Bath to shower conversions in Essex

What does a bath to shower conversion cost in Essex?

Our guide range in Essex is £2,100–£5,300 including VAT. Prices in Essex run at about 6% above the UK guide, based on East of England labour rates.

Guide prices for Essex including VAT. Your itemised written quote after the free survey is the price that counts.

Which towns do we cover in Essex?

• Southend-on-Sea
• Basildon
• Colchester
• Chelmsford
• Harlow
• Grays
• Braintree
• Brentwood
• Clacton-on-Sea
• South Benfleet
• Canvey Island
• Billericay
• Rayleigh
• Stanford-le-Hope
• Wickford
• Witham
• Pitsea
• Maldon
• Waltham Abbey
• South Ockendon
• Harwich
• Hadleigh
• Walton-on-the-Naze
• Frinton-on-Sea
• Rochford
• Saffron Walden

Most of Essex has very hard water. If your supply in Southend-on-Sea is the same, limescale on shower glass and heads is a real issue: easy-clean glass, rub-clean nozzles and a squeegee make a big difference. Hardness varies street by street, so check the figure for your postcode with your water supplier. We check the floor under the bath during a Southend-on-Sea survey where we can, because old leaks can leave soft boards.

What the job includes

• Boarding, tanking and re-tiling of the shower walls
• A thermostatic shower valve, with the pipework moved for the new head position
• Repair or replacement of floorboards where the bath has left them soft or damaged
• Removal of the bath, panel and taps, and disposal of the waste
• A survey of the bath space, the waste position, the floor and your water system
• A glass enclosure, walk-in panel or frameless screen

Decisions to make first

Safety extras

A fold-down seat, grab rails and a slip-resistant tray cost little at the time of fitting and are much harder to add later.

Low tray or level floor

A low-profile tray has a small lip. A level-access floor removes the step altogether but needs a former, tanking and a linear drain.

Enclosure or walk-in

An enclosure with a door keeps all the water in and suits a shorter space. A walk-in panel makes the most of the full 1700 mm length an old bath leaves.

Mixer or electric shower

A thermostatic mixer draws on your hot-water system. An electric shower heats cold mains water as it flows and needs its own circuit.

Rules that apply in England

Converting a bath to a shower does not need planning permission. The shower area is a special location under BS 7671, with 30 mA RCD protection on every circuit and at least IPX4 fittings in zone 1 above the tray up to 2.25 m. A shower pump can only be used on a gravity system with a cold tank, never on the mains. Where the conversion adapts the home for a disabled person, the work can be zero-rated for VAT under HMRC VAT Notice 701/7.

In England, adding an electric shower usually means a new circuit, which is notifiable under Part P, as is any change to the wiring in the bathroom. Where the conversion is an adaptation for a disabled person, a Disabled Facilities Grant of up to £30,000 may help, but the council must approve it before work starts.