The short answer before you buy fittings
Pick the supply first, because everything else follows from it. A cold-only shower on a hose connection is the simplest build and takes an afternoon. A hot and cold shower needs new lines from inside the house, a mixing valve, and a way to empty the pipe each fall.
Plan the drain second. Water has to leave the pad without pooling against the foundation or running toward a neighbor. Plan the winter shutdown third, since a shower that cannot be drained will split a pipe by the first cold snap.
If the project adds a new fixture line, treat it as plumbing work and not a weekend patch. Utah law exempts only minor repairs to existing fixtures, and the first installation of a fixture is not in that exemption.
What Clearfield's freeze calendar means for an outdoor shower
Outdoor showers are unusual in northern Utah, and the weather explains why. NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Ogden area (Hinckley Airport) show the median last 32 degree freeze on April 22 and the median first freeze on October 22. That leaves a usable season of roughly late April through October, so plan to use the shower about six months and to drain it for the rest.
The same normals count 121 days a year with a low at or below 32 F and about 38 days at or below 20 F. Clearfield's own permit design criteria list a 30 inch frost line and a 10 F winter design temperature. The practical meaning is that any pipe running through open air or shallow soil needs a way to drain completely, and a buried run needs to sit below that 30 inches or be emptied every fall.
Clearfield also lists new plumbing installations and replacement lines as permit work. A hose-bib shower fed from an existing faucet is a different animal from a new hot and cold line, so ask the Clearfield City building department which one your plan is before you dig.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 Climate Normals (federal) and Clearfield City Required Design Criteria for Permits and permit guidance (city).
Four ways to build it, and who each one suits
The right build depends on how often you will use the shower and how much winter work you are willing to do. This table compares the four setups plumbers see most.
| Setup | Water | Winter shutdown | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hose-bib shower | Cold only, from an existing spigot | Remove the hose, drain the head | Rinsing off after the pool or garden |
| Dedicated cold line | Cold only, new branch line | Shutoff with a drain cap, blow out | A permanent post by the patio |
| Hot and cold, mixing valve | New hot and cold lines from the house | Shutoff inside, drain valves, air blowout | Daily summer use |
| Wall-mounted on the house | Short run through an exterior wall | Interior shutoff and drain valves | Short lines and easy access |
Any option that adds a new line or a new fixture is a job for a licensed plumber under Utah rules. Ask the city whether a permit applies to your layout.
Choosing the supply line and the shutoff
A hose-bib shower is just a shower head on a post, connected by a short hose to an outside faucet. It works, but a hot water feed does not. Most people who want warm water end up running copper or PEX lines to the shower from inside.
Whichever route you take, put a shutoff valve inside the house, upstream of the first outdoor fitting. Add a small drain valve on the downstream side so the pipe empties when you close the shutoff and open the drain. Without that pair, you are guessing about whether water is still trapped in a low spot.
Slope matters more than people expect. Every horizontal run should pitch toward a drain valve, with no sags where a pocket of water can sit all winter. Exposed metal pipe on a shaded north wall is the first place to split.
Mixing valve and temperature control
A thermostatic or pressure-balanced mixing valve keeps the shower from scalding you when someone flushes a toilet indoors. It also lets you cap the hot side. Mount the valve where you can reach it to service it, not buried behind a finished post.
Protecting the house supply
A hose connection can pull dirty water back toward the house if pressure drops, which is why backflow protection exists. The exact fitting your layout needs depends on the plumbing code and the plumber, so ask which backflow device applies instead of guessing.
Where the water goes
A shower pad can send about as much water to the ground in ten minutes as a heavy rain does in an hour. Grade the pad so runoff flows away from the foundation and window wells. A gravel bed or a dry well under a slatted floor is the usual low-cost answer.
If you add soap or shampoo, send the runoff to landscaping that can handle it, and not to a street or a storm inlet. Clearfield's storm water program asks that only storm water enter the storm drain, and anything else counts as an illicit discharge. A trapped indoor-style drain connected to the sewer is a different design, so have a plumber lay it out and ask the city about the permit.
Not sure whether your plan needs a permit or a licensed install? Call the Clearfield Express line, open 24/7, and talk it through before you buy parts.
Call (801) 207-7520Before you dig for a buried line
A shower line that runs underground has to cross your yard, and that means utilities. Call 811 at least three business days before digging. The service is free, and the person doing the digging has to make the request, so a homeowner cannot call on a contractor's behalf.
Bury the pipe below the 30 inch frost line if you can, and mark the run on a sketch for the next owner. If the trench is shallow, plan to drain that section every fall like any exposed pipe.
Fall shutdown checklist for a hot and cold outdoor shower
Do this a week or two before the median first freeze on October 22, not on the night the forecast drops to 20.
- Close the indoor shutoff valve feeding the outdoor line.
- Open the drain valve at the low point and let the pipe empty completely.
- Open the shower valve to full hot and full cold so air can enter and water can leave.
- Remove the shower head and any hose, and store them indoors.
- Blow out stubborn low spots with low-pressure compressed air, if a plumber showed you how.
- Leave the valves open all winter so any leftover drops have room to expand.
- Cover the post and valve box to keep snow and ice out of the fittings.
In spring, close the drain valve before you reopen the shutoff, then check every joint for a drip. A slow leak behind a wall shows up first as a wet spot on the siding.
When to hire a plumber instead of DIY
A cold-only hose shower is a fair homeowner project. Anything that taps hot water, cuts into existing supply pipe, or adds a drain connection is plumbing work that Utah licenses. Licensed plumbers also know when a backflow device and a permit are needed.
Cost depends on the length of the run, trench or wall work, and whether the house walls and slab let the lines through easily. A short exterior-wall mount costs far less than a long buried run with a drain field. Ask for the quote in writing before work starts.
A shower that was never drained can freeze and split. If you find a wet wall or a pipe burst after a cold night, shut the indoor valve and see our burst pipe repair page for what the plumber does next.
Neighbors nearby we help
Homeowners in Syracuse tend to build on newer lots with space for a pad and a drain bed. Homeowners in Layton often have to work around fences and older irrigation lines, so a camera or locate before trenching saves surprises.
Outdoor shower questions we hear
Can you have an outdoor shower in Utah and how do you winterize it?
Yes, but expect to use it from late spring to early fall. Clearfield's median last freeze is April 22 and the median first freeze is October 22.
To winterize, close the indoor shutoff, open the low-point drain, open the shower valve, remove the head and let the pipe empty. Air blowout helps with low spots. Leave valves open for the winter.
Can I connect an outdoor shower to my garden hose?
For a cold rinse, yes. A hose bib feeding a shower post is the simplest build and needs no new plumbing.
You will not get hot water that way. A hot and cold shower needs new supply lines and a mixing valve, which belongs with a licensed plumber.
Where should the shower water drain?
Plan a pad that slopes away from the foundation, with gravel or a dry well beneath it. The drain should not flow to the street or a storm inlet.
If you want the runoff tied to the sewer, that is a trapped drain with its own design. Ask a plumber and the Clearfield City building department before you dig.
Do I need a permit for an outdoor shower in Clearfield?
Clearfield lists new plumbing installations and replacement lines as permit work, and says replacing fixtures does not need one. A hose-connection shower is closer to the fixture side, while a new hot and cold line is closer to new plumbing.
Permit rules vary by layout, so ask the Clearfield City building department before work starts.
How deep should the water line be buried?
Clearfield's design criteria list a frost line of 30 inches. A line below that depth is protected from ground frost, but a riser coming up to the shower is still exposed.
Even a deep line should have a way to drain the riser each fall. Call 811 before digging so buried utilities are marked.
What if my outdoor shower pipe froze and split?
Shut off the indoor valve right away to stop water from running, then open the drain. Do not use a torch or open flame on a frozen line.
A split pipe needs a repair, and the leak may be inside a wall. Call the plumber, who can find the break and replace the damaged section.