Power Shower Installation Cost

Looking into what a new shower costs in the UK? Want to find out how much it costs to get a power shower installed?

The average shower installations costs around £500 in the UK. This cost includes materials and labour costs.

However: How much it costs to install a shower depends on various factors.

This guide covers what different types of power showers cost in 2024, how much labour costs to replace a shower, what impacts how much it costs to fit a shower, and much more.

Need a quote for your job?

We have a range of local plumbers who are ready to give you a free quote!

Want to find out more first?

Keep reading below to find out more about shower installation costs.

How Much to Install a Shower?

People sometimes get confused between power showers and electric showers. So, let's start by making the distinction clear.

A power shower has a pump that increases the flow rate of both the hot and cold water coming into the shower. It also has a thermostat to control the temperature.

An electric shower does not have a pump, as it just heats the water as it comes in from the mains water supply or cold water storage tank.

So the difference is that a power shower boosts the water pressure, whereas an electric shower just heats the water that's fed through it.

The installation of a brand-new power shower usually costs around £500. This includes estimated labour and materials costs. This type of job would take between 1 – 2 days to complete.

The cost to replace a power shower is a bit lower, at around £325. This is because the labour cost to replace a shower isn't as high, as a lot of the necessary work has already been completed in the initial installation. Power shower replacements don't normally take more than 2 – 3 hours.

Electric shower installations cost around £315. The cost of electric shower units are more affordable than power showers, and brand-new installations are much quicker — not normally taking more than 3 – 5 hours.

Installing a power shower is not a DIY project, but you can swap a normal shower yourself, as you do not need to have an electrical safety certificate. We would still recommend getting a professional in to complete the job.

Shower Installation Prices

Labour Cost to Install a Shower in the UK

The average plumber will usually charge around £40 – £60 per hour for their work on fitting a power shower. If it is an extensive job, they may charge a day rate which is usually around £150 – £270 per day.

The installation of a power shower can usually be completed within a day; however, it may take two days if there is any extra pipework that is needed. This is most likely when the shower is being installed in a different place to the existing shower.

Where you are located in the UK can have quite a big effect on the cost of labour to install a power shower. People who live in London can expect to pay around £30 – £70 extra for the cost of labour to install a power shower than people in the North of the UK would pay.

Find Tradespeople, compare up to 3 quotes!

It's FREE and there are no obligations

Get started

How Much Does a New Shower Cost?

The average cost to buy a power shower from a store is usually somewhere between £150 – £600. The cost of the power shower you choose will depend on the amount of water pressure you’re looking for.

Power showers tend to be quite powerful anyway in their own right. However, some models are more powerful than others – and the more powerful the power shower, the more you can expect to pay.

The power depends on the number of litres of water flow per minute. The average power shower uses around 14 litres of water flow per minute. However, more powerful models can have a maximum water flow per minute of around 18 – 20.

Additional Shower Installation Costs

There are some additional costs that you may need to consider when installing a power shower.

Below is a list of costs that you may need to be aware of before deciding to install your power shower.

• Tiling your bathroom – To fully tile a medium-sized bathroom, you can expect to pay on average between £450 – £700.
• Retiling a shower – To retile just the showering area in your bathroom, you can expect to pay on average between £250 – £400.
• New boiler – To have a new boiler fitted in your home, you can expect to pay on average between £800 – £2,000.
• Extractor fan installation – To have an extractor fan installed in your bathroom, you can expect to pay on average between £250 – £300.
• Vinyl flooring fitting – To have new vinyl flooring fitted in a medium-sized bathroom, you can expect to pay on average between £100 – £300.
• New bathroom – To have a completely new bathroom fitted in your home, you can expect to pay on average between £3,500 – £5,000 for a medium-sized bathroom fitting.

Ask a Trade

Got a question that only a tradesperson can answer? We have thousands of trades ready to answer any question you may have.

Ask your question

What Is a Power Shower?

A power shower combines both cold and hot water from your home’s water supply to reach the desired temperature as set by your shower’s thermostat controls. A power shower is typically installed in a home that has a low-pressure water system, with hot water that is readily available in a hot water tank or storage cylinder.

To set this up, there is most commonly a pump that is installed inside a small box within the wall. This is used to boost the water flow and increase your water pressure, which ultimately allows for a more enjoyable and more powerful shower experience.

What Impacts Power Shower Installation Costs?

There are a number of factors that can affect the cost of having your new power shower installed. Below is a list of some of the main cost factors that you should be aware of when choosing to have a new power shower installed in your home.

Quality of Shower

The quality of the shower that you choose to have can greatly affect the cost of your power shower installation. Power showers range greatly in price. You could find yourself spending up to £500 or more on a more powerful power shower than you would if you chose a more basic power shower model.

Location of Property

The location of your property within the UK can affect the cost of your power shower installation. People who live in London can expect to pay around £30 – £70 extra for the cost of labour to install a power shower than people in the North of the UK would pay. This would, therefore, increase the overall cost of having a power shower installed for those who live in the London area.

Additional Plumbing or Construction Work

If there is any additional plumbing or construction work needed, this will increase the time that it takes to get the job done. Therefore, the price of the overall job will increase because the labour costs will be more due to the extra time taken to complete the job.

New Boiler System Needed

Sometimes, you may need a whole new boiler system in order to get your new power shower working perfectly. If you need a new boiler system, this can add around £800 – £2,000 onto shower installation prices. It'll also mean that this job would take around 1 – 2 days longer to complete.

What's Involved in Installing a Power Shower?

Installing a power shower can usually be completed within a day or two.

Below is a step-by-step guide on how to install a new power shower in your home.

Step One

You should begin by turning off the fuse box and then carefully select a position for your new shower unit. Take the water heater front cover off and then attach it to the wall. Make an outline of the heater using a pencil and clearly mark all of the holes, electrical cable points, and copper pipe points.

Step Two

Scan the wall using an electronic detector for any cables and wiring that exists behind the wall. Be sure to do this BEFORE drilling any holes into the wall. For extra safety, you should ensure the electrical cables from the water heater are buried in the wall either vertically or horizontally in the middle of the unit and switch.

Step Three

Drill holes in the wall for all the cables and pipes using a drill. Using the wall bracket or sliding rail as an outline, make a hole for the shower rail. Then, turn the main stopcock off and run the cold tap until dry. You should then use an adjustable wrench to connect the copper pipe to the rising main using a 15mm compressed tee fixing.

Step Four

Cut a long hole along the wall at the mains pipe – this will accommodate the compressed fitting. Then, put the new copper pipe into the third arm on the tee and put a stop valve close to the tee. Turn the stop valve off and reconnect the cold-water supply. Then, attach a flexible hosepipe over the end of the copper pipe.

Step Five

Flush out the new pipe to check for any leaks in it. Then, you need to shut off the stop valve and link the copper pipe to the bottom part of the heater unit. You will need to use an elbow pipe, sealing olive, and nut to fix this using an adjustable wrench. Finally, check the system for leaks by opening the stop valve. Once you’ve checked it, be sure to then turn the stop valve off.

Can I Install a Power Shower Myself?

It is possible to install a power shower yourself, considering you have some plumbing and electrics knowledge.

However, we would always recommend hiring a professional to complete the job for you to ensure that it is done correctly and perfectly and works without any issues. As both electricity and water are involved in installing a power shower, you want to ensure that the job is completed safely.

If you choose to complete the job yourself, there are some safety precautions that you will need to follow as listed below:

1. Always read the manufacturer’s instructions thoroughly and carefully
2. Ensure that your mixer is installed, operated, commissioned, and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations
3. The shower unit must not be installed anywhere where it may be exposed to freezing conditions

Power Shower Alternatives

There are a number of different alternative showers available if you are looking for something other than a power shower. Below is a list of the other shower options available that you may want to consider over a power shower, along with their main advantages and disadvantages.

Electric Shower Cost

An electrical shower is one of the most versatile types of shower on the market and a popular choice in the UK.

These types of showers are ideal if you want to be able to have an instantly hot shower. They also offer great benefits, such as savings on your energy bill in comparison to more powerful models like a power shower.

An electric shower heats water through an electrical element. Instead of taking hot water from a tank or boiler system, they instead require cold water and instantly heat the water up with an in-built heating element. They mix hot water and cold water to reach your desired temperature.

Electric showers cost, on average, around £80 – £350 in the UK.

Pros

• ✔ You don’t need a hot water supply to use it, so you don’t need to worry about running out of hot water.
• ✔ You can save energy and money on your energy bills.
• ✔ They offer a low flow rate so you could save on your water bill as well.
• ✔ Work great with combi boilers.
• ✔ You don’t have to wait for the hot water to come on to have a shower.
• ✔ Even if your boiler fails, you can still have a hot shower.

Cons

• ✖ They rely on your existing water pressure so the pressure may be low.
• ✖ The shower won’t work in the event of a power cut.

Mixer Shower Cost

A mixer shower uses an existing source of hot water. It mixes your hot and cold water together. It requires a source of electricity to run usually, however, it runs purely mechanically.

Mixer showers usually cost on average around £50 – £350

Pros

• ✔ Mixer showers can be more powerful than other shower models.
• ✔ You can save money on your electricity bill by switching to a mixer shower.

Cons

• ✖ Could end up using up all of the hot water easily.
• ✖ If your boiler fails, the mixer shower won’t provide hot water.
• ✖ Could have low pressure as the pressure depends on your household water pressure.

Digital Shower Cost

Digital showers are a much more modern model of shower. They are great for people who love to have all the latest technology in their home.

The main difference between a digital shower and other models is that they can offer extremely precise temperature controls, and these can be set at the touch of a button.

Digital showers feature a control panel that displays information such as the temperature and flow rate. This means that you can accurately change the temperature by the degree. You can even set up different profiles for each person in your family.

You can even link your shower up to your phone or smart devices so you can turn your shower on or change the controls using voice commands.

Digital showers usually cost on average around £200 – £500

Pros

• ✔ Features the latest technologies
• ✔ Change temperature specifically by the degree.
• ✔ Use voice commands to control your shower.
• ✔ Control your water pressure with the control panel.

Cons

• ✖ Could be confusing if you are not highly technical.
• ✖ More expensive price range

Benefits of Installing a Power Shower

There are many benefits to having a power shower installed in your home. Below is a list of some of the main benefits of installing a power show in your bathroom.

Increased Flow Rate

A power shower offers an increased flow rate which means that you can have a much more powerful shower. This allows for a much more enjoyable showering experience.

Convenient

The power shower is very convenient as you can get a super great clean in a fast amount of time. The great water pressure on a power shower allows for an amazing showering experience.

Quick and Easy to Install

A power shower is very quick and easy to install, and you can be in your new power shower within a few hours. This is perfect for when you have a broken shower and need a new replacement fast.

Removing a Power Shower

If you are replacing your power shower with a new one, or if you are thinking of changing to a different type of shower, you may need to remove your existing power shower.

The list below provides instructions on how to safely remove your existing power shower.

Step One

Disconnect all of the power supplies to the shower and then check the electrical supply with an electrical tester so that you can be absolutely certain that all of the electricity that flows to your shower is not on. Once you are certain that the electricity supply is fully switched off, then also switch off the water supply.

Step Two

Remove the shower unit by unscrewing the four screws which hold it to the wall. Once you have undone these screws, simply lift the shower unit away from the wall. At this point, all of the remaining connectors should be removed from the shower unit.

It is really that simple to remove your old power shower.

If you don’t feel comfortable completing this job yourself, you could hire a general labourer to remove your power shower for you. For this type of work, a labourer would normally charge around £14 – £20 per hour and the job should be able to be completed within 1-2 hours.

Hiring a Shower Installer Checklist

There are a few things you will need to consider before hiring someone to install a new power shower for you.

Below is a list of some of the main things that you should consider when looking for the right contractor for the job:

• Does the tradesperson offer any guarantees with their work?
• How much will the shower installation cost to complete? You will want to ask for a breakdown of all the costs involved so you can ensure that you're getting a good price for each element of the job.
• What type of power showers does the company offer?
• Is the cost of a new shower unit included in their quote? Or will you have to buy it separately?
• Is the plumber experienced in fitting the type of shower that you're looking to get installed?
• How many years of experience does the engineer have in fitting new power showers?

Make sure that you get at least 3 quotes for the job to ensure that you're not overpaying for this job.

Want to find a local shower installer?

Get 3 FREE quotes for a shower installation or replacement from plumbers near you.

FAQs

Sources

https://www.hometree.co.uk/blog/power-shower-vs-electric-shower//a>
www.soakology.co.uk/how-to-bathroom/power-shower-vs-electric-shower-everything-you-need-to-know/
https://www.homebase.co.uk/ideas-advice/kitchen-and-bathroom/baths-toilets-sinks-and-taps/how-to-install-a-power-shower/