Refinish, reline, replace or convert: what to do with a tired bathtub
A bathtub that looks worn has four futures, and they are four different products at four different prices rather than four grades of the same thing. Refinishing sprays a new surface onto the old tub. A liner drops a molded shell over it. Replacement takes it out and sets a new one. Conversion takes it out and builds a shower in its place. We do the last two and not the first two, so read this knowing that; it is written to help you tell the four apart before anyone quotes you.
Last updated September 2026 · No prices on this page; the Estimate Builder carries those · Part of the knowledge base
Refinishing, also sold as reglazing or resurfacing
Refinishing keeps the tub and gives it a new skin. The existing surface is cleaned, etched and primed, chips are filled, and a coating is sprayed on. It is usually a day's work with strong fumes, followed by a cure of a day or two before the tub can be used.
What it fixes: color, stains, a dull or chalky finish, light surface wear. What it cannot: the shape of the tub, the height of the wall you step over, a crack that flexes, rust that has come through from behind, or anything on the far side of the wall. How long it lasts: it is a coating, so years rather than decades, and how many depends more on how it is cleaned than on how it was applied. Abrasive cleaners, drain chemicals and bath mats with suction cups are what lift a refinished surface early, and a second refinish over a failed first one means stripping the old coating off before anything can go on.
Where it fits: a tub that is sound, a tight budget or timetable, a rental, or a house about to be sold.
A bathtub liner
A liner keeps the tub and covers it. A shell of acrylic, formed to the make and model of the existing tub, is fitted over it and sealed at the rim and the drain, and a wall surround is often fitted over the existing tile at the same time. It is typically a day's work with no demolition.
What it fixes: the look, quickly and with the least disruption of the four. What it cannot: the tub is still in the wall and the step is exactly where it was, and whatever was behind the old surround is still there under the new one. The failure to ask about: water finding its way between the liner and the tub, where it cannot dry out. The signs are a floor that feels spongy or gurgles underfoot and a smell that does not clean away, and the fix is not simple, because the old tub is sealed in beneath the new one.
Where it fits: a tub that is structurally sound and a household that wants the look changed fast.
Replacing the tub
The old tub and its surround come out, whatever is behind them is seen and dealt with, and a new tub is set and mortar-bedded so it never flexes or creaks underfoot, with new walls above it. One to two days on site.
What it fixes: everything the old tub was, and it is the only one of the three tub options in which anyone actually sees the subfloor and the framing. That is the point of it if there is any reason to think water has been getting past the old tub for years. What it cannot: the step. A tub is still a tub, and a fifteen-inch wall is still there to climb over.
Where it fits: a tub that has failed rather than faded, a one-bathroom house that needs to keep a tub, or a household that bathes children.
Converting the tub to a shower
The tub, the surround and the wall material behind them come out, and a walk-in shower is built in the same footprint, with the drain and the valve usually staying where they are. One to two days on site.
What it fixes: the step, which none of the other three touches, along with everything replacement fixes. What it costs you: the tub. Real estate agents generally advise keeping at least one bathtub in a home, so if this is the only one, that is a real trade and we raise it before a contract rather than after. Where it fits: a tub nobody has used as a tub in years, a household where stepping over the wall has become the daily obstacle, or a house with another tub in it.
The four, side by side
| Option | Old tub stays? | Wall behind it opened? | Step removed? | Time on site |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Refinish | Yes | No | No | About a day, plus a cure before use |
| Liner | Yes, sealed underneath | No | No | About a day |
| Replace | No | Yes | No | One to two days |
| Convert to a shower | No | Yes | Yes, or nearly so | One to two days |
The first two times are what the trades that do that work generally quote; the last two are ours. Whether a conversion removes the step entirely or leaves a low edge depends on which pan you choose and what the floor allows.
How to tell which one you are being quoted
All four get sold as a new tub, a new shower or a bath remodel, and the words are used loosely. Two questions sort them out.
- Does the existing tub stay in the wall? Yes means refinishing or a liner. No means replacement or conversion.
- Will the wall behind the surround be opened? Only replacement and conversion open it. If a quote for either does not say what happens when something is found back there, ask, and get the answer in writing; there is a whole page on how that question is answered here.
What we do and what we do not
We replace tubs and showers straight across and we convert tubs to walk-in showers. Refinishing and liners are trades we do not offer, and this page does not recommend against them: each fits a real situation, and a sound tub in a house about to be sold is a poor candidate for a two-day job. What we would say to anyone choosing among the four is that the cheapest option is the right one exactly as often as the tub underneath it is sound, and nobody can see that from the outside.
Common questions
What is the difference between refinishing a tub and relining it?
Refinishing sprays a new coating onto the surface of the existing tub after it is cleaned, etched and primed, so the result is a new skin on the old fixture. Relining fits a molded acrylic shell, formed to the make and model of your tub, over the top of it and seals it at the rim and the drain. Both leave the original tub in the wall and both leave the step exactly where it was. Neither opens the wall behind the surround, so neither can find or fix anything behind it.
How long does a refinished bathtub last?
It is a coating, so the honest answer is years rather than decades, and how many depends more on how it is cleaned than on how it was applied. Abrasive cleaners, drain chemicals and bath mats with suction cups are what lift a refinished surface early. A second refinish over a failed first one means stripping the old coating off before anything else can go on. Refinishing suits a tub that is sound, a tight budget or timetable, or a house that is about to be sold.
Is a bathtub liner a good idea?
It can be, for a tub that is structurally sound and a household that wants the look changed quickly with the least disruption. The thing to ask about before buying one is what happens if water gets between the liner and the old tub, where it cannot dry out. The signs are a floor that feels spongy or gurgles underfoot and a smell that does not clean away, and the fix is not simple because the tub underneath is sealed in. A liner also leaves the step where it was and covers rather than deals with whatever is behind the old wall.
When should a bathtub be replaced rather than refinished?
When the tub itself has failed rather than its surface: a crack that flexes when you stand in it, rust that has come through from behind, a floor that has gone soft, or a persistent leak nobody can trace. A coating or a liner over any of those hides the problem without stopping it. Replacement is also the only one of the three tub options in which anyone actually sees the subfloor and the framing, which is the point of doing it if there is any reason to think water has been getting past the old tub for years.
Should I replace the tub or convert it to a shower?
Ask who uses it. If someone in the house bathes, if children are bathed in it, or if it is the only tub in the house and you may sell, replace it with a tub. If nobody has used it as a tub in years, if stepping over the wall has become the daily obstacle, or if there is another tub in the house, a walk-in shower is usually the better use of the space. Both take one to two days on site. Real estate agents generally advise keeping at least one bathtub in a home, and we raise that before a contract rather than after.
Do you refinish bathtubs or install liners?
No. We replace tubs and showers straight across and we convert tubs to walk-in showers, and refinishing and liners are trades we do not offer. This page describes them anyway because all four options get sold as a new bathroom, and a homeowner comparing quotes is better served by knowing which of the four each quote actually is. The cheapest option is the right one exactly as often as the tub underneath it is sound, and nobody can see that from the outside.
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