Refinishing (reglazing) costs a few hundred dollars; replacement costs thousands. So why would anyone replace? Because they answer different problems — and choosing wrong wastes the money either way.
What refinishing actually is
A sprayed coating over your existing tub's surface. Done well on a sound tub, it can look good for 5–10 years. But it's cosmetic by definition: it can't fix a flexing floor, a failing drain, or moisture already behind the wall. And a refinish over a previous refinish rarely holds — the peeling you've seen is usually coat number two.
The honest decision table
| Your situation | Honest answer |
|---|---|
| Sound cast-iron tub, surface stains/dull finish only | Refinishing is a legitimate save — we'll tell you so |
| Chips and rust spots on steel tub | Refinish may hold a few years; rust usually returns at the edges |
| Fiberglass tub floor flexes underfoot | Replace — the structure is failing, no coating fixes that |
| Leak at drain/overflow, or stains on ceiling below | Replace, and open the wall — there's damage to find |
| Previous refinish peeling | Replace — second coatings rarely last |
What replacement gets you that no coating can
- A new drain, overflow, and shoe — the parts that actually cause water damage
- A look behind the wall, with moisture-proof backing installed before the new surround goes up
- A tub floor with real support underneath — no flex, no future cracks
- Decades of life instead of years
At a free estimate we'll tell you plainly which side of the table your tub is on — including when refinishing is the cheaper right answer and we're not the crew you need.
Next step: see how we handle tub replacement
Swap a worn, stained, or failing bathtub for a new tub or tub-shower unit — done right behind the walls, too.