Shower Niche Size and Height in Australia

A shower niche is usually 300 to 600 mm on its long side, 300 to 400 mm on its short side and 70 to 80 mm deep, says Architecture & Design. Australian retailer FactoryFast puts the bottom of the niche about 900 to 1100 mm above the finished floor in a standing shower.

Below are the common sizes, why the wall frame sets the depth, where a niche should go, how it gets waterproofed in Queensland and what it adds to the cost. These are market prices from cost guides, checked on 4 November 2026. They are not a quote from us.

What size is a standard shower niche in Australia?

300 mm wide is the usual starting point. FactoryFast lists the standard prefab sizes as 300 x 300 mm, 300 x 500 mm and 300 x 600 mm, and sizes the width by what you need to store:

Source: FactoryFast, shower niche buying guide (4 March 2026), checked 4 November 2026.

The height inside matters as much as the width. FactoryFast says it needs to be at least 300 mm for standard bottles and soap, and 350 to 450 mm for tall pump bottles. Allow 30 to 50 mm above your tallest bottle, so measure the ones in your shower now.

How deep should a shower niche be?

Usually 70 to 100 mm, and the wall frame sets the limit. A niche is a box set into the wall between the studs, so it can only be as deep as the frame and the wall lining. YourHome, the Australian Government's guide to building a home, says timber wall frames are typically 70 mm or 90 mm deep.

That is why prefab niches come in two main depths:

• About 70 mm. Architecture & Design lists stainless steel and foam niches 70 mm deep. These suit a 70 mm frame.
• About 90 to 92 mm. Most of the prefab boxes FactoryFast sells are 92 mm deep. These need a 90 mm frame.

Do not go too shallow. FactoryFast aims for about 80 to 100 mm once the niche is tiled, and says shallower niches risk bottles tipping forward.

Not sure what your wall is? Our guide to stud spacing in Australia shows how to check the frame before you pick a niche.

Does a shower niche have to fit between the studs?

It is simplest when it does. YourHome says studs are usually 450 to 600 mm apart, and each stud is 35 or 45 mm thick. A 300 mm niche fits in one gap at either spacing. A 400 mm one can be tight where studs are 450 mm apart (our maths from those figures).

A 600 mm wide niche, or a long horizontal one, is wider than the gap. That means cutting a stud and framing around the opening, much like framing a small window. FactoryFast warns against cutting many studs or weakening a structural wall without the right advice. If the wall holds up the roof or a floor above, a certifier or engineer has the final word on how it is framed.

Prefab boxes are fixed between the studs before the tiles go on, FactoryFast says. So the studs and noggins need to be in place before the wall is lined, which is easy while the wall is open in a renovation.

What height should a shower niche be?

In a standing shower, FactoryFast puts the bottom of the niche roughly 900 to 1100 mm above the finished floor. Over a bath, it suggests 600 to 800 mm above the base of the bath.

Not every guide agrees. Architecture & Design says a niche is "generally about 150cm above the floor", and lower where children or shorter people use the shower most. With figures that far apart, it is clear there is no rule. Set it for the people who use your shower.

A simple test: stand where the shower will be and reach out as if for a bottle. Mark the height that suits the shortest adult, and check the tallest does not have to bend down. If someone sits to shower, check they can reach it from the seat. FactoryFast also suggests lining the niche up with a horizontal grout line.

Where should a shower niche go?

On a side wall, not under the shower head. Architecture & Design says the spot directly below the shower head is usually taken by the taps, so it suggests putting the niche to the left or right. FactoryFast adds that a side wall stops the niche being soaked all the time.

Other placement tips from the two guides:

• Use an inside wall. Architecture & Design says never put a niche on an outside wall, though it gives no reason. FactoryFast says outside walls in cooler climates can raise the risk of condensation in the wall cavity.
• Check inside the wall first. Look for pipes, framing and wiring before you settle on a spot.
• Keep it clear. Avoid the glass screen, towel rails and the swing of the door.
• Line it up with the mixer. FactoryFast says the two should look balanced on the wall.

How do you line up tiles around a shower niche?

Pick the tiles before the niche is framed, then size and place the niche to suit them. FactoryFast says to line the grout joints up across the niche opening and avoid thin slivers of tile at the edges.

So the tiler and the carpenter agree on the set-out first. When the niche is sized to whole tiles, the grout lines run straight past it, with fewer cuts.

The tile edges at the opening get a metal trim (FactoryFast mentions brushed nickel or matte black) or a mitred edge. The Quote Yard lists niches and mitred edges as specialty work that can add to a tiling quote. Our guide to bathroom tiling cost has the rates for the rest of the walls.

Should you build a tiled niche or buy a prefab one?

A prefab niche is quicker and more predictable. A niche built on site can be any size the wall allows. FactoryFast says prefab boxes come in set sizes, are often made of waterproof materials and have pre-formed slopes and corners. A niche framed on site suits odd stud spacing, unusual tile layouts and extra-wide or tall designs.

Architecture & Design lists these prefab examples:

Source: Architecture & Design, shower niches guide (April 2021), checked 4 November 2026.

Stainless steel niches can be left untiled. FactoryFast sells a 300 x 600 mm stainless one as a no-tile option. Whatever you choose, the waterproofing still has to be done. FactoryFast says the niche must tie into the shower's waterproofing, with no gaps at the faces, corners or joins.

How is a shower niche waterproofed in Queensland?

A niche must be waterproof, wherever it sits in the shower. Queensland builds to the National Construction Code 2022, and its Part 10.2 wet area rules list "recessed soap holders (niches)" among the things that must be waterproofed (clause 10.2.23). Business Queensland says the NCC 2022 still applies here until the NCC 2025 starts on 1 May 2027.

The same rules say shower walls must be waterproof to at least 1800 mm above the floor substrate. Part 10.2 also refers to AS 3740, the Australian Standard for waterproofing wet areas.

FactoryFast gives the usual order of work: frame the niche, line it with backing board, apply the waterproof membrane, tile, then seal the inside edges with silicone once the grout has cured. It also says to give the base a slight fall toward the shower, so water does not sit under the bottles.

Adding a niche to a finished shower is harder, because it means cutting through the tiles and the membrane. Architecture & Design says this should only be done by professionals, as the chance of water running into the wall cavity is too high.

In Queensland, waterproofing has its own QBCC licence class, which covers applying, installing and repairing waterproofing. Building work over $3,300 needs a QBCC licence, and plumbing needs one at any value. Our guide to bathroom waterproofing cost in Queensland covers prices and the rest of the rules.

How much does a shower niche add to the cost?

About $300 to $800 for the tiling, when it is priced on its own. That is from The Quote Yard's 2026 bathroom tiling guide for New South Wales. It says niches are sometimes quoted separately, and the price depends on the size and the tile. We could not find a Queensland figure.

The first two are New South Wales labour estimates. The last two are for the box only. None include the framing or waterproofing, so ask for the niche to be its own line on each quote. For the whole room, try our free bathroom renovation cost calculator.

We renovate bathrooms across the Gold Coast, niches included. Brett frames the niche into the wall at the size and height you pick, set out to suit your tiles, and books and runs the licensed waterproofer, tiler and plumber for their parts. You get a timeline with your proposal. See our bathroom renovations page.

Where do these figures come from?

Checked on 4 November 2026: Architecture & Design, shower niches guide (29 April 2021); FactoryFast, shower niche buying guide and its niche price list (4 March 2026); YourHome, lightweight framing (undated); The Quote Yard, bathroom tiling cost NSW (24 August 2026) and walk-in shower costs NSW (10 July 2026); Wellsons, Radiant ThermaNiche product page (undated); the National Construction Code 2022 Housing Provisions from the Australian Building Codes Board, Part 10.2, clauses 10.2.1, 10.2.2 and 10.2.23 (no page date shown); Business Queensland, delayed adoption of the NCC 2025 (updated 14 September 2026); and the QBCC pages on when you need a licence (August 2021) and the waterproofing licence class (August 2021). We will check the prices again every three months.

See our bathroom renovations work, or check what your job will cost.