Level-access wet rooms with tanking and floor drainage
Wet Room Installation
A wet room is a level-access bathroom where the entire floor is waterproofed and gently graded to a drain, so the shower area has no tray, step or upstand — it typically requires altering the floor structure to create a fall to drainage, along with full tanking of the floor and walls.
Definition
What Wet Room covers
Unlike a standard shower over a tray, a wet room floor is built with a fall (a gentle slope) toward a linear or point drain, and the whole floor and shower walls are tanked (waterproofed) rather than just the immediate shower area. Creating the fall usually means altering the floor structure — either building up a screed with a fall, or in some cases lowering the joists — which is assessed against the existing floor build-up and ceiling height below.
Suitable for
- Level, step-free access for reduced mobility or ageing in place
- A minimalist, open shower area without a tray or enclosure
- En-suite or main bathroom conversions where a shower-only layout is wanted
- Properties where the existing floor structure allows a drainage fall to be formed
Not suitable for
- Upper floors where the existing joist depth and ceiling height below don't allow enough fall to be formed without more extensive structural work
- Properties wanting a bath as the primary fixture — a wet room is a shower-only format
Process
How the work is carried out
- 01
Survey
Assessing the existing floor structure, joist depth, drainage route and ceiling height below to confirm what fall can be achieved.
- 02
Design
Agreeing drain position and type, screen or divider (if any), and finishes.
- 03
Floor structure and drainage
Forming the fall to the drain, whether by building up a screed or altering the floor structure, and connecting to the waste.
- 04
Tanking and tiling
Fully waterproofing the floor and walls before tiling, then fitting sanitaryware and any glass screen.
Typical timescale
A wet room conversion typically takes two to three weeks on site, longer than a standard bathroom refit due to the floor structure and drainage work involved.
Cost guidance
Wet Room typically costs £5,000–£12,000 per job in our area, over a standard bathroom, with the additional cost driven mainly by the floor structure alterations and drainage needed to form the fall. We provide an itemised quotation after a site survey rather than a fixed headline price.
Limitations and exclusions
- Whether a full-fall wet room floor is achievable depends on existing joist depth and ceiling height below, confirmed on survey
- Underfloor heating, glass screens and premium finishes beyond a standard specification are quoted according to your chosen specification
Areas we cover
Wet Room across Sussex, Surrey, Kent and South London
Local property styles, planning authorities and neighbourhood coverage for wet room in each town we work in.
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FAQs
Wet Room FAQs
Can any bathroom be converted to a wet room?
Most ground-floor bathrooms can, but upper floors depend on how much joist depth and ceiling height is available below to form the drainage fall without excessive structural work — this is confirmed on survey.
Do wet rooms need a shower screen?
Not necessarily — some wet rooms are left fully open, while others use a glass screen or partial divider to contain splash. It's a design choice rather than a structural requirement.
Is a wet room a good option for accessibility?
Yes, level-access wet rooms are commonly specified for reduced mobility or ageing in place, since there's no step or tray to negotiate getting into the shower area.
Discuss your wet room project
Tell us about the property and what you have in mind, and we'll arrange a site visit.
Last reviewed 2026-07-28.