In short
- A standard bath takes a 1700 × 700 mm footprint. A comfortable walk-in shower fits in roughly the same space.
- Keep at least one bath in the home if you have small children or may sell to a family.
- A shower over the bath gives you both, at the lowest cost, if the room can't take two separate fittings.
- Walk-in showers are easier to step into and simpler to clean, which matters more every year.
- Check your water system before you buy a shower. Pressure decides what will actually work.
Bath vs walk-in shower at a glance
Most people asking this question aren't choosing between a bath and nothing. They're choosing between a bath with a shower over it and a proper walk-in shower in the same footprint. Here's how the two compare in an ordinary London bathroom.
Bath (with shower over)
- Bathing small children and soaking at the end of the day
- Both options in one footprint
- What many buyers of family homes expect to see
- A high side to step over, which gets harder with age
- A screen or curtain that never quite stops every splash
Walk-in shower
- Low or level entry, easy to use every day
- More standing room and a bigger shower head
- Fewer edges and seals to clean
- Room for a niche or a built-in bench
- No bath, so think about the rest of the home first
How much space each one needs
The good news for most London bathrooms is that a bath and a walk-in shower need a similar amount of floor. A standard bath is 1700 × 700 mm. Swap it for a walk-in tray of the same length and you keep the room's layout, the waste position stays close to where it was, and you gain a wider, flatter area to stand in.
| Fitting | Common sizes (mm) | What it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Standard bath | 1700 × 700 | Most family bathrooms. Shower over the bath works well. |
| Short bath | 1500 × 700 | Narrow back additions and flats where every centimetre counts. |
| Shower bath | 1700 × 700–850 | Wider at the shower end, so there's more room to stand. |
| Square shower tray | 800 × 800 to 900 × 900 | En-suites and small shower rooms. 900 × 900 feels noticeably roomier. |
| Walk-in shower | 1200 × 800 to 1400 × 900 | Replacing a bath, or a main shower with a fixed glass screen. |
| Wet room | The whole floor | Level access, larger rooms or accessible bathrooms. |
A walk-in shower without a door needs enough length for the water to stay inside. As a rule of thumb, a screen of at least 1200 mm on a 1400 mm tray keeps splashing under control, especially if the shower head points away from the opening. In a shorter space, a hinged return panel or a full enclosure does the same job.
Should every home keep a bath?
If you have young children, the answer is almost always yes. Bathing a toddler in a shower tray is hard work, and a bath is still the easiest way to do it.
Resale is the other reason people hesitate. It's a common view among estate agents that family buyers expect at least one bath in the home, so removing the only one can narrow your market. That doesn't mean every bathroom needs one. If your house has a family bathroom with a bath, an en-suite or second bathroom with a walk-in shower is exactly what many buyers want.
A useful way to think about it: one bath somewhere in the home, then put showers wherever they'll be used most.
Everyday use, water and energy
Most households shower far more often than they bathe. If the bath is used a few times a year, you're giving up daily comfort for an occasional soak, and a walk-in shower makes more sense.
On water and energy, a full bath uses much more hot water than a quick shower. That changes with long showers under a large rainhead, which can use as much as a bath. If running costs matter, choose a thermostatic valve and a head with a sensible flow rate, and you'll get a good shower without emptying the cylinder.
Cleaning and upkeep
A walk-in shower with a single fixed screen has fewer places for limescale and mould to collect: one panel of glass, one tray or tiled floor, and one drain to keep clear. A bath with a shower over it has a bath panel, a silicone joint along the full length of the bath, and a screen or curtain that needs regular attention.
Whichever you choose, the silicone joints and grout are what you'll maintain. Large-format tiles mean fewer grout lines, and a glass screen with an easy-clean coating saves time every week.
Getting in and out, now and later
Stepping over a bath side is easy at 35 and awkward at 75, and it's one of the main reasons people change their bathroom. Replacing a bath with a low-tray walk-in shower is one of the most common home adaptations, and it can usually be done within the existing footprint.
If you're planning ahead, a few small choices now make a big difference later: a low tray or a level floor, a fixed screen rather than a door, wall strengthening for a grab rail or a fold-down seat, and a thermostatic valve that can't scald. For full level access with wheelchair-friendly space, a wet room is the better option. Councils run Disabled Facilities Grants for adaptations, and it's worth asking yours early if that applies to you.
The compromise: a shower over the bath
If the room can only take one fitting and you want both, a shower over the bath is the practical answer. Done well, it's a good shower. Done badly, it floods the floor.
- Choose a shower bath that's wider at one end, so there's room to stand without touching the screen.
- Use a fixed or hinged glass screen rather than a curtain, sized to the bath and the shower position.
- Waterproof the walls around the bath to full height, not just a row of tiles above it.
- Fit a thermostatic valve so the temperature stays steady when someone runs a tap.
How the cost compares
Swapping a bath for a new bath in the same place is usually the simplest job. Changing a bath to a walk-in shower in the same footprint adds some work: the waste moves to suit the tray, the walls around the shower are waterproofed to full height, and a glass screen is fitted. In most rooms that doesn't mean structural work, so the difference is modest.
A full wet room is a bigger project because the whole floor is formed to fall towards a drain and waterproofed. A compact wet room with products starts from about £14,000 and usually takes 11 working days or more. For comparison, a complete bathroom renovation with products starts from about £9,500, and installation only, where you buy the products, starts from £6,200. Our bathroom renovation cost guide lets you price your own room both ways.
Check your water system before you choose a shower
A beautiful walk-in shower is disappointing if the water trickles out. Before you buy anything, find out what kind of hot water system you have.
- Combi boiler. Mains pressure, so showers generally work well. The flow is limited by what the boiler can heat, so a large rainhead may run cooler than you expect.
- Gravity system with a tank in the loft. Low pressure. You may need a shower pump, and pumps that draw more than 12 litres a minute need notice to the water company before they're fitted.
- Unvented cylinder. Mains pressure and usually excellent showers. Any work on the cylinder itself must be done by an installer with G3 qualification.
- Electric shower. Independent of the hot water system, but it needs its own suitable circuit, and work near a shower is notifiable electrical work.
We check this at the survey and match the valve and head to your system. Our page on shower room renovations explains the options in more detail.
Bath or walk-in shower: a quick decision table
| If you… | Choose… |
|---|---|
| have one bathroom and children under about eight | A bath with a good shower over it |
| have a family bathroom with a bath already | A walk-in shower in the en-suite or second bathroom |
| rarely use the bath you have | A walk-in shower in the same footprint |
| find stepping over the bath difficult, or plan to stay for decades | A low-tray walk-in shower, or a wet room for full level access |
| may sell to a family in the next few years and have only one bathroom | Keep a bath, or take advice from a local agent first |
| want the best of both in a larger room | A separate bath and walk-in shower |
Whichever way you go, the quality is in the parts you can't see: the waterproofing, the falls and the plumbing behind the tiles. Our bathroom renovation page explains how we build both.
Questions
Does removing the bath affect the value of my home?
It can, if it's the only bath in a family-sized home. It's a common view among estate agents that family buyers expect at least one bath. Replacing a bath in an en-suite or second bathroom with a walk-in shower rarely puts buyers off. If in doubt, ask a local agent before you decide.
Can I replace a bath with a walk-in shower in the same space?
Usually, yes. A standard 1700 × 700 mm bath space takes a walk-in tray and screen of a similar size. The waste is moved to suit the tray, the walls are waterproofed to full height and the floor is checked to make sure it's solid and level.
Is a walk-in shower the same as a wet room?
No. A walk-in shower uses a low tray and a glass screen. In a wet room the whole floor is waterproofed and laid to fall towards a drain, so there's no tray at all. Wet rooms involve more work and start from about £14,000 for a compact room with products.
Will a walk-in shower without a door splash the bathroom?
Not if it's planned properly. A screen of at least 1200 mm, a tray long enough for the water to land inside it and a shower head pointing away from the opening keep the rest of the room dry. In shorter spaces a hinged return panel helps.
Do I need permission to swap a bath for a shower?
Not planning permission. Electrical work near a shower is notifiable, so it must be done by a scheme-registered electrician or notified to building control. A shower pump that draws more than 12 litres a minute needs notice to the water company. In a leasehold flat, check your lease, because moving wastes can need the freeholder's consent.
Last updated 21 October 2026. Prices are guide prices for London homes, from our published price list.