Journal / Wet rooms
Wet room bathrooms: what they are and what the code asks
Words by the Bathroom Edit editor · Updated on 3 October 2026 · 2 min read
A wet room puts the shower on the same level as the rest of the floor, with no hob and often no screen. It looks effortless, and it depends entirely on getting the floor right.
A wet room is a bathroom where the shower is open to the rest of the room on one continuous floor. Under Australia's building code, an unenclosed shower needs a waterstop at least 1500 mm from the shower rose, and the floor must fall to the waste.
What makes a wet room
Spec board
- FloorOne continuous tile
- DrainLinear, at the wall
- ScreenNone or one panel
- WallsWaterproofed to 1800 mm+
- Fall1:80 to 1:50
One level floor, a linear drain, and either no screen or a single fixed panel. It suits small rooms and anyone who needs step-free access.
The rules (NCC 2022)
- Unenclosed showers: a waterstop at least 1500 mm horizontally from the shower rose, its top flush with the floor.
- Shower walls: waterproof to at least 1800 mm above the floor; the shower floor waterproof.
- Falls: where there is a floor waste, a continuous fall of 1:80 to 1:50.
- Timber floors: in a wet area, timber-based floors must be waterproof, not just water resistant.
Some builders waterproof the whole wet room floor and drain it all to the waste, which the code allows as an alternative.
The small wet room
In a small bathroom, a single fixed glass panel keeps water off the toilet and vanity while keeping the floor open.
Common questions
What is a wet room bathroom?
A bathroom with an open shower on the same level as the rest of the floor, usually with a linear drain and no hob.
Do wet rooms need a shower screen?
Not necessarily, but without one the code requires a waterstop at least 1500 mm from the shower rose, and the floor around must be waterproofed and drained.