Tips for Designing and Installing Your Own DIY Outdoor Shower

Building a DIY outdoor shower might feel like a distant fantasy, but with the proper strategy and materials, it can become a reality.

You might desire an outdoor shower for practical uses: washing off before a swim in the pool or spa, or after a day at the beach; cleaning up after a busy afternoon of gardening, fence-building, or mowing the lawn; or to prevent muddy footprints after a family game of touch football, volleyball, or a simple round of catch.

Perhaps you’re drawn to an outdoor shower for the sensory joy it offers: the refreshing sensation of cool water against your skin while basking in the sun’s warmth. If your home boasts breathtaking views or lush landscaping, why not take a moment to enjoy that beauty while standing under a soothing stream of water? Could a midnight shower under a glowing moon and starlit sky be in your future?

Outdoor showers are gaining popularity, likely because homeowners have discovered that building one is among the easiest DIY projects to tackle. Keep reading to learn how to set up your very own outdoor shower.

Backyard Shower: Tools and Materials

Before starting your DIY outdoor shower project, take some time to explore designs online and in gardening books or magazines to find the style that best fits your needs [source: Haque]. The tools and materials required will depend on your design choices. Here are a few essentials you might need:

Plumbing

To begin, you'll need PVC pipes for cold water, and CPVC pipes for hot water if you prefer a warm shower. The total length of piping required will depend on how far your outdoor shower is from your home. For the fixtures, select materials like bronze, copper, or brass, as these metals will maintain their shine over time.

Gather tools such as pliers, glue, PVC cutters, as well as thumb and pipe wrenches to install the pipes and fixtures. Be sure to visit your local hardware store to confirm you have all the necessary materials. (Many choose to hire a plumber for this particular task.)

Shower back wall

If your outdoor shower is attached to your house wall, you might need to remove the siding to make space for the new plumbing. Then, replace the removed section with a 4-foot (1.2-meter) wide by 10-foot (3-meter) tall shower wall [source: Bob Vila]. For this, you’ll require cement backer board, a circular saw for cutting, and thinset to secure the decorative tile to the wall.

Shower Walls

If privacy isn't a concern, this becomes a straightforward task: simply build a border at the base (more on that later) and leave the outdoor shower open on three sides without the need for walls.

However, if privacy is important, you have several options: glass block walls, freestanding privacy screens, or wooden enclosures made from weather-resistant materials such as cedar, teak, or newer treated or engineered wood alternatives.

Alternatively, for a budget-friendly option, you can install a semi-circular shower curtain rod with a curtain to enclose the space.

Flooring

Outdoor shower floors are commonly made from concrete, so you’ll need a concrete mix and gravel to lay as the base before pouring the concrete. If you wish to add a decorative touch, you can use ceramic, stone, or rock tiles to give the floor the appearance and texture of natural stone.

Extras

For added comfort, think about including shelves or hanging caddies to store soaps and shampoos, as well as pegs or hooks for washcloths, towels, clothes, and robes.

Backyard Shower: Select a Location

The placement of your outdoor shower depends on its intended use [source: Dale]. If it’s just for washing off dirt before entering the house, positioning it near the entry on the house’s outer wall would be most convenient. But if the shower is for rinsing off before jumping into the pool, you’ll want it near the pool’s edge.

It wouldn’t be practical to shower near the house and then track dirt across the yard with wet feet. If you wish to enjoy the view of your vibrant garden while showering, or if you’re lucky enough to have vistas of valleys, mountains, lakes, or the ocean, position your outdoor shower to maximize those scenic views.

Choose a spot that’s level with soft soil underneath. If the ground isn’t soft, you may need to design a drainage system to handle the water runoff.

Also, think about whether you want your shower in the shade or soaking up the sun. Many people enjoy the warmth of the sun along with the refreshing water. Plus, orienting your shower towards the sun will help dry the area quicker.

Backyard Shower: Plumbing

If you want your outdoor shower to be attached to or positioned near the outer wall of your home, it’s practical to place it close to your kitchen or bathroom. This way, you can easily access the plumbing by cutting into the walls. For a shower with both hot and cold water, you’ll need both PVC (cold) and CPVC (hot) pipes, along with the appropriate fixtures for the outdoor setup.

Install the main shower head connection about 7 feet (2.1 meters) above the ground. You may also want to add a second showerhead and faucet a few feet lower for rinsing off feet and legs, or even for washing your dog.

Backyard Shower: Cover the Exposed House Wall

Once you’ve installed the plumbing against the exterior wall of your home, you’ll need to cover that wall again to prevent moisture from seeping in and to create an appealing backdrop for your shower. Most professionals suggest sealing the area first with cement backer board.

Cement backer board is a commonly used material for covering the back wall of an outdoor shower. It’s designed to block moisture and comes in pre-cut concrete sheets that only need screws for installation. The advantage of cement backer board is its straightforward installation, though you’ll need to measure and mark where the plumbing fixtures will go and then cut holes accordingly.

A utility knife or scoring knife can be used to cut the holes in the backer board. It’s easier to drill holes at the corners of your marks and then use a jigsaw to finish the openings. Always wear protective goggles when cutting cement.

Cement backer board is also ideal for creating a solid foundation for decorative tiles. Once you’ve set the base for your outdoor shower floor (read on for instructions on how to do this), you can add beautiful tiles to the back wall to complete the look of your shower.

Backyard Shower: Create a Back Wall for a Standalone Unit

If your outdoor shower isn’t directly connected to your home’s exterior wall, you’ll need a structure to support the plumbing and fixtures. This could be as simple as a vertical wooden or metal pole, installed about a foot into the ground and anchored with concrete. Alternatively, you could build a weather-resistant wall made of wood or tile, spanning between 3 to 6 feet (0.9 to 1.8 meters).

A larger wall could also give you extra space to add pegs and hooks for hanging towels, clothes, and robes, as well as caddies for your soaps and shampoos. Just make sure to use environmentally friendly bath products outdoors to comply with local regulations on gray water disposal.

Backyard Shower: Lay Your Floor

Your outdoor shower will require a floor, and it’s important that it has a non-slip surface. You can either lay down pavers or construct a small deck with weather-resistant wood. Some people opt for gravel, but it’s not the most comfortable option—and it has a tendency to scatter around!

Another choice is a concrete floor, which involves digging a square or rectangular space in the ground and framing it with wood to keep the concrete in place as it hardens. After laying a gravel base and leveling it, pour concrete over the gravel until it reaches the top of the wood frame. To avoid pooling, tilt the frame slightly toward the direction where you want the water to drain.

To make your concrete floor both attractive and non-slip, give it a broom finish. When the concrete is firming up, drag a broom over it to create a swirl pattern. If you've sloped the concrete, make sure your broom strokes run toward the edge that leads the water away for proper drainage.

Backyard Shower: Beautify the Attached Back Wall

Popular choices for the tiles on your shower's back wall include ceramic, slate, and glass. River rock tiles stacked together are also gaining popularity. To install them, you’ll need thinset mortar (make sure to consult your supplier to ensure you’re using the right type for your specific tiles). Apply the thinset to the cement backer board to ensure the tiles adhere properly.

One downside of using ceramic, slate, and glass tiles for your outdoor shower's back wall is that you might need to have individual tiles cut by the store to fit neatly against the cement backer. This depends on the tile size and the pattern you select.

Stacked river rock tiles are a popular choice for the back wall of an outdoor shower because they come in sheets that can be easily resized by cutting the mesh backing, allowing for a smooth, clean edge along the sides of the shower wall.

River rock tile is available in various sheet sizes, such as 12-inch by 4-inch (30.4 cm by 10.1 cm) or 12-inch by 12-inch (30.4 cm by 30.4 cm). Prices for these tiles vary, so you might end up paying more or less than you would for traditional stone or ceramic tiles, depending on the selection you choose.

Backyard Shower: Design the Sides

Whether you have a freestanding shower or one attached to your home's walls, you'll want to manage the runoff. A border around the shower can prevent water from spilling over. If your shower is near a garden, you can direct the runoff to water your plants. For a shower that’s attached to the house, make sure the runoff is directed away from the foundation.

You can create a border around the concrete floor that's about 5 inches (12.7 centimeters) high. A popular choice is a glass block border. Just like with the back wall, apply thinset to the sides of the concrete floor, then arrange the glass blocks side by side, back to front, using thinset between them to keep them in place.

For added privacy, you can build the glass blocks higher until you have walls on each side of the shower. Once the walls are complete, install a shower curtain rod between the glass block walls and hang a curtain to increase privacy.

Backyard Shower: Finish the Floor

The final step before installing the shower head and faucets is completing the floor of your outdoor shower. While you can simply apply a broom finish to the concrete, as explained earlier, you also have the option to go a bit more luxurious by installing tile on the shower floor.

Ceramic or slate tiles—any of the same options discussed earlier in this guide—are perfect for finishing the shower floor. Be sure to choose tiles with a non-skid surface. If you've used stacked river rock for the back wall, you can create a cohesive look by matching the floor with river rock tiles. Just like the back wall, the river rock mesh sheets, commonly 12-inch by 12-inch (30.4-centimeter by 30.4-centimeter), are adhered using thinset.