Tray types compared
Low profile trays sit close to the floor, usually 25mm to 40mm high, and are the standard choice where floor to ceiling height or an existing waste run limits how much you can raise the floor.
Stone resin trays (often marketed as composite or mineral resin) are denser, feel more solid underfoot, and come in a wider range of sizes and shapes including quadrant and bespoke cuts. They cost more than acrylic but resist flexing and cracking far better over time.
Riser kit trays sit on an adjustable leg frame, raising the tray higher off the floor to create fall to the waste without needing to alter the floor structure. Useful where pipework cannot be lowered, though the higher step is a trade-off worth discussing with anyone less mobile in the household.
Acrylic trays remain the budget option and are perfectly serviceable, but thinner acrylic can flex underfoot over the unsupported centre of a large tray, which is why we always fully bed rather than point-support them.
| Tray type | Typical height | Supply cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low profile acrylic | 25-40mm | £90-£220 | Standard conversions, budget-conscious jobs |
| Stone/mineral resin | 30-40mm | £180-£450 | Family bathrooms, higher-traffic showers |
| Riser kit (leg-supported) | 100-150mm | £120-£300 (tray + kit) | Where waste fall cannot be improved |
| Bespoke/wetroom former | Flush | £300-£700 | Level access, tanked floor installations |
Levelling and bedding: where the real work is
Before the tray goes near the floor, the waste is offered up and tested with a bucket of water to confirm it drains fully with no pooling, because retrofitting a waste after tiling is a much bigger job than checking it now.
Low profile trays are bedded on a full bed of rapid-set mortar or proprietary tray adhesive rather than just clipped on feet, so the whole underside is supported and there is no drumming sound or flex when you step in.
The tray must sit dead level side to side (checked with a spirit level, tolerance within about 2mm across the tray) with a very slight fall built into the floor beneath towards the waste, not the other way round.
Riser kits need each leg individually adjusted and locked off, then rechecked once the tray is loaded, since an unloaded tray can read level and still dip slightly once someone stands in it.
Shower doors: types and what suits your space
Pivot doors hinge from one side and swing outward, needing enclosure space to open but working well in a squarer opening.
Sliding doors run on a top track and suit narrower bathrooms or trays positioned in an alcove, since the door needs no swing space.
Bifold doors concertina inward, a good option where floor space in front of the enclosure is tight, though the folding mechanism is the part most likely to need attention over time.
Frameless and semi-frameless doors use thicker toughened glass (usually 8mm or 10mm) with minimal metalwork for a cleaner look, but they need a perfectly level and plumb opening to hang correctly, so any out-of-true walls get addressed before the door is ordered.
Tolerances and sealing
Wall and floor openings for a shower door should be within about 3mm of plumb and level across the width. Anything beyond that and the door will bind at the top or bottom, or leave a visible wedge-shaped gap that no amount of sealant will hide neatly.
The tray-to-wall junction is sealed with a sanitary-grade silicone rather than tile grout, since silicone flexes with the tray's minor movement and grout will crack there over time.
Door tracks and hinges are bedded with a continuous bead of silicone underneath, not just sealed on top, so water cannot creep beneath the fixing and sit against the wall.
We leave any tanking membrane or upstand behind the tray running higher than the finished tile line, so if grout ever fails at a joint the substrate underneath stays dry.
What it costs to fit
Fitted prices below assume the tray and enclosure sit on an existing waste in reasonable condition. Waste alterations, floor levelling or full retiling around the enclosure are priced separately at survey.
| Job | Typical fitted price |
|---|---|
| Tray replacement, like for like size and position | £280-£480 |
| New tray plus pivot or sliding door | £550-£950 |
| New tray plus frameless door | £750-£1,300 |
| Riser kit tray with waste adjustment | £450-£750 |
Your questions answered
Why does my shower tray flex when I step in?
Almost always because it was fitted on feet or a partial bed rather than a full mortar bed. Refitting it properly bedded is usually the fix, though a stone resin tray resists this less than acrylic.
How do I know if my walls are level enough for a frameless door?
We check with a level and straight edge at survey. Out-of-true walls beyond a few millimetres either need packing behind the frame or, for fully frameless doors, some minor wall correction first.
Can you fit a shower tray without lifting the floor?
If the existing waste has enough fall, yes. If not, a riser kit tray or a small amount of floor work is usually the answer, which we confirm at survey rather than guessing.
What is the difference between silicone and grout at the tray edge?
Silicone flexes with the tray's minor natural movement; grout is rigid and will eventually crack at that junction. That is why the tray-to-wall line is always silicone, never grout.
How long before I can use a newly fitted shower?
Once sealant has fully cured, typically 24 hours, though we always confirm the specific product's cure time on the day.