Shower tray issues - help needed from a plumber please!

[VelvetSpoon]

About 2 years ago I had someone who said he was a bathroom fitter tile my bathroom for me and fit a shower. Being kind, he did an average job at best. The shower space is less than 750mm wide (about 730mm iirc) so he said he couldn't get a tray to fit but he'd line in, build a frame and then tile over that.

Which he did. But it's clearly not waterproof (all the grout between tiles has fallen away etc) so it's never been used. No point in trying to get him back as he was clearly at the limit of his capabilities. Luckily I hadn't paid him a fortune.

Since then I've been trying to get it fixed. To no avail.

I've had various plumbers with hugely different opinions:
One said I'd never put a shower there it was too small except for a thin person (which I am not) and to make it into a cupboard. Or buy a smaller bath. Which would mean I'd have to retile the entire bathroom fucking idiot
Several who said they basically didn't know what to do
Others who said either they could cut a shower tray to fit, or get a custom made one, or they could chase out the wall. But then none of them ever came back to me with a price.
Others who said they could dp what the original guy did properly, by tanking it etc, but again no price.

I've now got someone who's been highly recommended, he went away to think about it BUT now is saying he doesn't know, and doesn't see what he can do as the space is smaller than 750mm.

It is driving me mad.

Surely there is a simple solution that's not beyond the wit of man?

Not sure if you are saying you have a bath? If so, could you put a shower over the bath or replace the bath with a walk in shower?
My parents did this recently.... a local plumber charged about £1300 compared to a company advertising in the national papers that quoted over £5000!

Yes we have a bath too, with a shower attachment, but this space was always intended (and first fit plumbed) for a separate tiled shower cubicle.

The bath is a whirlpool one and cost a fortune so I don't want to get rid of it. Especially not as several plumbers have suggested this can be resolved, albeit not given me an actual price.

If you have more space in one direction there are offset quadrant shower trays with a minimum width of 725mm. Would that work?

The max depth is about 800mm, I'm not sure if that would be enough?

Minimum would be around 725mm by 825mm for an offset quadrant. You can get 700 by 800 www.plumbworld.co.uk/hydrolux-rectangular-shower-19421-29179

We had a shower cubicle in a past house - the tray was 760mm square. I could use it, but it was not a great experience. DP struggled as he's much tall and broader. Unless there is a way of making more space for the shower, you'd be better off with one over the bath imo.

We've all stood in the shower and we fell like we have plenty of room tbh that includes my bf who is built like a rugby player.

The problem with a 700 x 800 tray is that the space is too wide - 730mm. I've previously been told I can't put a smaller tray in the space, because there's no way to fill the gap?

It feels like there should be a solution that isn't use the space as a cupboard.

I'm really disappointed I cant make any headway or get a straight answer from any plumbers about it.

We don't have a shower tray but have some other system that is basically a cambered panel with a drain in the middle. We then had waterproof tiling over the panel and to the edge of the space. We did this because our space was much larger than a tray and I wanted a single uniform flooring but I don't see why it wouldn't work for you too. The actual drain bit is relatively small I think. We ordered it from a catalogue which our builder gave us but I don't remember it being a specialist one. Sorry not to be more precise but this might be enough for you to track it down.