Should I refinish or replace my bathtub?

Refinish a tub that is worn, stained, chipped, or dated but does not leak, crack, or flex when you stand in it, especially a cast-iron tub. Replace a tub that leaks, is cracked, or flexes underfoot, one with a soft floor around it, or one that does not fit the layout you want.

How long does it take to refinish a bathtub?

About a day of work, and the tub needs a day or two to cure before you use it.

What does it cost to refinish or replace a bathtub in 2026?

Refinishing a standard tub is $350–$800, and a chip or spot repair $150–$350. An acrylic tub liner is $1,500–$4,000, more with a matching wall surround. Replacing a standard alcove tub is $2,000–$6,000, including removing the old tub and repairing the tile and wall around it.

Refinish or replace a bathtub?

Q: Is bathtub refinishing safe?

Ask how the refinisher will remove the old coating. A 2012 CDC report documented 13 deaths among bathtub refinishers from 2000 to 2011 from methylene chloride paint strippers, and concluded that in a small, enclosed bathroom, it is unlikely that a methylene chloride stripping agent can be used safely. Do not hire a refinisher who uses methylene chloride, keep everyone out of the bathroom while it is sprayed and cures, and run the exhaust fan.

A worn, stained, or dated bathtub can usually be refinished for a fraction of the cost of replacing it, as long as it is sound underneath. The decision turns on three things: whether the tub leaks or flexes, what the floor under it looks like, and whether you are changing the layout. Refinishing changes the surface. It fixes nothing structural.

Your three options

Refinishing, also called reglazing. A refinisher cleans and etches the old surface, repairs chips, and sprays on a new coating. It takes about a day, and the tub needs a day or two to cure before you use it.
A tub liner. A molded acrylic shell is made to fit over the old tub, often with a matching wall surround. It covers the tub without tearing it out.
Replacing the tub. The old tub comes out, which usually means removing the bottom rows of wall tile and opening the wall or floor for the drain.

When to refinish

The surface is worn, stained, chipped, or a color you hate, and the tub does not leak, crack, or flex when you stand in it.
It is cast iron. A cast-iron tub is very durable and very heavy, and getting one out of a bathroom often means breaking it apart. Refinishing keeps it in place.
You like the layout and the tile around the tub is sound.

A refinished surface is softer than the original. Abrasive cleaners wear it down, so clean it with mild, non-abrasive products.

When to replace

The tub leaks, is cracked, or flexes underfoot. A coating does not fix a crack in a fiberglass or acrylic tub, and a flexing floor cracks the new coating too.
The floor near the tub is soft, or the ceiling below is stained. Water is getting under the tub. Find and fix the leak first; the rotted subfloor has to be repaired, and the tub usually has to come out to reach it.
A steel tub has rusted through.
You want a different layout, such as a walk-in shower in place of the tub.

Ask how they strip the old coating

Paint strippers made with methylene chloride have killed bathtub refinishers. A 2012 CDC report documented 13 deaths among bathtub refinishers from 2000 to 2011, and concluded that in a small, enclosed bathroom, it is unlikely that a methylene chloride stripping agent can be used safely. The EPA banned methylene chloride for consumer paint and coating removal in 2019, and in April 2024 it finalized a rule prohibiting all consumer uses and most commercial uses, including paint and coating removers.

Before you hire anyone, ask how they will remove the old coating, and do not hire a refinisher who uses methylene chloride. Do not strip a tub yourself with an old can of stripper. Keep everyone out of the bathroom while it is sprayed and cures, and run the exhaust fan.

What it costs in 2026

Chip or spot repair: $150–$350.
Refinishing a standard tub: $350–$800.
Acrylic tub liner: $1,500–$4,000, more with a matching wall surround.
Replacing a standard alcove tub: $2,000–$6,000, including removing the old tub and repairing the tile and wall around it.

See our methodology for how we build these bands. Replacement runs higher for cast-iron removal, rotted subfloor, or moving the drain.

The bottom line

Refinish a tub that is sound but worn, stained, or dated, especially a cast-iron one. Replace a tub that leaks, cracks, or flexes, one with a soft floor around it, or one that no longer fits the layout you want. Before you hire a refinisher, ask how they strip the old coating, and do not hire one who uses methylene chloride. Refinishing is $350–$800, and replacing a standard tub is $2,000–$6,000.