Home Improvement Ideas Plumbing Installations & Repairs How to Build an Outdoor Shower Take a weekend to design, plan, and build an outdoor shower for your home. By Timothy Dale Published on June 15, 2023 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Rachel McGinn Project Overview Working Time: 12 hours Total Time: 2 days Skill Level: Advanced Estimated Cost: $300 to $600 Yield: Outdoor Shower After relaxing in the pool, working in the yard, or playing with the kids or pets, an outdoor shower can help prevent dirt, sand, and other debris from getting tracked inside. This home addition is also a great way for swimmers to clean off before diving in the pool. And after swimming, a quick rinse can get rid of the chlorinated water before you head inside. Use this guide to learn how to build an outdoor shower for your home. Local Building Permit Requirements Before starting a DIY outdoor shower project, speak to local municipality officials to determine if you're allowed to build an outdoor shower in your neighborhood and if you require a building permit before proceeding. Typically, any new plumbing installation will require a permit, so if you are running water lines from inside the home to the outdoor shower, it's likely you will need a permit. However, if you're simply connecting the outdoor shower to an existing exterior spigot with a garden hose, you may not need a permit to put up the shower stall. Additionally, it's a good idea to find out if the outdoor shower is allowed to drain into a gravel bed or if the shower must be connected to the home's waste system. Before Getting Started The location of the shower will affect the complexity of the job. Additionally, it's important to decide whether this will be a cold water shower stall for rinsing off, or if the outdoor shower will have both hot and cold water. If the outdoor shower will only use cold water, you may be able to connect the shower assembly to an existing exterior spigot with a garden hose, reducing the amount of plumbing required for the job. However, if you want your DIY outdoor shower to have both hot and cold water, it's recommended to find the water supply lines indoors, so that you can position the outdoor shower close to where the water supply lines run through the home. This will make it easier to run the cold and hot water supply lines from inside the home to the outdoor shower. What You'll Need Equipment / Tools Metal detector Drywall saw Miter saw Tape measure Shovel Post hole digger Bubble level Hammer drill Masonry drill bit Pipe cutter Blow torch PEX clamp tool PEX cutting tool Caulking gun Tamper Materials Drainage gravel 4 8-foot 4x4 posts 1 10-foot 4x4 posts Concrete mix 2 Plumbing tees 2 Isolation valves Copper or PEX pipe 6 90-degree solder or PEX fittings 1 90-degree threaded FIP 1 90-degree threaded MIP Shower valve assembly C-shaped pipe hangers Plumbers tape Solder Flux paste Flux brush MAP gas PEX cinch rings Silicone-based caulk 11 to 13 8-foot 2x4 boards 2-inch screws 1-inch screws Joist hangers 27 to 36 6-foot 5/8x5 1/2 boards Wood gate/door hinges Gate/door latch Instructions How to Build an Outdoor Shower Locate the Water Supply Lines If you're connecting your outdoor shower to an existing exterior spigot, you only need to determine the basic position and layout of the outdoor shower in relation to where the spigot exits the home. If you want an outdoor shower with both hot and cold water, you'll need to locate the hot and cold water supply lines inside the home. This is relatively easy if you have an unfinished basement or crawlspace, but for a finished home, you may need to use a metal detector or even hire professional plumbers to locate the water lines with line tracing equipment. Once you locate the water lines, use a drywall knife to cut an opening in the wall, exposing the hot and cold water lines. Keep in mind, if the water lines are copper, you will need enough space inside the wall cavity to use a blow torch safely. If you do not have experience with this work, it's recommended to hire a plumber to complete this portion of the job. Set the Posts for the Privacy Wall Measure an area about 4 feet in length by 4 feet in width. At each of the four points, use a post hole digger to dig down about 3 feet. Pour about 6 inches of drainage gravel into each hole, then place an 8-foot 4x4 post into each hole. Use a bubble level to ensure each post is plumb, then mix and pour concrete into each hole. Keep in mind, if you're building a freestanding shower, the showerhead and shower valve assembly will need a post for support. Use a 10-foot 4x4 post for this purpose to ensure the showerhead is mounted high enough for all users. This post should be positioned in the center of two support posts where you want the showerhead to be mounted. After pouring the concrete, it will take about 24 to 48 hours to fully set. Connect the Water Supply Lines Once the posts have had time to set, you can proceed with the plumbing. PEX plumbing lines are relatively easy to work with as long as you have a PEX clamp tool, PEX cutting tool, and the necessary parts. If the water lines are copper, you will need to use a blow torch, flux paste, and solder to install any fittings. Those that are not comfortable working with solder should leave this part of the job to a professional plumber. Cold Shower: If you're installing a cold water shower, the next step is to mount the showerhead and shower valve assembly. Cut a piece of pipe that can run from the bottom of the shower up to the showerhead. Install a 90-degree FIP at the top, facing in toward the center of the shower, and a 90-degree MIP or hose adapter at the bottom of the pipe, facing out away from the shower. Attach the piping to the post with C-shaped pipe hangers, then connect the showerhead at the top and the garden hose at the bottom. Hot and Cold Shower: If you're putting in a hot and cold shower, you'll need to drill holes through the wall of the home for the water lines to exit based on the existing position of the hot and cold water supply lines. Next, turn off the water to the home, and use a pipe cutter to cut the cold and hot water supply lines. Install a plumbing tee and an isolation valve on each water supply line before running the water line to the outside of the home. The isolation valves are necessary for turning the water off during colder months to avoid freezing. Use 90-degree fittings to redirect the piping to the outdoor shower and attach the cold and hot water supply lines to the shower valve assembly according to the manufacturer's instructions. Run an additional length of pipe from the shower valve to the showerhead, and install a 90-degree threaded FIP. Attach the shower handle and showerhead to the shower assembly, then use silicone caulk to seal the holes where the water supply lines exited the home. Turn the water on and check the entire plumbing setup from inside the home to the showerhead for any leaks. Use the shower handle to test the shower assembly to ensure it's working properly. Create a Drainage Area Use a shovel to dig out the 4-foot by 4-foot space. Dig down about 1 foot, then use a miter saw to cut two 8-foot 2x4s in half. Use the four boards to build a frame for the drainage area, then slide the frame into the hole. Fill the frame with drainage gravel, then use a tamping tool to tamp down on the gravel until it's pressed tightly together. Build the Wood Floor Measure and cut three 44-1/2-inch lengths of 2x4 boards to serve as the right, left, and center support for the wood floor frame. Cut another 8-foot 2x4 board in half for the top and bottom of the frame. Use the drill and 2-inch screws to build the wood floor frame. Place the wood floor over the drainage area, ensuring that it lays flat and level, then secure the frame to the support posts. Cut five 8-foot 2x4s in half to get ten 4-foot floorboards. Lay each board down on the floor frame and position them so that they are spaced about 1/8-inch from each other. Attach the floorboards to the frame with 2-inch construction screws. Cut and Attach Privacy Wall Stringers The number of stringers you need depends on the number of walls the shower stall will have. If the shower is positioned directly against the wall of the home and you don't want a gate or door for the stall, you only need to cut four 44-1/2-inch lengths of 2x4 boards for the stringers. If you're building a freestanding shower stall with no gate or door, cut six 44-1/2-inch lengths of 2x4 boards for the stringers. For freestanding shower stalls that have a door, you need to cut eight 44-1/2-inch lengths of 2x4 boards for the stringers. However, the two additional stringers for the gate or door will not be installed until the privacy wall boards are put in. After cutting the stringers, use the joist hangers and 1-inch screws to mount each stringer to the support posts. Use a tape measure to ensure the bottom stringers are mounted about 24 inches off the ground and the top stringers are mounted about 56 inches off the ground. Install Privacy Wall Boards Use 1-inch screws and a drill to start installing the 6-foot-5/8-inch by 5-1/2-inch privacy wall boards. There should be no need to cut these boards. Screw each board across the stringers using two 1-inch screws at the top and two at the bottom per board. If you are installing a door or gate, lay out the two remaining stringers horizontally, ensuring they're spaced about 32 inches apart. Position the first wall board so that the lower stringer will sit about 24 inches from the bottom of the gate and the top stringer will sit about 56 inches from the bottom of the gate. Use 1-inch screws to attach the 6-foot-5/8-inch by 5-1/2-inch privacy wall boards. Attach the door or gate to the outdoor shower stall with gate hinges on one side and a gate latch assembly to keep the door closed on the other side. Ensure the gate sits at least one to two inches off the ground so that it swings freely. Once you've installed your DIY outdoor shower, the project is complete. Clean up the tools and construction materials, then grab a towel and take advantage of the new shower to wash off before heading indoors.