If you're planning a bathroom renovation and you've decided the old bath-and-shower-curtain combination has had its day, you'll likely be weighing up two options: a wet room or a walk-in shower. Both are popular in modern UK bathrooms, but they're quite different in how they're built, what they cost, and how they live day-to-day.
This guide explains the real differences — not just the aesthetics — so you can make the right decision for your home, your budget, and your bathroom layout.
What's the Actual Difference?
The terms get used interchangeably, but they're not the same thing:
- Wet room: The entire bathroom floor is waterproofed (tanked) and the floor is graded so water drains to a flush-mounted linear or point drain. There's no shower tray — the tiles run continuously from the shower area across the whole floor. The shower may have a glass screen, or in a true wet room, no screen at all.
- Walk-in shower: A designated shower area with a shower tray (raised or low-profile) or a tiled base, typically enclosed by glass panels or screens. The rest of the bathroom floor is separate and not waterproofed to the same standard. Water is contained within the shower area.
The key distinction is waterproofing. In a wet room, the entire floor (and often the lower walls) must be fully tanked with a waterproof membrane. In a walk-in shower, the shower tray handles waterproofing within its footprint.
Wet Room: Pros and Cons
Advantages
- Open, spacious feel: Without a raised shower tray or enclosed cubicle, even small bathrooms feel larger and more airy. The continuous floor line creates a seamless, hotel-like aesthetic.
- Excellent accessibility: No step-up makes wet rooms ideal for wheelchair users, people with mobility issues, or anyone planning to age in place. They comply easily with Part M of the Building Regulations for accessible bathrooms.
- Easy to clean: No shower tray edges or door tracks to scrub. The flat floor can be mopped in one go.
- Design flexibility: Suits minimalist, contemporary, and luxury bathroom designs. Large-format tiles look particularly striking in a wet room.
- Adds property value: A well-installed wet room is genuinely appealing to buyers and can add value, particularly in en-suites and smaller bathrooms.
Disadvantages
- Higher installation cost: Tanking the entire floor is labour-intensive. The membrane must be applied carefully and tested before tiling — cutting corners here leads to leaks that can damage floors, ceilings below, and joists.
- Everything gets wet: Without a screen, water spray reaches the toilet, vanity unit, towels, and mirrors. Even with a partial screen, condensation and splashing are more significant than in an enclosed shower.
- More complex installation: The floor needs to be graded correctly (a gradient of around 1:80 towards the drain). On upper floors, this may mean building up the floor or cutting into joists — both add cost and complexity.
- Higher risk if done badly: If the tanking membrane fails, water gets into the subfloor. On a ground floor with a concrete slab, this is annoying. On an upper floor with timber joists, it can cause serious structural damage.
- Colder underfoot: Without a contained tray area, the wet floor area is larger. Underfloor heating is strongly recommended — budget an additional £300–£600 for electric UFH in a bathroom.
Walk-In Shower: Pros and Cons
Advantages
- More contained: Water stays within the tray area. The rest of the bathroom stays dry, which is more practical for family bathrooms where the toilet and basin need to stay dry.
- Simpler installation: A low-profile shower tray sits on the floor with standard waste plumbing underneath. No tanking membrane required beyond the tray area. Any competent bathroom fitter can install one.
- Lower cost: Significantly cheaper than a wet room. A quality walk-in shower enclosure with tray costs £800–£3,000 fitted, compared to £3,000–£8,000 for a wet room.
- Less risk of waterproofing failure: The shower tray is a self-contained waterproof unit. As long as it's sealed properly to the wall, the risk of water damage to the subfloor is minimal.
- Good slip resistance: Modern shower trays (particularly stone resin trays) are designed with anti-slip surfaces. You can choose the slip resistance rating rather than relying solely on tile selection.
Disadvantages
- Shower tray to maintain: The joint between tray and wall needs re-siliconing every few years. The tray itself can discolour or scratch over time, particularly cheaper acrylic models.
- Glass to clean: Walk-in showers typically have glass panels that need regular cleaning to prevent limescale build-up — a particular challenge in hard water areas (most of Southern and Eastern England).
- Less accessible: Even low-profile trays have a small lip (10–25mm). For wheelchair access, a true level-access wet room is usually more suitable.
- Can feel more enclosed: Glass panels and a defined tray area make the shower feel like a separate zone rather than part of the room, which can make small bathrooms feel even smaller.
Cost Comparison
| Item | Walk-In Shower | Wet Room |
|---|---|---|
| Shower tray / floor grading | £150 – £500 | £300 – £800 (floor build-up + grading) |
| Tanking / waterproofing | £0 – £100 (tray seal only) | £500 – £1,500 (full membrane system) |
| Drain | £30 – £80 (standard waste) | £100 – £350 (linear or tile-insert drain) |
| Glass screen/enclosure | £200 – £800 | £150 – £600 (partial screen, optional) |
| Tiling (shower area) | £300 – £800 | £500 – £1,500 (larger tiled area) |
| Labour (installation) | £400 – £1,000 | £1,000 – £3,000 |
| Total typical range | £800 – £3,000 | £3,000 – £8,000 |
The cost difference is driven primarily by the tanking and floor preparation. In a walk-in shower, the tray does the waterproofing work. In a wet room, skilled labour and specialist materials replace that tray — and it takes longer.
The Tanking Question
Tanking is the single most important part of a wet room installation, and it's worth understanding what's involved:
- What it is: A liquid-applied or sheet membrane that creates a completely waterproof barrier across the entire floor and up the walls to at least 100mm (typically higher behind the shower area). Common systems include Mapei Mapelastic, BAL Waterproof Plus, and Schlüter DITRA.
- Why it matters: Without proper tanking, water seeps through tile grout (which is not waterproof on its own) and into the subfloor. On timber floors, this causes rot. On any floor, it eventually finds a way through to the ceiling below.
- What happens when it's done badly: The most common failures are at corners and junctions (where the floor meets the wall), around the drain connection, and where the membrane has been applied too thinly. A failed tanking membrane typically shows up 6–18 months after installation, once cumulative water exposure breaks through. By that point, the damage underneath can be significant.
- How to protect yourself: Ask your fitter which tanking system they use. Reputable systems come with manufacturer guarantees (10–25 years) provided the installer follows their specification. Ask to see the membrane before tiling goes on — a good fitter will have no issue with this.
Important: If you're on an upper floor with timber joists, tanking is even more critical. Some fitters recommend a secondary barrier — either a GRP (fibreglass) tray former or a structural plywood overlay with mesh-reinforced membrane. This adds cost but dramatically reduces the risk of leaks.
Ventilation: A Non-Negotiable for Both
Whether you choose a wet room or walk-in shower, adequate ventilation is essential — and it's a legal requirement under Part F of the Building Regulations.
- Minimum requirement: A bathroom must have mechanical extraction capable of at least 15 litres per second (l/s). This typically means an extractor fan ducted to an outside wall or through the roof.
- Wet rooms need more: Because the entire room gets wet, a wet room generates significantly more moisture than a contained shower. A higher-capacity fan (25–30 l/s) or continuous running at a lower speed is advisable.
- MVHR systems: If your home has mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (increasingly common in new builds and renovations), ensure the bathroom extract is properly connected. MVHR handles moisture better than standard fans but needs correct commissioning.
- Humidity-sensing fans: A fan with a built-in humidistat runs automatically when moisture levels rise. These are ideal for wet rooms because they continue extracting after you've left the room until the humidity drops to safe levels.
Non-Slip Flooring: Understanding the Ratings
Slip resistance is critical in any shower area, and especially in a wet room where the entire floor gets wet. Here's what the ratings mean:
- R9: Minimum anti-slip rating. Suitable for dry areas only. Not appropriate for a bathroom floor.
- R10: Suitable for areas that may occasionally get wet — fine for the general bathroom floor in a walk-in shower bathroom, but borderline for the wet area of a wet room.
- R11: Recommended for wet room floors and walk-in shower areas. Provides good grip even when the floor is actively wet.
- R12–R13: Very high grip, used in commercial settings. Can feel rough underfoot — most homeowners find R11 is the right balance.
Always check the anti-slip rating before choosing tiles for your shower area. Some beautiful large-format tiles only achieve R9, which makes them unsuitable as a wet room floor — however much you love the look.
Maintenance Comparison
Wet Room Maintenance
- Grout: More grout lines on the floor (the whole room is tiled), which need regular cleaning and occasional re-sealing with a grout protector. Epoxy grout costs more upfront but resists staining and mould far better than cement grout.
- Drain: Linear drains need periodic cleaning — hair and soap scum collect in the channel. Most modern linear drains have a removable grate for easy access.
- Silicone: Wall-to-floor junctions need good quality silicone (not grout) and should be checked annually. Expect to replace it every 3–5 years.
Walk-In Shower Maintenance
- Glass: Glass panels need regular squeegee-ing or treatment with a glass protector. In hard water areas, limescale builds up quickly and becomes very difficult to remove once established.
- Tray: The tray-to-wall silicone seal is the most vulnerable point. Check it every 6 months and replace at the first sign of mould or separation.
- Drain: Standard shower waste traps are smaller than wet room drains and clog more easily. A pop-out hair trap helps.
Which Should You Choose? A Decision Framework
Choose based on your specific circumstances, not just aesthetics:
| Factor | Best Choice |
|---|---|
| Budget under £3,000 | Walk-in shower |
| Small bathroom (under 4m²) | Wet room (makes the space feel larger) |
| Family bathroom with young children | Walk-in shower (keeps water contained) |
| Disability / mobility access needed | Wet room (level access, no trip hazard) |
| Upper floor, timber joists | Walk-in shower (lower waterproofing risk) |
| Ground floor, concrete slab | Either — wet room is lower risk here |
| Maximum property value | Wet room (particularly in en-suites) |
| Low maintenance preference | Walk-in shower with stone resin tray |
One More Option: The Hybrid Approach
Increasingly popular in UK bathrooms is the "wet zone" approach — a walk-in shower with a flush-mounted tile-insert tray that sits level with the main floor. It gives the visual seamlessness of a wet room (no visible tray edge) while still containing water within the tray footprint. The bathroom floor outside the tray area doesn't need full tanking.
This costs roughly £1,500–£4,000 and gives you most of the wet room aesthetic at a fraction of the waterproofing complexity. It's worth discussing with your fitter as a middle-ground option.
Ready to Decide? Get Expert Advice
The best way to determine which option suits your bathroom is to have a professional assess your space, floor construction, and plumbing layout. Fill in the form below for free, no-obligation quotes from experienced bathroom fitters who can advise on the best approach for your home.