A wet room lives or dies on the parts you never see once it is finished: the floor underneath, the waterproof layer and the fall towards the drain. This page explains how we install them, what decides whether your bathroom suits one and what to expect from the survey.
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What we actually install
In a wet room the shower area is part of the floor itself. There is no tray lip to step over, and the water runs across a tiled surface into a gully or a linear channel. That means the whole wet zone, floor and walls, has to be treated as if it will sit under water, because at times it will. We fit a complete tanking system across that zone, with tapes at every corner and joint and collars around each pipe, all from one manufacturer so the layers are designed to work together.
Around that we handle everything else the room needs: the waste run back to the stack, the screen, the shower valve, lighting and extraction, the tiling and the final seal. You deal with one team from the first visit to the handover.
The floor decides the method
The single biggest question on any wet room is what sits under your feet. It shapes the price, the timescale and how much floor height you lose.
- Timber joists. Common upstairs in terraces and semis. We check the joists, reinforce where they need it, then either set a former down between them so the finished floor stays flush or build a shallow deck on top.
- Solid concrete. Usual on ground floors and in many newer homes. The drain and pipework are chased into the slab, or the floor is built up to create the fall.
- Bouncy or damaged boards. Found more often than people expect once the old suite is out. They are replaced before any waterproofing goes down, because movement is what splits a membrane.
Depending on the method, a build up normally costs between 20mm and 45mm of height, and a recessed former costs nothing at all. We tell you which applies after the survey, not after the floor is up.
Drainage and falls
Water has to leave the floor faster than the shower puts it down. That comes from two things: a gradient that is steady and consistent across the wet area, and a drain with enough flow for the shower you have chosen. A centre gully suits a squarer room with tiles that can be cut to four falls. A linear channel along one wall lets you use larger tiles and only needs a single fall. The waste then has to reach the soil stack with enough gradient of its own, which is why the drain position is agreed early.
How an installation runs
- Free survey of the floor structure, joist direction, stack position and water system.
- Fixed written quote within 24 hours, with the build method stated.
- Strip out and floor preparation, including any joist work.
- Former, drain and waste set and tested.
- Tanking applied and left to cure before any tile goes on.
- Tiling, second fix plumbing and electrics, then sealing, snagging and a clean down.
Is a wet room right for your home?
Most bathrooms can take one, but not every household wants one. A wet room is easier to clean, it opens up a small room visually and it removes the step into the shower. It also means the whole floor gets wet unless you choose a screen, and a family who like a bath will want to keep one elsewhere. If you are weighing it up against a tray and enclosure, our wet room or enclosure comparison sets the two side by side. If the room is being planned around mobility, see our accessible wet rooms page for the level access details.
Cost
We publish our price bands rather than hiding them. A full wet room in a standard bathroom is typically £6,500 to £12,000 fitted, and a partial wet area inside an otherwise conventional room is usually £4,500 to £7,500. The wet room cost guide breaks that down line by line. What moves your figure is the floor, the tiled area, the tile format and the fittings you choose.
Book a survey
We cover Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Trentham, Stone and Leek. Ask for a free wet room survey or call 01782 901390, and you will have a fixed written price within 24 hours of the visit.
Common questions
Do you install wet rooms on upper floors?
Yes. On timber joists we either recess the former between the joists or build a shallow deck, and we confirm which is possible once we have seen the joist direction.
What does a wet room cost to install?
Our published guide puts a full wet room in a standard bathroom at typically £6,500 to £12,000 fitted, and a partial wet area at £4,500 to £7,500. Your survey gives you a fixed written figure.
Who does the tanking and tiling?
Our own team. Plumbing, tanking, tiling and electrics are done in house rather than handed to separate subcontractors.
Is a wet room the same as an accessible wet room?
The build method is the same. An accessible room adds a genuinely level threshold, turning space and support fittings, which we cover on our accessible wet rooms page.
How long before I can use it?
Silicone and grout need curing, so we normally ask for 24 hours after final sealing before the shower is used.