What does a new shower cost in County Durham?
Our guide range in County Durham is £400–£3,200 including VAT. Prices in County Durham run at about 10% below the UK guide, based on North East England labour rates.
Shower swap
- Existing supply and position
New shower over bath
- Tiling the bath surround
New shower with enclosure
- Tray, enclosure and valve
Guide prices for County Durham including VAT. Your itemised written quote after the free survey is the price that counts.
Which towns do we cover in County Durham?
- Darlington
- Hartlepool
- Stockton-on-Tees
- Durham
- Chester-le-Street
- Billingham
- Stanley
- Consett
- Newton Aycliffe
- Bishop Auckland
- Seaham
- Thornaby-on-Tees
- Peterlee
- Yarm
- Spennymoor
Most of County Durham has moderately hard water. A quick wipe of the glass and an easy-clean coating are worth having on a new shower in Darlington. Hardness varies street by street, so check the figure for your postcode with your water supplier. If you want a shower in your Darlington home that works when the boiler is off, an electric shower is worth considering, as long as the consumer unit can take the circuit.
What the job includes
- Electrical connection by a qualified electrician, tested and certified
- For an electric shower, a check of the consumer unit and whether a new dedicated circuit is needed
- New pipework and isolation valves, plus a pump only where the system is gravity-fed from a cold tank
- Supply and fitting of the shower valve or unit, riser rail, handset or fixed head
- A check of your hot-water system, water pressure and flow rate
- Tiling or re-tiling around the shower, with tanking behind new tiles in the wet area
Decisions to make first
Exposed or concealed
An exposed bar valve fixes onto the tiles and is easy to service. A concealed valve sits in the wall for a cleaner look but needs careful setting-out and a plan for access.
Head and handset
A handset on a riser rail is versatile and easy for rinsing; a fixed overhead head feels generous but needs strong flow behind it.
Thermostatic mixer
Blends hot and cold from your system and holds the temperature steady when someone runs a tap. The usual choice with a combi or an unvented cylinder.
Power shower
A mixer with a built-in pump, for tank-fed systems only. It lifts a weak gravity shower but must never be connected to the mains.
Rules that apply in England
The water fittings regulations in each nation do not allow a pump to be connected directly to the mains supply; shower pumps are for gravity systems with a cold tank only. The shower must also be protected against water flowing back into the supply. Electrics must meet BS 7671, with 30 mA RCD protection and at least IPX4 fittings in zone 1, or IPX5 where water jets are used.
In England, an electric shower usually needs its own dedicated circuit, often 40 to 45 amps for an 8.5 to 10.5 kW unit, and a new circuit is notifiable under Part P. The Part G limit of 48 °C applies to a new bath in a new dwelling or one created by change of use, not to a shower, but a thermostatic valve gives similar protection. An unvented cylinder fitted to improve the shower must be installed by a G3-qualified installer.