Summary
Shower screen fitting looks like a simple like-for-like swap — take the old one out, put the new one in — but the pricing spread between the cheapest and most expensive version of "fit a shower screen" is enormous, and most of that spread is invisible until you're on site. A standard over-bath screen going onto sound, already-tanked tile is a half-day job with modest materials cost. A bespoke frameless panel that needs precise on-site measurement, a bracing bar, and possibly a look behind the tile to check what it's fixing into is a different job entirely, even though the customer's request ("I want a shower screen fitted") sounds identical.
This guide covers the commercial side of the job — what to charge, what drives the price up or down, and where quotes typically underprice the work. For the technical detail on how to actually set out, fix and seal each screen type correctly, see shower screen installation — that article covers glass standards, sealing technique and substrate requirements in full; this one focuses purely on pricing the job profitably.
The two biggest commercial risks on this job are underpricing bespoke/frameless work as if it were standard framed work, and failing to price in the callback risk from sealing work. A shower screen seal that fails within the first year is the single most common reason a bathroom fitter gets called back to a job they thought was finished — pricing in a realistic contingency, and being clear about what warranty (if any) covers a reseal, protects margin on every job of this type.
Key Facts
- Screen type drives price more than any other factor — a fixed over-bath screen and a bespoke frameless walk-in panel can differ in total price by 3–4x for what looks like "the same job" to the customer.
- Glass thickness affects both material and labour cost — 8–10mm toughened glass (frameless panels) is heavier, harder to handle safely on a two-person lift, and more expensive per pane than the 4–6mm glass used in framed doors and over-bath screens.
- Bespoke sizing adds lead time and cost — standard stock sizes (760mm, 900mm, 1000mm etc.) are far cheaper and faster to source than a bespoke cut-to-size panel for an awkward opening, which typically has a 1–3 week supplier lead time.
- Bracing bars are near-mandatory over ~1000mm of free glass edge — frameless panels wider than this need a stabiliser bar, which is an added material and fitting cost not always included in the base screen price.
- Old enclosure removal and disposal is a distinct cost — breaking down and disposing of a glass and metal-framed enclosure takes real time and, for larger panels, needs careful handling and often a trip to a tip or skip rather than a standard waste bag.
- Substrate condition is the biggest hidden cost driver — see waterproofing; if the wall behind the tile isn't tanked, or the tray isn't level (see shower tray and waste installation), the screen job stalls until that's fixed, and that's a different trade's cost the quote needs to flag or exclude explicitly.
- Access and disruption affect labour time — a screen going into a working family bathroom (needs to be usable again same day) takes longer to plan around than one in a bathroom that's part of a full renovation with no time pressure.
- Silicone cure time is a scheduling cost, not just a technical one — the enclosure can't be used for 24–48 hours after sealing (see shower screen installation), which needs to be communicated and scheduled, especially where it's the household's only shower.
- VAT and margin — standard-rated VAT applies to shower screen supply and fit for most domestic customers (zero-rated VAT for disabled adaptations/mobility work under VAT Notice 701/7 is a separate, specific case and does not apply to a routine screen swap).
- Warranty on sealant work carries real cost — offering a callback-free reseal warranty period (commonly 6–12 months) is good practice but should be priced into the margin, not treated as a free add-on.
Quick Reference Table
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Try squote free →| Job type | Materials cost (supply) | Labour | Typical total price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Over-bath screen (fixed panel, standard size) | £60–£150 | 2–3 hrs | £150–£280 | Fastest, cheapest job type |
| Over-bath screen (bi-fold/hinged, standard size) | £90–£200 | 2.5–3.5 hrs | £200–£340 | Slightly more complex hinge/seal detail |
| Framed pivot or hinged door enclosure | £120–£300 | 3–4 hrs | £280–£480 | Includes wall channel fitting |
| Bi-fold door enclosure | £150–£350 | 3.5–5 hrs | £320–£550 | More adjustment/alignment time |
| Quadrant / offset quadrant enclosure | £150–£380 | 4–5 hrs | £350–£600 | Curved tray and glass must match radius |
| Sliding door enclosure | £180–£400 | 4–5.5 hrs | £380–£650 | Rail alignment adds time |
| Frameless walk-in panel, standard size, no bracing bar | £250–£500 | 3–4 hrs | £450–£750 | 8mm glass typical |
| Frameless walk-in panel, bespoke size, with bracing bar | £400–£900+ | 5–7 hrs | £750–£1,300+ | Bespoke lead time; two-person heavy glass handling |
| Add: removal & disposal of existing enclosure | £30–£90 | 1–2 hrs | +£60–£150 | Larger for heavy frameless panels; may need skip/tip run |
| Add: re-tanking/waterproofing required before fit | Materials per waterproofing | 0.5–1.5 days | +£250–£600 | Separate scope; screen job pauses until resolved |
Detailed Guidance
Pricing by screen type — where the money actually goes
The base labour time for setting out and fixing a screen is fairly consistent across types (2–3 hours for the simplest, up to 5+ for a bespoke frameless panel), but the material cost swings hugely with glass thickness and hardware. A 4–6mm framed screen with a hinge kit is a low-cost, largely off-the-shelf product; an 8–10mm frameless panel is a heavier, more expensive piece of glass that needs careful transport, a two-person lift in most cases, and precision fixing because there's no frame to hide small setting-out errors.
Quote the screen type specifically, not a generic "shower screen fitting" rate. A customer asking for a quote "to fit a shower screen" without specifying type should be quoted a range with the final figure confirmed once the screen type and site survey are done — never commit to a single fixed price before confirming which of these categories the job actually falls into.
Materials cost breakdown
| Item | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Over-bath screen unit (4–6mm glass, standard) | £50–£140 | Wide range by finish (chrome vs brushed/black) |
| Framed enclosure door + side panel kit | £100–£280 | Depends on size and glass thickness |
| Frameless glass panel (8–10mm, standard size) | £200–£450 | Price rises sharply for non-standard sizes |
| Bracing/stabiliser bar (frameless, >1000mm) | £40–£90 | Often not included in the base panel price |
| Wall profile/channel kit | £20–£60 | Adjustable profiles cost more, absorb wall lean |
| Low-modulus neutral-cure silicone (sanitary grade) | £8–£15 per tube | Budget 2–3 tubes per job depending on run length |
| Fixing hardware (brackets, screws, wall plugs/resin anchor) | £10–£30 | Resin anchors for heavy panels cost more than standard plugs |
| Disposal (skip share/tip run for old enclosure) | £20–£60 | Larger for heavy frameless glass panels |
Labour time and a worked day-rate example
A worked example for a mid-range job — replacing a tired framed pivot door enclosure with a new frameless walk-in panel, standard size, on a substrate that's already properly tanked and tiled:
- Remove and dispose of old enclosure: 1 hour
- Set out plumb line, fix wall channel/profile: 1 hour
- Fit glass panel, check plumb/level, pack and fix brackets: 1.5 hours
- Seal (mask, bead, tool, de-mask) and clean down: 1 hour
- Total labour: 4.5 hours at a £50/hour bathroom fitter rate = £225 labour
- Materials (frameless panel, profile, fixings, silicone): approximately £320
- Subtotal before markup: £545 — apply standard materials markup, add VAT, and this lands the job in the £450–£750 bracket, consistent with the quick reference table above.
Margin, contingency and the callback risk
Sealant failure is the leading cause of a callback on this job type, and it's almost always avoidable at quoting stage by pricing in enough time to do the seal properly — masking, a single clean bead, correct tooling, and genuinely leaving it uncured and unused for the full cure window. Rushing the sealing stage to hit a tighter labour estimate is the single most common way this job type erodes its own margin through repeat visits.
Build a specific contingency line for glass drilling risk where brackets need to go through existing tile — cracked tile during drilling is a realistic risk on old or poor-quality tile, and either an agreed contingency allowance or an explicit customer conversation about that risk before starting protects the quote from an unplanned tile-matching and replacement cost.
What quotes commonly miss
- Disposal of the old enclosure — often assumed to be "included" by the customer but not costed by the fitter; state it explicitly either way.
- Re-grouting or re-sealing around new fixing points — drilling new bracket holes through existing tile disturbs the surrounding grout line, which needs making good.
- Wall condition contingency — an out-of-plumb wall beyond the adjustment range of a standard profile kit may need an upgraded profile or additional packing — flag this as a possible variation rather than a fixed inclusion.
- Access for bespoke bathrooms — narrow staircases, tight bathroom doors, or awkward window/soil pipe positions can turn a simple two-person glass carry into a much longer logistical exercise; a site visit before quoting bespoke frameless work avoids this being discovered on the day.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to fit a shower screen in the UK?
For a standard, already-tanked bathroom, expect £150–£320 for a simple over-bath or framed screen, and £450–£1,100+ for a bespoke frameless walk-in panel. The single biggest driver of where in that range a specific job lands is the screen type and whether it's a stock size or a bespoke cut, not the fitting technique itself — see shower screen installation for the technical detail behind the labour time.
What's the real price difference between framed and frameless screens?
Framed and semi-framed screens are cheaper both in materials (thinner glass, less precision required because the frame conceals small tolerances) and in labour (less critical setting-out). Frameless panels use thicker, more expensive toughened glass, require millimetre-precision setting out because there's no frame to hide errors, often need a bracing bar over 1000mm, and are heavier to handle safely — typically a two-person job. Expect frameless to cost 1.5–3x a comparable framed enclosure.
Does removing an old screen add much to the price?
Yes, and it should be quoted as a distinct line rather than folded silently into the new-fit price. Breaking down a bonded or heavily sealed old enclosure, especially a heavy frameless panel, can take as long as fitting a simple new framed screen, and safe disposal of large glass panels needs planning (skip, tip run, or specialist glass disposal), not just a rubble bag.
Should the quote include a warranty on the sealant work?
It's good commercial practice to offer a defined warranty period (commonly 6–12 months) covering reseal callbacks for sealant failure, but this should be priced into the margin explicitly rather than treated as a free extra. A quote that's silent on warranty invites a dispute the first time a customer expects a free callback for a problem that's actually down to customer misuse (using the shower before the silicone has cured, for example) rather than workmanship.
Regulations & Standards
Approved Document K (Protection from falling, collision and impact) — governs critical-location safety glazing rules relevant to screen glass specification, which in turn affects material cost.
BS EN 12150 — toughened safety glass specification; glass meeting this standard is a mandatory cost component, not an optional upgrade.
BS 6206 / BS EN 12600 — impact classification standards for safety glass in critical locations, relevant where the screen sits beside a door or at low level.
VAT Notice 701/7 and general VAT guidance — standard-rated VAT applies to routine domestic shower screen supply and fit; zero-rated VAT for disability adaptations under VAT Notice 701/7 is a separate, specific scheme and does not apply to a like-for-like screen replacement.
Approved Document K: Protection from falling, collision and impact (gov.uk) — critical-location safety glazing
Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF) technical guidance — safety glass specification and installation guidance
Bathroom Manufacturers Association (BMA) — bathroom product and installation guidance
HMRC VAT guidance — VAT treatment of domestic building and installation work
shower screen installation — for the installation technique, see this article: glass standards, setting-out and sealing detail behind the labour time in this pricing guide
shower tray and waste installation — tray condition and levelness that must be right before a screen is fitted, and a cost driver if it isn't
wetroom construction — tanking and drainage falls that a screen seals against in a wet-room setting
waterproofing — the waterproof substrate a screen fixes and seals to; re-tanking is the single biggest hidden cost on this job