Shower Fitting: Types, Cost & How Installation Works

Shower fitting might mean swapping a tired mixer bar for a thermostatic set, wiring in an electric shower, or building out a full enclosure with a rainfall head. Done properly it is a clean, one-day job. Done badly, it is how bathrooms end up with leaks inside the wall that nobody spots until the ceiling below stains. Here is how shower fitting works, what the options are, and photos from our recent installs across Coventry and Nuneaton.

Types of Shower We Fit

Thermostatic mixer showers

The most popular upgrade. A thermostatic bar valve holds the temperature steady even when someone runs a tap elsewhere in the house, so nobody gets blasted with scalding water halfway through a shower. Pair it with a rainfall head and a separate hand shower for the best of both.

Electric showers

An electric shower heats water on demand straight from the cold feed, so it still works when your boiler is broken. That is exactly why landlords and busy households like them. Fitting one properly is as much electrical work as plumbing. A 9.5kW unit needs its own dedicated supply from the fuse board, which is why this is not a job for a general handyman. We are Part P registered for the electrical side.

Rainfall and designer sets

Ceiling-height rainfall heads, matte black and brushed brass finishes, concealed valves. Modern shower fittings can completely change how a bathroom feels. One honest warning though: a big rainfall head on a gravity-fed system without a pump is a drizzle, not a shower. We measure your flow rate before recommending one. The black square-head set below was part of a recent Coventry refit.

What Does Shower Fitting Involve?

1. Survey the existing setup. Water pressure, your hot water system and what is behind the wall decide which showers will actually work well in your home.
2. Isolate and strip out the old shower and any perished seals.
3. First fix the pipework: new drops or a concealed feed, pressure-tested before anything gets tiled over. Finding a weep after tiling means ripping tiles off, so we test first, always.
4. Fit the new valve, riser and head, seal every penetration properly.
5. Test hot and cold under pressure and check the enclosure drains and seals dry.

How Long Does It Take & What Does It Cost?

A like-for-like shower swap on existing pipework is usually done in half a day. A new install with pipework alterations or an electric shower typically takes a full day. Every job is priced fixed before we start: the price we agree is the price you pay, and there is no call-out fee. If the shower is part of a bigger refit, our full bathroom installs start from £2,800 supplied and fitted.

Shower Fitting in Coventry & Nuneaton

First Call Home Services fits showers across Coventry, Nuneaton, Bedworth and surrounding Warwickshire. Gas Safe registered, Part P for electric showers, rated 4.8 from 396 Google reviews. See our recent shower replacement in Earlsdon for a full job walkthrough.

Common Shower Fitting Problems We Fix

Poor original installation is behind many of the shower faults we're called out to fix - valves fitted at the wrong height, inadequate waterproofing behind tiles, or pipework that wasn't properly supported. These issues often don't show up until months or years later, usually as a leak or a failing seal.

Low water pressure is another common complaint, particularly with older gravity-fed systems. In some cases a pump can resolve this; in others, the fix is a different valve or shower type better suited to the property's pressure.

Maintaining Your New Shower

Cleaning the shower head and hose regularly prevents limescale build-up, particularly in hard water areas, and keeps water flow and temperature consistent for longer.

Checking silicone sealant around the shower tray or enclosure once or twice a year and re-sealing if it starts to crack helps prevent water getting behind the tiles, which is one of the main causes of hidden damage in bathrooms.

Electric vs Mixer Showers

Electric showers heat water on demand using the property's electricity supply, making them independent of the boiler and a good option where hot water pressure or capacity is limited. Mixer showers blend hot and cold from the existing supply and generally give a more powerful, consistent flow where pressure allows.

We assess your existing pipework, boiler type and water pressure before recommending which option will actually perform well in your bathroom, rather than fitting whatever's requested without checking it will work properly.

Preparing for Your Shower Fitting

Clearing access to the bathroom and, where relevant, the airing cupboard or loft space where pipework runs speeds up the job on the day.

If you're supplying your own shower unit, it's worth checking with us beforehand that it's compatible with your water pressure and existing pipework, avoiding a wasted trip if it isn't suitable.

Water Pressure and Your Shower Choice

UK water pressure varies significantly by property and area, and this has a direct effect on which shower types will actually perform well. Combi boiler systems generally deliver strong mains pressure suitable for most shower types, while older gravity-fed systems with a cold water tank in the loft often need a pump to achieve a satisfying flow, particularly for rainfall heads which need more volume than a standard shower head to work properly.

We check your system type and pressure before recommending anything, because a shower that looks great in a showroom can be genuinely disappointing if it's fitted onto a system that can't supply enough pressure or volume to make it work as intended.

Accessibility and Wet Room Options

Level-access showers and wet rooms have become increasingly popular, not just for accessibility needs but for the clean, modern look they give a bathroom. These require careful floor preparation and drainage planning, since getting the fall of the floor wrong leads to pooling water rather than proper drainage.

If accessibility is a priority - for an ageing household member or a long-term need - we can advise on grab rails, seating and non-slip surfaces as part of the same installation, rather than treating it as a separate project later.

Quick Questions

Can you fit a shower without retiling? In many cases yes, particularly for a like-for-like valve or head swap, though any new pipe routes or a change in shower position usually means some tiling work is needed.

How long does a typical shower fitting take? A straightforward replacement is usually completed within a day, while a full re-plumb with new pipework and tiling can take two to three days depending on scope.

Whatever type of shower you're considering, the most important factor is matching it correctly to your home's existing plumbing and water pressure - a beautiful shower fitted onto an incompatible system will always disappoint, regardless of price. We'd rather spend ten minutes checking your setup properly than fit something that won't perform the way you expect once it's installed.

From a simple electric shower swap to a full wet room conversion, we handle shower fitting jobs of every size across Coventry and Nuneaton, always with a fixed quote agreed before any work begins.