Shower tray replacement in Exeter
Professional shower tray replacement services in Exeter and surrounding areas. Local, reliable handyman - no job too small.
Price Guide
£210-£310
Typical Duration
Half day
Location
Exeter, Devon
Cracked or leaking shower tray? I'll replace it properly - level fitting, waste connected correctly, sealed watertight. Stop the leak before it causes serious damage.
When Your Shower Starts Leaking Through
There's a damp patch on the ceiling below. Or the floor around your shower feels soft. Or you can literally see water seeping through the grout around the tray. That's your shower tray failing, and it needs sorting before the damage gets expensive.
💡 Pro tip: A leaking shower tray can cause thousands of pounds of damage to floor joists, ceilings, and the room below. Fix it early and you're looking at a few hundred quid. Leave it and you're into major building work.
What Goes Wrong With Shower Trays
They're stood on daily, full of water, and stuck to the floor with silicone. Eventually they fail:
| ✅ Good Shower Tray | ❌ Failed Shower Tray |
|---|---|
| Solid underfoot | Flexes when you stand on it |
| Water drains away cleanly | Pools in corners, leaks out |
| No movement at edges | Silicone cracked and lifting |
| Level fitting | Slopes wrong way (water escapes) |
| Dry ceiling below | Damp patches appearing below |
What You Get
🔧 The Full Service
| Stage | What Happens |
|---|---|
| Remove old tray | Strip sealant, disconnect waste, lift tray carefully |
| Inspect underneath | Check for water damage, repair if needed |
| Fit new tray | Level it properly, support correctly, connect waste |
| Seal & test | Silicone around edges, run water to test drainage |
📦 You're Left With
- New shower tray, level and sealed
- Waste properly connected
- Lower row of tiles made good
- Water test completed, no leaks
Pricing Guide
| Job Type | Estimated Time | You'll Pay |
|---|---|---|
| Straight swap (no damage) | 4-5 hrs | £210-£260 |
| With water damage repair | 6-7 hrs | £310-£360 |
| Including retiling lower rows | 8+ hrs | £360+ |
Based on £60 minimum (first hour) + £50/hr after. Assumes shower tray supplied by you. Price depends heavily on access to waste pipe and extent of water damage.
Perfect For...
✅ Cracked tray - visible damage, leaking
✅ Flexing/soft tray - no support underneath
✅ Persistent leaks - water damage below
✅ Upgrade to better quality - cheap plastic to solid resin
Why Choose Us for Shower tray replacement in Exeter?
Stop leaks through the floor
Level fitting for proper drainage
Sealed properly around edges
Includes waste fitting and trap
What to Expect
Step 1: Strip Out The Old Tray
Remove silicone seal, disconnect waste pipe, remove lower row of tiles if needed. Lift the old tray out carefully (they're sometimes stuck down with massive amounts of adhesive).
Step 2: Check For Damage
Inspect the floor underneath. If water's been leaking for a while, there might be rot or damage to floor boards that needs repairing before the new tray goes in.
Step 3: Fit New Tray
Level it properly on the floor (or on a plinth if needed for waste height), support it underneath so it doesn't flex, connect the waste properly with decent compression fittings.
Step 4: Seal And Test
Silicone around all edges where it meets tiles/walls. Fill the tray with water and drain it several times to check waste and seal. Leave 24 hours before using.
🔧 DIY Tips
This is advanced DIY territory - definitely not a beginner job:
🔧 Tools you'll need
- Stanley knife (for cutting silicone)
- Pry bar or old chisel
- Spirit level
- Spanners for waste fitting
- Silicone gun and quality bathroom sealant
- Possibly tile saw if retiling
⚠️ Why this is hard
- Heavy, awkward to manoeuvre
- Waste connection is fiddly and must be watertight
- Must be perfectly level or water pools/escapes
- Old sealant is a nightmare to remove
- One mistake = water leaking into your house
💡 If you insist on DIY:
- Cut all silicone seal around old tray
- Disconnect waste (bucket ready underneath!)
- Lift out old tray - might need persuading
- Clean all surfaces thoroughly
- Check floor is level, shim if needed
- Position new tray, connect waste with proper washers
- Check it's level in all directions
- Seal around edges with bathroom-grade silicone
- Wait 24 hours, then test thoroughly
Common DIY disasters:
- Tray not level (water pools, eventually leaks)
- Waste connection leaks (damp ceiling below)
- Not enough support underneath (tray cracks)
- Cheap silicone that fails within months
- No water testing before declaring it done
Rather leave it to a pro? No problem - that's what I'm here for. Give me a call.
Good to Know
🔧 Stone resin vs acrylic? Stone resin trays are solid, don't flex, last for decades. Acrylic is cheaper but flexes underfoot and can crack. For a bathroom you're keeping long-term, resin is worth the extra £50-100.
Shower screen might not fit - if the new tray's even slightly different dimensions, your old screen might not seal properly. Sometimes worth replacing both at once.
Low-profile trays look modern but can be a pain to fit if your waste pipe doesn't have much fall. The shallower the tray, the less height available for the waste trap. I'll advise if there's a problem.
Wet room tanking? If you're fed up with shower trays, a properly tanked wet room floor might be the answer. Different job entirely, but I can do that too.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my shower tray needs replacing?
Visible cracks, water leaking through the ceiling below, soft or spongy floor around the shower, or the tray flexing when you stand on it. Sometimes the tray itself is fine but the silicone seal's failed - I can tell which when I see it.
Can you match my existing shower tray?
I'll try, but shower trays change all the time. If yours is 10+ years old, the exact model probably isn't made anymore. I can usually get very close on size and style. Worst case, you might need to adjust the shower screen slightly.
Do you need to rip out the whole shower?
Usually just the tray and the lower row of tiles. The screen can often stay if it's in good condition and the new tray's the same size. Depends what we find when I lift the old tray - sometimes there's water damage underneath that needs sorting.
Will you need to take up my bathroom floor?
Maybe - depends how the waste pipe was fitted. If there's access from below (like a cupboard or another room), I can work from underneath. If not, I might need to take up a few floor tiles to get at the waste connection. I'll check the least invasive option first.
How long will I be without a shower?
Most shower tray replacements take half a day to a full day. You'll be without the shower for that time, plus 24 hours for sealant to cure properly. So plan on no shower for 2 days total - longer if there's water damage to repair first.
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