A shower is the smallest room in the house and one of the hardest to build. Plumbing, waterproofing, tiling, electrics, ventilation and joinery all meet inside six square metres, and each one depends on the one before it. That is why a shower built in a hurry comes back as damp in the neighbour's ceiling three years later, and a shower built properly simply works for twenty years without anyone thinking about it.
What a shower renovation includes
A full renovation is not a change of tiles. The order of works is fixed, and each stage closes the one before it:
- Strip-out. Removing wall tiles, floor, sanitary ware and often the screed down to the slab.
- Plumbing. Replacing hot and cold lines, moving outlets, replacing the drain line and checking falls. See plumbing.
- Electrics and ventilation. Lighting points, a protected socket, and an extractor fan — the item most people skip and most regret.
- Building and preparation. Niches, a step, moisture-resistant board, screed falls towards the drain.
- Waterproofing. The one stage that cannot be fixed later without demolishing everything. See bathroom waterproofing.
- Tiling. Walls and floor, including a set-out plan so the cuts land where they should. See shower wall cladding.
- Grout and seals. See grout and joints.
- Installation. Screen, tap, shower head, cabinet, mirror, accessories.
How long it takes
A single shower in an existing flat is eight to fourteen working days, and that assumes every selection was made in advance. Strip-out one day, plumbing and electrics two to three, building and preparation two, waterproofing one plus two or three curing days that cannot be shortened, tiling three, grout and fit-out two.
The most common delay is not technical. It is a tile ordered late, a screen delivered in the wrong size, or a decision about a niche left to the last moment. Every selection should be closed before strip-out day, not during it.
What it costs
As of 2026, a full shower renovation in a standard flat ranges from ILS 18,000 to 45,000 including materials and labour:
- 18,000–25,000 — small shower, standard tile, off-the-shelf screen, no plumbing relocation.
- 25,000–35,000 — large-format tile, planned niche, made-to-measure screen, full pipe replacement.
- 35,000 and up — natural stone or very large porcelain, slim-profile bespoke screen, linear drain, bespoke joinery, underfloor heating.
More on the cost structure — bathroom renovation cost.
Four decisions that set the outcome
Shower or bath
This changes both the budget and the resale appeal, and depends mostly on who lives there. See bath vs shower and converting a bath to a shower.
Step, point drain or linear drain
A level-access shower looks better, feels better and is safer — but demands precise screed depth and falls, so it must be decided before the pour, not after.
Tile format
A large tile means fewer joints and reads as clean, but needs a genuinely flat wall and creates high waste in a small room. See small bathroom.
Ventilation
A small window is no substitute for an extractor fan. Mould in the joints after two years is almost always a ventilation problem, not a cleaning problem.
Five expensive mistakes
- Skipping the flood test. After waterproofing and before tiling — seal the drain, fill with water, wait 24 hours. Five minutes of work that prevents a full strip-out.
- Waterproofing only the shower tray area. It must run across the whole floor and at least 20 cm up the walls, and inside the shower up to head height.
- Choosing the screen after tiling. Every model needs different clearances and fixing points.
- Skipping the niche. A built niche costs very little at build stage and is impossible to add later.
- Falls judged by eye. One to two per cent towards the drain. Water standing in a corner will appear as damp in the flat below. See moisture repair.
FAQ
Can a shower be renovated without removing the floor?
There are overlay methods, and they only suit a case where the existing waterproofing is sound and proven. In most flats over twenty years old it is not. Cladding over failing waterproofing buries the problem instead of solving it.
Can the toilet be used during the works?
In a flat with two bathrooms, yes, if the sequence is planned. With only one, there are three to five days of no use. That is a real planning consideration.
When is a permit needed?
Internal work with no structural change does not need one. Moving a wall, changing an opening or altering a main drain line does. See building permit.
How we work
Bramy Group builds showers as part of our finishing works and renovations, with a documented flood test before tiling and a warranty on the waterproofing. Active in central and southern Israel. Get in touch.