Outdoor Shower by the Pool: Costs, Permits and Design

An outdoor shower by the pool is one of the most practical upgrades you can add to a backyard. It rinses off chlorine, sunscreen and grass before anyone walks back into the house, and it keeps wet footprints off your floors. Expect to pay anywhere from a couple hundred dollars for a hose-fed cold-water setup to several thousand for a hot-and-cold build with an enclosure. The real price depends on how far the pipes run, how the water drains and how private you want it.

Below, we walk through the decisions in the order you will face them: where to put it, how to supply and drain it, whether you need a permit, what it costs and how to keep it looking good.

TL;DR

• Install it near an existing water line, on the side of the pool deck closest to the back door, to keep plumbing runs and costs down.
• Published estimates run from about $200 for a simple cold-water DIY unit to $8,000 or more for an elaborate build. A typical installed shower lands around $1,500 to $6,000.
• Permits usually apply to permanent plumbing, hot water and electrical work. In Phoenix, adding or relocating a shower can require one, so check before you dig.
• Drainage is the part most people underestimate. Plan the slope, the drain path and the deck surface before you pick a showerhead.
• If you are already remodeling the pool or deck, build the shower into that project. The trenching and plumbing are far cheaper to do once.

Table of Contents

• Is an outdoor shower by the pool worth it?
• Where to put an outdoor shower near a pool
• Design styles that work beside a pool
• How the water gets in and out
• Do you need a permit?
• What an outdoor shower costs
• Perspective: build it with the pool, not after it
• Privacy, upkeep and comfort
• A simple checklist before you start
• Add the shower to your pool remodel
• FAQ
• Sources

Is an outdoor shower by the pool worth it?

For most pool owners, yes. Home and design reporting describes an outdoor shower as something that makes a yard with a pool easier to enjoy, practical as well as attractive. We see the same thing in the field. Families use it every day, not just on weekends.

The everyday benefits are simple:

• Cleaner water. Swimmers who rinse first bring in less sunscreen, oil and debris. That is less work for your filter and your chemistry.
• Cleaner house. Kids and dogs rinse off at the deck instead of dripping through the kitchen.
• A cooler pool day. In the Phoenix summer, a quick cool rinse between swims is a real comfort.
• Resale appeal. A well-built shower reads as a finished backyard to buyers, especially next to an updated pool and deck.

The downsides are real too. A poorly drained shower leaves a muddy patch, a mosquito pool or a slick deck. A shower plumbed in a hurry can leak into a wall. Those are design problems, and they are avoidable.

Where to put an outdoor shower near a pool

Location drives both cost and daily use. Three rules cover most backyards.

1. Stay close to existing plumbing. Plumbers advise placing the shower near an existing water line, such as the exterior wall nearest a bathroom, laundry room or kitchen, to shorten pipe runs and cost. A shower on the wall behind a hall bath can cost far less than one at the far corner of the yard.

2. Sit on the path between pool and house. If it is not on the route people already walk, they will not use it. The best spot is usually beside the back door or at the edge of the deck where swimmers exit.

3. Think about sun and wind. In Arizona, a shower in full afternoon sun heats the pipes and the fixture. Metal showerheads can get too hot to touch. A shaded spot, or one with a shade sail or pergola overhead, is much more comfortable.

If you are also planning a poolside kitchen or bar, group the wet areas together. Shared plumbing and a shared drain make both projects cheaper. Our guide to poolside outdoor kitchen ideas covers how to plan that layout.

Design styles that work beside a pool

Design guides for pool decks group the options into a few types.

Materials that hold up outdoors

For fixtures, stainless steel and aluminum are common. Near the coast, plumbers recommend 316 marine-grade stainless steel because of salt exposure. In the desert, the bigger threat is heat and UV. Choose finishes rated for outdoor use and avoid dark powder coats on fixtures in direct sun, or you will feel it on your hands.

For enclosures, cedar, mahogany and teak are the standard wood choices, and cedar or teak slats work for a platform floor. Stone, tile and stucco walls that match the house tend to age better in Arizona than wood, which dries and checks in the sun. This Old House suggests designing the shower to complement the home’s architecture and landscape, using weather-resistant materials.

If your pool is getting a new finish, match the shower wall to the coping, tile or deck color so it looks planned, not bolted on. That is a good reason to do both together. See our pool deck resurfacing page for what that involves.

How the water gets in and out

Supply: hose, cold line or hot and cold

There are three levels of supply.

1. Garden hose. The simplest option. Water can come from a hose or the home’s main supply. A hose-fed shower is cold, temporary and rarely needs a permit.
2. Dedicated cold line. A permanent line tapped from an exterior wall or irrigation-adjacent plumbing. Cold only, but in Phoenix summers the pipe water often arrives warm anyway.
3. Hot and cold. A tie-in to the home’s water heater. This is the most comfortable and the most expensive, and it is the one most likely to need a permit and a licensed plumber.

For permanent installs, This Old House recommends a pressure-balance valve for hot and cold water, indoor shutoff valves with pipes that slope downward, and exterior caulk around the shower’s mounting block. Plumbers also point to a pressure-balance mixing valve and a backflow prevention device as common fixtures. Backflow protection keeps shower water from ever siphoning back into your drinking supply, and plumbers say it is required in most jurisdictions.

Freeze protection matters less in Phoenix than in colder states, but it is not zero. Desert nights do dip below freezing in winter, especially in outlying areas. Shutoff valves and downward-sloping pipes let you drain the line, and removable fixtures can be stored, the same steps cold-climate owners follow.

Drainage: the part that decides success

Shower water has to go somewhere. Common options include draining into porous ground, a French drain, a dry well, or a connection to a septic or sewer line, sometimes through a shower pan.

Two cautions for a pool deck:

• Do not send shower water toward the pool or the house. Pitch the shower floor away from both. Our guide to pool deck drains and the 1/8 to 1/4 inch per foot slope explains how deck drainage works and why the grade matters.
• Check local gray-water rules. This Old House notes that local codes may dictate gray-water disposal. A dry well can disperse the water, but some cities or states may require routing it to the sewer. Arizona also has a state gray water program. The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality guidance says to avoid human contact with gray water and keep it from running off your property. A shower that drains onto a neighbor’s yard or a wash is a problem.

For the floor itself, This Old House suggests pitching impermeable flooring toward a gravel trench, or using permeable pavers over a dry well. It also advises inspecting for leaks and cleaning the drain. For safety, add a non-slip mat or stone pad. A wet, smooth deck by a pool is where people fall.

Do you need a permit?

It depends on what you build. Plumbers report that permits are typically required for permanent plumbing connections, hot-water installations, or electrical work for lighting or heating, while hose-fed cold-water units rarely need them. The same source puts permit costs at roughly $50 to $200, though your city sets the real fee.

In Phoenix, the city’s residential permit brochure says permits may be required for adding or relocating showers and for installing or repairing sewer and water lines. Other Valley cities, including Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe and Surprise, run their own departments and fee schedules, so confirm with yours.

If you are building the shower as part of a larger pool project, it gets folded into the plans. A few things to know:

• Pool permit plans in Phoenix typically show electrical equipment, including pumps, at least 5 feet from the pool edge, or 10 feet if bonded per NEC Article 680. If your shower has a light, a heater or a pump, the electrical work falls under those pool-area rules, so have a licensed professional handle it.
• Pool barrier rules affect where a shower enclosure can go. A solid shower wall near the fence line can change how the barrier is measured. Read our breakdown of Phoenix pool fence requirements before you place a wall.
• Remodel permits can trigger upgrades to older pool equipment and drainage. Our article on which Phoenix pool remodel permits force upgrades explains what to expect.

For city-by-city fees and requirements, see our Arizona pool permits guide and the explainer on pool permit design.

What an outdoor shower costs

Honest answer: the range is wide, and the sources behind it are cost estimators, not a bid for your yard. Use these numbers to set a budget, then get a written quote.

Across the U.S., a 2026 estimate puts typical installed costs at $1,500 to $6,000, with a national average around $3,500.

What moves the price

The same estimate lists the main factors: the hot-water connection, plumbing distance and trenching, drainage, enclosure materials and design, fixtures, permits, and local labor and material costs. It puts the hot-water connection alone at $800 to $2,500.

In practice, we see these as the biggest swings:

• Hot water. If the water heater is on the far side of the house, the run gets long and expensive.
• Concrete cutting. Running pipe through an existing pool deck means cutting and patching. Doing it during a deck resurfacing or remodel avoids a visible scar.
• Drainage. A simple gravel trench is cheap. A connection to a sewer line is not.
• Enclosure. A stucco or stone wall with tile costs many times more than a freestanding column.

Perspective: build it with the pool, not after it

We fix ugly pools for a living, and a surprising number of them come to us with a shower that was added as an afterthought. A pipe stub cut through new decking, a drain that sends water at the pool equipment pad, a fixture that burns your hand at 3 p.m. in July. None of these are hard to prevent. They just need someone to think about the whole backyard at once.

Our advice, after a decade of remodels in the Greater Phoenix area:

• Decide on the shower before you resurface or re-deck. Trenching under a finished surface is the expensive way to do it.
• Treat drainage as the first design decision, not the last. If the deck slope, the shower floor and the drain do not agree, you will see it after the first heavy week of use.
• Keep electrical and plumbing in the pool zone tidy and permitted. That protects your family and your resale.
• If the pool equipment pad is in the way, plan for it. Our guide to pool equipment relocation and permit delays shows how moving it can open up better plumbing options.

A shower should feel like it was always part of the yard. That takes planning, not a bigger budget.

— Brian

Privacy, upkeep and comfort

Privacy

You do not need a full room. Trees or hedges, screens or partial walls all work, and enclosures range from folding screens to custom-built structures. In a Phoenix yard, a short stucco wall that matches the house, or a slatted screen, is usually enough. Remember that walls near a pool can interact with barrier rules, so check before you build.

Keeping it clean and dry

• Use outdoor-suitable materials and ventilate the shower so it dries completely.
• Inspect for leaks and clean the drain regularly.
• Clean stone or tile often to prevent algae growth. Desert hard water also leaves mineral spots, so wipe fixtures down on a schedule.

These are the same habits that This Old House recommends for any permanent outdoor shower.

Making it comfortable in the desert

Pick fixtures with a finish that stays cooler in the sun. Shade the shower area if you can. Consider a pressure-balance valve so the temperature does not spike when someone flushes a toilet inside. Pipe water that sits in sun-heated lines can run hot in summer, so let it run a moment before stepping in.

A simple checklist before you start

1. Pick the location near existing water and along the pool-to-house path.
2. Decide the supply level: hose, cold line or hot and cold.
3. Plan the drain: slope, trench, dry well or sewer, and confirm local rules.
4. Call your city’s building department about permits for plumbing, hot water and any electrical work.
5. Choose materials rated for heat, UV and constant moisture.
6. Plan privacy and non-slip flooring.
7. Get a written scope from a licensed contractor if the work touches your deck, equipment or gas and electrical lines.

Add the shower to your pool remodel

If your pool, deck or equipment area is already tired, a shower is much easier to add as part of the remodel. We handle pool remodeling, water features, deck work and outdoor living upgrades across the Greater Phoenix area, so the plumbing, drainage and finishes are planned together. If you are weighing a larger project, our custom pools page shows what we build. Tell us what you want your pool area to do, and we will help you plan it. Book a free initial consult through our site.

FAQ

Do you need a permit for an outdoor shower by the pool?

Often yes, if it is permanent. Plumbers say permits typically apply to permanent plumbing, hot water or electrical work, while hose-fed cold units rarely need one. In Phoenix, the city says adding or relocating a shower may require a permit, so call your building department first.

Where does an outdoor shower drain to?

Usually into the ground through a gravel trench, French drain or dry well, or into a sewer or septic line where local rules require it. Slope the floor away from the pool and the house. Check gray-water rules before you choose.

Is an outdoor shower a good idea?

For a pool owner, usually yes. It keeps chlorine, sunscreen and debris out of the house and reduces what goes into the pool. It works best when drainage and materials are planned properly and the location is on the path swimmers already take.

What is the average cost of an outdoor shower?

A 2026 national estimate puts typical installed costs at $1,500 to $6,000, with an average near $3,500. Simple hose-fed units cost far less, and premium hot-and-cold builds can reach $8,000 or more. Plumbing distance, hot water and drainage drive most of the difference.

Sources

• Is an outdoor shower a good idea? | Homes and Gardens
• Outdoor Shower Installation Tips | Benjamin Franklin Plumbing
• Outdoor Shower Ideas for Pool Decks | Magnus Home Products
• The Ultimate Guide to Outdoor Showers | This Old House
• How to Hookup Water to an Outdoor Shower | This Old House
• Outdoor Showers: A Homeowner’s Guide | The Family Handyman
• Arizona Department of Environmental Quality gray water guide
• How to Obtain a Residential Permit Brochure | City of Phoenix
• Building Permits in Phoenix, AZ | Do I Need a Permit
• Outdoor Shower Installation Cost in 2026 | Cost to Renovate
• How Much Does an Outdoor Shower Cost to Install in 2026? | Cost to Renovate

Recommended

• Pool Permit Design: What Homeowners Need to Know
• Homeowners: Poolside Outdoor Kitchen Ideas From Remodelers, What to Plan
• Pool Equipment Relocation for Homeowners: Avoid Permit Delays
• 3 Poolside Fire Setups for Homeowners: Nightly Use and Retrofit Risks