Bathtub Cost Guide: How Much Does a Bathtub Cost in 2026?

This is Badeloft's price book for bathtubs: what every material and tub type actually costs in 2026, what installation adds, and how to decide whether your current tub needs $500 of refinishing or $5,000 of replacement.

It was written and reviewed by Eric Jensen, Badeloft USA's founder and president, who has priced tubs across every material in this guide for over a decade.

Scope note so you land on the right page: this guide prices the tubs themselves, by material and type, plus the repair alternatives. If you're budgeting the whole swap-out project, demolition, labor, plumbing, our companion guide to the full cost of replacing a bathtub covers the project side.

If you're replacing a builder-grade tub on a budget, the $200 to $500 floor is real and covered first. If you're shopping the statement piece, the freestanding and stone sections carry the honest ranges. And if your current tub is merely tired, the repair ladder near the end may save you four figures.

Start with the whole market on one table, then drill into whichever material is yours.

Materials Costs:

• Porcelain
• Cast iron
• Steel
• Copper
• Acrylic
• Fiberglass
• Stone resin

Common Bathtub Types Costs:

• Freestanding
• Drop In
• Bathtub & Shower Combo

Additional Bathtub Costs:

• Tub Surrounds
• Refinishing
• Relining

Here is the 2026 market on one table, organized from the lowest typical price to the highest. Unit prices only; installation is covered per type below.

Bathtub type or material	2026 price range
Fiberglass	$200 – $800
Enameled steel	$200 – $1,200
Acrylic	$300 – $1,000
Alcove / tub-shower combo	$300 – $2,400
Freestanding	$750 – $12,000
Drop-in	$900 – $5,000
Cast iron	$900 – $5,000
Stone resin / solid surface	$1,600 – $8,700
Copper	$2,000 – $6,000
Walk-in	$2,000 – $20,000+

Porcelain Bathtub Cost

Porcelain is a shiny and pretty material that is actually quite durable for its appearance, though this material has some issues as a whole. It has middling heat retention, the surface being very bright and shiny also makes it quite slippery, and it cannot sustain heavy impacts or scratches without chipping. One clarification most guides skip: porcelain isn't a tub material so much as a coating. Porcelain enamel is fired onto a cast iron or steel base, so the price follows the metal underneath: enameled steel tubs run $200 to $1,200, and porcelain-over-cast-iron runs $900 to $5,000.

Cast Iron Bathtub Cost

Cast iron is a material that is very durable and solid, having excellent heat retention, allowing for longer soak times, though the material is quite heavy so additional support reinforcement is required. The average cost for a 60-inch cast iron tub now runs $900 to $5,000 before installation, with designer and clawfoot models priced higher still. These tubs weigh 300 pounds and up, so budget for reinforcement, not just the tub.

Steel Bathtub Cost

Similar to cast iron, though a great deal less expensive and not as heavy in weight, is enameled steel. The only downside is that it can chip easily and will create a lot of noise when the tub is filled. The 2026 range for a 60-inch enameled steel tub is $200 to $1,200 before installation, which keeps steel, alongside fiberglass, as the budget floor of the whole market.

Copper Bathtub Cost

Copper is seen as quite a luxury item, and for its price tag it most certainly is. The material is perhaps the most durable on the market, retains heat spectacularly, and will never attract mold or dirt. It is also aesthetically striking, carrying a rustic feel. Because nearly every copper tub is custom made, the 2026 range runs $2,000 to $6,000 for the tub alone.

Acrylic Bathtub Cost

Acrylic is a commonly used bathtub material due to its versatility and large selection of shapes and styles. Resistant to abrasion and fading, with a non-porous finish, acrylic is easy to clean and retains heat well. While acrylic can scratch, light buffing with a mild non-abrasive cleaner will usually remove the marks. A standard 60-inch acrylic tub runs $300 to $1,000 in 2026, while high-end designer acrylic can approach $14,000. If you're weighing acrylic against the heavier mineral look, our stone resin vs acrylic comparison settles it.

Fiberglass Bathtub Cost

Fiberglass is the true entry point of the market at $200 to $800. It is light, cheap, and easy to install, and its gel-coat surface is also the shortest-lived in this guide: expect visible wear within a decade of daily use. For a rental, a flip, or a rarely-used guest bath, that trade is often exactly right; for a primary bath you plan to keep, spend one tier up.

Stone Resin Bathtub Cost

Stone resin, crushed mineral bound in resin, delivers the matte, warm-to-the-touch stone look without stone's weight or maintenance. Badeloft's own stone resin freestanding tubs list at $3,290 to $4,190, a first-party figure from our catalog rather than a third-party survey; the broader solid-surface category runs $1,600 to $8,700 per This Old House's 2026 data. The material itself is explained in our guide to what stone resin is. Heat retention is among the best of any material, and unlike enamel, scratches sand out of the solid material.

Freestanding Bathtub Cost

What is a freestanding bathtub?

A freestanding bathtub is a bathtub that can stand on its own, usually supported by a flat base.

What one costs in 2026

Budget acrylic freestanding models now start around $750 at big-box retail, mainstream models cluster between $900 and $1,800, and stone, copper, and designer pieces run to $12,000. Professional installation runs $800 to $3,000 depending on plumbing, which puts most finished freestanding installs at $3,500 to $6,000. A floor-mounted tub filler, the look most buyers want with these tubs, can add $400 to $1,900 in supply-line work if lines have to move.

Ease of installation

Freestanding bathtubs are remarkably easy to install: place them where you desire and connect the associated plumbing. Take care that you actually have enough space, as freestanding bathtubs can be quite large, and note that bathtubs are quite heavy, especially in cast iron or copper. In tight rooms, small freestanding tubs keep the look without the footprint.

Other considerations

Generally, these bathtubs are seen as quite comfortable as they are made from high-quality raw materials and carry a more natural feeling. They come in a wide range of types, such as soaking tubs or more traditional bathing spheres. Common bathtub materials include acrylic, cast iron, and fiberglass, each offering unique benefits.

Drop-In Bathtub Cost

What is a drop-in bathtub?

A drop-in bathtub is a pre-made tub shell that is set into a framed cutout, either in an alcove or a supporting deck.

What one costs in 2026, and the myth to retire

Drop-in shells run $900 to $5,000, and the finished install runs $1,800 to $3,500 because the tub cannot be used until a deck is framed, waterproofed, and finished around it. That deck is why the old advice that drop-ins are "the cheaper alternative" no longer survives contact with retail: in same-brand comparisons the drop-in shell often costs more than the equivalent apron-front tub, and the install gap widens the difference by thousands. Choose a drop-in for the deck, the ledge, the built-in look, not for the budget.

Bathtub and Shower Combo Cost

The alcove tub-shower combo remains the workhorse of American bathrooms. In 2026 the tub itself runs $300 to $2,400, surround kits add $300 to $900 before labor, and complete combo projects, tub, surround, and labor, run $2,990 to $8,150. It is the simplest install of any format and the default answer for hall baths and rentals.

Walk-In Bathtub Cost

Walk-in tubs span the widest and least transparent price range in the category. The units themselves run $2,000 to $20,000+: fiberglass models $2,000 to $6,000, acrylic $4,000 to $10,000, cast iron to $15,000. Installation labor adds $1,000 to $3,500 for straightforward jobs, and Fixr puts the average installed project around $6,000. The big national brands quote much higher: third-party reviews put Kohler installs at roughly $5,500 to $33,000 and Safe Step at $10,000 to $20,000. The single best money move in this category is getting two quotes, one from a brand dealer and one from a local plumber sourcing a comparable tub, because the spread is routinely thousands of dollars for the same bathroom.

Say your mother needs to age in place and the brand consultation lands at $18,500. A local plumber quotes a comparable acrylic walk-in at $6,800 installed. Same safety outcome, $11,700 apart; that is why the two-quote rule is the whole game here. Our walk-in tub guide covers the features that actually matter.

Tub Surrounds Cost

A surround, the waterproof wall kit above a tub, starts with three-panel kits that retail for $300 to $900, and installed totals typically run $1,500 to $3,000, with tiled surrounds priced by the square foot instead ($24 to $31 per square foot for professional tile work).

Refinishing Cost

Refinishing, re-coating a sound tub's surface, is the cheapest rung of the repair ladder. DIY kits run $30 to $150 (a Rust-Oleum tub and tile kit retails around $43), plus $75 to $150 in supplies you'll actually want: respirator, abrasives, masking. Professional refinishing averages about $483 according to Angi, with bigger jobs reaching $1,000, and a properly done pro finish lasts 10 to 15 years. Clawfoot and specialty tubs run $400 to $1,400.

Relining Cost

A tub liner, a custom acrylic shell fitted over the existing tub, runs $1,600 to $3,200 installed, with most homeowners paying $1,700 to $2,500. Quotes far above that usually include full wall-surround systems, so read the scope line. One hard rule: never install a liner over a tub that leaks. The liner traps water between the layers, and what was a repairable problem becomes a hidden one.

Refinish, Reline, or Replace: The Repair Ladder

Every worn-out tub lands on a three-rung ladder, and the right rung is mostly determined by one question: is the tub structurally sound?

Rung 1, Refinish (about $483 professionally, up to $1,000): for sound tubs with tired skin: stains, dullness, small chips. Cast iron especially rewards this; the metal under the finish has decades left.

Rung 2, Reline ($1,600 to $3,200): for sound tubs where the surface is beyond refinishing but the layout works. The niche is real but narrow, and a liner never feels quite like a solid tub.

Rung 3, Replace (about $2,100 to $5,900 installed on average, up to about $9,700): for cracks, rust-through, leaks, or any tub you simply don't want anymore. Style problems are replacement problems; refinishing changes color, not shape.

Picture a landlord turning over a rental with a stained but solid steel tub: a $450 refinish returns it to service in a weekend, and replacement would have been $3,000 of unnecessary project. Now picture the same tub with rust bleeding through at the drain: that tub is done, and a liner over it would only hide the leak while it worked on the subfloor. Sound tub, save it; compromised tub, replace it.

If you're deciding this week:

1. Press around the drain and any stains: flex, softness, or rust-through means replacement, full stop.
2. Sound tub? Get one refinishing quote and one liner quote; if the liner quote is within $1,500 of a new installed tub, replace instead.
3. Replacing anyway? Price the material one tier above your first instinct; the tub outlasts every other finish in the room.

Frequently Asked Questions About Bathtub Costs

Does a bathtub add value to a house?

Having at least one tub in the home protects value, family buyers expect it, and bathrooms that get remodeled around a quality tub recoup strongly. Adding a second tub adds convenience more than appraisal value.

How much does it cost to take out a bathtub and put in a new one?

A like-for-like swap averages about $2,100 to $5,900 installed, and complex jobs reach about $9,700: the new tub, removal and disposal of the old one ($200 to $1,200), and labor ($100 to $2,000). Our replacement cost guide itemizes the whole project.

What is the most expensive part of a bathtub project?

Usually not the tub. Labor plus surround work commonly exceeds the tub price at every tier except luxury freestanding, which is why the same $800 tub can be a $1,500 project in one bathroom and a $5,000 project in another.

Price the Tub You Actually Want at Badeloft

Once the ladder says replace, the material decision is the one you'll live with longest. Badeloft's stone resin tubs sit in the sweet spot of this price book: mineral look and heat retention near cast iron, at $3,290 to $4,190 without the structural reinforcement, backed by a 10-year warranty and free material samples. Start with Badeloft's model-by-model price guide and match a tub to the number you just budgeted.