Bathtub installation cost

Installing a bathtub costs $800 to $6,000, typically around $2,400. A standard alcove tub replacing an identical one is at the bottom. A freestanding tub with new floor-mounted plumbing is at the top, and the difference is almost entirely plumbing and access.

What it costs

The three things that change the price

Access. A standard tub is 60 inches long and does not go round a tight corner or up a narrow stairwell. Getting a cast iron tub out of a first-floor bathroom often means breaking it up in place, which is loud, messy and billable. Getting a new one in sometimes means removing a doorframe.

Where the drain is. Alcove tubs have the drain at one end and the wall determines which. A left-hand drain tub in a right-hand drain opening means moving the waste, which on an upper floor means opening the ceiling below.

Weight. A cast iron tub is 300 to 500 pounds empty. A stone resin freestanding tub can be more. Filled and occupied, some exceed what a standard floor was designed for, and reinforcement is a real line item on an upper floor.

Refinish, liner, or replace

Refinishing sprays a new coating onto the existing tub. It costs $350 to $900, takes a day, and lasts five to ten years if done well and looked after. It is the right answer for a sound tub with a worn or dated finish, and the wrong one for a cracked or rusted tub.

A liner is a molded acrylic shell fitted over the existing tub, usually sold with a wall surround. It costs $1,500 to $4,000 and installs in a day. It works, and water getting behind a badly fitted liner is a known failure that is invisible until the floor is soft.

Replacing costs more and is the only option that changes the size, the shape or the position, and the only one that lets anybody see the wall behind.

If the tub is fine and the finish is tired, refinish. If the tub is failing or the layout is wrong, replace. The liner sits between them and is mostly bought for the speed.

Should you keep a bath at all

Removing the last bath in a house is the one decision here worth pausing on.

Households with small children want one. Estate agents are consistent that a house with no bath at all is harder to sell, particularly a family house. A house with two or more bathrooms can convert one to a shower freely.

If it is your only bathroom and you are staying twenty years, do what suits you. If you might sell in five, keep a bath somewhere.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take?

A like-for-like alcove replacement is one to two days, plus tiling if the surround is being redone. A freestanding tub with new plumbing is three to five days.

Is a whirlpool tub worth it?

Fewer people use the jets than expect to, and the pump and pipework need running regularly to stay clean. Air jet tubs are easier to keep hygienic than water jets. If you want one, you probably know; if you are undecided, you will not use it.

Can I put a freestanding tub anywhere?

Physically, wherever the plumbing can reach and the floor can carry it. Practically, leave 4 to 6 inches behind it for cleaning and enough room to actually get in. A freestanding tub jammed against a wall loses the thing that made it worth buying.

Do I need a permit?

For a like-for-like swap, usually not. For moving the drain, changing the layout or altering the valve, usually yes.

What is a walk-in tub and is it worth $5,000 to $15,000?

A tub with a watertight door, for people who cannot step over a rim. It is a genuine accessibility solution and a large cost, and you have to sit in it while it fills and again while it drains. For many households a curbless shower with a bench is the better accessible answer at a similar price.