Wet rooms are becoming increasingly popular. As a feature, they can add value to your home, and they're especially attractive for those with mobility issues. Since a wet room has no shower steps or baths, it is an accessible style of bathroom design.
However, wet rooms can be more than just an accessibility choice; a disabled wet room can look stylish and chic. Modern-day wet rooms can come in lots of styles, sizes and shapes, meaning that wet room installation can be a great option for lots of different households.
The flip side of this, though, is that the cost of a wet room can differ hugely from one wet room installation to another.
So what should you expect when you start looking into getting a wet room in your own home?
There are average cost estimates for wet rooms, however these are ballpark figures. Due to the difference in costs across the country, and how easily the cost of changing one bathroom to a wet room can be, it's hard to pinpoint a figure.
Generally speaking, you can expect to pay 20% more than you'd pay for a normal bathroom, minimum.
With that in mind, the average price of a wet room installation per room can sit anywhere between £4,000 and £12,000. This is inclusive of around £200 to £400 per day for labour costs alone.
Read our post "Wet room cost".
The above cost is inclusive of the labour and every basic item you would need to create a suitable shower area and bathroom. However, for a more detailed breakdown, take a look here:
The average cost for a shower screen and enclosure ranges from £500 to £1,500, and the cost of shower fixtures (this includes shower heads, valves and controls) sits at around £200 and £8000.
Suitable non-slip flooring will usually cost around £100 to £150 per square metre (exact tile costs will depend on which tiles and materials you opt for). A waterproofing kit and the right materials for the entire space will cost between £500 and £1,000. Wall coverings will cost around £20 to £80 per square metre.
Drainage systems can cost between £300 and £800 (depending on the complexity of the system needed). Meanwhile, ventilation costs around £150 to £500.
Underfloor heating tends to cost between £60 and £185 per square meter (although this is dependent on which type of underfloor heating you opt for, as there are two distinct styles).
Waterproof lighting will cost between £50 and £200 per light.
There are several factors that will impact the room cost when it comes to installing a wet room. It is important to take these into consideration when you're trying to budget. You may find it easiest to contact Bath Vision today and ask for a quote than to try and guess how much you'll need to save.
Some of the factors that impact the cost of a wet room include:
The bathroom design will inevitably be impacted by the size of the room available. A smaller bathroom may have a basic wet room installed whereas a bigger bathroom may have more space for additional features.
On a basic level, the more space in the bathroom, the more materials the wet room takes to protect the entire room with wall and floor coverings and to construct a suitable shower enclosure.
This will usually depend on the budget you have available, but wet room installation costs will also be impacted by the brand and quality of materials used when installing a wet room. Higher quality materials will cost more than things like standard tiles or unnamed brands.
As well as the brand of the item, the cost will vary depending on what you choose to include. You might opt for things like underfloor heating mats, grab bars, or shower seats in addition to a walk-in shower and waterproof lighting - these additional features will make your wet room even nicer and increase its value, but they will also dramatically increase the cost of installing a wet room.
Even little decisions can impact the price, for example, you might consider opting for a shower screen over a simple shower curtain, as this will help to protect and completely waterproof your bathroom. But it will also cost more.
Your labour costs will be a large chunk of the overall cost of installing a wet room. These will be dictated by who you choose to work with, where in the country you are, and what the existing bathroom looks like.
If the existing space is already set out in a way that makes installing a wet room and a shower enclosure pretty easy, you might find that the job will take less time, therefore, it will cost less
However, if your current space is quite far away from the goal, or you're adding underfloor heating or something that involves ripping out the entire room to install your disabled wet room, then the cost of labour will be higher.
Just like with traditional bathrooms, there are different types of wet rooms available, and the style you choose will impact the final cost of your bathroom. You can combine these styles to make your disabled wet room match the style of your property, but different elements of each one will impact the cost of your disabled wet room.
A traditional wet room is a minimalist fully waterproofed design where their shower is completely level with the rest of the room, so there's no 'shower tray' as such. Usually made of tile or stone that can withstand water exposure.
Generally speaking, these are some of the cheaper wet room options when it comes to overall cost.
A luxury spa wet room transforms a bathroom into a relaxing retreat. Usually, this sort of wet room will have premium features like rain showers, natural stone, marble and mood lighting.
A luxury wet room will likely have a luxury price tag!
A family wet room is designed with practicality and durability, often in a larger area, these rooms have robust materials and are even more likely to have non-slip flooring. They may have dual shower heads to accommodate a family.
These tend to have a higher final price due to the materials and the size of the space needed.
A disabled wet room, specifically designed to accommodate a disability, may have grab rails to allow people with limited mobility to hold themselves up or hoist themselves out of chairs.
These are usually larger bathrooms, and therefore sometimes cost more. However, in some cases, you can get 20% off when creating a disabled wet room.
A compact wet room makes the most of a smaller space and is the perfect option when installing a wet room in a smaller property. They will usually cost less due to size alone.
In theory, you could save on labour costs by skipping out on hiring a professional company like Bath Vision. You'd then just have to pay for the individual items and everything you needed! But, you would need to fit the bathroom, which does involve a lot of skill and requires a lot of equipment. Not only that, but you'd also need to be aware of building regulations.
It is also worth considering that when you're building a bathroom for disabled persons you also need to make sure the bathroom is fit for purpose, i.e., it can hold their weight and has suitable easy access. This could involve things like needing wider doorways for wheelchairs, which is a big job and can go very wrong without professional help.
So whilst you can DIY it and significantly impact the total cost, it's debatable whether it is worth it. If you're not trained in bathroom fitting, it is likely easier to just opt for the additional support. You'll still have complete control over the design, but you won't need to worry about getting it all wrong! You can trust Bath Vision's team to create your perfect disabled wet room.
Wet room costs can be intense, and if you need a disabled wet room in your house, the cost can be really intimidating. This leads a lot of people to think that they cannot afford it, and never bother to save toward wet room installation costs.
However, there are a few grant schemes available in the UK that provide assistance when it comes to wet room costs, for example, the Disabled Facilities Grant. Some of these schemes will let you pay lower VAT on the project, or avoid the wet room costs altogether.
Each grant will have specific criteria, and will only fund a wet room for you if you are eligible.
For more detailed information check this post "Grants for disabled bathrooms".
