Costs
What affects the cost of fixing a leaking shower?
5 min read
Short answer
The largest single factor is whether the tiles have to come up. After that, price is driven by the area being treated, the amount of joint that has to be removed and replaced, the condition of what is there, the tile and grout type, access, and whether related work such as resealing junctions is included. Two quotes can differ enormously simply because they cover different scopes.
Asking what a leak repair costs is reasonable, and getting a straight answer before anyone has looked at it is not realistic. What is realistic is understanding what moves the number, so that when you do get quotes you can tell whether they are comparable.
We publish an online estimator so you can get an indicative range without giving anyone your details. It is an estimate, not a quotation, and the difference is exactly what this article is about.
The factor that matters most
Whether the repair can be done at the surface, or whether the tiles have to come up, changes the job entirely. A surface repair is preparation, removal, new material and curing. A rebuild adds demolition, waste removal, waterproofing, screeding, retiling and a much longer period with the room out of use.
This is why an inspection or a photo review comes before a firm price, and why a business that gives you a fixed figure over the phone is quoting one scenario and hoping.
What else moves the price
- Area. A shower recess, a shower plus the bathroom floor, and a full bathroom are three different jobs.
- Linear metres of joint. Regrouting is priced from how much joint has to come out and go back in, and small tiles mean far more joint per square metre than large-format tiles do.
- Tile size and pattern. Mosaic is dense in joints. Large-format tiles are the opposite. Patterned layouts add cutting and detail work.
- Condition. Grout that is sound but tired removes differently from grout that is crumbling, and severe deterioration takes longer.
- Grout type. Epoxy grout is materially slower to remove than cement-based grout.
- Access. A ground-floor bathroom, a third-floor apartment with a lift booking, and a restricted commercial site are not the same job.
- Related work. Silicone replacement, sealing junctions, nib walls and internal corners may or may not be included in a given quote.
- Timing. Out-of-hours or weekend attendance is a different cost to a weekday.
How to compare two quotes properly
Price alone is close to meaningless without scope. Two quotes for "regrout shower" can describe genuinely different work.
- Is the old grout being ground out, or grouted over? This is the single biggest difference in durability and it is often not stated.
- Are the junctions being resealed with a flexible sealant, or grouted?
- Is mould treatment part of preparation?
- What area is covered? Recess only, or floor and walls?
- Is there a written warranty on the workmanship, and what does it exclude?
- Is the price inclusive of GST?
- What is the curing time, and is it in writing?
Why an estimate is not a quotation
An online estimate is calculated from what you tell it. It cannot see the fall to your waste, sound your tiles for debonding, or tell whether the membrane behind the wall is intact. It is genuinely useful for working out whether a repair is in the range you expected, and it is not something anyone should be bound by.
A quotation follows an inspection or a review of photographs, describes a defined scope, and is a figure the business stands behind. If you are making a decision about the work, ask for a written quotation.
In short
- Whether the tiles come up is the biggest single driver of cost.
- Regrouting is priced from linear metres of joint, so small tiles cost more per square metre than large ones.
- Two quotes are only comparable if the scope is comparable. Ask whether the grout is being ground out.
- An estimate is indicative. A quotation follows an inspection and is a figure someone stands behind.
Common questions
- Why do quotes for the same shower vary so much?
- Usually because the scope differs. Grinding out the old grout, resealing the junctions with a flexible sealant, treating mould during preparation and including the bathroom floor are all decisions that change both the price and how long the result lasts, and they are not always stated on a quote.
- Is it cheaper to regrout the whole bathroom at once?
- Per square metre it usually is, because a large part of the cost of any job is attending, setting up, protecting the area and cleaning up afterwards, and that is incurred once whether the work is one shower or the whole room.
- Do you charge for a quotation?
- Send photographs and a description and we will tell you what we think you are looking at and what the next step should be. Where an on-site inspection is needed, any fee that applies is stated up front before anyone attends.
Related service: Bathroom Leak Repair