by Jane |
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After talking about what steam showers are, their health benefits, and our top picks for the best steam showers, it’s time to let you know about steam shower cost — how much you’d REALLY be spending for purchase, installation, and maintenance.
Exact costing is impossible due to our varying locations and market fluctuations but we can take a stab at providing reasonably accurate approximate costs.
Purchase Cost
There are two ways to get your steam shower.
Option 1: Set it up yourself
First off, you can opt to get it set up with the help of local professionals. You’ll most likely have to get your steam generator from a local dealer who will find the best spot for your generator (like a bathroom closet). Next, a contractor will help you decide on the tiling, the shower door, and the steamproof enclosure. Later on, a plumber will be called in to connect the pipes and an electrician will hook up the necessary cables and make sure the digital controls are working.
Overall, this should set you back by $2,000 to $5,000 depending on where you live and how much these professionals charge in your area. If you’re handy and can wield a wrench with the best of them, you can lower that number based on how much of the work you can carry out with your own hands.
Option 2: Buy a complete unit
If you don’t want all that hassle, you can purchase a free-standing unit instead. All you’ll need to do is to settle on a brand and model, have it delivered in your home, and then have it installed by an electrician. It still entails work but less headaches.
The down side to this option is you won’t be able to customize the look and feel of your steam shower as you would if you were getting it built on your own. Standalone units tend to look like futuristic space capsules and sometimes don’t go well with your current bathroom decor.
Talking about cost, a steam shower unit from our Top 5 list ranges from $1300 to $3500. One of these units even comes with a whirlpool bath!
Installation Cost
You’d most likely have to pay somewhere around $400 to $700 for installation.
Installing your steam shower means having the following done:
- installing the steam shower unit and/or generator
- assembling the mount steam shower
- connecting the unit to your existing plumbing and drainage
- doing area protection and cleanup
Summing it all up, getting set up with a steam shower for the very first time in your home will cost you from a low of $2,000 to a high of $4,200 for free-standing units.
Operational Cost
Your steam shower runs on water and electricity so of course, you’ll be spending money on your monthly bills. The good news is that a 10-minute steam session only uses up a gallon of water. Very eco-friendly, right?
What will cost more is the power consumption. This depends on the size of your steam shower and the tiling you used.
Smaller spaces, and ceramic and porcelain tiling would need less power to heat up. In contrast, a bigger steam room with marble or stone walls would need twice the steam-generating power. This translates to a higher power consumption bill at the end of each month.
Maintenance Cost
Steam showers are not as hard to maintain as, say, bath tubs, but they will still need to be maintained. Strike a deal with your manufacturer or dealer for regular maintenance visits. Remember that regular maintenance, though a pain in the posterior (and pocket), will save you from big repairs down the road.
Summing Up
Taking into consideration all the work and cost involved, is it still a good idea to install a steam shower? We’d say yes, especially if you have aches and pains that can be managed with a good steam bath.
Also, there’s another awesome benefit when your home has its own steam bath. According to real estate agents, the value of your property goes up when you have a steam shower installed in the premises. That’s a good return on investment right there.
Now, this is a bit out of place, but we just want to reiterate that pregnant women and people with heart disease or high blood pressure should avoid steam baths. (Though that is another discussion altogether.) If you suffer from these conditions but still want to buy something for relaxation, we’d recommend a massage chair instead.
Author: Jane Neu
Jane is the creator of Complete Home Spa – “It’s a good idea,” she said. But even she has been taken aback by its success. She lives with a cranky Englishman in a quiet countryside retreat. And in the past year, has become mom cat to a spunky rescue named Mina. Connect with her on Twitter @completehomespa.