Yes, you can have bath taps that come out of the wall, and on the right bath they look brilliant. The catch is that the real decision happens at first-fix, while the walls are still open, not on the day the plumber turns up to hang the taps. Sort the pipework, the spout reach and the wall type before you buy, and the rest is straightforward.

This guide is about the fitting side of wall mounted bath taps: how the pipe runs behind the wall, what to check before you order, where the taps go on a double ended bath, and when a wall mounted set is the wrong call for your bathroom.

• How the pipework actually runs
• Bath taps that come out of the wall: what you’re really asking
• What to check before you buy
• Taps on a double ended bath
• When wall mounted taps are the wrong call
• Wall vs deck vs freestanding mounting
• FAQ

How the pipework actually runs

A wall mounted bath tap is a bath filler with its valve body buried in the wall and just the spout and handles showing. That means the hot and cold feeds have to be run inside the wall and brought to the exact spot where the tap sits. It’s a first-fix job, done while the wall is open and before it gets plastered and tiled. Once the wall is closed up, moving those pipes means opening it all again.

How the pipes run depends on what your wall is made of:

• Timber stud wall. This is the easier one to feed. The pipes run up through the void between the studs, and you fix a backing board or noggins behind the plasterboard so the valve body has something solid to bolt to. Plasterboard on its own holds nothing, so the timber does the work.
• Solid masonry. Here you chase channels into the brick or block for the pipes, then make good over them. More graft than a stud wall, and the chasing has to be deep enough that nothing sits proud of the finished surface. Worth planning so you’re not chasing through a load-bearing lintel.

The other thing to think about now, not later, is servicing. The valve cartridge is the part that eventually wears and drips, and on a wall mounted set it lives inside the wall. Most concealed valves are built to be serviced from the front, so you can get at the cartridge without touching the tiles, but check that for the specific tap and leave yourself a route in. If the bath backs onto a cupboard or an airing cupboard, rear access is a bonus you should hang onto.

Because all of this rides on the wall being open, wall mounted bath taps are a renovation decision. If you’re stripping the bathroom back to the brick anyway, it’s the perfect time. If you’re not, read the last two sections before you commit. For the wider picture on the tap itself, our guide to bath filler taps covers how the different fillers work.

Bath taps that come out of the wall: what you’re really asking

Most people typing “bath taps that come out of the wall” are not shopping yet. They’ve seen the look, usually on a smart freestanding or back-to-wall bath, and they want to know if they can have it too. So here’s the plain version.

Wall mounted bath taps fix to the wall above or behind the bath instead of sitting on the bath rim or a deck. The spout reaches out over the bath and pours in. You get a single-lever mixer or two handles, the same as any bath tap, just mounted on the wall. The appeal is a clean bath edge with nothing to wipe around, and it suits baths that have no tap ledge, like a slimline freestanding bath or one pushed back to the wall.

You’ve got a range of finishes to match the room. The Core Chrome wall-mounted bath mixer (£79.99) is the sensible starting point, a polished chrome single-lever in premium brass with a ceramic cartridge and interchangeable handles, measuring 80 x 320 x 214mm. If you want something with more presence, the Montana Gunmetal wall mounted bath mixer (£119) brings a bold gunmetal finish on a high-quality brass body at 80 x 420 x 214mm. Both hang off the wall and keep the bath edge clear. You can see the full range in the wall mounted bath taps category, and the wider bath mixer taps range if you’re weighing single-lever against two-handle.

What to check before you buy

Wall mounted taps are less forgiving than deck taps because the spot they fix to is fixed by the pipework in the wall. Measure and check these before you order, not after.

• Spout reach against your bath. The spout has to clear the rim and pour into the bath, not down the outside of it. Different taps stick out different amounts: the Core Chrome is 80 x 320 x 214mm and the Muro Brushed Brass wall mounted bath mixer (£114.99) is 80 x 420 x 214mm, so the projection varies by model. Take the spout projection off the spec sheet, compare it to how far your bath rim sits from the wall, and make sure the water lands well inside the bath.
• Mounting height above the rim. Set the spout high enough above the rim that a full bath doesn’t touch it and you can get a bucket or a big pan under it. Too low and you’re forever knocking it; too high and it splashes. Mark it on the wall and check it against the actual bath before you fix the pipes.
• Valve depth in the wall. The concealed valve body needs a certain depth of wall to sit in. On a thin stud wall or a dot-and-dab finish there may not be as much room as you think, so check the tap’s valve depth against your wall build-up before you cut into anything.
• Water pressure. Some wall mounted mixers need decent pressure to run a good stream, so check the tap’s rating against your system. The Muro, for instance, is rated to work from 0.5 bar, which makes it a safer bet on a gravity-fed setup.

None of this is hard, but it all has to be settled before the wall closes. A tap that’s a couple of centimetres short on reach or too low over the rim is a nightmare to fix once it’s tiled in.

Taps on a double ended bath

A double ended bath is built to lounge in from either end, with a slope at both ends and the waste in the middle. That’s lovely for two, but it kills the usual spot for the taps, because there’s no flat end to sit them on. So where do the taps go?

Two sensible answers. Either the taps mount in the middle of one long side, so nobody’s leaning on them, or they go on the wall behind the long side of the bath. Wall mounted is the neatest fix here, because it keeps both sloped ends completely clear for lounging and leaves the bath itself looking clean. This is exactly the situation wall mounted bath taps were made for.

Whichever tap you go for, wall mounting is what keeps a double ended bath looking clean, because there’s nothing sitting on the bath itself to reach around. The Muro Brushed Brass wall mounted bath mixer (£114.99) keeps the bath edge clear and, being rated from 0.5 bar, copes with the lower pressure you often find upstairs where the big baths live. Double ended baths are frequently freestanding too, so browse the double ended baths and freestanding baths ranges to see which shape suits your room before you fix the tap position.

When wall mounted taps are the wrong call

Wall mounted isn’t right for every bathroom, and it’s better to know that now than half way through. Skip it when:

• The tiling is finished and staying. If the walls are done and you have no plans to reopen them, running new pipework in the wall means tearing that work out. Not worth it for a tap swap. Stick with a deck or rim tap.
• There’s no rear access and no appetite for chasing. On a solid wall with a fully tiled face and nothing behind it, you’re committing to chasing channels and making good. Doable on a full renovation, painful as a one-off.
• Your pressure is very low. Some wall mounted mixers want a decent stream to feel right. If you’re on a low-pressure gravity system, either choose a tap rated for it, like the Muro from 0.5 bar, or look at a low pressure wall mounted bath tap made for exactly that. Fitting a high-pressure tap on a low-pressure system gives you a dribble no matter how good the tap is.

If any of those apply, a deck-mounted or freestanding filler gets you most of the look with far less wall work. No shame in it.

Wall vs deck vs freestanding mounting

Quick way to place the three so you can pick without a headache:

• Wall mounted. Cleanest edge, nothing on the bath itself, ideal for double ended and back-to-wall baths. The trade-off is the first-fix pipework in the wall, so it’s a renovation-stage choice.
• Deck mounted. Taps sit on the bath’s own rim or a tiled ledge. Easiest to retrofit because the pipes come up under the bath rather than through the wall, so it’s the forgiving option if the walls are staying put.
• Freestanding. A tall floor-standing filler that rises next to the bath, made for freestanding tubs that sit away from the wall. No wall work at all, but it needs the pipes brought up through the floor.

If you’re leaning towards a freestanding bath and want the full picture on living with one, our guide to the pros and cons of freestanding baths is a good next read, and the freestanding baths range shows what pairs with each tap type.

FAQ

Can you get bath taps that come out of the wall?

Yes. Wall mounted bath taps fix to the wall above or behind the bath, with the valve body concealed inside the wall and just the spout and handles on show. They suit freestanding and back-to-wall baths and keep the bath edge clear. The one condition is that the feed pipes get run inside the wall at first-fix, so it’s a job for when the wall is open.

How far should wall mounted bath taps stick out?

Far enough that the spout clears the bath rim and pours the water well inside the bath, not down the outside. There’s no single figure because it depends on how far your bath sits from the wall. Take the spout projection from the tap’s spec, compare it to your bath’s rim, and check it lands inside the bath before you fix the pipes.

Do wall mounted bath taps work with low water pressure?

Some do, but you have to choose one rated for it. Check the tap’s minimum pressure against your system. The Muro Brushed Brass wall mounted bath mixer, for example, is rated to work from 0.5 bar, which makes it suitable for a gravity-fed low-pressure setup. Fit a high-pressure tap on a low-pressure system and you’ll get a weak flow whatever you do.

Where do the taps go on a double ended bath?

Because both ends of a double ended bath slope for lounging, the taps go either in the middle of one long side or on the wall behind the bath. Wall mounted is the tidiest answer, since it keeps both ends clear and leaves the bath itself uncluttered.

Can you fit wall mounted bath taps to an existing bathroom?

Only if you’re prepared to open the wall to run the feeds. On a full refit that’s no problem. On a finished, tiled bathroom you’d be tearing out work to hide the pipework, so a deck-mounted or freestanding filler is usually the smarter swap. If in doubt, plan it around your next renovation rather than as a standalone job.