A "level-access shower" sounds like a simple upgrade: swap the bath for a step-free tray, tile it, done. In practice the difference between a genuinely safe installation and a good-looking one that fails you six months in comes down to a handful of specification points most quotes never mention out loud. As an independent consumer watchdog, our job here isn’t to sell you a shower — it’s to give you the questions to put to whoever does.
These five checks apply whether you’re paying privately, going through a council-arranged adaptation, or using a Disabled Facilities Grant to fund the work. They’re about what gets specified and signed off, not who pays for it.
Check the flooring’s actual slip rating, not just the marketing photo
"Non-slip" is not a regulated term and any tile can be described that way. What matters is the measurable rating. Flooring intended for a wet room or level-access shower used by an older or disabled person should carry a slip-resistance rating of at least R11, and in the UK the Health and Safety Executive’s preferred measure is the Pendulum Test Value (PTV) — a wet-condition score of 36 or above is treated as low slip potential. Ask your installer for the rating in writing before flooring is chosen, not after it’s laid. Textured porcelain, vinyl safety flooring and mosaic tiling (the extra grout lines add friction) are all reasonable routes to that rating; a large-format tile that merely looks matte is not automatically compliant.
Confirm the room is properly waterproofed — "tanked" — before tiling
Tiles and standard grout are water-resistant, not waterproof. Since the 2018 revision of BS 5385-1, the British Standard covering wall and floor tiling, a proprietary tanking membrane is required under the tiling in any domestic wet area, including a walk-in shower enclosure. This is invisible once the job is finished, which is exactly why it’s the step most likely to get skipped by a rushed or unqualified fitter. A short technical note: a true wet room tanks the entire floor as one drainage zone, while a walk-in shower is usually a defined enclosure with a low-profile or flush tray — either way, ask specifically whether a tanking membrane system was used and get it named on the invoice or specification sheet, not just implied.
Measure the doorway and the turning space, not just the shower itself
A shower that’s level-access but sits behind a narrow door or in a cramped room isn’t actually accessible. For a wheelchair or walking frame to pass through comfortably, aim for a clear opening of 800–900mm — and check the measurement with the door actually open, since frames and door stops can quietly eat 50–100mm off the stated size. Building Regulations guidance on accessibility puts the minimum clear doorway width for wheelchair access at around 850mm. Inside the room, allow a clear floor area of roughly 1500mm by 1500mm for a full wheelchair turn; where the bathroom also has to fit a WC and basin, that turning circle is the first thing to get squeezed, so it’s worth sketching the layout before any work starts rather than discovering the shortfall afterwards.
Ask what’s controlling the water temperature
Scald risk is higher for older adults and people with reduced sensation or mobility, which is why thermostatic mixing valves (TMVs) matter more here than in an ordinary bathroom refit. Building Regulations Part G caps the hot water reaching a bath outlet at 48°C, and guidance for vulnerable users generally points to a bathing temperature nearer 38°C. A compliant TMV should meet BS EN 1111 or BS EN 1287 and, because it sits on the UK mains water supply, carry WRAS approval. This is a small, inexpensive component relative to the overall job — but it’s the one most directly tied to physical safety, so don’t let it be an afterthought in the quote.
A short specification checklist
| What to check | What "good" looks like | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Floor slip rating | R11 or PTV 36+ (wet) | Reduces fall risk on wet flooring |
| Waterproofing | Tanking membrane under tiles, per BS 5385-1 | Prevents hidden water damage and mould |
| Door clear width | 800–900mm, measured open | Allows wheelchair/frame access |
| Turning space | Approx. 1500mm x 1500mm clear floor | Enables safe manoeuvring, not just entry |
| Water temperature control | WRAS-approved TMV, BS EN 1111/1287 | Prevents scalding for vulnerable users |
What to do with this before you commission any work
Take this list to whoever is quoting the job and ask them to confirm each point against the actual materials and layout they’re proposing — in writing, not verbally. If the work is being arranged through a council occupational therapist as part of a wider adaptation, these standards should already be built into their assessment, but it’s still reasonable to ask which flooring rating and tanking system they’ve specified. If anything on this list can’t be answered clearly, treat that as a reason to pause, not a detail to chase up later. A level-access shower is meant to reduce risk in the home — it only does that job if the specification behind it was actually followed, not just implied by the finished tiling.
It’s also worth asking who is actually accountable if something is missed. A tradesperson working alone may not carry sign-off responsibility for building-regulations compliance in the way a certified installer or a scheme-registered contractor would. Request the name of the standard or regulation for each item on the checklist above, not just an assurance that "it’s all sorted" — a specific reference (BS 5385-1, Part G, WRAS) is something you can independently verify later if a dispute ever arises. That paper trail costs nothing to ask for and is the single easiest way to tell a considered installation from a quick one.