A shower remodel comes with a long list of decisions, and choosing shower fixtures tends to hit right when everything else is already in motion.
You know what you want, roughly. An overhead rain shower, maybe. Easy handheld access. Possibly more than one shower head. But translating that vision into an actual parts list — one you can hand to a plumber and feel confident about — is where most people stall.
This post covers every shower fixture and component you’ll need to spec out for a new shower build or full remodel. Valve. Trim. Shower heads. Arms. Hose. Holder. All of it, in plain terms, so nothing gets missed and nothing gets ordered twice.
And if you want to see how it all comes together in a real space, we’ll walk through our own HammerHead® studio renovation at the end — a full build, start to finish.
Prefer to skip the details and get straight to our #1 Best-Selling Shower Remodel Kit? Shop our 2-Handle Shower System with 12″ Overhead Rain & Handheld — one click, everything you need.
Don't want to read the whole thing? Take two minutes with our AI Shopping Assistant. Just answer a few questions, and we'll send you a tailored remodel kit recommendation built around your specific setup.
Try the AI Shopping AssistantStep 1: What’s Your Setup?
Before you research a single shower upgrade, answer one question: are you working with a tub-and-shower combo, or a shower-only enclosure? This is the first decision our Shopping Assistant asks, and for good reason — the answer shapes every other choice you’ll make for your shower remodel.
A tub-and-shower combo means a single valve needs to feed both a tub spout and at least one shower head. That valve needs a built-in diverter to route water between the two. You’ll also need a tub spout, which is its own part. With a shower-only build, the valve feeds the shower heads only and you skip the tub spout entirely.
Get this straight first. The components you need in Step 2 and beyond depend on it.
Our Pick: 1-Handle Tub & Shower System with 3-Spray Handheld
Step 2: How Many Shower Heads?
The second decision determines which valve you need. One shower head or two? The answer changes both the valve and the plumbing path.
One Shower Head
This is definitely the simplest shower setup. With one shower head, you also need just one valve and one handle.
If you know you’re running a single fixed head — rain or otherwise — the HammerHead® 1-Handle Shower Valve with Trim Kit is the perfect starting point. One package covers the valve and the trim.
Two Shower Heads
This is where the spec gets more involved — and where HammerHead® takes a different approach. A lot of other brands still require a separate “transfer valve” you have to plumb in as a second body, which means more parts, more rough-in work, and more cost.
The HammerHead® 2-Handle Valve and Trim with Built-In Diverter integrates the diverter directly into the main valve body. That means an all-in-one valve to control volume, temperature, and change between shower heads. This is the modern, streamlined approach to shower valves the industry is moving toward and if you’re remodeling your shower, it’s the way to go.
Two Shower Heads, No Rough Plumbing Work
If you’re keeping your original shower valve and don’t want to redo rough plumbing, the HammerHead® 3-Way Shower Arm Diverter with Holder is the cost-effective backup. It attaches to your existing shower arm instead of requiring a new valve body, and allows water to divert to a second shower head. Less work, fewer parts.
Pro Tip: Why Valve + Trim Together Matters
Most major brands — Moen, Delta, Kohler — sell the valve and the trim kit as separate purchases. A homeowner buys a "valve," assumes they have everything, and discovers at install that they still need to find a compatible trim kit.
To complicate things even more, shower trim is specific to the valve — make and model — the same way car parts are. There is no universal compatibility.
HammerHead® sells the valve and trim together as one kit. No second order, no compatibility hunt. That's a real advantage during a remodel when you're already managing a dozen decisions at once.
Step 3: Choose Your Components
Once you’ve made the two decisions above, the rest is component selection. Here’s what you’ll need to spec, in order.
A. Shower Valve and Trim (Required)
As we mentioned above, your shower valve is the heart of the shower. It controls flow, temperature, and pressure balancing — and it’s one of the most important decisions in any remodel.
Reminder, you’ll need to choose a valve and trim kit based on your shower set-up:
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HammerHead® 1-Handle Shower Valve with Trim Kit (single shower head)
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HammerHead® 2-Handle Valve and Trim with Built-In Diverter (two shower heads)
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HammerHead® 3-Way Shower Arm Diverter with Holder (two shower heads without rough plumbing)
Shower Remodel Tip
Unless your shower valve is relatively new, replace it now while the wall is open. It's the lowest-cost moment to do it — and if you're already paying a plumber, the labor is essentially already there. Doing it later means reopening the wall and starting over.
B. Tub Spout (Optional — Tub-and-Shower Setups Only)
If you have a tub-and-shower setup, you’ll need a tub spout. Sometimes it’s included with the shower trim; sometimes not. The good news is that tub spouts don’t have the compatibility constraints that trim kits do.
That said, there are two installation types. Confirm with your plumber which works for your setup:
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Threaded connection: Threads onto a pipe extending from the wall. Requires a male threaded fitting with a 1/2″ NPT thread size.
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Slip-fit connection: Slides over a smooth 1/2″ copper pipe and is secured with a set screw. Most people prefer this option — it’s significantly easier to install.
HammerHead® sells both:
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| Threaded Tub Spout | Slip-Fit Tub Spout |
C. Shower Head
When it comes to shower heads, you have two primary options: a fixed or rain shower head or a handheld shower head.
Option 1: Rain Shower Heads
A rain shower head is often the top choice for a luxury remodel. Wide coverage and large droplets offer a full water immersion.
Most rainfall shower heads range from 8–12 inches in diameter. Size selection is tied directly to how you’re mounting:
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8″ rain shower head — the right choice when mounting on a standard wall-mount shower arm.
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12″ rain shower head — the right choice when mounting overhead or ceiling-mount. Bigger coverage when you have the room.
Let’s look at the mounting options for rain shower heads next.
Rain Shower Head Mounting Options
Let’s start by clarifying some terminology: the pipe that connects the shower head to the in-wall plumbing is called the shower arm; the decorative plate behind it is called the flange. Make sure you get both when ordering — some shower arms don’t always include the flange.
For a rain shower head, you have a few options:
Standard Shower Arm
A standard shower arm is about 6–8″ long with a 45-degree bend. The HammerHead® 7-Inch Shower Arm and Flange includes the flange with a set screw for a clean, secure install.
The drawback of using a standard arm with a rain shower is the flow can come out a little limp, as rain shower heads usually have less spray force due to their large spray faces. Also, depending on the height of your water inlet, you might not be able to stand directly underneath the rainfall.
Overhead Shower Arm
An overhead shower arm comes out of the wall like a standard arm, but it’s longer and has a 90-degree bend that redirects the shower head directly overhead. The value here is that you get true overhead rainfall without routing new plumbing up through the ceiling. Your plumbing stays in the wall; the arm does the work of putting the spray where you want it. It’s also a practical option when you’re replacing an arm yourself.
The HammerHead® 16” Overhead Shower Arm pairs perfectly with a rain shower head.
Ceiling-Mount Straight Shower Arm
A ceiling-mount shower arm comes straight down from your ceiling. This is the most spa-like option and gives you the most direct overhead coverage. It does require your plumber to run the water line up the wall and into the ceiling, so it’s a conversation to have early — before rough plumbing is closed up.
Ceiling-mount arms come in 6- and 12-inch lengths. For an overhead or ceiling-mount rain head, industry guidance is to leave 10–12 inches of clearance above the tallest user's head — which translates to roughly 84–90 inches from the finished floor in most residential bathrooms. Too little clearance and the water feels too direct, losing the rainfall effect; too high and the spray disperses before it reaches you, especially with low-flow heads. Arm selection depends on ceiling height: the higher the ceiling, the longer the arm you'll want to keep the head at an appropriate height above you.
Option 2: Handheld Shower Head
A handheld shower head is always a crowd pleaser, especially in larger households. The detachable head with hose offers serious flexibility — rinsing, targeting hard-to-reach spots, washing kids, or comfortably reaching anyone seated on a shower bench. You don’t have to choose between rain and handheld; a diverter valve handles both.
Handheld shower heads generally come with the hand shower, hose, and holder mount. A hose length of at least 70 inches is recommended so you can reach most areas of the shower without straining.
Both are solid metal. Both include 72-inch hoses. The 3-spray adds wide, mist, and massage settings.
Handheld Shower Head Mounting Options
Standard Shower Arm
Mount directly to a standard shower arm for a clean, fixed look. This is the same standard shower arm you could use for smaller rain shower heads: about 6–8″ long with a 45-degree bend.
The HammerHead® 7-Inch Shower Arm and Flange works perfectly with handheld shower heads.
Slide Bar
Slide bars mount to the wall and allow you to adjust the height of the handheld by sliding the holder mount up and down the pole. It adds another layer of flexibility to a product that’s already versatile. Especially useful for households with a range of heights or with special-needs users.
The HammerHead® Slide Bar is 27.5 inches long and solid metal from top to bottom, including holders and brackets — which is where most slide bars start to fail.
Don't Forget the Drop Ell
If you're installing a slide bar, you'll also need a drop ell (a wall elbow) to connect the shower hose to the wall outlet. Drop ells are not included with the slide bar — they're a separate part. Without one, the hose connection sticks out from the wall and looks unfinished.
Shop the HammerHead® All-Metal Drop EllThe Easy Button: Complete Shower Systems
After walking through the decisions and the components, here’s the shortcut: HammerHead® complete shower systems. One box, every component designed and matched to work together. No compatibility questions and ready to hand to your plumber.
Our #1 Recommendation: 1-Handle Shower System with 3-Spray Dual Head & Adjustable Arm
This is our bestselling shower remodel kit and the option we actively recommend to most customers. The 1-Handle Shower System with 3-Spray Dual Head & Adjustable Arm comes complete: valve, trim, adjustable arm, and dual shower head all in one box. No assembling components à la carte. One click, done.
Pick this if: you want one shower head with serious versatility — a dual head on an adjustable arm, plumbed off a single valve.
2-Handle Shower System with 12″ Overhead Rain & Handheld
The 2-Handle Shower System with 12″ Overhead Rain & Handheld pairs a 2-handle valve with a built-in diverter, a 12″ overhead rain shower head, and a handheld on a slide bar. Gives you independent handles for volume and temperature, plus easy switching between shower functions. Run one head or both at the same time.
Pick this if: you want two independently controlled shower heads — overhead rain plus a handheld on a slide bar.
1-Handle Tub & Shower System with Handheld
The 1-Handle Tub & Shower System with Handheld includes a pressure-balancing valve, tub spout with pull-up diverter, and a solid metal 3-spray handheld shower head. Everything needed to feed both the tub and shower from a single valve, all in one order.
Pick this if: you have a tub-and-shower combo — a single valve feeds both the tub spout and the handheld.
All three systems are solid metal end to end, backed by HammerHead®’s lifetime warranty, and spec’d to hand directly to your plumber without a follow-up trip to the hardware store.
Still not sure which kit is right for you? Try our Shopping Assistant — answer a few questions and get a tailored recommendation.
Try the AI Shopping AssistantNeed More Inspiration? Explore the HammerHead® Showers Studio Remodel
The video below is a tour of The Shower Head Store Studio, which went through its own remodel in recent years. The focus of the remodeling project was improving the space without breaking the bank.
We detail the changes made to the bathroom and provide some rough estimates of the costs involved in the remodeling project, plus share three tips to help you save money on a bathroom remodel.
Watch the Studio Remodel on YouTube