I have a half bath in the lower level of my house that currently houses the washer and dryer as well. I would like to take the washer and dryer out, move it upstairs and put a shower in where they used to be. I know absoulutely nothing about plumbing and I want to have some idea of what to ask a plumber when he comes to give an estimate so that I don't get hosed. Are all of the necessary pipes and drains already there to plumb the shower? Is it just a matter of re-routing things? Also I want to put the washer and dryer in upstair on a wall that shares plumbing with the bathroom in the next room, can a washer/dryer hookup be routed off that bathroom plumbing inside the wall somehow?

A lot depends on how the old bath was roughed in, is there a 2" drain already in the floor for a shower? To avoid getting hosed get at least 3 estimates from licensed plumbers. Your new washer location might work out with the existing drains since your upstairs bath liklely has at least a 3" drain already.

There is no drain for the shower already, only the washer/dryer hook ups thanks for the info!

Does your sewer leave the house through a wall or the floor? In any case there is going to be some jack hammering to make way for the shower trap and drain.