Store room 

An apartment not a private home (it's on the ground floor).

I want to install a shower without tearing up the floor for the drain (or for the pipes brinign the water of course)

..

What is the expected (approx) charge by a plumber, and what is the greatest difficulty, when adding a shower to a space which already has a sink & toilet, and is only about 20 feet from an existing (bathroom with) shower?

I am not asking about the cost of the pipes and the shower-head and tiles etc etc, but rather the cost a plumber or contractor should ask for to do their part.

And:

• Is there any part of the work that I can do as an inexperienced DIY using YouTube as a guide which would minimize that cost?

• Is it less difficult and expensive if the water would be heated by a separate electric heater, so as not to have to connect the shower to the existing water-heating system?

• Could the shower water pipe attach to the existing sink pipe or does one need it to be connected to the shower pipes?

• Can it be connected to the existing shower 20 feet away or must it run to the main water pipe.

• Would it be necessary to open up the floor to run the extension or can it be done with flexible plastic piping running above ground (not caring about the ugliness aspect).

• How difficult is it to make the necessary pipe-connections etc (ofr drain and for the incoming shower water) while installing the new shower plumbing?

......

https://www.doityourself.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3006010#post3006010

Posted by: Zorfdt

On: 03-19-24 04:38 PM

Anything is doable, but obviously it all comes down to how easy it is to access the existing and new pipes.

If you're looking for a "is this project is worth it" kind of estimate, around here it would probably be $1,500-$3,000 for a licensed plumber to do that work. Maybe less if everything is opened up and the existing piping is easily accessible. More if you're talking about a cement slab, or tying into old piping.

Some general comments:

* The shower drain most likely needs to be tied into that bathroom's drain near the toilet. It likely is against code (and more difficult) to tie it into the neighboring bath.

* Venting may need to be addressed. Showers don't usually need their own vents, but it does require that the bathroom was properly vented when it was designed and installed. Obviously deficiencies with the original installation will change the cost and plan for adding a shower.

* Same with type of drain pipes. If the current piping is in good condition and reasonably recent pipes (PVC, ABS, cast iron, copper), it should be easy to tie into. Cast iron is more time consuming to tie into. Lead or galvanized steel drain pipes will need to be replaced.

* Supply pipes are generally easier to run, and can usually be tapped off the vanity or neighboring shower. But pressure and pipe sizing may play into that decision. Same with the supply pipe types. If they are old galvanized steel pipes, they will either need to be replaced or left as-is.

Sooo... it's really hard to give a general cost. Also because prices vary widely based on location. NYC will be double that. Montana would likely be less. But I hope this helps point you in the right direction.

All the best,

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