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Plumbing

Shower installation

Fitting or replacing a shower, pump or enclosure. An electric shower also needs an electrician.
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Whether this needs a licence in Ireland

Ireland

No licence required

Taken from the statute below; not yet reviewed by a lawyer

Irelandwww.cru.ieChecked

Shower installation: what the job involves

Fitting a new shower or replacing a failed one: an electric shower, a mixer off the hot water, or a pumped shower, with the tray, enclosure and waste. The right shower depends on the water pressure and hot water system in the house.

Also asked for as: electric shower installation · shower fitter · replace electric shower · power shower · shower pump

How the job is usually done

  1. Check what you have: mains or tank-fed cold, cylinder or combi, and the pressure at the shower.
  2. Agree the shower type, position, tray or wet floor, and enclosure.
  3. Isolate water, remove the old unit and tray, and check the waste and the wall behind.
  4. Run hot and cold supplies (or the cold feed for an electric unit), fit the valve and any pump.
  5. Fit the tray or former to the correct fall, connect the waste trap and test it.
  6. For an electric shower, the electrician connects the dedicated circuit and certifies it.
  7. Fit the riser, head and enclosure, seal, then run the shower to check flow, temperature and the waste.

Shower installation: what is included

Usually included

  • Removing the old shower and connecting the new one
  • Supplies, valve and waste connection
  • Tray or enclosure fitting and sealing when part of the job
  • Testing flow, temperature and drainage

Usually not included — agree it separately

  • A new electrical circuit for an electric shower, which a registered electrician does
  • Re-tiling around a new tray
  • A new hot water cylinder or boiler if the existing system cannot supply the shower

Materials and who supplies them

  • The shower unit or valve: often chosen by the customer, sometimes supplied by the plumber
  • Tray, enclosure or screen: customer or plumber, agreed beforehand
  • Pipe, isolating valves, trap and sealant: supplied by the plumber
  • Shower pump, where pressure is low and the system is gravity-fed

How long it takes

A like-for-like swap is usually done in half a day to a day; a new shower with a tray, tanking and tiling takes two to four days.

Shower installation: the rules in Ireland

What the official sources say, checked against them on the date shown. A summary, not legal advice — follow the link to read the rule itself.

  • Plumbing is not a restricted trade in Ireland: there is no statutory register of plumbers. The restricted works are electrical (Safe Electric) and gas (RGI), and they often sit next to plumbing.

    Applies to: the homeowner choosing a plumber

    Commission for Regulation of Utilities · cru.ie · Checked 9 October 2026

  • Electrical work in a bathroom or shower room, and any new circuit such as one for an electric shower, is Restricted Electrical Works: only a Registered Electrical Contractor may do it, and they must issue a Completion Certificate.

    Applies to: the electrician on the job, and the homeowner who hires them

    Safe Electric Ireland, under the Commission for Regulation of Utilities · safeelectric.ie · Checked 9 October 2026

  • A shower fed from a gas combi boiler needs no gas work, but if the boiler has to be moved, replaced or adjusted, only a Registered Gas Installer may do it.

    Applies to: anyone working on the boiler

    Register of Gas Installers of Ireland · rgi.ie · Checked 9 October 2026

  • A VAT-registered plumber charges the reduced rate of 13.5% on work to a home, unless the materials come to more than two-thirds of the total, when the two-thirds rule puts the whole job at the rate of the goods.

    Applies to: VAT-registered contractors

    Revenue Commissioners · revenue.ie · Checked 9 October 2026

What shower installation costs, and why

What jobs on Talqero came to

Not enough comparable jobs yet to publish a range here. Talqero shows a price range only once at least five comparable jobs, agreed prices or offers exist — a range from fewer would describe a handful of jobs, not the market. Post your job and compare the offers you get.

What affects the price

  • Like-for-like replacement or a new installation in a new position
  • Shower type, and whether a pump or new circuit is needed
  • Tray, enclosure and whether the area needs re-tiling and tanking
  • Concealed valve (chased into the wall) or surface-mounted
  • Condition of the wall and floor behind the old shower
  • VAT: building work on a home is charged at the reduced rate of 13.5% by a VAT-registered business — unless the materials come to more than two-thirds of the price, when Revenue’s two-thirds rule applies the goods rate to the whole job. Ask whether a quote includes VAT.

Paperwork to ask for at the end

  • Safe Electric Completion Certificate for a new or altered shower circuit
  • Manufacturer guarantee for the shower and pump, registered in your name

Safety

  • Never replace an electric shower with a higher-kilowatt model on the old cable without an electrician checking it: an undersized cable overheats.
  • Set a mixer shower’s maximum temperature stop, especially where children or older people use it.

Shower installation: before you hire

Questions to ask a tradesperson

  • Will this shower work properly with my water pressure and hot water?
  • Does it need a new electrical circuit, and who does that?
  • Is the tray or enclosure included, and who supplies it?
  • How will you stop water getting behind the tray?

What you can do yourself

Changing a shower head or hose is easy DIY, but anything that involves the electric supply, the valve or the tray seal is a job for professionals.

What to put in your task

  • What kind of shower do you want?
  • Is this replacing an existing shower in the same place?
  • How is your hot water heated?
  • Does the tray, enclosure or tiling need replacing too?

Photos that help

  • The existing shower unit, with the brand and rating label if electric
  • The whole shower area including tray and tiles
  • The hot press: cylinder, any pump and the pipes above it
  • The fuse board, if an electric shower is planned

Shower installation by county

Choose your county for shower installation close to home.

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Questions about shower installation

Does shower installation need a licence in Ireland?

No licence is required for this work in Ireland (source: www.cru.ie). Ask instead for references and photographs of similar jobs.

Can I just swap my electric shower for a new one myself?

Electrical work in a shower room is restricted in Ireland, so the connection should be done by a Registered Electrical Contractor. If the new shower is a higher rating, the cable and protective device may need upgrading.

Why is my new mixer shower so weak?

Mixer showers need adequate pressure on both hot and cold. On a gravity system with a tank in the attic, a pump is usually needed; on a combi boiler, flow depends on the boiler’s output.

Is an electric shower or a mixer better?

An electric shower heats its own water, so it works even when the cylinder is cold, but flow is limited. A mixer gives a stronger shower if the hot water system can supply it.

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