Bathtub to Shower Conversion in Ireland: Costs, Rules, Process
Yes, almost any bath can be replaced with a shower. What matters is the floor beneath it, where the waste pipe runs, and whether you want a simple tray or a fully tiled walk-in with a level floor. The work is more than swapping fixtures: the bath comes out, the drainage is corrected, the area is waterproofed, and the new shower is built or fitted. This guide covers the process, what drives the price, the Irish rules to check, the grants that can help, and the resale question that stops many homeowners.
TL;DR
- A conversion means removing the bath, correcting the waste and water feeds, waterproofing, and fitting a tray or forming a level-access floor with falls to the drain.
- Price depends on the shower type, the condition of the floor and walls, tiling, and your location. Dublin construction costs run higher than most of the country.
- Check ventilation, electrical certification and whether the work counts as a material alteration before you start.
- Grants of up to €8,000 (Mobility Aids) or €40,000 (Housing Adaptation) may be available if the shower is for an older or disabled person.
- Keep the bath if it is the only one in a family home. Otherwise removal rarely hurts a sale.
Table of Contents
- What a bath-to-shower conversion involves
- How long it takes and what disruption to expect
- Choosing the type of shower
- What it costs in Ireland
- Irish rules to check before work begins
- Grants and VAT relief for accessible showers
- Should you remove your only bath?
- Our perspective
- Work with Plan B Bathrooms
- A planning checklist
- FAQ
- Sources
What a bath-to-shower conversion involves
Most guides online skip the sequence, so here it is. A typical job involves removing the bath, assessing the floor and walls, correcting the waste and feeds, forming drainage falls, waterproofing, tiling and fitting the shower.
In practice, that breaks down like this:
- Survey. Someone looks at the bath wall, the joist direction, the waste position and the existing fan. This is where surprises are found, so it should happen before you sign anything.
- Strip-out. The bath, panel, taps and often the surrounding tiles come out.
- Floor preparation. The floor has to be sound and level for a tray. For a walk-in shower, the floor is prepared for a level tray, drainage is installed and connected, and tiling, a screen and a shower column follow.
- Drainage and pipework. A bath waste sits higher than a shower waste needs to. Moving it, or lowering the tray, is often the biggest variable in the job.
- Waterproofing. Behind and under the tiles, this is the step that prevents leaks into the ceiling below. It needs proper curing time.
- Tiling, screen and fittings. Then the valve, shower head, screen and any grab rails.
- Ventilation and electrics. The extract fan, lighting and any electric shower are checked and upgraded where needed.
How long it takes and what disruption to expect
You will see claims of a one-day conversion online. Those usually describe acrylic wall panels fitted over a like-for-like footprint, with no floor work. A tiled walk-in with new falls, waterproofing and cure time is a larger job, generally measured in days to a couple of weeks, depending on how much has to be opened up. Ask for a written programme that shows when the bathroom is out of use and when water is off.
Plan for these practicalities:
- If it is your only bathroom, ask about temporary arrangements before work starts.
- Tiles and sanitaryware that are on back order are the most common cause of delay. Confirm everything is on site before the bath comes out.
- Dust and noise are heaviest in the strip-out and floor stages.
Choosing the type of shower
Tray with a screen
The simplest option. A low-profile tray sits where the bath was, with a fixed glass panel or a door. It suits most standard bathrooms and keeps the cost down.
Walk-in with a level floor
This is what most people picture when they search for walk-in shower ideas: a floor flush with the rest of the room, falling to a linear or centre drain, with a single fixed glass panel. It looks seamless and is the most accessible. It needs more groundwork, particularly on timber floors where space for falls can be limited.
Full wet room
The entire room is waterproofed, with no tray and often no screen. It is the most dramatic and the most demanding to build correctly. It is worth considering if you are already refitting the whole bathroom.
Conversion kits
Kits exist, and they can suit a tight budget. In the US, a prefab walk-in kit is quoted at $800 to $2,500, and the advice is to check floor space and drain position before buying. The same logic applies here: a kit only works if your plumbing layout fits it, and it still needs a competent installer and proper waterproofing.
Matching layout to room size
- Small bathrooms (a standard 1.7 m bath alcove): replace the bath with a 1,700 mm by 700 to 800 mm tray or a slightly deeper enclosure. You gain the shower and some storage.
- Medium rooms: a walk-in panel with a niche for products, plus a wall-hung vanity to open up floor space.
- Larger rooms: consider a wet room, a bench seat and a rain head.
If the shower is for long-term use, build for it now. Universal design guidance for homes in Ireland recommends reinforced walls and ceilings around the shower so handrails and drop-down supports can be added later, and adaptable layouts that can change as needs do. Fitting timber noggins behind the tiles costs very little at this stage and saves opening up the wall later.
What it costs in Ireland
Because no two bathrooms are the same, any single figure is a guess. What you can rely on is what moves the number:
- Shower type. A tray and screen costs less than a level-access walk-in, which costs less than a full wet room.
- Floor condition. Rotten or uneven boards, or the need to form falls in a concrete screed, adds labor and materials.
- Plumbing changes. Moving a waste or relocating a valve means more pipework and making good.
- Tiling. Large-format porcelain, mosaics and feature walls vary a lot in both material and fixing time.
- Fittings. A thermostatic valve, a rain head, a heated rail and a glass screen are where budgets stretch.
- Location. The Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland priced construction in Dublin at €3,381 per square metre, against €2,756 in the North West (November 2025 figures), which gives a sense of the regional gap.
- VAT. Renovation work is typically charged at the reduced 13.5% rate, provided the goods do not exceed two-thirds of the total price, according to the same cost guide. Ask any quote to show VAT clearly.
When you compare quotes, compare what is included: strip-out and skip, waterproofing, tiling, screen, making good, and the fan. A quote that is much lower than the others has usually left something out.
We do not publish fixed prices because every job depends on the survey. We provide a written, itemized quote after an onsite consultation.
Irish rules to check before work begins
Planning permission. Minor changes to a house generally need no permission, though adding a structure or an extra room may require an application to the local authority, as Citizens Information explains. Replacing a bath inside the house is an internal job.
Commencement Notice. One cost guide says a material alteration generally needs a Commencement Notice. If your project changes layout or structure, ask your builder or designer whether it applies. Do not assume it does not.
Ventilation. The same guide notes that Part F of the building regulations expects bathroom extraction of 15 litres per second, so an older fan may need upgrading as part of the job. Showers produce more moisture than baths, so this is worth doing anyway.
Electrics and gas. The guide says electrical work needs a Safe Electric registered electrician who issues a Completion Certificate, and gas work needs a Registered Gas Installer. Ask to see both before work starts, and keep the certificate for when you sell.
If you rent out the property or are a developer. Ask your contractor to document everything in writing, including the waterproofing system and the fan specification.
Grants and VAT relief for accessible showers
If you or a family member is older or has a disability, a shower in place of a bath may be partly funded. According to Citizens Information, qualified households may receive the Mobility Aids Grant (up to €8,000) or the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability (up to €40,000). The same page recommends consulting an occupational therapist so that the changes match the person’s mobility and safety needs. Many applications go through the local authority, so apply before work starts.
Separately, VAT refunds may be available on certain qualifying aids and appliances for people with disabilities, but this does not typically extend to services. Check what qualifies before you buy.
Should you remove your only bath?
This is the question that gives people pause. The Irish Times looked at it and found that removing a bath does not automatically make a home harder to sell. The advice was to be more cautious about taking out the only bath in a family home than in a house with a second bath elsewhere. Buyers with babies or young children often like to see one.
A sensible rule:
- One bathroom, family-sized home, plans to sell in the next few years: keep the bath, or add a shower over it.
- Second bathroom or en suite exists: convert freely.
- Living there long term, or mobility is a concern: convert, and build in the supports now.
Our perspective
Most conversion problems we see are decided before anything is demolished. The homeowner picks a shower from a photo and only later finds that the waste is in the wrong place, the floor cannot take falls or the fan is undersized. That is why we begin with an onsite consultation and a survey, then design the space in 3D before any work starts. Our AI Concept Engine lets you enter your room dimensions and style preferences and see layout and material suggestions in seconds, and our studio produces photorealistic mockups so you can judge a level-access walk-in against a tray and screen before committing.
Our view is simple. If the bathroom is for the next decade, build for it: reinforce the walls, size the fan properly, and choose a drain and floor build-up that suits your joists. Where the shower is for accessibility, we assist with the grant application. The same in-house team manages the project from survey to completion, so one group is accountable for the waterproofing, the tiling and the finish.
— David
Work with Plan B Bathrooms
We design, supply and fit bathrooms across Kildare and greater Dublin, including accessible bathroom refurbishments and luxury wet rooms. You can see finished work in our gallery and local projects on our Kildare and Dublin inspiration page. To plan your own conversion, start with an onsite consultation through Plan B Bathrooms.
A planning checklist
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Where is the waste, and at what height? | Decides tray type and the amount of groundwork |
| What is the floor made of? | Timber needs more care than concrete when forming falls |
| Is the fan rated for the room? | Part F extraction and moisture control |
| Is the shower for long-term accessibility? | Reinforce walls now, consider a grant and an OT |
| Is it the only bath in the house? | Resale and family use |
| Who is certifying electrics? | Safe Electric registered electrician and Completion Certificate |
| What does the quote include? | Strip-out, waterproofing, tiling, screen, making good |
FAQ
Can I convert my old bathtub into a shower?
Usually yes. The bath is removed and replaced with a tray or a level-access floor. The deciding factors are the waste position, the floor structure and the available space, which is why a survey comes first.
How much does it cost to take out a bath and put in a shower?
It depends on shower type, floor condition, plumbing changes, tiling and fittings, and Dublin costs run above many other regions. Renovation work is typically charged at the reduced 13.5% VAT rate. Get an itemized quote after a site visit rather than relying on an online average.
Is there a kit that converts a bath into a walk-in shower?
Prefab kits exist, but they only work if your floor space and drain position suit them. They still need waterproofing and proper fitting, and a bespoke build often gives a better fit in an older or oddly shaped bathroom.
Do I need planning permission to replace a bath with a shower?
Minor internal changes generally do not need planning permission. A material alteration may need a Commencement Notice, and electrical work needs a Safe Electric registered electrician. Confirm with your designer or the local authority before you start.
Can I get a grant for an accessible shower?
Possibly. The Mobility Aids Grant (up to €8,000) and the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability (up to €40,000) exist for qualifying households. Apply through your local authority before work begins, and speak to an occupational therapist about what is needed.
Sources
- Adapting a home for an older or disabled person, Citizens Information
- VAT refunds on aids and appliances used by people with disabilities, Citizens Information
- Walk-In Shower Cost in Ireland 2026
- Conversion from a bathtub to the walk in shower
- Universal Design Guidelines for Homes in Ireland
- Should you keep your bath even if you don’t use it?, The Irish Times
- Walk-In Showers 101, Bob Vila