elderly, starts at an average of about £5,000. The average price for this starts a little higher than typical wet rooms because on top of the waterproofing and retiling, its likey additional features such as assisted living products will need to be added.

It’s worth noting that you may be entitled to disasbled facilities grants which are for those who need to make changes to their home to make them more accessible.

Whilst wet rooms can be quite expensive, they make the life of the user much easier once installed. As previously mentioned, the shower design of a wet room lends itself to level entry access. There is no need for shower enclosure doors or the need to step up onto a raised shower tray. Due to their open nature, there’s also plenty of room for rails and seats to be installed into the shower for additional support and accessibility.

Additional features like non-slip tiles and the fact that wet rooms are easy to clean makes them perfectly suited to disabled persons and potential carers.

Arched wetroom screen — Arezzo Arched Matt Black Wetroom Screen

Wet room features for your bathroom

In addition to the essentials, there are few other features you can add to your wet room installation to get the most out of the space whilst creating the most luxurious experience.

Wet room screens

One of the most popular shower screens is undoubtedly our Arezzo Fluted Glass Brushed Brass Wetroom Screen. A unique but practical stylistic choice, this showerscreen is ideal for adding character to a brand new wet room installation.

Fluted Wetroom Screen — Arezzo Fluted Glass Wetroom Screen

Wet room trays

Wet room trays are a crucial component in waterproofing your bathroom. The Orion 600 Linear Wetroom Rectangular Shower Tray Former adds that extra touch of luxury with its stylish drain design.

Underfloor heating

Whilst it’s not essential, underfloor heating like the Caldo Underfloor Heating Kit are the ultimate upgrade to make to a bathroom. It’s not often that you’ll be completely ripping up the flooring of your bathroom and so installing a wet room is the prime time to add some boujee underfloor heating.

Shower panels

Shower wall panels are a great substitute for wall tiles. The Multipanel Linda Barker Calacatta Marble Bathroom Wall Panel is perfect for those looking for a timeless and elegant wet room. Wall panels eliminate the need for grout making them easy to install and keep clean.

All things considered, wet rooms are worth the consideration. Whilst the cost to install a wet room is high, they are certainly worth the effort!

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Trinity

Trinity is one of our expert bloggers in bathroom design and DIYs. Read her blog posts for the latest coverage of style trends and easy-to-follow guides.