#2 is the only correct way to do it.

#1 is the emergency room visit way that will cost you more than #2 in hospital bills or canceled insurance for creating such a safety hazard.

#3 can work in some situations, but in a basement with already low ceilings, you probably don't have the overall height to do this by the time you start adding the slope inside the shower. You have to have minimum head height requirements of 7' in the room and 6'8" for the shower. And that's LOW touch the ceiling every time you try to rinse the shampoo out of your hair yucky. It's never a good feel to step up into a cave. And it's another trip hazard to do so, even if it's less dangerous than #1.

Thanks, HollySprings,
That's great advise. I've been chewing on this issue for too long and need to move forward.

Your advise is excellent and I really appreciate your chiming in. These design matters can be challenging to DIY'ers. I did not want to create a hazard.

I'll go with #2, the sump pump.

Unfortunately that means when the electric goes out, with regular frequency in storms, there will be no drainage in the lower level. And, of course, a sump pump is one more thing to break down.

Rather a broken sump than a broken bone!
Thanks, again.

There are no sewage lines in the floor to connect your drain to?

I have similar issue in basement bathroom remodel. I have low ceilings with 82 inches from concrete to ceiling joists (after I removed the 4 inch raised concrete slab in the bathroom area).

We already put in an interior drain tile and sump pump system and at same time re roughed in the plumbing for toilet drain and shower drain.

Problem is I miscalculated where my shower drain should be - and am now trying to find a shower pan that will fit. I am looking at raised pan drain below or probably re jacking the floor to move the drain.

Unless you have 10 feet clearence - raised floors will feel tacky no matter how you do it.

If you are in the city - you should probably have sewer lines below you can tap into. Once you dig - it is pretty darn easy. Hire someone else to do the dirty work - then get your plumber back in there. My guess is someone was lazy last time and sent drains through the foundation instead of doing it right.

It will be worth it.

I'm VERY late to the party, but in case others stumble onto this page..... I have a similar issue, but my waste line going out is 4 feet above the basement floor. I had an estimate as well, and very costly. What I'm doing is adding a "upflush system - Saniflo. Just as the sump pump is another thing that can break, so is the whole you put into your foundation. Concrete absorbs water, so why cut/create "cracks" that are not needed? If a home owner ever has a crack in the wall or floor, it's considered a problem needing to be fixed. So why create a "potential" problem? I'm keeping the bath floor as is, building a 2x10 or 12 platform for shower that will cause shower floor to be 12"-14" high. Then decide if i want 1 step or two, depending on the entry height. Entery height being the step into the shower. So, is that entry level the height of the shower curb? Shower floor? Shower base? Then take that height and divide by # of steps wanted or code for step risers. EX: If I want the entry step to be the same level as the SHower floor, thus just having to step over the curb, on a 2x10 =

.5" tile

2.5" Shower pan (4.5" Shower pan curb-2" inside drop to shower floor/entry level = 2.5"

.5" plywood

9.25 2x10

= 12.25 step(s) height /by 2 = 6&8th per step (2) without account tread height.