Shower installation in Harpenden

Postcode districts: AL5
Nearby: St Albans, Luton and Hemel Hempstead
Guide price: £500–£3,700
Typical time on site: half a day to 3 days
Water: Very hard across most of Hertfordshire
Survey: Free, at your home

What does a new shower cost in Harpenden?

In Harpenden, a new shower typically costs £500–£3,700 including VAT, based on East of England prices. Labour costs in East of England put local prices at about 6% above the UK guide figure. The figure depends on the size of the room, whether anything moves, and the products you pick.

Shower swap

£500–£1,050

Test and handover

Typical

New shower over bath

£850–£1,900

Thermostatic bar shower and riser

New shower with enclosure

£1,600–£3,700

Pipework and waste

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

Working in Harpenden

We work right across Harpenden — AL5 — and in neighbouring St Albans and Luton.

Homes in and around Harpenden vary, so we look at the floor, the walls and the water system before we price anything. If your Harpenden bath has no shower over it, a thermostatic bar shower, screen and tiling can usually be added in a day or two. If you want a shower in your Harpenden home that works when the boiler is off, an electric shower is worth considering, as long as the consumer unit can take the circuit.

Supplies across most of Hertfordshire are very hard. If your supply in Harpenden 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.

What the job includes

Tiling or re-tiling around the shower, with tanking behind new tiles in the wet area
Electrical connection by a qualified electrician, tested and certified
A bath screen, tray or enclosure where the shower is new
For an electric shower, a check of the consumer unit and whether a new dedicated circuit is needed

Decisions to make first

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.

Electric shower

Heats cold mains water as it flows, so it works without stored hot water. Higher kW units give more flow; 8.5 to 10.5 kW models need a dedicated circuit, often 40 to 45 amps.

Rules that apply in England

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.

More about shower installation

Shower installation in Harpenden: questions

How much does a new shower cost in Harpenden?

A new shower in Harpenden usually costs £500–£3,700 including VAT. The final figure comes down to what you choose and what we find at the survey; your written quote lists every item so you can see where the money goes.

Is the home survey in Harpenden really free?

Yes. We visit, measure the room, check the pipework, drainage and electrics, and talk through what you want. You then get a written, itemised quote with no obligation to go ahead.

Do you cover AL5 in Harpenden?

Yes. We cover all of Harpenden, including AL5, and nearby St Albans, Luton and Hemel Hempstead. Survey visits are free and arranged at a time that suits you.

Is the water hard in Harpenden?

Does an electric shower need its own circuit?

Almost always. An electric shower draws a large current, so it needs a dedicated circuit from the consumer unit, often 40 to 45 amps for an 8.5 to 10.5 kW unit, with RCD protection. In England and Wales a new circuit is notifiable work. Swapping like for like onto an adequate existing circuit is simpler.