What does a new shower cost in the Scottish Borders?
Our guide range in the Scottish Borders is £450–£3,400 including VAT. Prices in the Scottish Borders run at about 4% below the UK guide, based on Scotland 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 Scottish Borders including VAT. Your itemised written quote after the free survey is the price that counts.
Which towns do we cover in the Scottish Borders?
Supplies across most of the Scottish Borders are soft. If that holds for your street in Hawick, limescale on shower glass and heads builds up slowly and a squeegee after use is usually enough. Hardness varies street by street, so check the figure for your postcode with your water supplier. If your Hawick bath has no shower over it, a thermostatic bar shower, screen and tiling can usually be added in a day or two.
What the job includes
- New pipework and isolation valves, plus a pump only where the system is gravity-fed from a cold tank
- For an electric shower, a check of the consumer unit and whether a new dedicated circuit is needed
- Removal of the old shower, a full-flow test and a handover on isolating and descaling it
- Tiling or re-tiling around the shower, with tanking behind new tiles in the wet area
- A bath screen, tray or enclosure where the shower is new
- A check of your hot-water system, water pressure and flow rate
Decisions to make first
Digital shower
A wall panel sets the exact temperature and flow, while the mixing valve sits out of sight. It needs a power supply and suits a clean, concealed look.
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.
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.
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 Scotland
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 Scotland there is no Part P, but a new shower circuit must still be designed, installed and certified to BS 7671. Water fittings, including pumps and backflow protection, are covered by the Scottish Water Byelaws 2014.