What makes a wet room work is under the tiles. The floor is built up with a sloped former, or screeded to a fall, so water runs to the drain and not towards the door. The floor and the walls around the shower are then tanked with a waterproof membrane, with sealing tape in every corner and a collar around every pipe. Tiling only starts once that layer is complete and checked. The finished room looks simple. The work underneath is not.
Timber floors need the most care. The former usually sits down between the joists, which may need trimming or strengthening, and the floor must be stiff enough that tile joints do not crack. In a flat, the lease often needs freeholder consent for a wet room, and any leak reaches the neighbours below. Wet rooms typically cost £6,000 to £12,000 supplied and fitted, including VAT, with the tanking accounting for most of the difference over a shower tray.
What does a wet room with us include?
- A survey of the floor construction, the joist size and direction or the concrete slab, and the route to the soil stack
- A pre-formed floor former with a linear or centre drain, or a screed laid to fall
- Full tanking of the floor and the shower walls, with sealed corners, pipe collars and a sealed drain connection
- Floor strengthening or a ply overlay on timber floors so the surface does not flex
- A frameless glass screen fixed to the wall and floor
- A thermostatic shower valve, exposed or concealed, with heads to suit your water system
- Slip-resistant porcelain floor tiles and wall tiling
- Extractor fan and lighting by a qualified electrician, tested and certified, with underfloor heating if you choose it
- Strip-out, waste removal, a final flow test to the drain and handover
How much does a wet room cost?
Our UK guide range is £6,000–£12,000 including VAT. Typical prices by kind of job:
Compact
- Under about 4 m²
- Floor former and linear or centre drain
- Full tanking, porcelain tiles
Signature
- 4–7 m² room
- Frameless screen, thermostatic shower
- Underfloor heating option
Large or luxury
- Full conversion of a larger room
- Large-format or stone-effect tiles
- Concealed valves, feature lighting
National guide prices including VAT, reviewed October 2026. London is typically about 25% higher and the North East, Wales and Northern Ireland around 7–12% lower. Your written quote after the survey is the price that counts.
What do you need to decide?
Linear or centre drain
A linear drain along one wall lets the floor fall in a single direction, so large tiles can be laid without awkward cuts. A centre drain needs a four-way fall and suits smaller tiles or mosaic.
Former or screed
A pre-formed board gives a consistent fall and suits timber floors. A sand and cement screed suits concrete slabs and larger shower areas.
Screen size
A screen of 1200 mm or more keeps spray off the rest of the room in most layouts. In a very small wet room, expect the whole floor to get wet.
Floor tile
Matt or textured porcelain with good slip resistance. Mosaic gives extra grip on a centre-drain floor because of its many grout lines.
Underfloor heating
Electric underfloor heating under the tiles dries the floor quickly after a shower; it is typically £700 to £1,500 for a bathroom.
Open or screened
A fully open shower with no glass only works in a larger room, with the basin, WC and towels well away from the spray.
