Steam Shower Installation

Steam shower installation can be broken down into two separate categories which are pre-built units and custom installations. Typically speaking a custom installation in a residential environment will cost around $10,000 to $20,000 depending on how complicated the installation is. Even the choice of tile that you want installed in the bathroom can dramatically impact the cost of a custom installation.

Cheaper tiles will cost around three to five dollars per square foot where import or glass tiles can cost as much as twenty to thirty dollars per square foot. For a small to medium sized installation this can be a material cost of $2000 or more just in the tile itself which does not take into consideration that most tilesetters will charge more for the installation of higher end tiles.

Water jets, a handheld shower and a steam generator unit in the range of 3000 to 5000 Watts can cost you easily upwards of $3000. Once you factor in the skilled labor costs, electrical costs and supplies, plumbing materials and finishing details the cost of a custom installation is quite high. The main advantage is in the design of the room as with a custom install you just specify to your contractor what you want and get exactly that. With a pre-built shower you will be limited to the choices of units that you can find.

The main advantages of purchasing a steam shower unit is the cost of the unit be quite a bit lower than a custom installation, as well as the length of time and extent of the renovation of your bathroom. Some units are the same size of a standard bathtub insert with the idea that you remove the bathtub and slide the steam shower unit into place. Though these style of steam showers have the easiest installation process they are also much smaller than most other styles of showers. If you have the space within your bathroom you would likely want to choose a steam shower unit that is larger (and more importantly deeper) than a standard bathtub insert but if space is a premium then a unit the same size as a regular bathtub insert is a fantastic option.

The plumbing and electrical requirements for steam shower units are very small. You need only a hot and cold water supply, a standard 1.5 inch floor drain and an electrical supply. The size of electrical supply that you need will depend on the size of the steam generator unit that you have. A 30 Amp ground fault protected 240 Volt electrical supply line would be typical for a steam shower unit installation. Steam shower units also have adjustable legs for leveling which make the installation process very easy even for less technical people.

Ultimately a custom installation is a great option if you have a large budget to work with however a pre-built unit can be purchased and installed on almost any budget and in almost any bathroom.

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