Shower Tray Replacement Cost: What Affects the Price

Why the tray is only part of the job

The enclosure or screen has to come off, the sealant is cut away, and the bottom course or two of wall tiles usually has to be removed because they overlap the tray upstand. Once the tray is out, the floor and the waterproofing underneath can be inspected properly for the first time.

What we find there decides a lot. A sound, dry floor is good news; a rotten floor or failed tanking from a long-standing leak means repair work before the new tray goes in.

The factors that move the price

Several things change the size of the job, and a proper quote should address each one:

• Access: a ground floor tray on concrete is different work from an upstairs tray on a timber floor
• Waste position: a new tray with the waste in the same place is simple; moving it means altering pipework
• Tray type: stone resin, acrylic-capped and low-profile trays vary in price and in how they are bedded
• Tiling: how many courses are disturbed, and whether matching tiles are available
• Waterproofing: re-tanking the tray area before tiling is part of doing the job properly

Like for like or a different tray

Keeping the same footprint and waste position keeps the job tight. Changing to a larger tray, a lower profile or a different shape changes the floor covering and often the enclosure too, so it stops being a replacement and becomes a small shower refit. Our shower replacement cost guide covers that wider job.

If the leak that prompted the replacement has damaged the ceiling below, our ceiling and leak damage repairs page explains how that is put right once the cause is fixed.

When replacement is not the answer

Some tray problems are not tray problems. A crack from movement underneath, repeated leaks at one corner, or a tray that flexes when stood on usually point to a bedding or floor issue, and swapping the tray without fixing that wastes money.

If the shower is leaking but the tray looks fine, our guide to leaking shower causes and fixes helps narrow down the real cause before you spend anything.

Getting a quote you can compare

A useful quote names the tray, says how the floor will be checked and repaired if needed, includes re-tanking and retiling the disturbed area, and states whether the enclosure is refitted or renewed. Our shower installation service covers tray replacement as part of the wider shower work, with free written quotes across Essex, Kent and East London.

Upstairs trays and timber floors

Upstairs bathrooms deserve a special mention because the floor construction changes the job. A tray on a timber floor relies on the boards and joists beneath staying dry and firm, so any softness found during the strip out has to be repaired before the new tray is bedded.

A tray that rocks even slightly will crack grout and break silicone within months, which is why we bed trays fully and check for movement before tiling. That care at bedding stage is what makes the repair last, and it is worth asking any fitter how they bed their trays.