Is a wet room more expensive than a walk-in shower?

Usually, yes. A wet room waterproofs the whole floor and forms a slope to the drain, which is more work than fitting a low tray. How much more depends on the floor you have and how big the room is.

Can you put a wet room upstairs?

Often, yes. On a timber floor the fall to the drain is formed between or on top of the joists, and the whole floor is tanked. We check which way the joists run and how deep they are before quoting a fully level floor.

Not if they’re built properly. The tiles aren’t the waterproofing: a tanking membrane under them is. Leaks almost always come from skipped tanking, poor taping at the corners or a drain that wasn’t sealed into the membrane.

Do I need permission for a wet room?

Not planning permission for a house. In a leasehold flat you’ll usually need the freeholder’s consent, because a wet room changes the floor and the waterproofing over the flat below.

Walk-In Shower or Wet Room? The Difference Explained

Both give you a shower you walk straight into, with no door and no high tray to step over. The difference is underneath: where the waterproofing stops, and whether there’s a step at all.

What is a walk-in shower?

A walk-in shower is a low-profile shower tray with a fixed glass panel and no door. The tray does the waterproofing at floor level, so only the walls around it need tanking. There’s a small step up, usually a few centimetres.

Quicker to fit, because the floor stays as it is outside the tray
Works on almost any floor, upstairs or down
Ideal for swapping a bath for a shower in the same space

What is a wet room?

In a wet room, the floor itself is the shower tray. The whole floor (or the shower end of it) is waterproofed with a tanking membrane and shaped to fall gently towards a drain, then tiled. It’s level with the rest of the room, so there’s no step at all.

No step: the best choice for wheelchair users and anyone unsteady on their feet
A seamless look, and it can make a small room feel bigger
More work underneath, so it costs more than a tray

Side by side

	Walk-in shower	Wet room
Step in	A few centimetres	None
Waterproofing	The tray, plus the shower walls	The floor and walls, tanked
Floor work	Minimal	Formed to fall to a drain
Upstairs	Fits almost anywhere	Depends on the joists
Best for	Most homes and budgets	Easy access, small rooms, a seamless finish

Which one suits your bathroom?

Choose a walk-in shower if…

You’re replacing a bath and want the job done quickly
A small step isn’t a problem for anyone in the house
You’d rather spend the budget on tiles, a better valve or underfloor heating

Choose a wet room if…

Someone uses, or may soon use, a wheelchair or shower chair
The bathroom is tiny and a tray would eat into it
You want one continuous floor with nothing to trip on

Not sure? There’s a middle way

A low tray can be set flush into the floor so the step all but disappears. It’s less work than a full wet room and nearly as easy to walk into. We’ll tell you if your floor allows it.

The bit that decides whether it lasts

Whichever you choose, tiles and grout are not waterproof. Water gets through grout lines every day, and what stops it reaching the joists or the ceiling below is the layer underneath: cement board on the walls, and a tanking membrane with taped joints and corners over everything that gets wet.

That layer is where cheap jobs cut corners. Ask any fitter how they’ll waterproof the shower, and whether you can see it before the tiles go on. We’re happy for you to.

In Croydon homes

In Norbury and Thornton Heath terraces, bathrooms are often small and over the kitchen, so a low tray in the old bath’s space is the usual answer. In bungalows around Coulsdon, a level wet room makes the most sense for easy access. In leasehold flats in South Croydon, check your lease before planning a wet room: see our leasehold guide.

Walk-in shower or wet room?

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