Bath or shower is a choice between space and comfort. In the small bathroom of a series-built block, a shower frees up room for a washing machine or a cabinet and is easier to get into, while a bath is more convenient for a family with small children and for those who like to lie in warm water. A shower uses less water if you keep it short. The choice depends on the size of the room, the height of the waste outlet and who lives in the apartment.
| Criterion | Bath | Shower |
|---|---|---|
| Space | Takes up the full length of the wall | A corner or niche, can free up space |
| Water per use | Even the smallest bath holds 200–250 litres | 15–20 litres per minute |
| Accessibility | You have to step over the edge | Low tray or no threshold |
| Cleaning | One surface and the joint at the wall | Glass, seals, floor drain grate |
| Children, soaking, laundry | More convenient | Less convenient |
| Labour price | Bath installation from €80 | Shower cabin installation from €80 |
In Soviet series-built blocks the bathroom is often part of a combined bathroom and toilet, and the bath takes up the full width of the room from wall to wall. If a shower goes in instead of the bath, there is room for a washing machine, a cabinet or a larger sink.
The main technical question is the drainage. A bath trap sits low, but for a floor drain or a low shower tray the pipe has to run with a fall to the riser. If the outlet is too high, the tray is raised on a plinth or the floor is raised. For a shower without a tray, the floor must slope at 10–20 ‰ towards the floor drain or channel.
Whether the outlet allows a low shower can be seen once the bath is removed. If the outlet has to be rebuilt or moved, this is done before tiling, and it is a bath to shower conversion, not just fitting a shower cabin.
In 2022 the plumbing expert Mārtiņš Ķurbe explained that even the smallest bath holds 200–250 litres of water, while in the shower we use on average 15–20 litres per minute. If you shower for longer than 10 minutes, the shower's water use is already approaching that of a bath.
In an apartment building you pay for hot water both for the water and for heating it, so the saving is double. A water-saving shower head and a thermostatic mixer that sets the temperature quickly reduce use even further. They are installed together with a shower system.
The edge of the bath is the main obstacle: you have to step over it with wet feet. A shower with a low tray or no threshold, grab rails on the wall and a folding seat are safer. The floor must be non-slip.
For new buildings, the building code LBN 200-21 states that in residential buildings a shower room for persons with functional impairments must be at least 1.8 × 1.8 m, a bathroom at least 1.8 × 2.3 m and a combined bathroom and toilet at least 2.2 × 2.5 m. In an old apartment such dimensions can rarely be achieved, but even a low shower tray in place of the bath makes getting in much easier.
A bath is easy to clean, but its weak spot is the joint between the bath and the wall. If the silicone comes away or turns black, water gets under the bath. Then bath sealing helps.
A shower has more surfaces: glass with limescale, door seals and the floor drain grate, where hair collects. If the shower cabin starts leaking or the doors will not close, you need a shower cabin repair. A fully tiled shower with a linear drain is easier to look after than a cabin with many joints.
| Job | Price (labour) | What affects the price |
|---|---|---|
| Bath installation or replacement | from €80 | Bath type, legs or frame, trap, moving the mixer tap |
| Old bath removal | from €30 | A cast iron bath is heavy; a bath may be bricked in or tiled in |
| Shower cabin installation | from €80 | Cabin type, tray height, outlet |
| Bath to shower conversion | after inspection | Rebuilding the outlet, floor slope, waterproofing |
| Bathroom plumbing as a package | from €200 | Number of fixtures and the condition of the outlets |
Example: an old steel bath is replaced with a new acrylic bath. Labour: removal from €30 and installation from €80, together from €110, not including the bath, trap and legs.
Example: a shower cabin with a tray goes in where the bath was, and the existing outlet fits. Labour: removal from €30 and cabin installation from €80, together from €110. If the outlet has to be lowered or moved, and the walls and floor waterproofed and tiled, we give the price after inspection.
Materials, tiling and taking away the old bath are not included. We agree the price before the work starts.
| Service | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bath installation | from €80 | labour; bath, trap and legs extra |
| Old bath removal | from €30 | without disposal |
| Shower cabin installation | from €80 | labour; cabin extra |
| Bathroom plumbing | from €200 | as a package; materials extra |
Sources
After submitting the form, we'll contact you within 5 minutes!
We'll contact you shortly.